Sheffield refuse workers pay victory
29 November 2021
Refuse workers in Sheffield working for Veolia have won an important victory on pay at a time when real wages are being hit by increased inflation.
Inflation and pay
28 November 2021
Inflation is at its highest in a decade and prices continue to rise. Trade unions are beginning to respond, but there’s opportunity for doing more.
Social care – still at risk
28 November 2021
Social care is far from fixed. Sector trade union Unison reports dangerous staffing levels and many care workers thinking of leaving. The long delayed funding question needs urgent attention too.
Capability Britain
24 November 2021
For a background of what's important in the current political discourse it would be difficult to surpass this new book by Will Podmore.
HS2 – The Great Northern Train Robbery
24 November 2021
Boris Johnson’s decision to scrap vital parts of HS2 and other key rail investment in the north of England met with angry criticism from trade unions and many others.
COP26 – politics and hypocrisy
16 November 2021
The UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow talked a lot about ending all reliance on fossil fuels. But modern society depends on them to feed, clothe, warm itself, and to provide security, education, health and culture.
Rolls-Royce: steps to net zero
13 November 2021
With the COP26 climate conference coming to a close Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Shell called for further collaboration to enable the transition of long-haul aviation towards net zero.
Future of Rolls-Royce plant at Barnoldswick finally secured
13 November 2021
Workers at the Rolls-Royce Barnoldswick have won a commitment that there will be no compulsory redundancies for five years and manufacturing will continue on the site for at least 10 years.
Coal still needed in Wales
12 November 2021
The Welsh government is trying to close Aberpergwm colliery, the only anthracite mine in Europe. Its "net zero" dogma also puts the Port Talbot steel plant at risk.
Most primary schools lack a library, says report
3 November 2021
A report from the National Literacy Trust reveals that one in eight primary schools in England do not have a library – despite the proven link between school library provision and literacy levels.
Budget 2021: what it means for workers
1 November 2021
The government’s economic statement isn’t the final word on our economic future. Workers must take this on – in fighting for pay and more.
Budget fails British seafarers, says RMT
1 November 2021
Shipping tax changes are a capitulation to global capitalism and do nothing to reverse long-term decline in seafarer jobs.
Caution on public transport funding
1 November 2021
Extra funds to improve public transport are welcome, but government spending may not reach the right places .
Strike wave greets COP26 [updated]
Road closures and police cordons reminded people in Glasgow of the reality of hosting the city’s biggest ever gathering, the COP26 climate conference.
Who wants this forced federalism?
The Welsh government, led by Labour, has announced what it calls an “Independent Constitutional Commission”.
Fishing: where is the Brexit dividend?
Free agent or not after leaving the EU, Britain’s fishermen are still bound in legal chains, locked into another five years (at least) of outrageous concessions ceded in the government’s agreement with the EU…
Who’s counting? Not the government
Headlines about labour shortages don’t give the full story about migration – it’s a complex picture, obscured by a lack of facts. But the statistics are clearly out, by several million. What’s gone wrong?
Nursery funding: Stop cuts, say staff
Over 200 nursery school staff marched from Parliament Square to Downing Street to demand secure long-term funding for the sector.
1848: The Communist Manifesto
Marx’s earth-shattering declaration is truer than ever – those performing all the necessary labour must take over the running of society themselves…
Profit and the housing shortage
A book published in paperback this year reveals a sorry tale of 60 years of legislation fuelling speculation in land, paving the way for the housing crisis…
Fall in British ratings [extended print version]
British seafarers are becoming ever rarer as low wages and immigration waivers bedevil the industry…
Brighton bins: Drivers win victory
HGV drivers on refuse, recycling and commercial waste lorries for Brighton Cityclean have won a dispute over unilaterally imposed daily changes to rounds, and the removal of drivers from long-standing rounds.
Keep repayment threshold for student loans, says UCU
The University and College Union has written to the Secretary of State for Education warning against plans to lower the salary threshold for repaying student loans.
Universities: ballots on pay and pensions
The University and College Union has begun balloting its members in universities over action on pensions and pay.
Barnoldswick fight goes on
National negotiations between the GMB, Unite and Rolls-Royce over the future of the Barnoldswick jet engine turbine plant are at a virtual standstill.
Swiss to vote on nursing self-sufficiency
27 October 2021
The Swiss Nurses’ Association, backed by doctors and patients’ organisations and the country’s trade union confederation, has forced a national referendum on nurse training and pay and conditions.
Monopoly and regulation: a new path for Britain
Free market economics is coming unstuck. Many workers have always thought this would be the eventual outcome. The question is whether workers will assert their own control…
A community's fight against buy-to-let profiteers
Areas around Britain’s universities are being blighted as once-stable populations are replaced by student lets and multiple occupation – but communities are fighting back. Workers looks at an example from Liverpool…
Union and employers attack relaxation of restrictions on foreign hauliers
17 October 2021
The government is to allow foreign HGV drivers entering the country with a load from abroad unlimited licence to spend two weeks collecting and delivering goods before they return.
Walkout at Stagecoach South West averted as union receives new offer
17 October 2021
The RMT has announced that action on Stagecoach buses in the South West has been suspended while members consider a revised offer made in last-ditch talks.