A look back on the Wapping Dispute with Greg Neale and Nicholas Jones on 20th January. The great dispute at News International newspapers in 1986-87 was one of the most dramatic industrial affairs of…Read more…
The damage Tory cuts are having on the NHS
The time has come for the Tories to finally begin sorting out the underlying issues in the NHS, which include the major dispute over payRead more…
Letter in the Guardian: Workers must retain the right to strike
Workers must retain the right to strike On the same day the government pledged to curb public-sector unions’ right to strike by introducing a 40% minimum vote threshold (Report, 10 January), it also…Read more…
The view from the Clapham omnibus (not)
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/passengers-back-londons-bus-drivers-on-eve-of-london-wide-bus-strike/As a worker in Lambeth I am often – literally – the man on the Clapham omnibus (whose views are an established benchmark of reasonableness!)
However….Read more…
Fraud: investor priorities and attitudes
Luigi Zingales has been involved in some interesting work on fraud. In this paper he and co-authors look at who detects and exposes fraud, and they find some perhaps surprising results. Employees are the whistle-blowers most often (and, as such, the su…Read more…
Protecting Public Services
Scotland’s public services are living through a lost decade as a consequence of austerity economics and we can do more to protect public services.
Tomorrow (Tuesday 13 January 2015) the Scottish…Read more…
Tory plans will put public service unions in a legal straitjacket
Tory manifesto proposals to impose a minimum turnout (50%) and a minimum threshold of support (40% of all those balloted) will make it impossible for unions to conduct ‘lawful’ industrial action in…Read more…
There is Power in a Union
Fantastic song. Let no one ever forget the power of the union. Moral, political and industrial.Read more…
First Ilford North canvass 2015
On Saturday my Council surgery went over by 30 minutes due to a queue of constituents wanting help about serious housing matters. It was very grim. We just desperately need to build more homes.
In the afternoon I went on a #labourdoorstep…Read more…
Risk
There’s an interesting article in the Economist about the ‘on-demand’ economy. As you would expect, they are very positive about the rise of things like Uber, but even they recognise that this isn’t a pain-free future. Here are the final few…Read more…
“…but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power”
Great quote by Abraham Lincoln. Equally applies to women of course.Read more…
Celtic Connections – bringing the world together.
My preview of this year’s Celtic Connections festival is printed in today’s Morning Star, here. They have made some (entirely legitimate) editorial changes to my original article – mainly reordering…Read more…
Tories throw down the gauntlet – how shall we pick it up?
http://m.campaignseries.co.uk/news/national/11715463.Tories_vow_to_toughen_strike_laws/
Whereas the Tory announcement about caps on public sector redundancy payments was simply an electioneering gimmick, their plans to toughen further anti-strike laws …Read more…
Help the people of Gaza: TUC Aid Appeal Gaza Plant Nursery
TUC Aid is appealing for donations to rebuild the Beit Lahia Plant Nursery in Gaza, which was badly damaged during the 2014 Israeli offensive. The majority of Gaza’s 1.6 million people are…Read more…
LGPS Pension Boards: Model UNISON Magna Carta
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE There are about 4.6 million people in the UK who are members (active, deferred or retired) of the Local Government …Read more…
2015: Reasons to be Cheerful
Colleagues,
Have returned to Ruskin from the Christmas break and, as it is as hectic as ever, I am copping out slightly of writing an original first post for 2015, by referencing a great article written In These Times just before the en…Read more…
Brain washed morons pretending they are doing God’s work.
“We stand in solidarity with France against this evil attack by terrorists intent on attacking our democratic way of life & freedom of speech”. Well said Ed (Miliband). Read more…
West Ham Labour January update – General Election just 120 days away (& debate on Syria)
“Happy 2015… It’s only seven days into the new year and already voters can’t have failed to notice there’s a General Election coming.
The Tories have already published a false dossier on Labour’s plans and the NHS is in crisis.
General Election 201…Read more…
UNISON National Executive Council elections – under starter’s orders…
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE …Read more…
Why?
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/A-Garland-for-May-Day-1895-Posters_i1864412_.htm
This link takes you to Walter Crane’s “Garland for the Workers” which expresses some of the hopes which I think our movement was created to keep alive.
In the next few days …Read more…