Posts under ‘Trade Unions’

Tories’ tribunal fees ruled unlawful

by Phil Burton-Cartledge.

Unalloyed goodness is a rarity in politics, especially when it comes to labour movement politics. But the decision handed down by the Supreme Court this morning ruling that employment tribunal fees are unlawful is some of the best industrial news seen in years. Implemented by the Tories with Liberal Democrat support in 2013, it was […]

For eighteen months county Durham’s teaching assistants have stood bravely against injustice. Their struggle exposes the viciousness of austerity politics

by Jack Hepworth.

Some eighteen months have passed since the nightmare began for the teaching assistants of county Durham. In December 2015, Durham County Council (DCC) announced proposals to sack the county’s 2,700 teaching assistants (TAs) and re-employ the same staff on new contracts with pay cuts of up to 23 percent. Many Durham TAs had already suffered […]

Gerard Coyne: Another Reason to Vote Len McCluskey

by Phil Burton-Cartledge.

Got nothing against Gerard Coyne, but in 20-plus years associating with the labour movement I have never seen a candidate run such a desperate and rubbish General Secretary election campaign. Kicking off his Unite leadership bid, Gerard criticised Len McCluskey for spending more time talking about and fiddling with the Labour Party than looking after […]

What’s in the NPF draft policy statements?

by David Pavett.

According to the Labour Party Rulebook: “Party conference shall decide from time to time what specific proposals of legislative, financial or administrative reform shall be included in the Party programme. This shall be based on the rolling programme of work of the National Policy Forum.” (Emphasis added) The results of that “rolling programme of work” […]

The world of skulduggery, smears and secret plots

by Len McCluskey.

For the last three months I have been touring the country meeting working men and women as I campaign to be re-elected as Unite’s General Secretary. I have been listening to their hopes and fears in the factories, bus garages, building sites and hospitals. They are worried about their jobs above all, about Theresa May’s […]

United we stand? The Southern Rail dispute and the unions

by George Waterhouse.

117 years ago, my great-great grandad, president of the Amalgamated Society of railway servants (ASRS), sat down in a meeting between the executives of ASRS and the Associated Society of locomotive engineers and firemen (ASLEF) to discuss federation. Had they succeeded in establishing unity between the rail unions back then, I might not be writing […]

Let’s Unite the left for Len

by Andy Newman.

Even taking account the advantages of incumbency, the momentum, dynamism and confidence of Len McCluskey’s campaign to be re-elected General Secretary of Unite stands in sharp contrast to the lacklustre efforts of the right wing challenger, Gerard Coyne, and the amateur hour theatrics of the “grassroots” candidate, Ian Allinson. What stands out is not only that Len can point […]

Community need to face the consequences

by Andy Newman.

The criterion for success for any trade union campaign is whether or not it leaves organisation weaker or stronger. A hundred years ago, the German socialist, Rosa Luxemburg, observed that trade union organisation was a “labour of Sisyphus”, comparing it to the mythological figure who was doomed to an eternity of pushing a rock up […]

How we adapt to the new Trade Union Act

by Andy Newman.

The Trade Union Act 2016 comes into effect for all industrial disputes where the ballot is to commence after 1st March 2017. Due to a well coordinated campaign by trade unions and the Labour Party, much of it lobbying behind the scenes, many of the more draconian aspects that had originally been proposed by the Conservative Government […]

A Left Economic Strategy for Labour – putting meat on the bones

by John Penney and Danny Nicol.

Left Futures recently published an article of mine, Labour needs to rediscover comprehensive economic planning, in which I argued that Labour, and the radical Left generally, needed to rediscover the centrality of the need for a comprehensive Left Economic Programme both as a core policy offer for Labour, and as a guide and implementation tool […]

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