Employment Tribunal starts TODAY 27 July 2015
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Don’t you (forget about DB)
It is easy to overlook defined benefit (DB) pension schemes when so much of the talk in the pensions world is of cruises, conservatories and high-powered sports cars. But their central role in the retirement savings of millions of people and as a cruci…Read more…
Beware of Shapeshifters & Outsourcery: Protecting public services and the public purse – APSE seminar
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Freedom of Information – Threats and Excuses
Here is the recently published article I wrote for the new edition of the Scottish Left Review, on behalf of the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland. I’ve tried to add helpful links into…Read more…
Cuba’s Public Health Repair and Maintenance Programme:
Ongoing maintenance to be prioritized The polyclinic Mario Muñoz Monroy in the Guanabo community of Havana, is one of 339 public health facilities recently renovated in the city, as part of a special…Read more…
Trading names: transatlantic beef about cheese & drugs
The Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) being negotiated between the EU and the US keeps throwing up new things to argue about. One of the most arcane is the debate over ‘geographical indications’ (GIs) – names like Vidalia onions from the US or Armagh Bramley…Read more…
Labour’s first majority government
Trade unionists belonging to one of Unite’s predecessor union’s were the bedrock of a radical post war Labour government that swept to power at the 1945 General Election exactly 70…Read more…
How the Government turns a severe and ongoing reduction in public investment spending into a ‘priority’ spend
In its newly issued document outlining the approach for the spending review 2015, the government makes some bold statements about public investment. In June the OECD criticised countries for focusing spending cuts on public investment, and in its previ…Read more…
Great Newham Run 2015
Off message-ish but last Sunday (19 July) I took part in the first Great Newham Run 10k in the Queen Elizabeth Park. I have also taken part in the Great North Run in Newcastle and the Great South Run in Portsmouth.
For I think the fifth year in a row…Read more…
Global teacher unions oppose neo-liberal trade & investment agreements
At this week’s Education International (EI) World Congress in Canada, education unions around the globe voted to oppose the new wave of trade and investment agreements that are being negotiated…Read more…
“Alternative Financing Proposals for the Newham Pension Fund”
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Baseline assessment: questions but not too many answers
Here’s a puzzle for you. Q. In order to carry out an accurate reception baseline assessment of primary schools, what is the minimum number of schools that should be included in each sample? A….Read more…
Pregnant mums are still losing jobs
More than 50,000 women are losing their jobs every year as a direct result of maternity discrimination in the workplace, a new report reveals. The shocking figures are part of an…Read more…
Owen Jones: holder of the Blairite flame?
Reading Owen Jones piece in yesterday’s Guardian I had to check again whether it had really been written by him. The article castigates the Blairites in the Labour Party over their abstention on the welfare bill parliamentary vote. He complains that they failed to defend New labour’s…Read more…
Rättvisa lön: IKEA unveil plan to build a Living Wage
Great news this week for Usdaw members in IKEA, as the Swedish flat pack furniture giant have committed to sign up as a Living Wage employer.Read more…
Bees or bust
We hear their buzzing drone and we’re enchanted. As we enjoy the site of an amber and black striped bumble on a lavender spike we shouldn’t forget two things: that numbers have fallen and…Read more…
This is my home
Anti-racism campaigners Show Racism the Red Card have just launched a new campaign in Scotland called #ThisisMyHome. The campaign group uses football heroes as well as us everyday folk to help…Read more…
‘Austerity is over’ shocker
Austerity is over, the new Tory minister in charge of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ has declared. That’s great news, coming in the wake of the end of poverty and economic sunshine breaking out over the…Read more…
IMPORTANT NEWS: Barnet UNISON Office is moving today
The Barnet UNISON office is due to move today Friday 24 July from NLBP to Barnet House
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What’s wrong with ISDS? Romania’s environment & history under attack
The latest example of what’s wrong with Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) – the privileged route to riches for foreign investors who can persuade a separate international court that they have been disadvantaged by a democratically-elected government – is a case being lodged…Read more…