Fishing quotas for 2024 agreed
27 December 2023
Britain still has to deal with the EU over fishing quotas. The latest agreement, the fourth since leaving the EU, sees further progress.
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News
Unions united against law
20 December 2023
The first special Congress of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for over forty years took place in early December. It considered how trade unions should respond to legal attempts to restrict their activity.
Pay progress for some doctors
NHS hospital consultants have secured an offer from the government in their fight for pay. Consultants’ pay had been cut, in real terms, by 35 per cent since 2008-09. Meanwhile, junior doctors' strikes continue
NHS reliance on overseas nurse recruitment unsustainable
20 December 2023
Ninety-three per cent of nurses who joined the NHS in the last four years have been recruited from overseas. This startling fact was revealed by NHS England’s chief nurse in December.
Royal Mail festive “truce” – for now
20 December 2023
Royal Mail workers have called off industrial action over Christmas and the New Year. CWU, their union said there was enough progress to call a “truce” over the holiday period.
Fighting fire service cuts across the country
20 December 2023
Firefighters are fighting attempts across the country to cut staffing, which risks effective response to emergencies. And they have criticised government plans for the fire service.
TUC Special congress [print version]
The first special Congress of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for over 40 years took place in early December. It considered how trade unions should respond to legal attempts to restrict their activity.
Almost all nurses from abroad [print version]
Ninety-three per cent of the 51,245 nurses who have joined the NHS in the past four years have been recruited from overseas.
Elections - Overseas voters sought [print version]
On 16 January 2024 the eligibility of overseas voters in UK elections will change dramatically – allowing those who don’t live in Britain to influence what happens here.
Cruise operator withdraws conditions threat
1 December 2023
Cruise operator Carnival quickly withdrew an apparent threat to fire and rehire over 900 maritime professionals. After urgent negotiations with their union, the company confirmed it will not do so.
Grangemouth refinery closure threat
1 December 2023
Plans to shut Scotland’s only oil refinery threaten skilled jobs and Britain’s industrial base.
Migration continues to rise
1 December 2023
Recent reports confirm that the government has lost control of immigration as the numbers coming to Britian, legally as well as illegally, continue to rise.
Open door to study in Britain
24 November 2023
The number of overseas students coming to study in Britain has reached a record high. Universities and government welcome this, but it’s to the detriment of British students.
Fight for better conditions in further education steps up
19 November 2023
Further education workers have begun strike action in defence of pay and conditions. Their campaign follows years of neglect by employers and government.
Fighting for workers’ rights at Amazon
19 November 2023
Amazon workers in Britian continue their fight for better pay and conditions as well as trade union recognition. It’s a long fight against the world’s largest retail company, everywhere hostile to workers.
Strike laws – TUC calls special conference
17 November 2023
The government is trying to stop workers fighting for pay and conditions. A TUC special conference will discuss the trade union response.
Social care – no action, no surprise
17 November 2023
There is disappointment, but no surprise in the government’s continuing failure to act on social care.
RMT forces climb down by government [updated]
13 November 2023
Determined action by RMT rail union members has forced the government to make a new offer through the train operating companies to settle their long-running pay and conditions dispute.
Scottish Water workers fighting for pay
13 November 2023
Scottish Water workers are striking against regrading and lower pay. Yet the publicly-owned company makes large payments to executives and like others in the industry presides over increased sewage pollution.
Thames pollution continues
13 November 2023
Water companies continue to pump raw sewage into rivers and the sea despite strong campaigning. A new report reveals the extent of pollution by Thames Water.
Steel industry – green threat
7 November 2023
British Steel wants to close down the blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe plant. This threatens the jobs of 2,000 skilled workers and the future of the industry.
Firefighters’ manifesto to protect Britain
7 November 2023
Firefighters have launched a manifesto to highlight risks of fire and flood and the impacts of service cuts.
Class struggle – school attendance matters
6 November 2023
The coronavirus pandemic affected the level of school attendances across Britain and they have not recovered since. This is brought out in a new report just published.
Ticket office victory
2 November 2023
The government has scrapped plans to close rail ticket offices in the face of overwhelming opposition from rail workers and passengers – a victory for people power.
Union Busting: Unite takes fight to Paris
Unite the union has taken its fight to end union busting to the doorstep of the French company Bouygues, whose offices are based in Paris
Borrowing: Britain's ballooning debt
The government has been borrowing at a huge rate – something that tends not to be reported in general news, appearing rather in the relative backwaters of newspaper business sections.
Blow to renewables policy [print version]
The government’s approach to future energy supply depends heavily on wind power, dedicated as it is to net zero aims. But it’s as much off course with wind as it is with nuclear energy.
End privatisation, says RMT [print version]
US private equity firm, I Squared Capital, has bought bus and rail operator Arriva in a deal worth about $1.69 billion, including debts.
Campaign for future of steel [print version]
Unite the Union has launched a new campaign to highlight the decline in Britain’s steel industry.
Wales waiting times exposed [print version]
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has forced the Welsh Government to admit that it has been misrepresenting the extent of waiting times in Accident & Emergency departments for years.