England’s maternity services are desperately short of midwives. In October 2015, health secretary Jeremy Hunt told the House of Commons that ‘we need more midwives’. But since then, the number has increased by less than 0.7%. Across England, we have a shortage of around 3,500. Of the…Read more…
Why multipliers matter
“Nothing in economics is more potent than a simple idea whose time has come”, Gavyn Davies, October 21st 2012 The week before last, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published a new assessment of ‘fiscal risks’ to the UK. Reporting on threats to the public finances, they warned against new…Read more…
Anti Fascist/Anti Nazi Vigil: Remember V1 Rocket Attack Forest Gate – 27 July 1944
Thursday 27th July Forest Gate North Labour Party will be holding an Anti Fascist/Anti Nazi vigil to remember those 20 or so local residents killed by a V1 rocket on the 27th of July 1944.
Meet at The Holly Tree Pub 141 Dames Road , E7, corner with Pe…Read more…
Newham Labour Councillor Candidacy 2018
All Labour Party members in Newham, East London should have received a letter last week from the Labour Party encouraging those eligible to apply to stand as a candidate.
Quite rightly “Women, Black and Minority Ethnic members, Carers, people with dis…Read more…
Electric Vehicle Market sparks into life as ICE age comes to end?
Professor David Bailey on the boom in electric vehicles It seems that electric vehicles (EVs) are finally coming of age as barriers to take up start to fall, costs decline, and range and performance…Read more…
All Black shortlists: UNISON National Labour Link Forum 2017
This post is the speech that Greater London delegate, Sanchia Alasia, had prepared but Forum ran out of time to hear. See also here the speech moving the motion by London delegate, Liz Baptiste, on behalf of UNISON National Black Members Committee.
“F…Read more…
Liz Baptiste moves Motion 21 on “All Black Shortlists” at UNISON National Labour Link Forum 17
Forum, Chair (Liz Baptiste) from National Black Members Committee moving motion 21
Forum this motion is seeking support to explore the feasibility of lobbying for all Black shortlists to address the under-representation of Black people in the politica…Read more…
Brexit Motion (No.14) Sanchia Alasia speaks at National Labour Link Forum 17
This is a little late but this was an important and succinct contribution on this motion by Sanchia.
“Good morning, my name is Sanchia Alasia from the Greater London region, here to speak in support of motion 14
Forum, we need to keep a close eye on …Read more…
Trade Unions in decline?
I haven’t been ignoring the trade union movement since giving up my various positions within UNISON – but I must admit to having failed, over the past six weeks to comment upon important official statistics about the state of our union movement.
It’s not good news comrades.
Around 6.2 million…Read more…
“Why Boris Johnson should not decide where we invest our pensions”
On Tuesday I spoke at a seminar on the Government’s attempt to instruct Council pension funds that they can only invest in accordance to their political prejudices.
On Thursday Professional Pensions published my article below
“John Gray explains&…Read more…
EU citizens: UNISON returns to Parliament to defend members
Union backing new lobby for the ‘right to remain’ for EU citizens in the UK
The article EU citizens: UNISON returns to Parliament to defend members first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
Refuse workers walk out
Unite has accused Birmingham city council waste service bosses of ‘playing games’ and being more interested in ‘conflict’ than finding a negotiated settlement to an ongoing dispute over plans to axe…Read more…
Boris: Stop ignoring human rights in Turkey
Since the failed coup a year ago, Turkey has experienced an unprecedented erosion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
The article Boris: Stop ignoring human rights in Turkey first…Read more…
‘Fearless campaigner’
The spirit of GMB legend Mary Turner will shine on through the many men and women she inspired to join the trade union movement, said Len McCluskey, Unite general secretary. Speaking on the…Read more…
Government must stop cutting police force jobs, says UNISON
In response to new figures published today (Thursday) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealing a sharp rise in violent crime, UNISON national officer for police staff Ben Priestley said:…Read more…
Our enforcement system isn’t working. What’s the Taylor Review going to do about it?
The Taylor Review includes a section on “fairer enforcement”, which concludes with the statement: “The two-tier enforcement framework in the UK works”. No it doesn’t. Two things immediately spring to mind that show this statement isn’t true: Employment tribunal fees price people out of justice….Read more…
Action on energy prices is another damp squib
As widely predicted, UK government action on energy bills has turned out to be another damp squib. Ministers passed the buck yet again to Ofgem who have published plans for a ‘fairer and more…Read more…
The BBC can afford millions for the talent, but other staff are denied a fair wage
Over the last two days, we’ve seen wall-to-wall coverage of what the BBC’s leading lights get paid. That’s not surprising. Few stories offer such a perfect mix of celebrity gossip, financial drama and political intrigue. Of course journalists are going to jump on this one. But…Read more…
Greater London UNISON Housing Association Branch Executive 2017/2018
Picture from tonight’s Executive meeting held at L&Q office in Stratford. It is really great that lay activists turn up and participate after a full day’s work to such meetings. One of our Executive members went off afterwards to go on a night shif…Read more…
Public sector worker wages down
Public sector workers’ real wages in 2017 are down thousands of pounds a year compared to 2010, the TUC has found. Prison officers, paramedics and NHS dieticians are all down over £3,800 a year….Read more…