This soon after a General Election, the short answer is that we don’t know. The Conservative majority, narrow though it is, suggests that the new House of Commons is more likely to support EU trade deals like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the US and the…Read more…
Mark Carney agrees: poor productivity not migrants fuel low pay
This morning the Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney argued that migration was not to blame for low wages and living standards. Interviewed on the Today programme, he said that low productivity and lack of investment by employers, not migrant workers were to blame for the lack of wage…Read more…
TTIP – after US Senate blow, European Parliament is next up
The shock decision by the US Senate on Tuesday not to deliver ‘Trade Promotion Authority’ to the President for negotiating a trans-Pacific trade deal dealt a serious blow to the EU-US Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that is currently being negotiated. It now seems…Read more…
US Senate blow to Pacific trade deal means TTIP is in trouble
The US Senate decision last night to withhold fast-track ‘Trade Promotion Authority’ for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a blow also to the EU-US Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP), and it demonstrates that opposition to TTIP is not a solely European…Read more…
SCCS Rally for the Climate – 27 May at the Scottish Parliament
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland is holding a Rally for the Climate on Wednesday May 27 at the Scottish Parliament as part of its ‘For the Love of’ campaign.
UNISON members are urged to take part, even if you can’t attend on the day, by telling First Minister Nicola Sturgeon what you love that is at risk from climate change, and that the Scottish Government needs to do more to cut emissions.Read more…
Save migrants’ lives in the Med
The TUC has joined the international chorus calling for the European Union to restore the funding needed for initiatives like ‘Mare Nostrum’ to protect the lives of refugees and migrants attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing. Ahead of the emergency leaders’ summit today,…Read more…
IMF/World Bank adopt ‘radical new approach’ to policy-making
The international financial institutions (the IMF and World Bank) held their Spring meetings in Washington DC last week – along with G20 Finance Ministers – showing that they have adopted a radical new approach to forming policy for the global economy. Unfortunately, that new approach…Read more…
What polling on working time shows about attitudes to Europe
The High Pay Centre launched the findings of some interesting polling yesterday, showing that social measures like the Working Time Directive and restrictions on bankers’ bonuses introduced by the European Union were popular with British people, but not well-understood to originate in Europe….Read more…
How Greek austerity has stoked inequality
A new study, Greece: solidarity and adjustment in times of crisis, shows that the impact of the austerity and structural adjustment policies applied in Greece between 2008 and 2013, since 2010 through loan conditions imposed by the Troika (IMF-European Commission-ECB) have been overwhelmingly borne…Read more…
A cautionary tale: pension funds and the infrastructure bandwagon
Infrastructure finance has risen to the top of the international financial policy agenda. Within the new infrastructure finance agenda emerging in such forums, the $85 trillion that institutional investors, and in particular pension funds, are estimate…Read more…
After the Israeli election
We now know that despite the polls, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s right wing Likud party has won the largest number of seats in the Knesset. As is the way in Israeli politics fragmented by proportional representation, he now has to put together a workable coalition. Given the political complexion of…Read more…
Overseas development funding pledge: Law at last!
We’ve just heard the good news that the private member’s bill on the UK contribution to Official Development Assistance (ODA) has successfully navigated both Houses of Parliament and is awaiting Royal Assent to become law. The TUC takes this opportunity to thank all affiliates, their members,…Read more…
UKIP immigration policies: making it even easier for bosses to exploit workers
Today Nigel Farage outlined UKIP’s immigration policy proposals which revolve around Britain leaving the EU and imposing an Australian-style points system on all non-British citizens entering the country. While Farage seemed to back away from making a commitment on a firm figure at which UKIP would…Read more…
Stop playing a numbers game with net migration
Yesterday the Office for National Statistics reported that net migration has risen to 298,000 meaning the government has missed its target of reducing net migration to ‘the tens of thousands’. This is not surprising news – but that’s part of the problem. Voters already feel politicians can’t be…Read more…
Solidarity with Greece
The TUC General Council yesterday agreed a statement of solidarity with the Greek people and their unions in supporting the actions of the Syriza-led government elected last month. Our support for its programme and attempt to escape austerity adds to t…Read more…
Fantastic win for overseas domestic workers
As the coalition government staggers towards its last days, the House of Lords has inflicted one last defeat – by just seven votes, 183-176 – over the rights of overseas domestic workers. The TUC welcomes that move (we called for it this morning) because it restores freedom from slavery for…Read more…
Lords debate Modern Slavery Bill
Whilst we very much welcome the Modern Slavery Bill as an important tool in combating trafficking and forced labour, it could be improved.Read more…
It’s not just Britain that needs that pay rise
During Fair Pay Fortnight, the TUC has been sending out a clear message about Britain’s shrinking pay packet, but how do things compare with the rest of Europe? Well according to the latest analysis by the Labour Research Department (LRD), the UK is close to the bottom of the pile. LRD’s Workplace…Read more…
Fair pay starts at home: report reveals widespread low pay in Leicester garment industry
It’s Fairpay Fortnight at the TUC. One of the sectors we know workers particularly face low pay is the garment industry. Usually it is the very low rates of pay workers are given in countries like Cambodia and Bangladesh that we hear about. A new report produced for the Ethical Trading…Read more…
When working people worldwide don’t get justice
What should happen when a company abuses its workers? When, for example, people are injured as a result of working in unsafe conditions, or victimised because they speak up for others? In this country, thanks to the trade union movement, if workers are…Read more…