Union news — Page 2

  • Lesley Mercer Lesley Mercer

    Strong unions turning the tide

    TUC President Lesley Mercer, from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, reports on the 20th anniversary conference of Unions 21 last Friday. She spoke too, and you can see her remarks on YouTube.

    Great theme.  Great conference. The first instalment of an inquiry into how the tide can be turned on unfair work was launched. Drawing on polling results from Survation, the report looks at how the gap in pay and power in UK plc can be addressed.  It argues that high performing and fair workplaces, in step with Europe, are key to a sustainable recovery. The polling suggests that public support for this could be won, but only if workplace concerns are given a higher priority by the political parties.

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    Posted on March 11th, 2013 by Lesley Mercer filed under: Union news

  • Carl Roper Carl Roper

    Stronger Unions make work and society fairer. Period!

    Unions21 Fair Work Commission logoThis was my contribution to the Unions21 Fair Work Commission first report

    This short contribution has one aim; to clearly and unequivocally make the case for the ability of strong and effective trade unions to make work, and indeed society in general, fairer.

    This is a case that needs to be made because worryingly amongst certain parts of the ‘progressive’ policy making community there is something of a cultural cringe about trade unions that prevents their full potential being talked about, let alone given serious consideration.

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    Posted on March 11th, 2013 by Carl Roper filed under: Union news

  • Carl Roper Carl Roper

    Changes to strike ballot rules: the new campaign against democracy

    marked ballot paper

    I don’t know if Conservatives hate or fear unions.  It could even be both.  How else to explain the latest planned attack on workplace democracy as reported in the Independent on Friday? We know that lots of people on the political right can’t cope with the fact that workers aren’t always inclined to put up with attacks on their jobs, terms and conditions and sometimes want to fight back.

    That’s why its hardly surprising that the union haters on the Tory benches in Parliament and who populate the right wing fringe groups posing as think tanks want to make it more difficult for workers to go on strike by subverting the basic principles of democracy. The plan is apparently to introduce turnout thresholds in strike ballots either in relation to the overall turnout or the percentage voting for a strike.

    The political intent of this is demonstrated by the fact that those calling for thresholds for industrial action ballots seem quite happy to grant legitimacy to other elections where there’s been less that popular support for the winner.

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    Posted on February 24th, 2013 by Carl Roper filed under: Union news

  • Kevin Rowan Kevin Rowan

    History repeating: ‘Ideology first, people second’

    It is worth a short reprise of last week’s verdict on the government’s strategy: GDP down by 0.3% in 2012, still lower than 2008; manufacturing down 1.5% and services flat; the only positive boost coming from a fortunately timed Olympic games. The coalition government founded on the need to turn around the economy, is failing on all fronts. Despite the overwhelming evidence, the Chancellor remains stoically convinced current policy is correct, it seems denial is one of his strongest characteristics.

    Politics and economics are often cyclical, especially so in the last fifty years, so we don’t have to look too far back to find very similar circumstances and compare the decision making at the time and the impact of the choices that were made.

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    Posted on January 28th, 2013 by Kevin Rowan filed under: Union news

  • Frances O'Grady Frances O'Grady

    New year and new challenges: My priorities for 2013

    I’m taking over as the new TUC General Secretary this week, as many people return to work after the New Year. And 2013 is already looking to be a critical time for our movement and the UK as a whole.

    The economy is stuck in the middle of what at best looks like a lost decade. Jobs continue to go across the public sector – including in services like health that we were told would be protected. And while we should be pleased that unemployment hasn’t been as bad as many feared, it’s still far too high, especially for young people.

    Unemployment looks set to rise again in the year ahead, and the hidden problem of under-employment is growing too – Many people in part-time jobs want to work full-time, and many more are working in jobs that don’t use their skills and education to the full.

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    Posted on January 2nd, 2013 by Frances O'Grady filed under: Union news

  • StrongerUnions StrongerUnions

    Infographic: Why postcode pay doesn’t add up

    We’ve made this graphic to show why postcode pay doesn’t add up. Click the image to see it all.

    Infographic explainig why postcode pay doesn't add up

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    Posted on November 30th, 2012 by StrongerUnions filed under: Union news

  • Guest marcher Guest marcher

    #Oct20: A Wales Perspective

    Guest blog by Rhianydd Williams, Campaigns Officer, Wales TUC

    As Saturday’s march for A Future that Works draws closer, we in Wales grow ever more united against the austerity measures imposed by the UK Government.

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    Posted on October 19th, 2012 by Guest marcher filed under: Union news