I’m writing to send my support to your campaign and efforts in resisting the compulsory purchase of, and eviction from, your homes in West Hendon. The actions of Barnet Council are deplorable….Read more…
We need to do more to recognise and facilitate growth and career development
David Weston is the founder and Chief Executive of the Teacher Development Trust. CPD isn’t a luxury add-on to the work of teaching, it is an absolutely central element of being a professional. The…Read more…
Getting excited about CPD reminds us why we chose to do this job
Ellie Dix is the Director of Pivotal Education. CPD for teachers is a necessity. When CPD works well, it is genuinely useful and can make a huge difference not just to the practice of an individual…Read more…
Today’s employment figures (Jan 2015)
I have a post up at Left Foot Forward, looking at today’s labour market statistics. What seems to be happening is that the quality of employment is improving, but the increases in employment and falls in unemployment are slowing down. The prospects for earnings are still quite poor: at the…Read more…
Next meeting Tuesday 17 February 2015
A date for your diary.
Next meeting Tuesday 17 February 2015 at 8pm.Venue TBA
Greg Hadfield will be talking about how he came to be involved in Brighton & Hove Independent with a vision of…Read more…
Budget blues
The consequences of austerity economics dominate budget setting at UK, Scottish and local authority level.
The Budget Bill was presented to the Scottish Parliament this week. Over five years the…Read more…
100 claimants with mental health problems have their benefits stopped every day
Figures obtained by the Methodist Church from the Department of Work and Pensions have revealed that claimants thought to be unfit for work due to mental health problems are disproportionately and increasingly likely to have their benefits stopped under sanctions. The DWP’s own figures show that in…Read more…
Mutually incompatible
At the end of November the Government announced that nine English NHS Trusts had been selected for the Mutuals in Health: Pathfinder programme – described in a UNISON briefing as ‘part of the…Read more…
Democracy Day: “Have you voted yet? Nah… There’s gonna be a Peoples’ Revolution any minute…”
Today is “Democracy Day” the 750 anniversary of the first ever Parliament in Westminster. There was a fascinating debate on Radio 4 “Today” this morning which resulted in sparks between young and old about feelings of disenfranchisement and accusations…Read more…
Michael Gove’s ideological vandalism of the education system
Friday, January 10, 2014 In January 2014 I felt compelled to write an article criticising Michael Gove’s confirmation bias riddled historical revisionism, after he made a number of absurd…Read more…
New NHS Workers’ Strike:
NHS workers in England will be taking strike action on Thursday 29 January for 12 hours from 9am to 9pm in protest at the Government imposed pay freeze. Ambulance workers will take action 12 noon to…Read more…
£1billion a year essential for new flood defences
£1billion a year must be spent on flood defences over the next decade to cope with the rising threat of flooding, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and campaigners like Friends of the Earth. In a new initiative, they argue for an end to building new homes in flood-risk areas,…Read more…
Communists set scene for 2015:
RCPB(ML) Holds Social Setting the Course for 2015 The Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) held a New Year Social on January 10 to which were invited Party activists, friends…Read more…
Can we make 2015 the year of good work?
What is a good company? This morning, the Co-operative Bank announced an update of its ethical policy based on responses from 74,000 customers and staff. As a result, the bank will not lend to companies involved in irresponsible gambling, payday lendin…Read more…
Solidarity with Charlotte Monro
http://www.unison.org.uk/unison-statement-re-charlotte-munro
Former Chair of Waltham Forest Health branch, Charlotte Monro, is in the employment tribunal this week pursuing her claim for unfair dismissal for having been dismissed for her trade union ac…Read more…
Global pressure forces withdrawal of Thai prison labour plans
Campaigning has paid off again. Last week I blogged about a campaign we’d joined to stop the Thai Government’s plans to force prisoners to work in the notorious Thai fishing industry….Read more…
Could the Greeks bring us gifts this Sunday?
This Sunday, the Greek people go to the polls in what must be one of the most important elections not just for Greece but for Europe as a whole. What is at stake is the future of democratic control of the economy, and the European establishment’s love affair with austerity. Nowhere in Europe…Read more…
Red Lines – How to start an Investment Governance Revolution
(this post was pulled in January since I didn’t realise that we had to wait until formal launch of Red Lines which took place yesterday. I will post further on this “revolutionary” proposal)
Picture is from last weeks workshop on “Red Lines” run joint…Read more…
Unite the rank and file in the UNISON NEC elections to reclaim the union
It’s commonplace on “the left” to remark that our trade union organising must be about more than just electing individuals to positions.
And of course it must.
What our union needs most of all is effective networking between activists to maximise suppo…Read more…
Speech: Cornwall Amal branch AGM
It is a privilege to be able to speak to you today. These are difficult times for the trade union and labour movement. In such times it is reassuring that branches like yours stay strong and active….Read more…