Phrases such as ‘Industry 4.0’, ‘Big Data’ and ‘The Internet Of Things’ are now common currency as the predictions of a new digital world and a new world of work. The…Read more…
The modern day snowman
I couldn’t resist sharing this brilliant photo. Hat Tip Franz BeeRead more…
Sadiq Khan for London Mayor “SuperSaturday” in Canning Town & Forest Gate
Picture collage from today’s “Super Saturday” campaign in support of Sadiq Khan as London Mayor. Around 20 activists turned up to work with West Ham MP, Lyn Brown, in Canning Town in the morning and a similar number in the afternoon in Forest Gate.
Gr…Read more…
CTUF – IER Spring Rally – February 11th
Monitoring Employees’ Use of the Internet
Be warned!!!! I have made a number of urgent messages to union members over the years asking them to remove a post on social media about their employer or work colleagues.
“Is the right to respect for private life and correspondence breached if emplo…Read more…
Paul Robeson 40th Anniversary
Paul Leroy Robeson April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American singer and actor and Civil Rights activist. Paul was an internationalist and international singer with a distinctive, powerful,…Read more…
If “we are the builders”, why is construction now in recession?
It has not been a good start to 2016. While markets thrash around, the hard economic news so far for the UK has not been encouraging. Earlier in the week figures showed manufacturing in resumed decline, and likely having spent most of 2015 in recession…Read more…
Lords call for Immigration Bill to give asylum seekers right to work and protect domestic workers
On Monday the Immigration Bill will start to be debated by the House of Lords select committee. As I have blogged previously, the Bill contains a number of threats for workers. It will introduce measures to criminalise undocumented workers that will make it easier for bad bosses to exploit migrants…Read more…
Libraries proposal could impact on health outcomes and crime
“Binge reading & Under-age reading!”
read moreRead more…
Big Boss becomes Big Brother
Bosses can now spy on their workers’ electronic communications, following a landmark decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Wednesday (January 13). Any form of communication…Read more…
Plans to rebalance the economy a ‘pipedream’ warns Unite as industrial output falls
12 January 2016 George Osborne’s promise to rebalance the economy is fast becoming a pipe dream warned Britain’s largest union Unite as it called on the government to adopt an active industrial…Read more…
A levy too far?
Unite is hoping that government plans to create three million apprenticeships in the coming years will lead to a new generation of youngsters being told: You’re hired. But the Chancellor’s…Read more…
Greatest bar to building is…?
Housebuilding in the UK will be severely hampered by skills shortages in the construction industry, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Construction professionals…Read more…
Plans for reform of the courts could deny workers justice, says UNISON
Possible government plans to make employment tribunals part of the civil courts system, and for online courts to hear claims up to £25,000, would make it extremely difficult for workers wronged by…Read more…
Privacy in the Workplace – the Bărbulescu decision
Paul Scholey: Head of Employment Rights Team, Morrish Solicitors
15 January 2016
By Paul Scholey, Head of Employment Rights Team, Morrish Solicitors
In Bărbulescu v Romania, the European Court of…Read more…
Bulldozing homes, bulldozing lives
The Tory war on council and social housing has taken a sinister twist this week with Prime Minister David Cameron backing proposals to bulldoze entire council estates. Those evicted will not be…Read more…
A great leap forward: the Women and Equalities Committee report on transgender equality
The report of the parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee inquiry into trans equality has now been published and its conclusions that trans people face serious prejudice and discrimination have attracted wide publicity. Trade unions views were amo…Read more…
Keeping the floods at bay
The holiday season saw members across northern England and Scotland scramble to deal with floods. But flood defence is a year-round job
The article Keeping the floods at bay first appeared on the…Read more…
Behind the Government’s tough talk on tackling worker exploitation
This week the Government published its response to the consultation on tackling labour market exploitation. It plans to give new powers to authorities to enforce basic work rights and it promises a new cross-government approach to enforcement. The BIS …Read more…
Angela Rayner new Shadow Minister for Pensions
Congratulations to Angela Rayner MP for Ashton-under-Lyne who has been appointed as Shadow Minister for Pensions.
Angie is a former home care worker and UNISON branch secretary.
It is fantastic that we have a shadow pension minister who knows first h…Read more…