Right wing cuts would devastate vital services and cost jobs

Widely publicised proposals by the Institute of Directors and TaxPayers' Alliance to "save £50 billion a year of public spending" came under attack today from a range of sources. See full analysis at Leftfootforward

Congress Voices from the TUC

TUC: Congress Voices from the TUC TUC Congress 2009: Blogs, tweets, photos and comments from the TUC

Supporting Palestine by BDS - TUC

TUC: A Scottish trade union delegation to Palestine and Israel called for a campaign for international boycott of Israeli products, disinvestment and sanctions. UNISON has the opportunity to adopt a more explicit stance on BDS in joining others behind the FBU call at this week's TUC.

TUC PREVIEW 2009

TUC: A wry summary of the main issues at this year's TUC with a serious look at the action needed to deliver on the words. Public services, fighting the BNP, the economy, political representation, social care, education and trade union organisation all figure.

A Million Voices for Change on the Plinth

UNISON Scotland's Kevin O'Neil will promote UNISON's Million Voices For Change on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth on 28 Sept.

Warning from Dave Prentis - job cuts will lead to industrial strife

TUC: As the TUC Congress approaches there is overdue media attention beingpaid to the trade union response to Britain's economic crisis and the bankrupt solutions of those who argue for public spending cuts at a time of rising unemployment and falling economic demand.

TUC slams Taxpayers Alliance - Cuts, but not for super-rich

TUC:  Pensioners, children and students will be among the victims of public spending cuts, says Brendan Barber.

Palestine - TUC must stop talking and start doing

TUC:  Resolutions will not be enough. We also need to mobilise trade union members in action. We need a campaign of focused and selective action against arms sales to Israel, against the illegal settlements and for a targeted consumer boycott.

An organising union? The debate on our organising future

With union density reducing and an average membership age of 48 in the public sector, can we learn organising lessons from SEIU initiatives in the USA?

UNISON and Red Pepper TUC Fringe Meeting

TUC: UNISON and Red Pepper TUC Fringe Meeting 13 Sept
“Public Service Reform - But not as we know it!
Trade unions shaping the future of public services”

UNISON West Mids wins TUC ad competition.

TUC:  UNISON West Midlands Region has won the TUC 60 second ad competition. Check out the succesful video which will be shown at Congress next week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnYDzJkXXVM&feature=related

Time for pension funds to control executive pay‏

Paying for the bail out of bankers is the reason for cutting the incomes and pensions of UNISON members we are told. This is even more ironic when you consider that over a million UNISON members held shares, via their pension and savings funds, in the same banks.

Murdoch press smears UNISON

TUC: In recent days the Times and Sunday Times have been running sensationalist stories about the internal business of various unions. The latest on UNISON is designed to stoke anti union fires before next week's TUC as well as feed anti public sector pension sentiment.

Teaching Assistants under attack

An Institute of Education report has been reported as dismissive of classroom assistants. UNISON has made the case for better training and more paid time but would be naive to ignore the 'political and elitist vested interests' hostile to these key workers. 

Most public sector workers lack knowledge about their pensions

Recent research shows that less than a third of public sector workers in the UK know the value of their final pension.

Bruce Kent adds his voice to UNISON's A million voices for change campaign

Respected political campaigner, Bruce Kent has responded to the “add yours” message and added his voice to UNISON’s A Million Voices For Change campaign.

The Public Services Industrial Complex

UNISON Million Voices Campaign http://www.unison.org.uk/million/ must urgently include critiques of the main private sector predators in health and local government which are as hard hitting as those of the POA against the prison service privateers.

The Future of Trade Union Structures

"Trade union structures and purpose are or should be intimately connected' said Jeremy Waddington, Professor of Industrial relations at Manchester University at a Unions 21 seminar last November.