To give readers a rest from my incessant blog posts about local government pay (each and every one of which, I should point out to readers in the Euston area, alleges a breach of Rule B.1.4) I shall share a strange happening from this morning’s meeting of the Development and Organisation (D&O)…Read more…
Intellectuals of the world unite
“In 1864, there were a lot of socialist-minded workers and one or two socialist intellectuals like Marx. Today we are awash with socialist scholars but fewer and fewer workers who believe in or are inspired by socialism as preached by the PhDs…
…….Read more…
Le Chant des Partisans
“The piece was written and put to melody in London in 1943 after Anna Marly heard a Russian song that provided her with inspiration. Joseph Kessel and Maurice Druon wrote the French lyrics. It was performed by Anna Marly, broadcast by the BBC and adopt…Read more…
Socialising responsible investment
Responsible investment is a bit lopsided really isn’t it? When you look at the commitment to the analysis of, and engagement over, ‘ESG’ issues it’s pretty clear that the ‘S’ is somewhat silent.
Corporate governance (or, at least, a distilled group of…Read more…
Congratulations on a sustained pay campaign
The fight to end poverty pay among our local government and school support staff must go onRead more…
Bread, and Roses too.
The increasing use of cultural and artistic forms by labour movement groups in Scotland continues apace! In addition to November 30th’s Tony Benn celebration (see previous blog), news comes of a new…Read more…
Speech: Unite the Resistance Conference
Session – “How can we beat the austerity agenda?” The prime objective of austerity is to place the burden of the economic crisis upon the working class. It involves a transfer of…Read more…
Congratulations to our Care UK members
Our Care UK members in Doncaster must be congratulated on the success of their sustained strike actionRead more…
Why I am supporting Neil Findlay for Scottish Labour Leader
Scottish Labour needs an authentic voice to win back support and that’s why I am supporting Neil Findlay as the next Leader of Scottish Labour.
The days when voters could be won with spin and little…Read more…
The FT throws a grenade at Osborne (and Balls)
Yesterday’s lead article on the front page of the Financial Times was positively incendiary (“Osborne faces doubling austerity cuts to £48 billion a year to hit targets“). David Cameron wrote last month that most of the cuts in the austerity programme had been achieved, with…Read more…
Diversifing energy ownership needs a more radical approach
Community energy provides an opportunity to diversify Scotland’s energy ownership from the dominance of big energy companies. The Scottish Government has published a Community Energy Statement that…Read more…
Two workers’ capital snippets
1. A major international trade union statement on pension funds and tax avoidance has been published today. It is available on the TUAC website here. It has also been covered by the FT.
2. There is a very useful briefing for investors on hum…Read more…
Plots against Labour
WITH all the interest shown in various anniversaries this year, one slipped past almost unnoticed last month which might have topical relevance. It was 90 years since the Daily Mail published a…Read more…
Transparency & The Establishment
Colleagues,
Just a brief post as I am teaching at Ruskin this weekend as we have three cohorts of the BA international labour and trade union studies (ILTUS) in. What a fine bunch of trade unionists! Even though I am not feeling great, it is reviving to be here and to hear of their natural,…Read more…
Speech: CWU Disability Conference, Leeds
I am privileged to be able to address you today. The work of disability activists within the CWU is essential to the future of this union. From your activity, and through your eyes, the problems…Read more…
Solidarity with the Kurds – or NATO-bashing?
This article appears in the current issue of Solidarity. At the November 1st demonstration in Trafalgar Square in support of besieged Kobane, it struck me that the speakers — and more broadly,…Read more…
NHS Scotland is under financial pressure and it’s going to get worse
NHS in Scotland is facing significant pressures at the same time as having to make major changes to services to meet future needs. That’s the key message from the latest Audit Scotland report on NHS…Read more…
Let’s be bolder on tackling poverty pay during Living Wage Week
During Living Wage Week we should focus on ensuring that the 400,000 workers in Scotland on poverty pay are paid the living wage.
The idea behind a living wage is very simple. A worker should be…Read more…
Poverty pay has no place in 21st century Britain
Poverty pay has no place in 21st century Britain and we are working hard in UNISON to get employers to sign up to pay the living wageRead more…
Labour pains
I saw two speeches recently that contained points that I reckon are worth repeating. First, I was lucky enough to see James Galbraith speak about inequality at a recent conference. I won’t rehash his argument, but one thing that stuck with me…Read more…