Labour floats reform of internal democracy

The Guardian reports on radical reforms in Labour Party democracy being advocated by Peter Hain MP. A move to extend voting rights in internal elections to labour supporters as well as members and affiliated union members could have mixed consequences for unions:

The decline in collective bargaining coverage

As part of its support for the US trade union movement's campaign todefend collective bargaining rights for public sector workers - the TUC has published an article by a US academic Prof William B Gould IV- which argues that 'collective bargaining is the essence ofdemocracy'. http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-19357-f0.cfm 

Tory NHS nightmare

John Lister gives a stark warning that the Health and Social Care Bill could kill off the NHS, Health Minister Lansley's 'dream for the NHS is every thinking person's nightmare. GP practice reception staff and secretaries would be replaced by remote, indifferent privatised callcentres.' http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/102784 

The long march against the cuts

Heather Wakefield, UNISON’s head of local government, writing for the Public Finance blog, reviews Saturday’s mammoth demonstration in London: ‘Carnival-like marches might win the short-term psychological battle, but they won’t win the political war. For sure, they keep spirits high, build solidarity and remind us that there are millions out there who want an end to Coalition cuts, but alone they are not enough. There is much more to do.’

Global wage trends: The great convergence?

Global trends since the economic crisis have shown a general decrease in real wage growth. In his Global Labour Column, Patrick Belser argues that there has been a long-term convergence in wages throughout the world, notwithstanding this decrease. http://column.global-labour-university.org/

Why women are feeling the pinch of the cuts

Clare Williams, UNISON's Northern Regional Convenor and NEC member was interviewed yesterday in the North East Sunday Sun about the impact of Con Dem austerity measures. The region is the hardest hit of English regions with women 'being hit the worst of all ' - potentially in breach of equalities legislation: http://bit.ly/eRkjOo

Dave Prentis speech at 26 March Hyde Park rally

For those who missed it - the powerful call to action of UNISON's General Secretary on video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhKhkkXAIok "Today is one day. Today is a magnificent day. Tomorrow we march on."

What happens next?

Looking beyond yesterday's succesful national mobilisation, campaigner Amanda Tattersall writes on the Stronger Unions blog about the importance of unions building strong and sustained coalitions for political change. Several case studies of succesful campaigns are mentioned notably the 2005-7 “Your Rights at Work” campaign for union rights in Australia where local struggles were merged into a unified national campaign - in which unions spoke with one voice:  http://www.strongerunions.org/2011/03/24/what-happens-after-the-rally-four-ideas-for-strengthening-the-campaign-against-the-cuts/

Q & A on union rights in the US

The attack on the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers in Wisconsin has triggered a debate in the US media on union rights. Here Steven Greenhouse of the New York Times answers question from readers on the evolution and decline of trade unionism in the World's largest economy, where private sector union membership is perilously low at 7% of the workforce: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/answers-about-labor-laws-and-unions/

No Accounting for Waste by Mia Hart-Allison

The landfill site gapes capaciously,
indecent exposure defiling the hillside,
containing the same utter nullity as death
like the noose around a suicide’s neck.