Unions representing construction workers at Hinkley Point are hopeful that the dispute over bonus payments can be resolved after fresh talks were promised. The unions involved,Unite and GMB,…Read more…
Top store in under pay shock
John Lewis has long been lauded for its staff-centred approach – their employee ownership model means workers share in the profits and so have a direct connection to the value they create. But…Read more…
Strike ‘pane’ in windows row
The strikes over pay and shift patterns at Sierra Windows in Paignton, Devon could spread to another company in Newton Abbot, part of the same Specialist Building Products group. A total of 44…Read more…
Why all the political parties should be talking about pay, jobs and rights?
What’s at stake for working people in this election? Economic issues increasingly risk being the dog that didn’t bark in this election. The 2015 campaign saw a fierce debate about the figures, whether on the scale of the cost-of-living crisis or the size of the deficit, at the centre of parties’…Read more…
4 weeks to the General Election
If you joined Labour because you want a Labour government it’s time to act. Join us and Lyn Brown talk to voters at our street stalls or knocking on doors here in West Ham and in two key marginals: Ilford North and Westminster Nort…Read more…
Active industrial strategy: Where should the next government put its money?
The main parties in this election are committed to an active industrial strategy, a great improvement over years of leaving much of the development of industry to market forces. But we need to see the detail. As they publish their manifestos, we’ll be watching closely to see what their own…Read more…
Continued record real wage declines are not the only way to employment growth
For UK workers the financial crisis has morphed into a real earnings crisis. OECD forecasts suggest that there will be very little respite in the next parliament. Over 2017 and 2018 UK real wages are expected to decline by -0.5%. Only Greece, Italy and…Read more…
Re-electing Lyn Brown in Green Street & Forest Gate
College is from Sundays morning canvass in Green Street West and the afternoon session in Forest Gate North. Our Parliamentary candidate, Lyn Brown, was there to support us with Cara, her famous Yorkshire terrier Labour attack dog.
We first met outsid…Read more…
Councils should defend local services and those who deliver them
Musical chairs around the council chamber won’t alter the challenges facing local government in Scotland.
The voters have had their say and there are a lot of new councillors taking responsibility…Read more…
Blacklisting fight goes on
A year after Unite, the largest union for construction workers, secured a historic victory for blacklisted workers, the union is still fighting for justice for victims of the scandal. The High…Read more…
‘Unjustified’ job losses
Unite, which represents staff at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has expressed opposition to the announcement today (May 9) that the bank has decided to cut another 334 jobs and offshore more jobs to…Read more…
Brexit race to the bottom?
Working people in both the EU and the UK – especially those in low-skilled jobs – could have their working rights eroded after Brexit, new TUC research shows. The report, conducted on behalf…Read more…
‘Quality, not just quantity’
Full employment was once thought to be a pipe dream. But now with more people aged 16 to 64 in work than since records began in 1971, the UK has made near full employment a reality. Still,…Read more…
Neighbourhood services in crisis
Natalie Ntim blogs
The article Neighbourhood services in crisis first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
Want to join a UNISON committee?
Elections are to be held for all seats on the Labour Link national committee. By-elections will also be held for two vacant seats on the police and justice service group executive. These are: the…Read more…
UK’s largest academy trust’s caretaker cuts pose serious risk to pupils, say unions
Some schools face losing 50% of caretaking staff under an academy chain’s ‘controversial’ plans released today (Tuesday). Education unions have issued a warning over plans by London-based…Read more…
UNISON backs NHS leaders’ call to end pay cap
In response to NHS Providers calling for an end to pay restraint for staff, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Action is needed now to stop staff leaving the NHS. Hospitals will struggle to…Read more…
Report On Unison National Women’s Conference Brighton
Our delegate has provided a most detailed report on the following wide range of topics. M1 Zero Hours Contracts – closing the loopholes M6 The Wage Penalty of Motherhood M7 Pregnancy discrimination M8 Women and the cuts – strategies for … Continue reading →Read more…
Worker Voice: the missing element of the Government’s Industrial Strategy
How important is the voice of workers to the success of industry? Needless to say, industrial success is a collaborative process: the best companies enjoy the benefits of excellent management, engaged shareholders (or a visionary owner) and a talented,…Read more…
Internal logic versus external stupidity
I’ve blogged about National Express a few times over the years, mainly in relation to its anti-union activity. But today a story in the FT about its executive pay arrangements caught my eye. I think it’s a great example of why performance-related …Read more…