EU flounders over R&D and Brexit
9 June 2018
In research and development (as in so many other things) the European Union desperately needs to cooperate with Britain. It’s time we realised its weakness.
News
News
Myth and manoeuvring over the Irish border
8 June 2018
The whole issue, “backstop” or none, is being used as a backdoor way of delaying and perhaps denying Brexit.
Fears hyped over US steel tariffs
8 June 2018
Remain-backing MP Stephen Kinnock is trying to use new US steel tarrifs to damage Brexit – but the real danger to Britain’s steel comes from Brussels.
Scandal of EU fishing discards ban
7 June 2018
The EU is enforcing a discard ban during the proposed Brexit transition period that could bankrupt most of the UK fishing fleet.
RMT in Westminster rally over guards
26 April 2018
A national protest against Driver Only Operation outside Parliament on 25 April drew rail workers and union banners from many towns and regions across the country.
Year-long campaign for engineering
The government has declared 2018 to be the year of engineering, a year-long campaign to tackle the engineering skills gap and widen the pool of young people who join the profession.
Apprenticeships: Poor match
In an unusually blunt speech the head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, highlighted the key issues her inspectors had found in their pilot inspections of apprenticeship providers since the new apprenticeship levy scheme began.
Truce in uni pensions fight
The long-running dispute over pensions conducted by members of the University and College Union (UCU) has been suspended after they voted by 64 per cent to 36 per cent to accept the employers’ latest proposals.
NHS staff consider pay offer
It’s bad enough that the NHS has been lagging behind inflation for seven years but take the rise in travel costs, accommodation and food into account and the gap between the pay “rise” and RPI becomes even starker.
Boats 'transition' protest
Fishermen brought about 200 fishing vessels to six ports around the coast on Sunday 8 April to stage mass demonstrations against the government’s “transition” arrangements allowing the EU to control British waters until 2020.
Debt at record high
Global debts have risen to a new record high of £167 trillion, a rise of £21 trillion compared with 2016, according to the Institute of International Finance.
A year for engineering
26 April 2018
A new campaign aims to tackle the engineering skills gap and widen the pool of young people who join the profession.
Health - Avoidable deaths
Across Britain an average of 229 avoidable deaths was recorded for every 100,000 people between 2014 and 2016 – a total of around 138,000 people a year.
Apprenticeship problems raised
25 April 2018
The head of Ofsted has highlighted key problems foundin pilot inspections of apprenticeship providers since the new levy scheme came in.
Industrial action sweeps across France
16 April 2018
While French President Emmanuel Macron cosies up to Donald Trump, his country is in uproar over his government’s anti-working class policies.
US private equity muscles in on rail
16 April 2018
American private equity firm Apollo Management has made a bid for one of Britain’s largest bus and rail companies, First Group, which has rebuffed the initial bid.
Truce in universities pensions fight
16 April 2018
The long-running dispute over pensions conducted by members of the University and College Union has been suspended after they voted decisively to accept the employers’ latest proposals.
Strike hits North Sea oil platform
16 April 2018
Workers on the Norwegian oil giant’s Mariner platform in the North Sea went on strike on Saturday 7 April, downing tools for four hours in the morning and a further four-hour sit-in in the evening.
Fishing vessels in mass 'transition' protest
10 April 2018
Fishermen brought about 200 boats to six ports around the Britain on Sunday in mass demonstrations against the “transition” arrangements allowing the EU to control British waters until 2020. Crowds gathered on the shores to join the protest.
University union ballots on pensions offer
9 April 2018
Members of the University and College Union are currently being balloted over the employers’ latest proposals in the long-running university pensions dispute.
'Strength in workplace' matters most, admits Unite
28 March 2018
While stoking fears about the impact of Brexit, Unite has acknowledged that protection comes from collective strength in the workplace.
Fishing fury at transition 'betrayal'
28 March 2018
Fishermen reacted with fury to the government’s acceptance that the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy will continue to apply until December 2020.
Aerospace demands plans for Brexit
20 March 2018
A year after aerospace companies called for a post-Brexit transition deal as soon as possible to protect jobs in the sector there seems to be an uneasy lack of detail from the government.
Internships scandal
Unpaid internships are combining with rising living costs to shut poorer youngsters out of many careers.
Plan now for NHS workforce
For the first time in almost 25 years the health service in England has set about producing a Workforce Strategy.
Fake militancy over pay
Unison, GMB and Unite are currently considering a pay offer to local government and schools staff from local government employers of 2 per cent a year over two years from April.
France - Big boost for military
France, presumably a key player in the future EU Army, has announced a staggering 260 billion euro rise in military spending between 2018 and 2025.
Wind farm bonanza
Between 2012 and 2017 wind farm owners were paid £367 million in “constraint” payments – payments to not produce electricity.
University pensions fight
Strike action has begun in universities across Britain as academic staff fight back against the plan to close their final salary pension scheme.
Construction - Midlands growth
Around 17,000 new jobs are to be created in the West Midlands construction sector over the next five years.