Unite has backed the growing number of Conservative voices speaking out against the Government’s Trade Union Bill and planned changes to party funding. Concerns were expressed by members of…Read more…
“Tories have been prevented from hitting British workers’ rights”
Alan Johnson MP, Chair of Labour In For Britain, commenting on the publication of Donald Tusk’s letter outlining a draft plan for the UK’s membership of the EU, said: “Britain’s membership of the EU…Read more…
The government is dodging proper scrutiny of the Trade Union Bill. Don’t be like #TUbill
This week saw the long overdue publication of the government’s impact assessment of the Trade Union Bill, which proposed £37m of new red tape for unions. The assessment, which is the government’s best guess at how much the the unfair, undemocratic and unnecessary Bill would cost, is the latest…Read more…
Online voting: Safe as Houses of Parliament?
All the way back in January of 2015, the Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy reported their findings. Top of the list was that the 2020 general election should provide a mechanism for people to vote online. Campaign group Webroots Democracy have been following the progress of the Commission’s…Read more…
UNITE GPM&IT National Industrial Sector Committee, January 2016
The committee, which covers the Graphical, Paper, Media & IT industries, met on Thursday and Friday. This is a summary of some key points. I’ve not included most of the industrial detail in my report because it isn’t appropriate to post publicly. For jargon, see here.
NISC members were very…Read more…
£37 million of new red tape for unions under the #TUbill
Remember the Red Tape Challenge? Every week, the 2010-15 coalition government would stick a pin in the statute book and ask what seemed to be the Daily Mail reader comments panel to let them know which regulations should be axed. The current Cabinet Of…Read more…
Government concession on double strike ballot thresholds for ancillary staff in #TUbill
At the Lords second reading of the Trade Union Bill, the debate kicked off with complaints from opposition and crossbench Peers that the government was late in publishing impact assessment and consultation responses to show their justification for the …Read more…
Tribunal proposals ‘a source of real anxiety’
Our members know what’s at stake in proposals to move tribunals into the civil courts system
The article Tribunal proposals ‘a source of real anxiety’ first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…
CTUF – IER Spring Rally – February 11th
Lords second reading debate shows up the deep flaws in the #TUbill
Last night’s Trade Union Bill debate in the House of Lords exposed once again how ill-thought through and partisan the government’s Bill is. We heard concerns raised from right across the House about the threat this Bill poses to good industrial relations and fair treatment at work. Bishop of…Read more…
Opposition Peers will do all we can to stop the #TUbill attack on our unions and our democracy
The Trade Union Bill is an unacceptable attack on Britain’s unions. Unions are a part of the body politic in this country and for Labour Party peers like myself, many of whom are lifelong trade unionists, it is an attack on us and the people we believe we should be supporting. Unions have…Read more…
EEF Manufacturing Survey – Another ‘Wake-Up’ Call For Government Says Unite
Today’s (Monday 11th January) annual survey by the manufacturers’ organisation EEF is yet another a wake-up call for the government said Britain’s largest union, Unite as it warned manufacturers…Read more…
It’s official, most people back online strike ballots. So why won’t the #TUbill allow them?
We’ve published the results of a new poll today, showing that the majority of the British public think that unions should be able to use electronic balloting to vote for industrial action. YouGov talked to a representative sample of 1,711 adults. 53% told them that secure online voting for…Read more…
Manufacturing – Big Job Losses Predicted For 2016
The EEF (Engineering Employers Federation) is predicting big job losses in UK manufacturing during 2016 – despite the success of the UK automotive, aerospace and pharma sectors. Their latest…Read more…
Greece: #ThisIsACoup – Watch the documentary here.
Director Theopi Skarlatos and producer Paul Mason present #ThisIsACoup, a four-part documentary series telling the story of how the European Union destroyed the first radical left government in…Read more…
Government ‘not alert to UK steel industry crisis warnings’, says Business Committee
The Government was not ‘alert enough’ to the warning bells sounded by UK steel industry, says the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Committee in a report published today. The BIS Committee found…Read more…
NLRB to Issue Complaint Alleging Four-Month ATI Lockout is Illegal
The United Steelworkers (USW) union was informed today by Region 6 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Pittsburgh that the regional director will issue a complaint in the four-month-long…Read more…
Government from the dark side? Transparency is not strong with this one…
Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson made an interesting speech today, raising concerns about the erosion of transparency and accountability under our current government, and the threats this poses to our civil liberties. He accuses the Prime Minister in particular of “governing from the…Read more…
A history man’s challenge for the future
Writer and veteran campaigner Harry Leslie Smith looks to the past and shares his hopes – and fears – for the future
The article A history man’s challenge for the future first appeared on the…Read more…
Skilled trades workers vote for UAW recognition at VW
The US trade union movement had some good news last week when skilled-trades workers at Volkswagen’s U.S. assembly plant in Chatanooga, Tennessee voted for union representation and collective…Read more…