Duncan O’Leary from Demos has a very interesting blog here digging into some polling of business leaders views on whether a Conservative / Labour government would be good / bad for various stakeholders in big business (investors, employees and customer…Read more…
Researchers & Activists Forum on Precarious Work (23-24 April Loughborough Univ.)
Colleagues,
A reminder that this event is coming soon and one of significant interest to trade unionists internationally. There is a fantastic line-up of speakers and current/past students of the MA ILTUS at Ruskin speaking about their allied research…Read more…
Launch of Scotland Against TTIP
Full version of article written by STUC Deputy General Secretary Dave Moxham for the Herald in advance of the launch of Scotland Against TTIP, 11th April.
The case made by the supporters of TTIP…Read more…
Half a work manifesto is better than none
On Monday Labour launches its 2015 General Election manifesto but the ‘work manifesto’ A Better Plan for Britain’s Workplaces published on 1st April, provides an early insight into the party’s…Read more…
“The overwhelming case for new public housing”
Check out new report by John Healey and John Perry at Red Brick
Makes perfect sense to me.
“At its core, the crisis is a simple calculation: we need to build 250,000 homes a year yet 2012-13 saw just 108,000 new homes completed, the lowest since the…Read more…
After 50 years – what sort of trade unions do London Borough workers need?
http://www.lgcplus.com/news/devolution/comment-and-analysis/how-londons-councils-took-shape/5083883.article?dm_i=192K,3AOQK,HX1I9V,BSRGV,1
It is fifty years since the London Boroughs which we now have were created – they’ve lasted more than twice as long as the Greater London Council which was…Read more…
Attlee and Cameron may both have enjoyed no interest rate rise but there is one key difference: Attlee’s policies were successful
Yesterday the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged, generating a flurry of commentary on how rates have been unchanged for the whole parliament, and looking back to the Attlee government when rates were last unchanged over a parliament. For Ca…Read more…
Rocking the boat
The 19-month dispute at packaging company, Crown Packaging in Canada is set to rock the boat at the annual meeting of Carnival Cruise Lines in London on Tuesday (April 14). The United…Read more…
‘Resilient and steadfast’
A four day strike at corrugated packaging company Smurfit Kappa in Northampton will start next Friday (April 17) over the sacking of two senior stewards, both members of Unite. The four-day…Read more…
Decisive Labour lead
As the nasty party showed its true colours again yesterday, following a blatant ad hominem attack of Labour leader Ed Miliband, polls show that the public will always choose substance over theatrics….Read more…
Conservative rail fares pledge masks high costs of privatisation
The Conservative Party have pledged to freeze regulated rail fares for the next five years. What this announcement obscures is that even if capped at the level of inflation (what is meant by the term ‘freeze’), fares will still rise at wage-busting prices. At the same time our heavily…Read more…
Use your voice
Get your voice heard on May 7. Go and vote! Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson and others share their stories to inspire all of us to use our voice and vote in the video below. And…Read more…
Construction and production output suggest a slower start to 2015
Today’s production and construction figures continue to suggest a loss of momentum into 2015. While manufacturing was up 0.4 per cent on the month, this did not fully compensate for a fall of -0.6 per cent in January; the more stable three month on three month change shows growth of only 0.1 per…Read more…
David Cameron’s 3 day boost for trade union organising
David Cameron is launching a new election policy today, giving everyone working in a firm over 250 employees and all public sector workers, the right to three days’ extra paid leave every year to do voluntary work. He has described the pledge, which covers half the UK workforce as the “clearest…Read more…
Coalition court threat to the poorest
While the poorest are put through the mincing machine of council tax arrears, the Tories want to keep tax loopholes for the wealthy. Three million of the poorest people in England have been…Read more…
Trade unions and the failure of the “Millennium Challenge”
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/sep/14/tuc.uk3
Sixteen years ago, in anticipation of the introduction of statutory union recognition by the then New Labour Government, then TUC General Secretary, John Monks, set the movement his “millennium challenge” to increase membership by a million…Read more…
Strikers take negotiating table to Glasgow City Council
Seventy striking council workers took their own “negotiating table” to the front doors of the city chambers on Thursday. The council’s homeless caseworkers have been on indefinite strike action for over a week in pursuit of a regarding of their posts. However senior officials and the council’s political leaders have refused to meet the strikers trade union representatives in an effort to resolveRead more…
UNISON NEC Elections 2015: Regional, Service Group & Black members recommendations
Regional SeatsEast Midlands Region
Female seat – Nicole Berrisford
Male seat – Chris Tansley
Greater London Region
Female seats – Margaret Greer, Kim Silver
Male seat – Mike Davey
North West Region
General seat – Pat McDonagh
Female seats – Tracy Delaney, Michelle England
Male seat – Tony…Read more…
Saving Our Safety Net Fact of the Week: local government cuts are hitting the poorest areas hardest
Back in 2010, the Spending Review announced that funding for local authorities, fire and police services would be cut by more than a quarter by April 2015. The same day, Eric Pickles wrote to local authority leaders, promising them Local finance reform…Read more…
Vote for London Health Candidates: UNISON NEC elections 2015
London Ambulance Service member, Eric Roberts, and Lewisham hospital nurse, Mike Davey, are standing as London health candidates on behalf of the forces of light and reason against the evil ones. Read more…