The Financial Times has today reported that the US government is pressing the European Commission not to grant China ‘Market Economy Status’ (MES), which under WTO rules would allow far more undercutting by Chinese exports into the EU. The UK government is on the record as a supporter…Read more…
Len McCluskey’s hopes for 2016
Tempting as it is to slip into dejection by the prospect of four more years of this appalling Tory administration gifted to us by this ending year, let us opt for optimism for the one to come. …Read more…
ISDS: even when Governments win, we all lose
We’re often told we shouldn’t worry about Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) in the new generation of so-called ‘free’ trade agreements, because the UK Government doesn’t lose cases. In practice that’s because most UK agreements containing ISDS have been…Read more…
Andy Haldane at the TUC: technology, labour and policy choices
Interest rates: Ancient Mesopotamia to the present (see end of post for source) On 12 November 2015 Andy Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England, spoke at the TUC. While a little late in the day, it is worthwhile to review some of the very important points he made, not least given the…Read more…
Invisible children
The Tory government has taken an innovative approach in reducing child poverty. Instead of maintaining a target set by the last Labour government to eliminate child poverty by 2020, it’s…Read more…
Bulwark against exploitation
Unite has yesterday (December 22) welcomed the Scottish government’s ‘sensible’ decision to retain the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) following a prolonged campaign to protect the minimum…Read more…
ONS Christmas present to Chancellor: a slump in nominal GDP
The final release of economic figures for 2015 does not make happy reading for the Chancellor. Headline GDP for 2015Q3 is revised down to 0.4% from 0.5%; Q2 was 0.5%. On the annual measure comparing with the same quarter a year ago, growth is now 2.1%,…Read more…
Good news for Tata Steel workforce
The future of Tata Steel’s long products division looks brighter today, following the news that a letter of intent has been signed between the company and investment firm Greybull Capital. …Read more…
5 lessons trade unions can teach the WTO
Trade talks at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) closed in Nairobi on Saturday and the biggest news is what they did not manage to agree. After 14 years of stalled talks, rich countries continued to refuse to address longstanding injustices in agriculture, such as food stockholding – a…Read more…
A Happy New Year for the NHS?
There’s no doubt about it, the last 12 months have been a bumpy ride for our National Health Service. Will 2016 be any better? A year that started off with the government negotiating its way out of a bout of unprecedented industrial action involving NHS workers in England from nurses and midwives…Read more…
Official: govt failed steel workers
Unite has backed the findings of the select committee’s report on the failure of the government to react to warning signs that the steel industry was facing increasing problems. Unite has…Read more…
Holding back the tears
Britain’s last deep pit coal miners held back their tears, as they emerged from their historic final shift underground to face the glare of the media at Yorkshire’s Kellingley Colliery on Friday….Read more…
Diggers Unite and win?
Unite Archaeology members Dr Nora Bermingham and Caitriona Moore MA have been nominated for a prestigious award sponsored by Current Archaeology magazine. The nomination – for ‘Rescue Dig of…Read more…
#COP21: How does education and research figure?
The Paris Agreement that was finalised on 12 December (pdf) has had a mixed reception. For some, it is an historic document that will keep global warming in check. For others, it will deliver too little too late. Without repeating all of the arguments …Read more…
Only God and the bed manager
The consultant was clear – you need to be on an IV drip getting antibiotics in your local A and E within the hour because of complications with chemotherapy treatment. The patient, my partner,…Read more…
Beyond a crisis
GP surgeries are bursting at the seams, ambulance staff are leaving in their droves, NHS waiting times continue to rise drastically, junior doctors were set to walk out in a series of strikes and…Read more…
Government from the dark side? Transparency is not strong with this one…
Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson made an interesting speech today, raising concerns about the erosion of transparency and accountability under our current government, and the threats this poses to our civil liberties. He accuses the Prime Minister in particular of “governing from the…Read more…
Too little, too late
The UK steel industry has received much needed support, as the UK was given EU state aid approval to give green tax rebates for energy-intensive industries. The aid package will be worth…Read more…
‘Star Wars’ digital revolution is coming
Serious questions are being asked whether the UK is fully geared up to profit from the ‘Star Wars’ digital revolution so eagerly being embraced by its economic competitors. As the prospect of…Read more…
Orgreave: justice fight goes on
Unite has backed the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) since its inception over three years ago. One of the campaign stalwarts is Unite industrial organiser Joe Rollin from Barnsley…Read more…