By David Bailey, Professor of Industry at Aston Business School After its best first half year in ages, UK car and engine manufacturing took something of a hit last month, as annual summer shutdowns…Read more…
Protect the right to strike
The Tories’ new Trade Union Bill is a massive attack on civil rights, from the right to strike to freedom of expression and assembly.
TUC General Secretary Fraces O’Grady has produced a short video as part of the campaign against it:
The TUC has als…Read more…
Academics condemn government’s attack on trade unions as ‘perverse’
Unions not too powerful – they’re too weak, say industrial relations academics
The article Academics condemn government’s attack on trade unions as ‘perverse’ first appeared on the…Read more…
Austerity is not the only way, Prentis tells Newcastle rally
This is our chance to create a new path that offers hope that offers opportunity to all, UNISON general secretary tells Corbyn rally in Newcastle
The article Austerity is not the only way, Prentis…Read more…
Tory Party March & Rally, October 4th
Sunday 4 October – “No to austerity, yes to workers’ rights” On Sunday 4 October, the Conservative party will open their annual conference in Manchester. After five years of austerity, falling…Read more…
Cracking down on migrants or on exploitation?
The Home Office Immigration Minister James Brokenshire MP (who, lest we forget, replaced Mark Harper MP in the role after Harper was exposed as having employed an ‘illegal immigrant’ as his cleaner) has announced a crackdown on those who employ illegal immigrants, promising Border Force…Read more…
What sort of industrial policy do we really need? Part One.
By David Bailey, Phil Tomlinson and Keith Cowling It seems that the new BIS Secretary Sajid Javid is undertaking a ‘fundamental review’ of the government’s industrial policy as he wonders what a…Read more…
What sort of industrial policy do we really need? Part Two.
By David Bailey, Phil Tomlinson and Keith Cowling The last coalition government’s record in relation to industrial policy has been mixed. George Osborne made promising noises in the early days about…Read more…
Dare To Dream: Shape the future of London
On Tuesday evening I went to the launch of #Daretodream in South London with fellow Newham Cllr Rokhsana Fiaz OBE. This was an amazing networking event for young people on how to shape the future of London. The theme was that politics matters to …Read more…
The ghost of check-off past – Danny Alexander returns to haunt Matt Hancock
Cabinet Office Minster Matt Hancock MP took everyone by surprise with today’s last-minute addition to the Trade Union Bill. In revealing plans to abolish check-off (the process by which employers deduct union subscriptions directly from wages) arrangements for union members in the public…Read more…
Fast Food Workers In L.A. & N.Y.C Win Pay Deals
US Fast Food workers have won two important victories in their fight for better wages as both Los Angeles County and New York State voted to raise minimum wages says the Global union, the…Read more…
Speech At The CSEU On The Trade Union Bill
Union members from across shipbuilding and engineering today (July 15th) slammed the government’s Trade Union Bill, as unjust and in favour of employers. Moving an emergency motion, Unite assistant…Read more…
Trade Unions Bill: Unfair, unnecessary and undemocratic
Today the government will publish its Trade Unions Bill – a grossly unfair package of measures that will tip the balance of power in the workplace. The proposals will make getting a much-needed pay rise, stopping job losses or negotiating better conditions at work much more difficult. They’ll make…Read more…
Unite Rules Conference – day three
The main excitement on Wednesday was motion 2/1 from the Executive Council, which removed “so far as may be lawful from rule “2.1 The objects of the Union shall, as far as may be lawful, be:”. Len McCluskey gave a great speech arguing why it was …Read more…
Unite Rules Conference – day two
Tuesday’s business was less contentious than Monday’s, but covered a wide range of issues.
In the debate on retired members, Assistant General Secretary Steve Turner clarified that “Executive Statements”, if passed, do actually change rules – it is up…Read more…
Unite Rules Conference – day one
Most of the contentious business was crammed into day one.It started lively, with conference decisively supporting my move to reject the Executive Council’s undemocratic Standing Orders. Despite knowing in advance that the challenge was coming the lead…Read more…
Orgreave: Media Conference & OTJC Statement
Following today’s (12th June) announcement by the IPCC the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) and the national Union of Mineworkers will be hosting an open press conference at 12.00…Read more…
What does the Labour leadership election mean for the radical left?
My article below first appeared on Novaramedia.
Apologies for the long break in updates to this blog. I’ve been unwell, but hope to gradually resume normal service now.
What does the Labour leadership election mean for the radical left?
Global union network formed to fight back at Huhtamäki
Unions from paper products plants owned by the Finnish multi-national Huhtamäki met in Helsinki recently to establish a global trade union network. They also slammed the behaviour of the company…Read more…
Conservatives wishing to be ‘more human’ should embrace trade unions
Three and a half weeks on from the General Election, there is much soul-searching taking place in Labour circles. But what of the Conservatives? They won the election, so they simply need to implement their manifesto, right? Well, no actually. Clearly …Read more…