Wages are expected to grow at the fastest rate since before the crash, many newspapers reported earlier this week. It’s good news on the surface, but read further down their columns and the reason…Read more…
CPI inflation: no surprises, not out of woods.
When the inflation numbers are moving from positive to negative territory it is difficult to avoid excitement about ultimately small changes, driven to some extent by erratic and exceptional factors. Today Britain moved out of deflation, alternatively …Read more…
High levels of underemployment still remain
Our recent analysis shows that underemployment (people who have fewer hours of work than they want) remains nearly a million higher than before the recession. The findings come ahead of new unemployment data to be published this week, which are expecte…Read more…
Colombia: one of the terrible ten worst countries for workers’ rights
Colombia is the world’s capital for murders of unionists. Despite fitful progress in the ongoing peace process between the government and the FARC guerrillas, Colombia’s trade unionists are…Read more…
‘These figures don’t add up’
The average London house price has broken above £600,000 for the first time in history, according to new data from online property website Rightmove. This is a rise of 5.8 per cent on…Read more…
Survivor pensions: the legacy of inequality continues
For pensioner couples, the death of a partner can lead to financial worry as well as grief for the one left behind. For this reason, many defined benefit pension schemes continue to pay a proportion of the pension to the survivor. But thanks to a littl…Read more…
Fundamental human right attacked
As the Government has confirmed plans to curve the right to strike, UNITElive spoke with Unite’s director of legal services Howard Beckett in an exclusive interview. Government…Read more…
China: one of the terrible ten worst countries for workers’ rights (2)
At the ILO conference earlier this month, the International Trade Union Confederation launched its 2015 Global Rights Index, detailing the ten worst countries for workers’ rights abuses in the…Read more…
Why we’d find it difficult repeating Better Together for Europe
We’re being asked quite a lot if the trade union movement would join a broad-based campaign to stay in the European Union, working with employers, political parties and others. The example of…Read more…
Is a bottom-up approach to professionalism the answer for the FE sector?
By Ann Hodgson, UCL Institute of Education. I was invited to chair a session on the Policy Contexts of Professionalism, as part of the in the Developing Collaborative Expertise in the Further…Read more…
Belarus: one of the terrible ten worst countries for workers’ rights (1)
At the ILO conference earlier this month, the International Trade Union Confederation launched its 2015 Global Rights Index, detailing the ten worst countries for workers’ rights abuses in the…Read more…
#TTIP with the US comes second: #CETA with Canada comes first
Trade deals haven’t been so high profile since the 1999 ‘battle for Seattle’, when the World Trade Organisation was met with a wave of anti-globalisation protests. In the US, first the Senate then the House of Representatives have seen pitched battles over ‘Fast Track’…Read more…
Ten countries not to go to, if you’re a trade unionist
Although holiday season is almost upon us, this isn’t really the TUC Holiday Show. Over the last fortnight, trade unionists, employers and governments from all over the world have been in…Read more…
Congress deals blow to trade deals as US wakes up to worker concerns
Just a couple of years ago, US unions attacking trade deals because they cost jobs and lowered wages were accused of bogus economics, protectionism and worse (they still are in some circles.) Now their views are expressed even by centrist Democrats and…Read more…
‘Fast track’ defeated – for now! US unions at forefront of campaign
The legislation President Obama needs so that he can drive through the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement being negotiated by the US and twelve Pacific Rim countries is stalled –…Read more…
MEPs urge Congress to allow climate action in trade deals
Today, the US House of Representatives is debating whether to allow President Obama authority to negotiate trade deals for the next 6 years without significant Congressional scrutiny. In what is normally referred to as the ‘fast track’ procedure, the House will be asked to agree a…Read more…
Can an exercise of will effect political change?
Apologies, but it’s been very hot and muggy all day, and I find that makes me less active and more thoughtful. So it was a good time to read this blog by Kemal Dervis, former economics minister…Read more…
On the road to nowhere
George Osborne’s ‘march of the makers’ is stuck on the ‘road to nowhere’ warned Unite, as official figures released earlier this week (June 10) showed a decline in manufacturing with output still 4.4…Read more…
No justice, no peace
Campaigners from the Orgreave Truth and Justice campaign (pictured) called a press conference today (June 12) in response to the announcement by the Independent Police Complaints Commission that it…Read more…
Caring for Carers
This week is Carers Week and 2015 has been the year of the carer for ATL, and whether we are talking about adult carers or young carers, many of the same issues have been brought to the fore. At all…Read more…