Unison director of organising KEVIN LUCAS explains the Organising to Win strategy, its successes to date and key tests on the union’s horizon
Latest editorial
Trades Councils can be a network for workplace struggle
Ahead of their annual conference, ANDY BAIN explains how Trades Councils play a role in uniting workers across industries, providing a place for debate and solidarity outside of our own union branches
File photo dated 03/10/16 of a RMT union picket line.
Young workers do want to get involved in Unison, and where that is enabled we see growth in workplace power, argue Unison North West Young Members co-chairs ZAIHERA CHAUDHRY and IAN CAULFIELD
British military spending is among the highest in the world, diverts scarce resources from far better causes and fuels international conflict. It’s time we made different choices, argues LIZ PAYNE
Trade unions, trades councils and community organisations must work together to build lasting solidarity and resistance to the far right, argues DREW GILCHRIST
Animal metaphors are testament to delight in the non-human world and what we hope and wish for human freedom, argue ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT"
Economists estimate extreme poverty could be drastically reduced for a fraction of global defence spending, yet military budgets continue to expand year on year, says JON TRICKETT MP, ahead of the Stop the War International Conference on Saturday
THIS weekend over 50 delegates from trades councils across England and Wales will meet at their annual conference, this year in Leicester. This is a dynamic and exciting part of the trade union movement but is yet to attract many youngsters.
Trades councils can be, and often are, at the heart of their local community, with monthly discussions on solidarity with those in struggle. These may be about disputes in a local company or the local organisation of a national strike or a local People’s Assembly or other campaign on housing or public service closures from hospitals or libraries.
Tuesday’s announcement from the RMT of three national strike days on June 21, 23 and 25 will get onto the agenda one way or another for solidarity action to be considered.
Similar stories
The General Strike exposed the power of the working class — and the limits of its leadership, writes Dr DYLAN MURPHY
A past confrontation permanently shaped the methods the state will use to protect employers against any claims by their employees, writes MATT WRACK, but unions are readying to face the challenge
Labour’s watered-down legislation won’t protect us from unfair dismissal or ban some zero-hours contracts until 2027 — leaving millions of young people vulnerable to the populist right’s appeal, warns TUC young workers chair FRASER MCGUIRE
Since 2023, Strike Map has evolved from digital mapping at a national level to organising ‘mega pickets’ — we believe that mass solidarity with localised disputes prepares the ground for future national action, writes HENRY FOWLER