UK Bankers to get 'bumper' £7bn bonuses this year - Goldman Sacked £12.3bn!‏

Cast your mind back to 2008 when the world economy seemed on the edge of collapse. Bankers had their bowls out begging to be saved, government’s borrowing money form our pension funds and using the power of money creation filled them up. This is the reward the bankers have given themselves for the biggest con trick in history, £7bn in bonuses. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/7619505/City-banker-bonuses-to-rise-to-7bn.html.

Battle for union rights intensifies in Sodexo‏

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis has condemned French owned global services company Sodexo for victimising workers for organising for union rights: ‘the world is getting smaller and globalised companies like Sodexo, which make millions every year, need to know they cannot play pick and choose with workers' rights. Unions too can make global alliances and together with French and American unions, UNISON will be a part of the international campaign to get Sodexo to respect its staff, whatever country they are working in," http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/89533

Northern Ireland - health service privatisation est mort‏

In a big gain for devolution, Northern Ireland region of UNISON is celebrating the return to public provision of the last support services contract to remain in private hands.
http://www.unison.org.uk/northernireland/pages_view.asp?did=11090

Kate O'Shanter's Tale by Matthew Fitt

Note: This poem doesn't make sense unless you know Rabbie Burns' Tale of Tam O'Shanter. Oh, and you must be able to understand Scots. Warning: Strong language:

Public spending cuts will lead to industrial unrest across the globe‏

This week’s edition of the right wing Economist magazine surveys the response of trade unions across the world to the economic crisis. It notes the general decline in union membership and corresponding fall in levels of strike action in the past 30 years.
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15955386&fsrc=rss

Lib Dem's wrong on public sector pensions - Dave Prentis‏

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis has condemned opportunistic attacks on public sector pension schemes by Liberal Democrat deputy leader and Labour defector Vince Cable:
“Cable clearly does not know basic facts when it comes to public sector pension schemes. They have recently gone through comprehensive reviews to ensure they are sustainable and affordable, and Lib Dem calls for cuts will come back to bite them.

More strikes against austerity measures in in bailed -out Greece‏

Yesterday battling public service workers in Greece staged another national strike against austerity measures imposed by their crisis ridden Government. Public services were shut down across the country as tens of thousands of workers supported the action.

TUC says - no votes for fascists!‏

The TUC has marked this weekend’s 2010 TUC Black Workers' Conference with a call for trade unionists to reject the hate filled politics of the BNP. TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady will be addressing: "The Far Right poses a real threat to the cohesion of Britain's many diverse communities, with organisations like the BNP seeking to profit from both economic uncertainty and public disillusionment at mainstream politics.

The dangers of hanging around‏

Gordon Brown’s ‘progressive alliance’ pitch to the Liberal Democrats is a sure sign of weakness and a realisation by Labour of the probable loss of its parliamentary majority.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brown-trains-his-sights-on-a-new-politics-ndash-with-the-help-of-the-lib-dems-1949585.html

AFL-CIO marches on Wall Street‏

The AFL-CIO is organising a march on Wall Street https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=285
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and thousands of union and community activists from across the country will be marching down Broadway in the heart of the financial district on 29 April to MAKE WALL STREET PAY. Wall Street tanked America's economy, killed jobs, took $700 billion in taxpayer bailouts-then went right back to business as usual, choking off credit, handing out $145 billion in 2009 executive pay and bonuses and fighting meaningful financial reform.