Chancellor George Osborne has been accused by Unite today (March 16) of having only one-trick in his armoury – cuts – as he misses yet more targets, irresponsibly fails manufacturing and…Read more…
#Budget2016: A lost dozen years, with yet another hit to earnings and living standards
As the Chancellor confronts his failure to deliver a secure economy with stronger growth, working people confront yet another hit to living standards. Real earnings grew in 2015 by 2.5%, a positive figure for the first time since 2007; next year they w…Read more…
Big cuts to GDP growth mean higher public borrowing and a second failure on public debt
Behind the Chancellor’s gimmicks were serious downward revisions to GDP growth. 2016: now 2.0% previously 2.4%; 2017: now 2.2% was 2.5% etc. These feed through straight to the budget deficit borrowing, so that it is increased materially – by £39 billion cumulatively – over the coming five years….Read more…
The government should let union members choose how they vote
Today, the Chancellor will present his budget for the year ahead. But it’s not the only important thing happening. Though it won’t be dominating the headlines, the government’s controversial Trade Union Bill is reaching its final stages in the House of Lords. What is represents is a last chance for…Read more…
#Budget2016: Altering tax thresholds is an expensive way to aid the well paid
The chancellor has promised measures to increase the personal tax allowance (PTA) for low-paid workers (the amount they can earn in a year before being liable for tax) also the higher rate threshold (HRT) (the point beyond which tax increases to 40%). While both measures have been portrayed as a…Read more…
Cider capitalism’s ugly face
Unite denounced the trading update from the Dublin-based C&C Group as ‘another kick in the teeth for a dedicated workforce’ at the profitable Somerset site. A trading update from the…Read more…
Picking up the tax cheats’ tab
Today (March 16) the country’s eyes are on George Osborne as he attempts to plug an £18bn hole in his budget. He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show ‘we need to act now so we…Read more…
The great pretender
Chancellor George Osborne will boast that he will preside over the “largest programme of rail investment since the Victorian age”, during today’s Budget (March 16). His misleading and…Read more…
‘Draconian approach’
Port workers at the Port of Grangemouth kicked off a two-week strike today (March 15) after their employer Forth Ports imposed changes to shift work without consultation. These changes will…Read more…
Rise of the robo-bankers?
Investment advisers at the 73 per cent taxpayer-owned RBS bank are set to be replaced by so-called “robo advisers” to cut costs, which will entail the loss of 250 jobs. The bank, which…Read more…
Toxic air legal cases rise
Unite revealed today (March 15) that it was pursuing legal action against a number of UK airlines on behalf of 61 cabin crew after they were exposed to ‘toxic cabin air’ while working on board…Read more…
If Remain want our votes they have to make it personal
An article in today’s Telegraph should act as a spur to everyone in the Remain camp. Lynton Crosby – The Wizard of Oz – has been looking behind the poll numbers to gauge the motivation of supporters of Leave and Remain to go out and vote. The results which point to a possible Brexit,…Read more…
Government defeat in Lords may allow asylum seekers to work at last
Last week the government suffered two significant defeats in the House of Lords as two amendments the TUC supported to give rights and protections to asylum seekers and overseas domestic workers were added to the Immigration Bill. The Immigration Bill was introduced as part of the government’s…Read more…
Threat to safety representatives still there.
Tomorrow sees not just the budget but also the debate on the Trade Union Bill in the House of Lords. The Bill includes a provision to allow the Government to restrict access to facility time for…Read more…
‘Thin edge of the wedge’
Co-op drivers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action over the proposal to transfer 87 drivers in the Midlands to controversial haulier Eddie Stobart Ltd (ESL). Because of the…Read more…
Austerity: it’s not working
In 2010, Chancellor George Osborne first laid out one of the central aims of the then coalition government in his first budget – to eliminate the deficit by 2015. Having failed to meet…Read more…
Budget 2016: Osborne’s five year failure to tackle the real problems
On Wednesday, Chancellor George Osborne will deliver his sixth budget. In his first budget back in 2010, he identified a number of challenges for our imbalanced and over-indebted economy that his strategy indended to resolve. He’s had five budgets since to tackle them, but looking back at his…Read more…
How much does the Canadian government want a trade deal with the EU?
Before the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the USA comes the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada. It has been ‘agreed’ several times, but it’s not over yet. And it’s still seriously deficient…Read more…
‘A credible alternative’
Labour’s announcement of a fiscal responsibility rule to drive investment and tackle the deficit has drawn praise from eminent economists, as well as Unite’s general secretary Len McCluskey. …Read more…
Don’t tell young people that unemployment, low pay and insecure work are good for them
The way in which young workers (or want-to-be workers) is discussed in the media and public debate is something which frequently grates on me, and I can’t be the only young person who feels like this. The article “jobs for the boys and girls” in this week’s Economist was no…Read more…