In her review of two US books on the decline of unions in the States, Kim Philips Fein of NYU takes us through a hop, skip and a jump of US Union history and then dives into a complex seeming summary…Read more…
Will conference words of unity translate to reality?
Calls for unity from both platform and floor were welcome after a sometimes bitter special local government conference in London on Tuesday – and unity is essential if anything positive is to come…Read more…
Because you’re worth it: how to ask for a pay rise
As well as more money in your pocket, a pay rise can also give you confidence, and an increased sense of pride and enjoyment in your work. But getting one is easier said than done. Here are five tips…Read more…
Real pay cuts since 2010 – even for workers in continuous employment
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the proportion of workers who have suffered a fall in the real value of their hourly pay (that is, after taking inflation into account) is higher than you would expect, still higher than it was …Read more…
Rising inequality caused by weaker unions
A new study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has tracked three decades of income (1980 to 2010) and found that as unionisation declined, the wealth of the richest 10% in advanced countries…Read more…
Evaluate or discriminate? Why job descriptions matter
I was interviewed by “Inside Housing” magazine for an interesting piece published last Friday titled “What’s in a name?”
A small Housing Association in High Wycombe, called “Red Kite” had asked its staff to write its own job descriptions and create th…Read more…
Are you getting cheated on minimum pay?
Not all employers are playing by the rules when it comes to pay. Is yours one of them? This Fair Pay Fortnight (16 February to 1 March), the TUC is calling for the government to publicly name and…Read more…
Valuing our care workforce: Fair pay and respect for the job
Two stories this month have told us everything we need to know about the terrible social imbalances in the UK. On the one hand we had the revelation that some of the wealthiest people in our society had been advised by HSBC about how to avoid paying tax. The consequences are a £34 billion tax ‘gap’…Read more…
How unions help their members win better pay
Joining together to win a better deal for members is the cornerstone of a trade union’s work. For Fair Pay Fortnight, we’ve rounded up some recent stories of how unions are making a real…Read more…
No wonder bosses don’t want a Labour Government. Pure greed…
We are being taken for mugs. Workers and the share owners of companies (such as pension and insurance policy holders) alike are being ripped off. The father of modern day economics, Adam Smith, (not someone I usually cite and whose book “Wealth of Nati…Read more…
It’s not my hobby, it’s my profession: Fair pay for musicians
Spare a thought for freelance musicians this Fair Pay Fortnight, and what it must be like to fight for fair pay every day that you work. Working musicians are frequently being asked to work for…Read more…
Fair Pay Fortnight: Getting beyond poverty pay
Fair Pay Fortnight (16 February to 1 March) is a campaign from Britain’s unions, calling for a fairer approach to wages across the board, from the poverty pay that’s rife in many sectors,…Read more…
Fair Pay Fortnight – Britain Needs a Pay Rise
Check out TUC website. These facts are a national disgrace and no Party except Labour will do anything to change this. “From 16 February to 1 March 2015 the TUC is running Fair Pay Fortnight, a series of events across the country that will raise awareness about Britain’s cost of living crisis.
…Read more…
Fair Pay Fortnight: A real plan to fix Britain’s pay crisis
Last week, Prime Minister David Cameron made told the British Chambers of Commerce conference that he believed ‘Britain needs a payrise’. This despite the fact he has presided over the longest…Read more…
Fair Pay Fortnight – Scotland and the UK needs a pay rise
Scotland and the UK needs a pay rise. It’s necessary for hard pressed workers and their families, but it’s equally vital for the economy.
The next two week’s will be Fair Pay Fortnight, a series of…Read more…
Adding insult to injury – public service workers exempt from Tory call for pay rises
‘It’s time Britain had a pay rise’ the Tory Prime Minister told the British Chambers of Commerce on Tuesday. But Tory Ministers were quick to point out that Cameron’s Damascene conversion to fairness…Read more…
West Midlands TUC Pay Awards Survey
Midlands TUC Pay Awards Survey As part of Fair Pay Fortnight, the Midlands TUC is undertaking a quick survey to help analyse pay awards across the region. Therefore, we would be most grateful if you could take 2 minutes to … Continue reading →Read more…
Why Making Up Lost Ground on Pay is so Important
Last week’s employment figures showed the annual increase in average weekly earnings (regular pay) rising to 1.8 per cent, higher than the most recent inflation figures (1.6 per cent for the Retail Price Index, 0.5 per cent using the CPI). It’s a bit early to celebrate, though. The reality is that…Read more…
Making up lost ground on pay
What is happening to workers’ pay is becoming one of the central arguments in the run up to the general election with the Government making much of the latest statistics on earnings and inflation. The collapse in the world price of oil has forced inflation on the CPI measure down to 0.5% while…Read more…
2014-2016 Pay Scales
Pay scales for 2014- March 2016 are available here to download (NB the figures do not take into account those local authorities who pay the living wage) 2014-2016 Read more…