Women Want Work is a new TUC briefing that argues that the official unemployment figures under-state the jobs shortage; in particular they minimise the number of women who aren’t in employment but ideally would like a paid job. This is because of the way unemployment is defined for the…Read more…
Through adversity comes solidarity
New jobless figures released today (July 15) reveal a fragile economic recovery potentially going into reverse – unemployment has risen for the first time in two years. But the latest figures…Read more…
Today’s employment statistics
I have a post at Left Foot Forward looking at today’s labour market figures. I argue that it’s important not to read too much into one month’s figures, but it is worrying if this country can achieve decent jobs growth or adequate earnings but never both.
The post Today’s…Read more…
Call it “Community”. Sounds nicer than Slavery on the High Street
LONDONERS and South-East commuters must be very well-informed. We get regional news and features on TV, and free newspapers cluttering the tube. We even have a new regional commercial TV channel. We…Read more…
Why TTIP is bad for workers
#NoTTIP The recent War on Want Manchester conference – ‘TTIP: Building the Fightback’ – included a presentation by Jeronim Capaldo of TUFTS University in the USA. Capaldo’s study, ‘The Trans-Atlantic…Read more…
Saving Our Safety Net Fact of the Week: “not statistically different from zero”
The big social security news of this week has been the Prime Minister’s announcement of major benefit cuts for young people if his party wins the election. On Tuesday he promised to end the “well worn path from the school gate and onto a life on benefits”, with “no more something for nothing”. As…Read more…
Tomlinson’s dishonest use of statistics
Credit where it’s due. Justin Tomlinson is consistent. He consistently attempts to mislead his electorate in relation to the employment situation in the town. Once again he is trying to con people by presenting the Job Seekers Allowance numbers as the unemployment level. Why does he continue…Read more…
Today’s employment figures (Jan 2015)
I have a post up at Left Foot Forward, looking at today’s labour market statistics. What seems to be happening is that the quality of employment is improving, but the increases in employment and falls in unemployment are slowing down. The prospects for earnings are still quite poor: at the…Read more…
IMF: looking on the bright side, or the ‘right side’?
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) doesn’t have a fantastic reputation around the world for the damage it did to developing and Asian economies during the years of the neoliberal ‘Washington consensus’. Confessing to getting its analysis of the Greek economy catastrophically…Read more…
UKIP Man Sends Out A Xmas Gift to Workers
OUTSIDE City Links depot, Motherwell.
TWO items of generosity to warm the heart in the season of goodwill, and good cheer, and betoken – for somebody perhaps – a happy and good new year. …Read more…
Guilty of being pregnant, and telling truth at job interview
WHEN we were young it was considered a feature unique to faraway totalitarian regimes, and unimaginable in Britain, that the state should dictate to couples whether they could have children, or…Read more…
Organising strategy – mobilise or organise?
On 8th November I attended four fascinating meetings at the Historical Materialism conference with people from the USA and Canada discussing the plight of the labour movement and ideas for turning it round.
I found the debates really useful and there …Read more…
Workers recognise the importance of unions in protecting their rights | Gregor Gall
Despite a rise in unemployment, union membership has also increased, reflecting the need for collective action
Against all the odds, union membership rose in Britain last year for the first time in a…Read more…