Masthead
One of my photos

Entries Tagged as 'Trade Unions'

Sacked for being a good trade unionist

December 4th, 2009 · 48 Comments · Politics

This is not only a big deal locally, but has been gathering momentum as an issue of much more widespread interest for the general principles involved as well as for the situation of the individual involved.  I think it deserves all the publicity it can get!  One way to sum it up is that a [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: ··

Meeting Mandelson

November 13th, 2009 · No Comments · Politics, Work

Today was the long-awaited official opening of the new site where I work.  Personally I have been in the new buildings for just over a year, but the industrial building with all the labs and test and manufacturing facilities took longer to finish, and now the company has decided that enough of our operations have [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: ·

Money in the Labour movement

November 5th, 2009 · No Comments · Politics

Money is as important to the various organisations within the Labour movement as it is to any capitalist entity.  Well, maybe not exactly: it is not chased or accumulated for what it is, but it is very much appreciated for what it can do, and necessary.  No point having hundreds of willing volunteers to deliver [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: ··

If at first you don’t succeed, get up early

October 31st, 2009 · No Comments · Politics

Following my failed previous efforts to support the striking Royal Mail workers I took the rather drastic and extreme step of getting up before 6am on a Saturday.
This ludicrous tactic worked and I met with the workers who were manning the picket line.  They did mention how several other members of Horsham Labour Party visited [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: ··

Supporting the postal workers

October 31st, 2009 · No Comments · Politics

It is proving to be harder than I had expected to support the striking postal workers.
I should rephrase  that…
It is proving to be harder than I expected to show my support for the striking postal workers.
Having a full-time job myself with a lot going on there, and more limited access to transport since writing off [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: ·

Unite’s reaction to the Tory conference

October 9th, 2009 · 2 Comments · Politics

More specifically, Unite’s reaction to the proposals to cut 25% of the MoD budget. As somebody who works in the aerospace & shipbuilding sector covered by Bernie Hamilton I have more than a passing interest in this.

[Read more →]

Tags: ·

The Tolpuddle experience

July 23rd, 2009 · 2 Comments · Politics

A few days have passed since visiting Tolpuddle so if I write about it now it is not fresh in my mind and I may have forgotten some details, but at least that stops me wittering on about total ephemera.
So anyway, here are some thoughts about the event, about the Labour movement in general and [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: ···

Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival

July 20th, 2009 · 4 Comments · Life, Politics

Today I went on a day trip to Dorset for the last day of the Tollpuddle Martyrs Festival.  It is a long way to go for a day (nearly three hours each way on the coach) but plenty of people came from even further away and it was a good day out even if it [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: ···

Friday 13th

February 27th, 2009 · No Comments · Politics

On Friday 13th Lindsay Hoyle (Labour MP for Chorley) is introducing a private members bill – the second reading of the Statutory Redundancy (Amendment) Bill.  Fridays are days when many MPs traditionally head back to their constituencies, making it hard to get such bills passed.
My union is supporting this bill very strongly, as they should, [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: ·

Bullying and harrassment

February 3rd, 2009 · 4 Comments · Work

At the moment my union is involved in helping to draw up a number of documents for our company all related to ‘dignity at work’: policies and guidelines on bullying and harrassment feature heavily.  One type of behaviour does not feature at all, and I am not sure whether it is actually bullying or harrassment [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: