To advise all that Bob Crow (RMT General Secretary) will be in attendance to address the Meeting on Tuesday 03rd July 2012 Start at 18-30pm, venue is below.
Bob will be addressing...
To advise all that Bob Crow (RMT General Secretary) will be in attendance to address the Meeting on Tuesday 03rd July 2012 Start at 18-30pm, venue is below.read more
Ann Pettifor has started a petition on the [...]
This is an excellent snapshot of a ay in the life of young people in our borough. Made by members of Newham Youth Council and ntroduced by film director Danny Boyle. ery profesread more
The great and the good in local government are right to be worried (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18610169).
Our local authorities face long term increases in demand for services founded upon read more
Key Facts About LGPS 2014 Proposals and LGPS Members
· nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; amp;nbsp; 90% of members will pay the same contributions as now ...
(hat tip London Labour Party - embers only) Saturday 7 July 10.30am- 4pm, Labour Party Head Office London Join us at Labour's new London HQ to learn how local Labour Parties are working with our Trade Union and Socialist Society partners to campaign and organise in new and innovative...
We are pleased to announce that our July action meetings will take place next Tuesday July 3rd at 8pm Continue reading →
Next Wednesday 4 July it is not only the anniversary of the only successful British Revolution, it is also the 120th anniversary of the election of the first ever Labour MP Keir Hardie. Who was elected as the MP for West Ham South on this day in 1892.
West Ham is in the London Borough of...The Pensions press seem to be astonished that the supermarket giant Morrison's is still going to offer a defined benefit pension (DB) scheme to its staff when auto enrolling begins. Now the "cash balance" scheme they will be offering is not that great, but as "Professional Pensions" points out it...I'm still catching up after last weeks UNISON Conference bubble only to read that Lib Dem Coalition Pension minister, Steve Webb, has finally woken to the completely nonsensical "mark to market" accounting standards which are (quote) "a complete nightmare" and "killer" for pension schemes.
Private...
On Saturday morning I went to the London Borough of Newham presentation of the Honorary Freedom of the Borough to G Company, 7th Battalion The Rifles. G Company is our local Territorial Army Unit based in West Ham Park (in my ward).
The event started with the Regimental band "The Waterloo Band...
The executive board of UNITAID has approved funding of $30 million to rollout the Gene Xpert machine to scale up TB diagnosis in 20 countries. Continue reading →
At 3.45pm on Friday the UNISON National Delegate conference begins to wind down with the traditional motion of thanks for our President. Who this year was Eleanor Smith, a NHS theatre nurse from Birmingham (see photo left).
The general idea is to gently tease the President with embarrassing...
This picture is of me supporting the call for the TUC demo on October 20th was in the Friday morning edition of "London Calling" which is our regional conference new sheet. Next to it was this article I had written about:- "What to do if your employer wants to close your pension...
On Friday morning, Neville Lawrence, the father of murdered black teenager ,Stephen Lawrence gave a very moving speech to Conference about his family's quest for Justice. Neville and many delegates were openly tearful uring his ccount
of what they had to go through (and still...If you are not a member of UNISON or a trade union then the chances are you are not going to be interested in this post. If you are a member of UNISON...then the chances are you are not going to be that interested either! Which is a shame because the future funding arrangement of our union is...
On Thursday lunchtime I went to this fringe. UNISON National Health and Safety Committee Chair Nick Green chaired, John Bamford, Health and Safety Adviser, Greater Manchester Hazards Campaign spoke first. Followed by Robert Baughan, National Officer for Health and Safety. Who is deputising...During the rules debate on Thursday afternoon I was really pleased that Conference finally agreed to hange membership rules hat will enable the union to expel existing members of far right political parties and refuse admission.
(It did help n this occasion that members of the...
London UNISON press release:- "Care staff lobbied London Borough of Sutton Council Adult Services Committee tonight (Tuesday19th June) and handed in a letter to the Committees chairman Councillor Colin Stears to highlight the plight of dedicated care staff
50 care workers looking after vulnerable...
Paul gave a humorous and barnstorming speech referring to the "risk" he was taking appearing with a UNISON rope around my neck" UNISON lanyard which held his ID pass) was a good start.
Relations with GMB and UNISON have not always been sweetness and light at times.
I did like this...
Gloria Hanson, Regional Delegate and Regional Convenor for the Greater London Region, moving composite E – Income Inequality.
UNISON has a tremendous track record in fighting inequality. But there is one form we seem to have stopped talking about. Income inequality. Wealth discrimination. As my...
