At the packed Protect the right to strike TUC rally today (November 2) Unite general secretary Len McCluskey spoke out against the trade union Bill, urging opposition to it. He said, “The aim…Read more…
How to tackle the crisis in mental health
Today (2 November 2015) a letter signed by hundreds of prominent people including Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC and politicians from all major parties, calls for the autumn statement to ensure that mental health is treated on a par with physical health (requiring much greater…Read more…
‘Ideology and sheer spite’
The trade union Bill is an attack on basic freedoms, public safety and will do lasting damage to industrial relations the TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady has told a packed rally in London today…Read more…
Living Wage increase welcome – now pick up the pace
New Living Wage rates of £9.40 in London and £8.25 were announced this morning. just over 2,000 employers have signed up for this voluntary pay standard – double last year’s total. Accredited Living Wage employers have until April 2016 to put the new rates into effect. At a launch event…Read more…
The lobby before the storm?
Tomorrow (November 3) MPs will hear the third reading of the government’s sinister trade union bill; today workers from across the country will greet them outside of Parliament in a last ditch…Read more…
Episode 15: ‘I live like a dog’
Sounds familiar? If you work in the hospitality industry you can join www.unitetheunion.org – if you earn less than the Living Wage (£9.15ph in London, £7.85 outside) for just £2.10 per week….Read more…
‘Stunned silence’
Little more than a week ago, the steel community of Scunthorpe was devastated by the news that 1,200 jobs at Tata Steel would go, following a grim month for the industry as the SSI steel plant in…Read more…
Commitment please
A national commission on infrastructure, which will oversee spending on major projects such as road, rail and flood defence improvements, was launched by chancellor George Osborne today (October 30)…Read more…
Vote no to CETA – TUC takes citizens’ petition to Brussels
This week, as TUC spokesperson on Europe, I handed in a petition to MEPs in the European Parliament from constituents asking them to reject the trade deal the EU is currently finalising with Canada, known as CETA. You may not have heard of CETA, but pe…Read more…
‘Degraded and ashamed’
Five years ago foodbanks were not something that everyone would necessarily have heard of and a decade ago they barely existed in the UK. Now there are over 1,000 foodbanks in the UK and in…Read more…
The Lone Chancellor
The tax credit cuts saga continued in Parliament yesterday (October 29) as Labour MP Frank Field urged the government through a cross-party motion to rethink its tax credit reforms that, if pushed…Read more…
Keep on fighting
In our final installment to celebrate Black History Month this week on UNITElive, we meet Unite members Nikita Uddin and Joe Welch The slave trade is inextricably linked to Britain’s history. While…Read more…
Episode 14: ‘I’m in big trouble, Hughie’
Sounds familiar? If you work in the hospitality industry you can join www.unitetheunion.org – if you earn less than the Living Wage (£9.15ph in London, £7.85 outside) for just £2.10 per week….Read more…
‘Blatant disenfranchisement’
Millions risk losing their voice if they don’t sign up to register to vote in the next three weeks, after the House of Lords failed to approve a motion on Tuesday (October 27) that would halt the…Read more…
Steel future snubbed
The steel crisis is so important that fewer than two dozen Tory MPs bothered to attend the Parliamentary debate yesterday (October 28) demanding emergency government action. But then again secretary…Read more…
Steel crisis goes to the heart of UK industrial policy
The steel industry is not alone. Right across the energy intensive industries there are profound and well founded concerns over plant closures, jobs losses, higher energy costs than competitors face, and a lack of a common vision for UK manufacturing. …Read more…
Everyone’s history
To celebrate Black History Month this week on UNITElive, every day we meet a Unite member who tells us of their own experiences. Today we meet Majid Rahman Majid Rahman’s great grandfather,…Read more…
The productivity challenge: what goes on in the workplace and a strong employee voice
Earlier this week I participated in an ACAS seminar on ‘Building Productivity in the UK’. I have written previously on the so-called ‘productivity puzzle’ and the critical importance of investment, skills and an active industrial strategy. But I have also highlighted the importance of better work…Read more…
Episode 13: ‘But what about the money?’
Sounds familiar? If you work in the hospitality industry you can join www.unitetheunion.org – if you earn less than the Living Wage (£9.15ph in London, £7.85 outside) for just £2.10 per week….Read more…
Protect young workers’ right to strike
When you’re just starting out in a career, the idea you might one day be going out on strike is hardly likely to cross your mind. The right to strike is a last resort, and one you often don’t think…Read more…