17 February 2016

James Harrison, IER

On 11 February 2016, the IER, Campaign for Trade Union Freedom, People's Assembly, Class and the Trade Union Coordinating Group held their second joint rally, bringing together representatives of the host organisations to oppose the Trade Union Bill.

Below our blogger for the night, James Harrison, provides a report on the contributions from the platform and from the audience. While Sarah Glenister has produced a storify of some of the social media activity around the event.

By Roger Jeary

As we move ever closer to a UK wide referendum on whether to remain in the EU, the Institute brought together an experienced group of speakers to consider how, if at all, the EU protects workers’ rights and promotes prosperity and jobs. The conference posed the question: Is social Europe growing or withering?

29 January 2016

By Adrian Williamson QC, Keating Chambers

The Conservatives argue that their Trade Union Bill is a necessary response to current union abuses. In truth, the Bill is reminiscent of the debates leading to similar legislation passed by a Conservative government in 1927, the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act (‘the 1927 Act’). The 1927 Act was, at the time, highly significant and contentious. It was so resented by the Unions, and the Labour movement more generally, that it was a running sore until its repeal by the post-war Labour government in 1946.

27 January 2016

By Linda Kaucher, www.StopTTIP.net

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is one of the vehicles for the corporate Davos agenda, intended to lock-in this agenda within international ‘trade’ law, effectively permanently, regardless of future governments. If finalised, this US/EU deal and the other ‘new generation’ trade agreements will set global rules that have been devised by transnational corporations for corporate benefit.

19 January 2016

By Whyeda Gill-Mclure, Senior Lecturer, Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations, Management Research Centre, Wolverhampton Business School

This blog explores the reasons for the Bill’s attack on public sector unions, the impact of this attack and ways in which it could be resisted. The Bill’s second reading took place last week and the Lords has proposed a series of amendments.

19 January 2016

By Lord Monks

The Institute of Employment Rights here reproduces Lord Monks' speech from the Second Reading of the Trade Union Bill in the House of Lords on Monday 11 January 2016.