The Conservative Party leadership election has been rapid, dramatic and completely bewildering. And now with the withdrawal of the last remaining challenger to Theresa May it looks like there won’t even be a vote at all. But there’s one thing in this campaign that has been overlooked in…Read more…
Europe’s trade unions come to London to show solidarity
This morning, the leaders of Europe’s trade unions met in the TUC General Council chamber – people like ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation) General Secretary Luca Visentini and…Read more…
Fairness for Ebola fight heroes
An NHS biomedical scientist and Unite member, who twice volunteered in Sierra Leone during the Ebola Crisis, has called for the 200 NHS workers and academics who risked their lives to combat the…Read more…
EU workers in UK: where do I stand?
I’m an EU national, from Spain. I work as a hotel cleaner. On June 24 after the UK voted for Brexit, my employers gave me a pay cut. They said if I don’t like it I can go back to Spain. Where do I…Read more…
£150bn new lending is a tall order, even for Mark Carney
Since the referendum vote, the Bank of England have been working tirelessly to protect the economy. But the announcement the other day of an increase in banks “capacity for lending to UK households and businesses by up to £150 billion” needs to be taken with a big pinch of salt (hence ‘up to’). The…Read more…
South Korean assaults on trade unions continues
Unfortunately South Korea’s appalling record on the rights of workers and trade unions is being added to. Han Sang-gyun, the President of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has been…Read more…
Give guarantees call
Unite called on Tata Steel to give binding commitments on the future of Port Talbot and its UK steel strips business following reports today (July 7) that the steelmaker was planning to pause its…Read more…
Sports Direct profits plummet
Unite warned that the ‘shameful’ work practices of employment agencies, Transline and The Best Connection, were causing irreparable harm to the reputation of Sports Direct and lasting damage to its…Read more…
‘Woefully inadequate’
Unite warned that the government’s Oil and Gas Workforce Plan, published today (July 6) was ‘woefully inadequate’ and fell short of arresting a decline in the industry which had led to over 120,000…Read more…
Piper Alpha victims remembered
Nearly three decades ago today, the deadliest offshore disaster in history unfolded as the Piper Alpha platform burst into flames, killing 167 of the 228 people either working on the rig or…Read more…
Fair tips: Stop scamming staff call
A new survey has revealed that nearly nine out of 10 people want the government to introduce legislation preventing rip-off restaurant bosses scamming staff out of their tips. Around 600…Read more…
Defend dockers’ rights
Liverpool dock workers at Seaforth container terminal will be taking part in an international day of action tomorrow (July 7). The day of action has been called by the International Transport…Read more…
Why cutting corporation tax would make things worse, not better
Before the Referendum – which seems like another era! – George Osborne said that post-Brexit he would introduce an emergency budget containing £30 billion of extra tax rises or spending cuts. Such a move would sharply escalate the austerity already shrouding much of the country, the impact of which…Read more…
Chilcot response
Responding to the publication of the Chilcot report into the Iraq invasion, issued today (July 6) after seven years of deliberations, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said, “Chilcot confirms…Read more…
Brexit and social security – we need a debate on the trade union response
What will leaving the European Union mean for social security policy in the UK? In this post I’m going to explain why we should prepare for social security cuts as part of any move to introduce a new austerity. In a few days I hope to return to this subject and look at some of…
The post…Read more…
Orgreave justice fight
The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign includes ex-miners, trades unionists, activists and others who are determined to get justice for miners who were victims of police lies and cover ups at…Read more…
Happy birthday to our NHS
Today marks the 68th birthday of our NHS. “Unite is proud of the NHS and the work our members do within in. We will continue to fight to protect our NHS, to ensure it can continue to care for…Read more…
How are the SATs expected standards set?
By Anne Heavey, ATL education policy adviser. The key stage 2 test results this year look very different to results in previous years. The curriculum being assessed is different, the tests are…Read more…
Union rights are good for all
Criminal penalties should be imposed on bosses who blacklist workers, according to a new Manifesto for labour law. The manifesto, written by the Institute of Employment Rights (IER)…Read more…
‘Battle of the books’ strike
The long-running ‘battle of the books’ in Greenwich opens a new chapter tomorrow (Tuesday July 5) when library workers strike for 48 hours to save the borough’s mobile library service from closure….Read more…