A version of this article appears today on Equal Times, a global news, opinion and campaign website about work, politics, the economy, development and the environment which is supported by the 175…Read more…
ESG – where are the workers?
There’s an interesting PRI report just published on investor engagement on public policy. It is worth a read. But I thought I’d carry out a little experiment to see the relative emphasis put on different issues as measured by mentions.
Here’s the scor…Read more…
Two Women of Worth
MINNIE LANSBURY on her way to arrest.
The other evening I heard an interesting, indeed inspiring, talk about Minnie Lansbury, who was one of the rebel Labour councillors in the London Borough of…Read more…
Stars in our schools
In schools across the UK, UNISON is promoting the tireless contribution of the 250,000 support staff we are proud representRead more…
Mansion tax would affect just four families in every thousand
If you own a £2million home you can afford to pay the Mansion Tax to help save the NHS. As Ed said it’s Pure and Simple.
Amazing that the Tories think its okay to throw poor people out of their homes if they can’t pay the bedroom tax but want rich millionaires to to pay less income and…Read more…
Two cheers for the Smith Commission
The Smith Commission report is an important step forward on the devolution journey, even if many of us who support further devolution will be disappointed over its omissions.
First of all let’s…Read more…
Private school pupils and their continual monopoly on privilege.
Researchers found that ’31 per cent of private school pupils in the 1970 birth cohort obtained a degree from an elite university, compared to 13 per cent from grammar schools, 5 per cent from comprehensives, and 2 per cent from secondary moderns.’ hat tip leftfoot forward
So wealth alone…Read more…
What is a trade union?
Well done to Jamie-Max Caldwell for another excellent video:
Tony Blair / David Brent
Somehow this –
Blair is frustrated that, for many Britons, Iraq effectively disqualifies him from contributing to this debate. He predicts, however, that this will change: ‘At some point … people will come to see that this is indeed a complicated and difficult argument and [that] this is…Read more…
Legislative programme. The good, the bad and the process
The Scottish Government’s legislative programme is the predictable mixed bag. Some positive bits, some prospects of action and some significant disappointments.
The eye catcher was land reform. Not…Read more…
Which unions are the most influential in social media in 2014?
Since 2012, I’ve carried out annual research to find out which TUC-affiliated unions are the most influential on social media. It’s been a year since the last review, and so I’ve updated the metrics…Read more…
NHS Pay Dispute – Where Next?
On Monday thousands of NHS workers took to the picket lines for the second time in six weeks. Following the huge success of the action on 13th October, 9 health unions called their members out…Read more…
Performance management is a bad business
I support 100% this criticism about so-called “Performance Management”. It is in my experience divisive, unfair and destroys team work. Didn’t realise that it encouraged “cannibalism” but…
“Performance management, a worker assessment system that pi…Read more…
From Under the Covers to Lecturing in College
FROM RADICAL ACTIVIST to respectable academic? The roles of police agent Bob
Just over a month ago, on October 23, 2014, the Metropolitan Police Service agreed to pay £425,000 to a woman…Read more…
"As shareholders…."
A few years ago I was sitting in a meeting about a proposed corporate governance campaign when one of the younger people in the room began a sentence with the words “As shareholders, we….”
It really jarred with me at the time, and still does, so I t…Read more…
“UKIP are bringing fear and intimidation in to British politics”
“After this week’s Twitter row at the Rochester by-election, I am using my keynote speech to the
Labour East Regional Conference today to say that it is UKIP who truly offends working class sentiment and represents a party which is fundamentally un-British.
Today I am lucky to serve as a Euro…Read more…
Organising strategy – mobilise or organise?
On 8th November I attended four fascinating meetings at the Historical Materialism conference with people from the USA and Canada discussing the plight of the labour movement and ideas for turning it round.
I found the debates really useful and there …Read more…
Stars and family gather in Glasgow to celebrate life of Tony Benn
Excitement is building ahead of the range of events arranged to celebrate the life of Tony Benn next weekend. Two major concerts and a couple of discussion groups are planned for Sunday 30 November…Read more…
A big thanks to NHS members
We must keep up the pressure on the government, and Jeremy Hunt in particular, so that they implement the pay body’s recommendationRead more…
Lies, Spies and Custard Pies
NOT ALL COMEDY. Mark Thomes made spies’ activity subject of Edinburgh show. But while he was interested in what arms dealers were up to, the police were more interested in him.
WELL-KNOWN…Read more…