TUC
Taxpayers spend double on bosses' pensions than public sector workers'
Taxpayers are paying £2.50 for subsidising the pensions of the richest one per cent of the population for every pound spent on paying pensions to retired public servants such as nurses, teachers and civil servants, according to new research published by the TUC.
The findings are revealed in a new campaign pamphlet Decent Pensions for all that says the real pension problem in the UK is not the affordable cost of public sector pensions, but the growth in the number of private sector employees with no pension.
1978-1979: Winter of Discontent
A short history of the of the widespread strike movement that occurred during the winter of 1978-1979 in Britain. The 'Winter of Discontent' marked the largest stoppage of labour since the 1926 General Strike.
The factors that provoked the widespread stoppage of work by thousands of British workers in the winter of 1978-79 began with the Labour government of James Callaghan's attempt to enforce limits on pay rises to curb inflation. Inflation had reached a height of nearly 26.9% in August 1975.
1799-today: Repression in Britain
A short history of repressive and anti-worker government practice and legislation in Britain over the past two centuries.
Ever since the rise of capitalism and the modern state, governments have sought a compliant and quiescent workforce and have initiated various methods of control over those sections of the population that they see as a potential threat to the status quo.
1926: British general strike
A short history of Britain’s only ever general strike which lasted 10 days and was called in support of locked-out coal miners.
Britain’s only ever General Strike shook the British ruling class out of their thrones and showed brilliantly how collective working class action can change society.
It also showed how willing the ruling class and how unwilling labour leaders are to fight. Without wanting to sound too light-hearted: We could’ve done it if it wasn’t for those pesky Trade Union bureaucrats!
Pensions agreement torn up - unions slammed
Predictions that a compromise agreement used by union chiefs to stand down strike actions over government pensions would fuel futher attacks are to be dramatically fulfilled.
Leaked documents from Downing Street have proposed that Whitehall officials pay for at least half the cost of increases to pensions in the future. State contributions would be capped at 20%.
5 million Britons work a day a week for free
Nearly five million employees (4,759,000) worked on average an extra day a week in unpaid overtime in 2005 (7 hours 24 minutes) according to a Trades Union Congress analysis of official figures published today.
If each employee worked all their unpaid overtime at the beginning of the year, the TUC estimates that they would have worked for free and would not start to get paid until Friday 24 February 2006. That is why the TUC has dedicated Friday 24 February as their third 'Work Your Proper Hours Day'.
Unions to 'step up' pension fight
Trades unions will need to "step up" their defence of pension schemes in the coming year, the TUC leader has said.
Brendan Barber said in his New Year message that tough choices were needed to deal with the "looming crisis".
He said Britain had gone backwards in its pension provision as some employers abandoned their responsibilities.
Mr Barber said only one in four private sector employees was now a member of a good occupational pension scheme and that the downward trend would continue.
Unholy alliance - The seamen's strike: an analysis - George Foulser
An article by George Fulser of the Syndicalist Workers Federation on the 1966 seaman's strike
Unholy alliance - The 1966 Seamen's Strike: An analysis
Direct Action Pamphlets #10
The backdoor agreement
The seamen's struggle of 1966 was beaten before it began. There are plenty of details to show how and why this was so.
Seamen had won a 44-hour week in 1961, following, their unofficial 1960 dispute, by threatening another go if the 1960 aims were not conceded.
Questions over union training fund
The new Union Modernisation Fund, worth £5m, is to be spent over the next two years training the next generation of senior unionists on behalf of new Labour.
The fund, which would have to be matched by any union taking up the offer, has a stated aim of helping trade unions 'adapt to meet the challenges of the modern workplace'.
The Department of Trade and Industry has finished setting up a board to oversee the DTI's newest initiative, launched in conjunction with the TUC.
Unions back down, public sector workers split in pensions deal
The government has claimed a victory in the pensions crisis after they secured their target for total pensions savings up to 2055.
Negotiations between the Trade and industry Department and the Trades Union Council wound up last month after an agreement was reached that existing workers would be exempt from plans to raise the age of retirement and sever the link between pensions and final salaries.
