Economy: What recovery?
This is what capitalist economic recovery looks like. Our GDP per head is still lower than it was in 2008. Real wages have been cut. Debt has risen.
News
News
Bumpy roads ahead as ‘new spending’ turns out to be cut
24 December 2014
The nearly £6 billion announced by the government for maintaining local roads over six years is less than half the money needed to deal with the backlog, says the GMB.
Victory for Sheffield electricians
22 December 2014
Unite electricians based at Amey Council Work depot Olive Grove Sheffield have settled their dispute, winning a 3.7 per cent pay rise, reports Sheffield Trades Council.
Miami 5 return to Cuba
18 December 2014
The Miami 5 have returned to Cuba in a huge victory for Cuban workers and their allies around the world. They had been imprisoned for fighting US-sponsored terrorism against Cuba.
Barbour staff strike over imposed hours change
18 December 2014
Warehouse staff working for clothing firm Barbour in Wardsley, Gateshead, have gone on strike over proposed changes to working hours.
Smith Commission: New plan to break up Britain
Despite the defeat of the separatists in the Scottish referendum, huge new powers are to be devolved to Edinburgh – with consequent implications for the rest of Britain.
Autumn Statement: The attack continues
In his Autum Statement George Osborne continued the attack on British workers under the banner of reducing the deficit. His Westminster rivals said little more than “me too” or “it won’t be as bad if you elect me”.
ITV unions unite over pay
Workers at ITV will start the new year with a strike ballot over pay. Three unions – broadcasting and entertainment union BECTU, the National Union of Journalists and Unite – have all rejected a pay offer of 2 per cent.
London bus drivers go for unity
London’s bus drivers are balloting on industrial action to force through one agreement covering all bus companies in the capital.
London: the capital of poverty
14 December 2014
The Greater London Authority’s recent update on poverty in London makes stark reading. Despite being the play bauble of the world’s rich, London remains one of the most deprived areas in Britain.
MPs foresee end of state pension
14 December 2014
Questioned in an online survey, MPs said that the state pension age would need to rise to 70 within 30 years – with many believing that the state pension would disappear altogether.
Rail engineers suspend pay strike
14 December 2014
A planned strike at the Doncaster plant of Wabtec, where rail engineering staff were set to strike for five days from 15 to 19 December in a fight over pay and conditions, has been suspended following eleventh-hour talks with the employer.
Museum workers speak up over swingeing cuts
9 December 2014
Like many other cultural institutions, the British Library at St Pancras in London has faced swingeing cuts under this government – and seen its grant cut every year since 2010.
Councils seek law to block betting shop clusters
More than a quarter of all local authorities in England have joined forces to use the government’s “localism” legislation to block the clustering of betting shops on high streets that offer unregulated casino-style gambling.
Law Society withdraws sharia guidance
The Law Society has withdrawn its guidance on inheritance under sharia law after a widespread and fierce campaign called it a “gross dereliction of duty” and demanded its removal.
Is Google being ironic?
30 November 2014
Today is St Andrew’s Day, and in celebration Google has a new and perhaps ironic logo: a speeding train with the Scottish Saltire on the side.
Outsourced electricians to strike over terms and conditions
30 November 2014
Electricians employed by Amey who were outsourced from Sheffield City Council 18 months ago will be on strike tomorrow in a dispute over terms and conditions.
The mathematics of the madhouse
27 November 2014
Under fire for promoting corporate tax evasion, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has come up with a new wheeze: magicking a €315 billion investment programme out of thin air.
Building workers demonstrate against ‘umbrella’ exploitation
26 November 2014
Construction union UCATT is demonstrating in Cambridge against the now-widespread practice of employing staff through “umbrella companies”, which cost workers dear while saving money for employers.
Biscuit workers strike over bullying and job losses
25 November 2014
Eight hundred members of the GMB union are preparing for more strike action in the run up to Christmas at the Jacobs Biscuits factory in Aintree, Liverpool.
NHS staff in second walkout
24 November 2014
Health workers throughout England walked out on strike this morning (24 November) for four hours in their long-running dispute over pay. The action followed a similar walkout on 13 November.
Students march against fees
20 November 2014
Thousands of students from all over Britain demonstrated in London on Wednesday 19 November against the fees charged for university courses. Placards called for the return of free education.
London mayor ‘risking lives’
20 November 2014
The Mayor of London has been accused of risking lives with fire brigade response times rising in the wake of 10 station closures and the withdrawal of 13 further engines earlier this year.
Residents fight savage library cuts
14 November 2014
A north London council is looking to turn 9 of its 15 libraries into unstaffed reading rooms, slashing floor space and handing over to volunteer groups. Local residents are fighting back.
Gallery staff mount alternative exhibition
14 November 2014
Staff working at the National Gallery in London opened an exhibition of their own artwork last night as part of their continuing fight against privatisation.
Unions still in the dark over Rolls-Royce cuts
12 November 2014
Over a week after Rolls-Royce said it is cutting thousands of aerospace jobs, unions have still not been told where the axe is going to fall – even though local negotiations have begun.
War museum library under threat
10 November 2014
The Imperial War Museum is threatening to close the library at its main London site and cut its educational programmes at its sites at RAF Duxford in Cambridgeshire as well as HMS Belfast and the Churchill War Rooms in London.
Pensioners’ Manifesto launched
6 November 2014
The National Pensioners Convention launched its Pensioners’ Manifesto yesterday at a rally of hundreds of pensioners in Westminster. There was a curious mood: polite but determined.
More cuts in graduate teacher training
4 November 2014
Despite glaring evidence of failure, the government has announced an increase in its programme of school-based teacher training for 2015-16. One result will be a massive switch in funding away from universities.
Ritzy sackings threat withdrawn
31 October 2014
Just three days after Ritzy cinema owners Picturehouse accounced that a quarter of the workforce would be sacked, the company has been forced to back down.