This Wednesday, the European Parliament will vote on what message to send to the negotiators of the EU-US trade and investment deal, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). They won’t (yet) be voting on whether to accept the deal, partly because the vast bulk of it…Read more…
Honour your agreements
Unite confirmed today (June 8) that they will be entering into talks at the conciliation service Acas with bus company Abellio Surrey in a bid to avert strike action in a dispute over terms and…Read more…
Breaking: steel strike on
Steel unions have agreed Monday, June 22, as the date for strike action at Tata Steel in their ongoing dispute over pensions. The strike action will be preceded by action short of strike action…Read more…
‘On the level with asbestos’
Unite has blown the lid off the dangers cabin crew members face being exposed to toxic air – a scandal that’s being compared to asbestos exposure. This morning (June 8) on the Victoria…Read more…
Allowing students to find their passion changes everything
Students at Springwell Learning Community experience a personalised and engaging curriculum that succeeds in both promoting a love of literature and development of empathy and social understanding….Read more…
The Chancellor bemoans Labour’s household debt record, but official figures show the pace of borrowing rising rapidly and debt on his watch likely to hit an all-time high
In the Independent today, James Moore reported Frances O’Grady’s remarks on household debt. These followed the Queen’s Speech economy debate last week, when Tory backbencher Mark Garnier attacked Labour’s record: “Does the Chancellor agree that the £1 trillion rise in household debt…Read more…
Deadline set
Offshore trade unions have set a deadline of Friday, June 19 for employers in the Caterers Offshore Trade Association (COTA) agreement to return to negotiations over a pay deal for 2015/16. …Read more…
#EUReferendum: Business for Britain’s longest blackmail letter in history
The eurosceptic Business for Britain campaign – not to be confused with the pro-European Business for New Europe campaign – this week issued what you might call ‘the longest blackmail letter’ in history to Prime Minister David Cameron. But they have done us a great service…Read more…
Bonn blog #2: UK performance at UN climate talks and the future of just transition
I’ve been at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference in Bonn this week, where 195 countries are negotiating the international climate treaty that will be debated at COP21 climate talks in Paris in December. This blog describes my initial thoughts on the process, as someone…Read more…
Tata Steel: Members vote
Unite members working for Tata Steel UK Ltd have overwhelmingly voted for industrial action over the company’s plans to close the British Steel pension scheme (BSPS) and make employees work five more…Read more…
The UK rich quiz: How much do you know?
Despite the UK having one of the biggest economies in the world, wealth inequality between the rich and poor is rapidly growing. If you’re part of the 99% not in the UK’s rich club then…Read more…
Tip of the iceberg
The newly elected Tory government has wasted no time in implementing its latest dose of austerity, with chancellor George Osborne putting forward £3bn in spending cuts yesterday (June 4), which are…Read more…
Bonn blog #1: UN hooks Just Transition at #SB42
In Bonn this week, where the UN is labouring through an 86-page draft climate treaty, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has welcomed the return of three clear commitments in the draft text to just transition and decent work. Labour’s three “hooks” re-appeared in the UN draft treaty as…Read more…
Fighting back
Unite hosted a press conference for the People’s Assembly to highlight the anti austerity demonstration being held on June 20. You can watch the full press conference below: Unite…Read more…
The most unequal rich country in Northern Europe
Last month the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (the rich countries’ club) published In it Together: Why Less Inequality Benefits All. It develops the argument the OECD has been making for some time about the malign economic consequences of inequality, and presents evidence to…Read more…
Revulsion over poverty pay
Unite is set to ballot more than 3,000 members across Northern Ireland working in factories owned by poultry giant Moy Park. Management’s refusal to offer any pay increase has caused revulsion…Read more…
No to Royal Mail ‘fire sale’
Unite today (June 4) has warned against another Royal Mail ‘fire sale’ which would short-change taxpayers and deprive the Treasury of a steady stream of income over the long-term. The warning…Read more…
8 honest challenges for trade unions
Yesterday I put together 8 surprising facts about trade union membership. It’s been a really popular post, and it was based on the latest Office of National Statistics trade union report. I…Read more…
“I support my dad”
“I Support My Dad” explores how the 1984-85 miners’ strike affected the lives of children who were involved in the protest in North Staffordshire. Produced by Stoke-on-Trent based film company…Read more…
Investment better than paying off debt
A group of International Monetary Fund economists say some governments should spend more investing in public infrastructure and spend less time obsessing about running up higher levels of public…Read more…