The government are trying to kill off the trade union movement
Some of us don’t need to be told, but anybody who did vote Conservative should be reminded that, unless you own a very lucrative business, it’s the electoral equivalent of self-harming.
Most of the coverage of the government’s new Trade Unions Bill has focused on the opt-in rule as a threat to Labour’s funding. But really this is not about damaging Labour. It is about damaging the basic ability of working and middle class people to campaign for good pay and employment rights.
Because the new opt-in rules will not just affect unions’ ability to fund the Labour party. They will affect their ability to fund any kind of political activity whatsoever. It will hamper any future campaigns for a living wage, or against exploitative contracts and discrimination. Basically any union campaign that can in any way be judged as political will have its funding restricted by this law.
Source: The government are trying to kill off the trade union movement
It seems only logic to me Mike that the Trade Unions will have no recourse other than to take action before it is too late; otherwise procrastination and lack of motivation on their part will be their downfall and ours too.
The trade unions might like to share my petition about the con that is the flat rate pension.
Which by merging the SERPs opt out and National Insurance history, wipes each other out, and so grants little or nil state pension for life.
As the merger reduces the NI history, it hits the new rule that the flat rate pays out nil state pension for 10 yers or less NI record, whereas now it starts at 1 year NI record.
At a time of growing privatisation now, that will threaten works pensions.
The lowest flat rate state pension forecast seen so far is
£8.39 per week
after 45 years in work.
Primary legislation is not needed.
A Statutory Instrument with its 28 day notice to amend current law could do the same and done immediate.
PETITION TO SHARE PLEASE:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/state-pension-at-60-now
This is just the continuation of Maggie’s changes. She brought in the rule that made companies that took union payments from their employees’ salaries, in the “check-off” system, get re-confirmation of the political levy every 3 years. This lost the unions a considerable amount of money due to the apathy of employees filling out the 3-yearly confirmations.
We have to, somehow, beat this apathy and make sure workers do opt in. If a campaign can get enough following it could make the Tories’ attempts backfire beautifully.