Robinson successfully defended his school from closure, fought for the unification of the teaching unions, mentored future trade union leaders and transformed teaching at the Marx Memorial Library, writes JOHN FOSTER
A Bill that falls short of the bold action we need
The Employment Rights Bill is a vital opportunity to rebalance power between workers and employers. As it passes to the Lords, pressure must be brought to bear to strengthen this key legislation, argues ANDY McDONALD MP
WE WILL BE HEARD: Convenor for GMB Scotland Chris Mitchell speaks as members of the Unison, GMB, Unite and the EIS trade unions stage a lunchtime protest outside City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow demand a one year no-cuts budget, February 19 2025
A judge in a German court ruled that the ban activity imposed on renowned Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah was unlawful, reports LEON WYSTRYCHOWSKI
At the very moment Britain faces poverty, housing and climate crises requiring radical solutions, the liberal press promotes ideologically narrow books while marginalising authors who offer the most accurate understanding of change, writes IAN SINCLAIR
From Gaza protest bans to proscribing Palestine Action, political elites are showing a crisis of confidence as they abandon Roy Jenkins’s apologetic approach for Suella Braverman’s aggressive ‘hate march’ rhetoric, writes PAUL DONOVAN
ANSELM ELDERGILL examines the legal case behind this weekend’s Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival and the lessons for today
Ben Chacko talks to RMT leader EDDIE DEMPSEY about how the key to fixing broken Britain lies in collective sectoral bargaining, restoring unions’ ability to take solidarity strike action and bringing about the much-vaunted ‘wave of insourcing’
The summer of 1950 saw Labour abandon further nationalisation while escalating Korean War spending from £2.3m to £4.7m, as the government meekly accepted capitalism’s licence and became Washington’s yes-man, writes JOHN ELLISON
FOR decades, workers in Britain have faced a steady erosion of their rights, job security and real wages.
The objective of the Employment Rights Bill, rightly heralded as the most significant expansion of workers’ rights in a generation, is to reverse this trend and improve working conditions.
However, its passage through Parliament highlighted just how significant the gaps in employment law and trade union legislation have developed over the decades and have so limited the effectiveness of unions in their task of fully defending their members.
More from this author
Labour's New Deal for Working People is central to combating in-work poverty and ensuring fair treatment for all — it’s a flagship policy that has the potential to be transformative to workers' lives, writes ANDY McDONALD MP
Middlesbrough MP ANDY McDONALD on why unions must press Labour for a comprehensive new deal for workers
ANDY McDONALD MP says there's still a great deal to welcome in Labour's planned reforms to workers' rights, but calls for clarity on some key issues
