South Africa public service strike escalates as security forces intervene‏

Public service unions in South Africa are defying a weekend court order banning ‘essential workers’ from taking industrial action in a national pay dispute. Yesterday security forces were deployed outside hospitals and police fired rubber bullets at striking health workers, injuring several protesters in Durban More than one million workers across all public services are taking part in an indefinite strike which began last Wednesday.

Tory diplomatic corps reaches out to unions‏

The Independent reports that ‘senior Conservatives have held secret talks with trade union leaders to pave the way for a highly symbolic meeting between David Cameron and the TUC general secretary Brendan Barber’: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-in-secret-talks-with-unions-as-threat-of-autumn-strikes-looms-2060133.html

Tiresome Tories at it again attacking Labour links to Unions‏

The New Statesman rebuts tiresome Tory attacks on the Labour Union link, saying that ‘Labour must remind voters that union donations are made up of thousands of voluntary contributions’:
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/08/union-donations-labour-funding

Australian General Election outcome on a knife edge‏

Report from a UNISONActive reader in Sydney, Australia: The election remains on a knife edge with both sides negotiating to form Government. Whilst the Greens picked up a significant swing towards them, this has not translated into seats in the Lower House where they have won their first seat. The Greens will however have the balance of power in the Australian Senate and have already confirmed their intention to reinforce workers and union rights wherever possible.

Spending cuts mean rising poverty and inequality, OECD study confirms‏

The dangers of the ConDem love affair with Sweden's and Canada's cuts in public spending in the 1990s is exposed today in the FT as its cites an OECD survey showing that huge rises in poverty and inequality resulted in these countries.

Cosatu stands firm in face of strike ban on 'essential workers'‏

On Saturday, a South African court issued an order banning ‘essential staff, including doctors, nurses and teachers’ from participating in the indefinite public sector pay strike, reports the FT. http://tinyurl.com/3y7v2xq

100 days of Con Dem austerity - a view from the right‏

Reform is a self styled ‘think tank’ articulating a right wing, pro-corporate case for outsourcing and small government. No surprise then that its verdict on the Con Dem Government’s first 100 days in office is ‘good but could do better’. http://tinyurl.com/33anmpg

Step aside Sir Philip - government appoints ANOTHER tax avoider to advise on cuts‏

The ConDem's new ‘cuts tsar’ Sir Philip Green made headlines over his tax affairs. But now in Adrian Beecroft, one of four City high fliers recruited by George Osborne earlier this month to act as key figures on the government’s ‘independent challenge group’."... we have a multimillionaire Sunday Times Rich List alumnus who ran a company that used offshore tax avoidance structures on his watch, now advising the government on how to cut public spending in a way that will almost certainly impact on frontline services and welfare for the poorest in society", reports the A Thousand Cuts blog http://athousandcuts.wordpress.com/2010/08/20/step-aside-sir-philip-%e2%80%93-government-appoints-another-tax-avoider-to-advise-on-cuts/

STUC warning on labour market trends‏

Each month when labour market data is published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), media comment invariably focuses on relative levels of employment and unemployment. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lmsuk0710.pdf

Big Ask by Carol Ann Duffy‏

(In memory of Adrian Mitchell)
What was it Sisyphus pushed up the hill?
I wouldn't call it a rock.
Will you solemnly swear on the Bible?
I couldn't swear on a book.
With which piece did you capture the castle?
I shouldn't hazard a rook.