Junior doctors carry on as government cracks appear
8 April 2016
Striking doctors have been manning picket lines and engaging with the public in the latest rounds of their battle against the imposition of new contracts.
News
News
EU drives record balance of payments deficit
2 April 2016
The UK’s overall balance of payments – now known as the current account deficit – deteriorated sharply last year, thanks to a phenomenal deficit with EU countries.
German rail takes over Northern services
2 April 2016
Rail union RMT members hoisted the German flag over Newcastle Central station on 1 April, the day that German state railway operator Deutsche Bahn took over Northern rail services.
Migration statistics in turmoil
31 March 2016
One set of official statistics suggests that around 1.6 million EU citizens came to Britain between 2006 and 2014 – but another set suggests the figure could be a million higher.
Housing at the mercy of speculators and the EU
25 March 2016
The government is running down social housing intending to prime the market for foreign takeover. Fearing that Britain may exit the EU, speculators are already leaping into the property scrum.
ENO chorus success
25 March 2016
Members of the English National Opera chorus have settled their dispute about wage cuts. They had overwhelmingly voted to strike and not sing during the first act the opera Akhnaten on the last night of this acclaimed production.
Farmers march for a future
23 March 2016
Farmers from all over the UK marched to Downing Street on Wednesday 23 March to demand a future for British farming.
Junior hospital doctors’ action continues
14 March 2016
Hospital doctors were on strike again on 9 and 10 March. Picket lines were well populated and supported by the public as action against imposition of the junior hospital doctors’ contract continued.
Trade gap with EU widens
14 March 2016
The latest round of trade figures issued last week dramatically underlined the reality behind Britain’s unequal trade with the European Union.
Newcastle Grassroots Out meeting welcomes trade union speaker
14 March 2016
Well over 1,000 people packed the Tyne Theatre and Opera House to attend the first Newcastle meeting of Grassroots Out.
Glasgow meeting discusses why to leave EU
14 March 2016
A CPBML meeting in Glasgow on why trade unionists should vote to leave the EU drew a diverse and enthusiastic audience ready to contribute their own ideas.
Victory for Airbus 8 against fascist law
9 March 2016
Eight Spanish workers have been cleared of criminal charges under a fascist labour law dating back to the Franco regime. The British government’s current Trade Union Bill aims to introduce something similar.
Pay again - local government
9 March 2016
The Trade Union Bill will soon to become an Act. This may even save local government trade unions from another fiasco over the so-called fight for pay in this year’s pay round.
No British visas for Cubans
9 March 2016
Cuba and the USA are making the opening moves of diplomacy between themselves. Yet Britain has introduced a surreptitious blockade of its own.
Dutch to vote on EU-Ukraine agreement
3 March 2016
Referendums are becoming contagious. On 16 April the Netherlands will vote on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement – and could scupper it for good.
Out of the EU! New referendum pamphlet
2 March 2016
The CPBML has just published a new 8-page pamphlet outlining why a vote to leave the EU is vital in the June referendum.
Opera chorus vote for strike
1 March 2016
Members of the Equity union at the English National Opera in London have voted unanimously to strike over pay cuts and new contracts.
Hospital HR passes the buck
28 February 2016
Under the guise of “employee relations advice”, King’s College Hospital Trust has implemented a glorious modern-day example of how to undermine a union.
Our TTIP will help you, EU told ExxonMobil
27 February 2016
A document obtained by the Guardian newspaper exposes the reality of the secret Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations from the EU side.
Colleges funding campaign
The National Union of Teachers is balloting members in sixth-form colleges for a one-day strike over funding to coincide with a national demonstration in March.
Academics to fight on pay
The University and College Union and the Educational Institute of Scotland have submitted a national pay claim for a 5 per cent pay rise for academic staff.
Anti-union laws - the Spanish model
The TUC’s cringeworthy “Love your Union” week from 8 to 14 February against the Trade Union Bill left many trade unionists at a total loss.
Change needed in FE
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) and Unison working in further education went on strike for the day on 24 February in colleges in England that have refused to make any pay offer for 2015-16.
Trade deficit rising again
The trade deficit rose again to £4 billion in the final quarter of last year, reaching £34.7 billion for 2015.
Syria siege broken
The Syrian army has broken the siege of the Nubl and al-Zahra towns in Aleppo after four years.
Unions mull local govt. offer
Unison, Unite and GMB are now consulting their members in local government over the Local Government Association’s two-year pay offer of 1 per cent a year, with higher rises at the bottom end to take account of the new National Living Wage.
No help for anti-EU ministers, says Cabinet Secretary
26 February 2016
Downing Street has imposed rules to prevent civil servants and special advisers from assisting ministers campaigning for Britain to leave the EU.
Government abandons steel
26 February 2016
Business Secretary Sajid Javid told a manufacturing conference this week that public funds wouldn't be used to rescue steel. He didn’t add that EU rules would prohibit it.
Are we witnessing the strange death of the European Union?
26 February 2016
Referendums all over the place, borders going up. Is the EU starting to collapse?
CPBML launches Leave! page
23 February 2016
The CPBML today announced a new web resource, cpbml.org.uk/leave – a dedicated page laying out the arguments for a Leave vote in the referendum set for 23 June.