Unions unite to protect Aberdeen jobs

An emergency meeting by regional representatives of UNISON, Unite, GMB, the EIS and Ucatt, has pledged a united campaign against Aberdeen council’s plans to axe 600 jobs and cut a further £20million from spending on services http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1440578?UserKey=

Political fund response - no future for the Link if Mandy's neo-liberalism prevails

There can be no argument in theory that UNISON political fund with its majority General Political Fund and minority Labour Link sections offersthe best possible combination of political levers. It is also broadly representative of the political will and allegiance of the UNISON membership. Approaching 17 years on from merger the union's political traditions remain deserving of respect.

Canada’s public service unions – alive and kicking‏

It is not uncommon for The Economist magazine to overstate its case. But even by its usual standards of hubris, in this week’s edition a critique of the Canadian trade unions, ‘all struck out’, is very wide of the mark. http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14660479&fsrc=rss

UNISON Political Fund Review – Political communication (Q10 – Q12)

The consultation for the review of the political fund effectiveness is underway. Branches and other union bodies are being asked to feed in views by Friday 13 November. Here we introduce a section of the consultation document and invite UNISONActive readers' views for publication.

UK big business on a de-regulation roll‏

Yesterday’s news that Business Secretary Lord Mandelson apparently won a Cabinet battle over plans to defer rights for agency workers and employees who want time off to train or for 'civic duties'’, marks a new nadir for the Labour Government’s duplicity and contempt for the trade union movement.

Shameless Mandelson backtracks on agency workers‏

A sickening report in the FT about yesterday's announcement by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson that agency workers rights (and other employment rights) are to be delayed until the latest possible date of October 2011.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4367dce0-b8ef-11de-98ee-00144feab49a.html

Possible deal emerges in Leeds refuse dispute‏

Following extensive negotiations this week betwen Leeds City Council, GMB & UNISON a possible deal has been reached to end the 6 week continuos strike action in protest at pay cuts. The unions will put details of the package to stewards and members tomorrow, Friday 16 October..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/8308314.stm

UNISON Active ANALYSIS - Public service transformation on our terms - or partnership with the bosses?‏

Questions are sometimes raised about UNISON's strategy of conditional co-operation with management to secure and improve the public delivery of public services. The concern is that by collaborating with management the union is effectively 'managing the pain for the bosses as they sack workers' as an article in Socialist Worker about Newcastle UNISON and the UNISON book 'Public service reform but not as we know it! (http://www.socialistworker.org.uk/art.php?id=18042)

UNISON Political Fund Review – Political education (Q7 – Q9)‏

The consultation for the review of the political fund effectiveness is underway. Branches and other union bodies are being asked to feed in views by Friday 13 November. Here we introduce a section of the consultation document and invite UNISONActive readers' views for publication.

Public sector recruitment down 10% on last year, says online survey‏

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions ofonline job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the European Union, including Monster.co.uk. http://about-monster.com/sites/default/files/employment-index/EUMEI_UK_Sep09_FINAL.pdf

UNISON Political Fund Review – campaigning at local, regional and devolved levels (Q4 – Q6)‏

The consultation for the review of the political fund effectiveness is underway. Branches and other union bodies are being asked to feed in views by Friday 13 November. Here we give introduce a section of the consultation document and invite UNISONActive readers' views for publication.

Political fund response: Remember the previous Tory nightmare!

David Cameron clearly thinks that if he shouts loud enough about Labour, no one will ask him about his own policies for the poorest in Britain. It’s pretty amazing stuff from a man who wants to give £200,000 to those set to inherit millions while cutting tax credits and child trusts funds of ordinary families.

EXCLUSIVE - Sunday Telegraph in anti-union information trawl of English Councils‏

The following email seeking information on time off for trade union activities appears to have been sent from the Sunday Telegraph to FoI contacts across English councils. "Now, why would they be doing that?", we ask. Perhaps councils will answer that there is no right to paid time off for 'activities' only 'duties' as per the ACAS code. But how would the Sunday Telegraph know that?

Haiku - on the crisis‏

winter:
capital chaos, public saves
but pays again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku

Boom in international trade fails workers in developing world - UN report‏

The surge in world trade in recent years has failed to improve the working conditions and living standards for the majority of workers in poor countries, according to a new United Nations labour agency study launched today. In the developing world, job creation has largely taken place in the informal economy, which ranges from 30 per cent of the workforce in Latin America to more than 80 per cent in some sub-Saharan and South Asian countries. Read more: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32505&Cr=international+labour&Cr1=#

Our money.our companies...time to get our act together

Property rights are supposed to be at the centre of capitalist economies, and it’s our pension savings invested in shares that make us the owners of companies! If we are to learn anything from the current economic crisis it’s this – we can’t pay our pension contributions and just walk away. The government, through Paul Myners the Minister for the City stresses that they can only do so much… http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/769f43dc-b679-11de-8a28-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1

Political fund response: Make dual political strategy work for us

Come the elections, we have to face some very hard facts. And one of them is that, without dramatic action, the Tories seem on course to gain power with all that would mean for the destruction of public services, pensions and just about everything else – along with an NHS even more privatised than the worst of any of the current plans.

UNISON Political Fund Review – the changing political landscape (Q1 - Q3)

The consultation for the review of the political fund effectiveness is underway. Branches and other union bodies are being asked to feed in views by Friday 13 November. Here we give introduce a section of the consultation document and invite UNISONActive readers' views for publication.

Why transformational leadership matters in trade unions

Gregor Gall’s excellent article ‘in search of charismatic leadership’ published in last Friday’s Morning Star, made the point that the recent loss of the likes of Ken Gill and Jack Jones, marked the passing of a generation of inspiring and visionary leaders at the highest levels of the labour movement.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/features/In-search-of-charismatic-leadership

Income inequality had a role in creating crisis

In the FT letters, Prof Robert H. Wade argues rising national inequality since 1990 - not only in the US but in countries containing perhaps as much as 80 per cent of the world's population - was one of the main forces driving global financial fragility. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/68a4de1c-b6c5-11de-8a28-00144feab49a.html

How can UNISON's political fund be more effective?

The consultation for the review of the political fund effectiveness is underway. The consultation is gathering ideas and experiences for the review. Branches and other union bodies are being asked to feed in views by Friday 13 November. Here we give some of the background and invite UNISONActive readers' views on the review for publication.

NUM Former Vice-President Mick McGahey victim of MI5 fabrications‏

Another great trade union leader of the late 20th century has been smeared by MI5, its academic hired hands and (no surprise) its house journalists in the Sunday Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6869435.ece

HMIC recommends sweeping privatisation of police services‏

Private sector companies have a “massive” opportunity to take over running non-frontline police services as law enforcement budgets across the country come under severe pressure, according to the chief police watchdog, reports James Boxell in the FT

UNISON fighting redundancies in local government - a twin track approach‏

The ‘Twin Track’ approach to opposing privatisation whilst also preparing for it’s existence in our workplaces is one that will be known to many, and one that seeks ultimately to offer some rearguard safety net to our members faced with ‘outsourcing’. Whilst it may stick in all our political throats to face the reality of privatisation a new real threat requires an additional track of opposition with a similar security strategy built in.