On Wednesday lunchtime there was an informal fringe of UNISON Labour Link branch officers. Labour Link National Committee Chair Steve Warwick (left) and National Officer Keith Birch.
There was a wide range of Q&A's. One point that Steve was clear that the Party is going to have to listen to...
Conference, President, Joel Bodmer housing association branch Supporting motion 83 Elder Abuse.
It has often been said that you can judge a civilisation not by its wealth, standing or privilege but on how it treats it’s most vulnerable.
The later years in one’s life should be a time for reflection...
: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Thursday 21st June 2012 Francis Gilbert loses it while debating me on BBC News Channel COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 11 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND paulmasonnews It's rather incredible that it was the whole of the EU in the 1st draft . That would have triggered the referendum lock 1 day ago Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Wikipedia IMdb Email BEST OF THE WEB Why Gordon Brown was no LBJ by Dan Hodges blogs.telegraph.co.uk The day Gordon Brown came to power by Damian McBride dpmcbride.tumblr.com Owen Jones is Justin Beiber by Dan Hodges blogs.telegraph.co.uk Why Britain shouldn't be part of a European super-state by Charles Moore telegraph.co.uk Fixing Britain's character flaws by Anthony Seldon telegraph.co.uk The shame of Britain's public
This is my speech that I gave yesterday during the Housing debate on behalf of the NEC. "Vice President, Conference, John Gray, Community NEC member speaking in support of Composite G
Housing is a huge issue for UNISON, for our members, their families and communities. Yes, we have tens of...On Tuesday evening there was a fringe event on TUPE. Speakers were Dave Johnson, UNISON head of private contractors and community and Shantha David, Legal Officer, UNISON Centre nd the meeting was chaired by AGS Karen Jennings. Who was pleased that so many delegates were not...Picture was taken rom my table during UNISON General Secretary's speech to our national conference yesterday afternoon.
Check out link to Dave's speech hear Tuesday lunchtime I went to my first Conference "fringe". Sue Highton (NEC) was chair. was late so I missed the contribution from Graeme Horne, Branch Secretary, Birmingham LG.
However, I did listen to the branch organisers Louise Hoare and Lewis Carson who were employed via...
The branch delegation have their own log n his year's conference here.
The UNISON Housing Associaiton (Greater London region) web site is here.
Labour MP Mark Hendrick, who was drawn in the annual Private Members' Bill lottery and therefore has an opportunity to table a bill in this parliamentary session, has written to the Secretary of State for International Development to offer to use his slot to bring forward a bill committing 0.7% of GNI to aid. Continue reading →
I took this picture this morning on route to the UNISON National Delegate Conference in Bournemouth. This is my first conference as a member of UNISON’s National Executive Committee. So it feels very strange to be on the “platform” and not part of the branch or regional delegation. nbsp; At...
New microfinance intern Peregrine Willoughby-Brown introduces himself. Continue reading →
Government progress reports released yesterday show a new delay in the Government's plans to enshrine 0.7% of GNI to aid in law, postponing the end date for its commitment to do so until early 2015. The news that this legislation may be delayed by almost three more years follows a failure to include it in last month's Queen's Speech. Continue reading →
We are pleased to announce that a recording of Tuesday’s conference call on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is now available online for download. Continue reading →: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Sunday 10th June 2012 Beware Tory EU turn Some of my fellow Eurosceptics became quite excited this week when George Osborne spoke openly about the possibility of an EU referendum . In an interview on Radio 4’s Today programme , he said the Government will go to the people if there is any further transfer of power to the . EU But this was hardly evidence that the Chancellor has become a committed Eurosceptic . The Parliamentary Sovereignty Act , passed last year , means the Government is legally obliged to do that , whether it wants to or not . And far from being the In Out referendum that the Eurosceptics are calling for , this would only be a vote on whether to grant any new powers to the EU . A no” vote wouldn’t mean we clawed back: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Sunday 3rd June 2012 Can Dave save his premiership A debate broke out on Twitter this week about why George Osborne announced his U-turn on the charity tax during Jeremy Hunt’s appearance at the Leveson . Inquiry Was he hoping to deflect attention from the embarrassing revelations coming out in the High Court Or was he using Hunt as a smokescreen in the hope that people wouldn’t notice the government’s third U-turn in a week The answer is a bit of both . Osborne and Cameron clearly see this weekend’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations as an opportunity to draw a line under the omnishambles” and that meant getting all the bad news out there before Friday lunchtime . To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 0 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A