Why postcode pay doesn't add up

The TUC 'Payfair' campaign has produced a great infographic showing why regional pay is unfair, bad for the economy, isn't backed up by the evidence, isn't what the private sector does, would be impractical and is unpopular.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/images/Industrial/
Pay_Fair_Infographic_2012_1000x3443px_
AW.jpg
http://www.tuc.org.uk/industrial/tuc-21728-f0.cfm

How Fortunate The Man With None by Bertolt Brecht

You saw sagacious Solomon
You know what came of him,
To him complexities seemed plain.
He cursed the hour that gave birth to him
And saw that everything was vain.
How great and wise was Solomon.
The world however did not wait
But soon observed what followed on.
It's wisdom that had brought him to this state.
How fortunate the man with none.

Industrial action warning on redundancies

As Scottish local government branches meet in Glasgow today, UNISON Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby has warned of industrial action across Scotland if local councils implement compulsory redundancies as part of Government enforced cuts.

How the world voted on Palestine

Thanks to http://www.australiansforpalestine.net/72287 for the graphic

Leadership and South Africa beyond Marikana

It’s one thing winning the revolution. It is another thing implementing its vision. That was the theme of veteran ANC activist Denis Goldberg at a meeting of ACTSA Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Billed as a speech about the Marikana massacre, it turned into a disarmingly honest and at times painful analysis of the challenges of building a fair and just South Africa in just 18 years after centuries of constitutional oppression.

PSI supports Palestinian statehood and BDS against Israel

#PSIcongress2012 Chris Tansley, UNISON President, intervened in the Congress debate on Palestine in support of the Palestinian people. Delegates backed Resolution 42 which referred to Israel as an apartheid state and called for a global policy of Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), and a composite motion, submitted by UNISON, PCS and PSI Africa region which called for action against companies complicit in the illegal Israeli occupation. In the lunch break before the debate South Africa's Coalition for a Free Palestine - supported by SAMWU (South African Municipal Workers Union), NEHAWU (National Health Education and Allied Workers Union) and other COSATU affiliates - had lobbied Congress delegates in a show of solidarity with Palestine.

Quality education is not possible on the back of an exploited workforce

#PSICongress2012 Jane Carolan, UNISON NEC, intervened in a debate on union organisation in the education sector (particularly the non-teacher workforce) and called on PSI to build capacity, skills, bargain locally and internationally (taking on the multi-nationals). Also to facilitate networking by members in education and build solidarity with teaching unions by exposing the myth that quality education is possible on the back of an exploited workforce:

UK Government persists with Outsourcing to disguise economic failure

The West Coast Rail franchise debacle,G4S, Southern Cross, Connaught. The list goes on – how many more failures of public procurement and contracting out do we need in order to nail the Government’s obsession with outsourcing? Even senior Tory figures admitted during the G4S debacle that big outsourced contracts fail and the risk is far too great to the public sector. And yet the Cabinet Office continues to promote the involvement of private contractors in public services.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/growth-boost-business-government-shares-future-buying-needs-worth-84bn

Rosa Pavanelli elected PSI General Secretary

#PSICongress2012 In a landslide election victory (7,022,114 to 2,793,646 votes), Rosa Pavanelli of Italy's progressive FP-CGIL union federation was today elected General Secretary of Public Services International (PSI). Rosa is a vastly experienced trade unionist and stood on the following platform:
http://congress.world-psi.org/sites/default/files/upload/page/Rosa%20Pavanelli%20-%20Candidate%20speech_Publish.pdf

PSI must fight for quality public services - Dave Prentis

#PSICongress2012 Introducing the PSI Programme of Action for 2013-2017 yesterday, Dave Prentis said: 'Our goal is to achieve Social Justice through Trade Union Rights and Quality Public Services. It is a plan for us to work together – smarter, faster and more effectively – to achieve a more just, more equal and more civil society in every nation. Our job as trade unionists is to lead – to give inspiration and hope that by working together we can create just, equitable and civil societies'
http://congress.world-psi.org/blog/psi-president-dave-prentis-be-bold-be-brave-together-we-can-be-brilliant