Unite’s annual political school in Durham, in the week of the inspirational Miners’ Gala, was one of the best that I had attended. It’s an intense three days. This year was no different in…Read more…
Labour at The Forest Gate Festival – Saturday 15 July 2017
“The Forest Gate Festival first took place in 2000, on Osborne Road and has been going strong ever since. Usually held on the third Saturday of July, it’s a local street Festival organised by enthusiastic residents on a volunteering basis.From the start, the Festival has been about…Read more…
The incredible lightness of London Region UNISON in the health service
I wouldn’t want readers of this blog in the bowels of Congress House to think that I shall completely ignore the Greater London Region of UNISON now that I am simply a member, rather than holding any office.
Indeed, I was about to send greetings of solidarity in connection with the strike action by…Read more…
Where will we win a Labour Government?
Here is a link to the list of Tory held marginal seats which Labour needs to win in order to form a majority Government.
In Sussex the three Tory held target seats are Hastings and Rye, Crawley and East Worthing and Shoreham.
Of course we also need to…Read more…
The Taylor review: the yay, the meh, and the no way
The Taylor review is finally here, along with a pretty large sense of anti-climax. This isn’t the game changer those in insecure work were looking for. In assessing what it means, we’ve tried to keep in mind the people who told us about their experience of insecure work, of shifts being cancelled…Read more…
‘Failed spectacularly’
A much anticipated review into the gig economy has “spectacularly failed” to deliver protections for those in insecure work, Unite said today (July 11). The union said the review, by former…Read more…
Where is workers’ voice in Taylor’s Review?
11 July 2017
By John Hendy QC, IER Chair
Changes to the law to protect the rights of those who work for a living are essential. It is doubtful if the changes proposed by the Taylor Review are…Read more…
‘Matthew Taylor’s Review of Employment Practices in the Modern Economy – How a mountain gave birth to a mouse’
11 July 2017
By Nicola Countouris, Professor of Law at University College London; and Professor Keith D. Ewing, President of the IER
‘A mountain had gone into labour and was groaning terribly….Read more…
Local government SGE by-election result
By-election for the local government service group executive Cymru/Wales female seat
The article Local government SGE by-election result first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
The Taylor Review isn’t the ‘game-changer’ that gig economy workers need
I worry that many gig economy employers will be breathing a sigh of relief this morning. The Taylor Review into modern employment practices publishes today. And from what we’ve seen, it’s not the game-changer needed to end insecurity and exploitation at work. We’d welcome any nuggets of good news….Read more…
UNISON comments on the Taylor review on modern employment practices
Commenting on the Taylor review on modern employment practices, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “There is serious room for improvement in employment practices particularly for home care…Read more…
UNISON National Delegate Conference 2017 Delegate Report
Fab guest post by top Branch activists Mitsy Harmon-Russell & Doreen Davies. Monday
Unison National Delegate Conferenced (NDC) started on the 19th June, 2017 delegates were allowed to check into their accommoda…Read more…
Getting on with Writing a Doctoral Thesis
Dear Colleagues,
Just a brief post to fill in the space since I last posted, and to comment briefly on the challenging, urgent process on writing a thesis ready for submission at the end of September.
I am sure the above comic strip speaks to the exp…Read more…
Russian-Chinese Joint Statement On Korean Conflict (full text)
The Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China are the Korean Peninsula’s neighbours, therefore the development of the situation in the region concerns the national interests of both…Read more…
Durham Miners Gala:
Upholding the Spirit and Traditions of the Miners! Building the Independent Political Movement of the Working Class! Statement of the Northern Region of RCPB(ML), July 8, 2017 The Durham Miners Gala…Read more…
Picturehouse Workers fight for Workers’ Rights:
In 2014 Cineworld was subject to industrial action owing to its refusal to pay the London Living Wage to its staff. Industrial action resumed in October 2016 over the issue of the London Living Wage,…Read more…
The Taylor Review: What do we know so far?
There’s been a flurry of pre-briefing over the weekend on the Taylor report. We’ve rounded up what we know so far, and added our thoughts on what that would mean for the 3.2 million people in insecure work. Of course we’ll have to wait till the actual report is published tomorrow to give our…Read more…
Grenfell Fire Disaster: Never, ever, again: Amendment to Newham Council Scrutiny report.
Tomorrow (Monday 10 July 2017) is the next Newham Council Meeting and on the agenda is a report about future “scrutiny” arrangements
I have proposed the following amendment to item 12 “Structural Review of Overview and Scrutiny”.
“3.5 Specific themat…Read more…
‘The Future of the NHS” – Seconding Composite B #LabLink!7
This is the speech by London Ambulance Service Paramedic, Jason Anderson, at Labour Link National Forum last week.
“Firstly I would like to say Happy 69thBirthday to the NHS – ‘Labour’s Proudest Achievement’.
I am a front-line Paramedic, and like my colleagues around the country continue to…Read more…
Ditchling Beacon Walk June 2017
Off message but this was a great recovery walk that Gill and I did after the UNISON NDC conference in Brighton last month.
The National Trust car park at Ditchling Beacon is pretty small so either get there early or be patient. There is no cash car pa…Read more…