A ministerial letter leaked to the Socialist Worker newspaper has revealed that the government are expecting the House of Lords to defeat “flagship” parts of the Trade Union Bill. The letter was sent on 26 January from BIS minister Nick Boles to Oliver Letwin and Chris Grayling, who…Read more…
This is a law designed to cut off criticism at a time when there is much to criticise
Not for the first time, this government has underestimated our great movement. So we will fight all the battles to come. And we’ll overcome whatever hurdles are placed in our way.
The article This…Read more…
♡ UNISON: ‘come together’ urges Wendy Nichols
UNISON president issues call as ctivists and members get out and about to spread pride in the union
The article ♡ UNISON: ‘come together’ urges Wendy Nichols first appeared on the UNISON…Read more…
Striking makes a difference
During heart UNISON week it’s worth remembering that while taking strike action is never easy, the results can make a huge difference to people’s lives
The article Striking makes a difference first…Read more…
Wake-up call
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…
♡ UNISON: the union is improving the health trust I work for
I work with people who have memory problems. I’m a community psychiatric nurse so I go to the homes of people who have Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia.
The article ♡ UNISON: the…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…
‘Affront to democracy’
The Tory trade union Bill will not only tie unions up in red tape, threaten fines and open them up to detailed investigations. It’ll cost £7m a year for the first five years according to the…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…
Let’s show how we ♡ UNISON
As the campaign against the Trade Union Bill continues, let’s show everyone why we love unions – and UNISON in particular
The article Let’s show how we ♡ UNISON first appeared on the UNISON…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…
Trade Union Bill and the Labour Party
On Thursday evening I was invited to speak to a joint meeting of both Forest Gate Labour Party branches on the Trade Union Bill. It started off with a quiz on trade unions, which was an excellent ice breaker and introduction. I then spoke about trade u…Read more…
West Ham Ward Councillor Report
v:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE …Read more…
London’s mayoral candidates should take a lead on online voting in #TUbill
Both of the front runners for the upcoming London Mayoral elections won their candidacies in votes that included voting via smartphones and computers. Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith’s…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…
Sir Lynton Crosby? Two countries, one strategy – weakening unions to make attacks on workers easier
In the New Year’s Honours List, David Cameron’s Australian attack dog Lynton Crosby is expected to receive a knighthood for his services to the Conservative Party. But his assistance has…Read more…
HeartUnions Week: 8-24 February 2016
“8‑14 Feb 2016 / The heartunions week of action celebrates the great work done by union reps and members in our workplaces and in society. We’re proud of our unions and reject the government’s attempts to damage them with the trade union bill”. Check out the new TUC website here…Read more…
West Ham Labour Party Rejects Trade Union Bill
West Ham Labour Party Executive Committee unanimously supported this motion last night. The Trade Union Bill returns to the House of Lords probably early next year (11 January 2016) and I hope will be sent back to the House of Commons for being an auth…Read more…