Author Archives: Tony Burke

Bangladesh: Union organisation is key to preventing future tragedies

By Tony Burke | Published: May 14, 2013

Western brands must contribute to freedom of association in the garment industry and stop government and employer resistance to union organisation.

Posted in Good Society | Tagged , , , | 1 Response

Bangladesh garment worker tragedy is ‘mass industrial slaughter’

By Tony Burke | Published: April 28, 2013

Since 2005, more than 1,000 textile workers in Bangladesh have died in fires and building collapses. Thousands of people, many of them young women work in appalling and unsafe conditions in factories which supply western countries and High Street stores with cheap clothing.

Posted in Good Society | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Responses

Coalition presses ahead with discredited ‘shares for rights’ bill

By Tony Burke | Published: April 21, 2013

Despite being rejected by the House of Lords recently, the coalition’s discredited ‘shares for rights’ scheme, which allows workers to give up basic employment rights in exchange for company shares, was passed in the House of Commons by a margin of 277 to 239.

Posted in Good Society | Tagged , | 2 Responses

Manufacturing’s ‘winter of discontent’ continues

By Tony Burke | Published: April 3, 2013

Claims by the coalition government that the UK’s beleaguered manufacturing sector is beginning to show signs of recovery were dealt another blow this week by the reliable Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index (PMI), which showed that manufacturing contracted in the first quarter of 2013.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Tagged , , , | 4 Responses

Launch rally for Campaign for Trade Union Freedom

By Tony Burke | Published: March 18, 2013

This weekend sees the launch rally of the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom on March 23rd. Formed in December 2012 by a merger between Liasion Commmittee for the Defence Of Trade Union and the Campaign for the Repeal of the Anti Trade Union Laws, the rally takes place at Friends House, London at 1:30 pm.

Posted in Social Justice | Tagged | Leave a comment

New skills eco-system puts clear water between Labour and the tories

By Tony Burke | Published: March 10, 2013

A new ‘skills eco system’ now puts clear water between Labour and the Tories policy of ‘pile ‘em high and sell ‘em cheap’ low grade apprenticeships.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Tagged , , , , | 88 Responses

Osborne’s credibility is in tatters

By Tony Burke | Published: March 3, 2013

Figures published last week showed a shock contraction in manufacturing which rounded off another dire week for the UK economy and signalled yet more misery for ordinary working families at the hands of government austerity.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Tagged , , | 11 Responses

Unions seek stronger labour laws in US-EU free trade talks

By Tony Burke | Published: February 25, 2013

Just days after it was announced that the USA and the European Union were to open discussions on a free trade agreement worth trillions of dollars, trade unions on both sides of the Atlantic said that employment rights had to be a key issue on the agenda.

Posted in Social Justice | Tagged | 2 Responses

Meetings this week in support of Mexican trade unionists

By Tony Burke | Published: February 17, 2013

A public meeting has been called in London this week to support of Mexican trade unionists, whose activities are being threatened by restrictive new laws.

Posted in Social Justice | Tagged , , , | 4 Responses

EU should intervene directly to revive manufacturing, say socialist MEPs

By Tony Burke | Published: February 10, 2013

Socialist MEPs argue that the EU should intervene directly to revive manufacturing across Europe.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Tagged , , , , | 7 Responses