The proxy war in Ukraine is heading to a denouement with the US and Russia dividing the spoils while the European powers stand bewildered by events they have been wilfully blind to, says KEVIN OVENDEN
Hear the voice of union builders
MARTIN SMITH says unions must be proactive if Labour's promises are to be turned into tangible gains for workers
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I RECENTLY received a very large box from Amazon. When I tore it open it was just a small set of paintbrushes which I had forgotten I had ordered. The rest was just packing paper.
The letdown and feeling of being slightly mocked, if not conned, reminded me of how union builders felt in 1999, when we finally got to open up the big shiny gift box containing the New Labour Employment Bill, only to find quite small changes largely unenforceable
Since the election in July we have been bombarded with repeat announcements that government still intends to end the Minimum Service Levels Act, improve access to workplaces for unions, end fire and rehire, grant a right to disconnect and so on as set out in the New Deal for Working People.
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Martin Smith speaks to general secretary of the App Drivers and Couriers Union ZAMIR DRENI about his members’ fight against the nefarious methods of exploitation by shadowy app giants like Uber and Bolt
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As the prospect of a Labour government becomes increasingly likely, MARTIN SMITH looks at the lessons for unions from the 1997-2010 era and focuses on what our core goals should be today
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MARTIN SMITH revisits some core organising principles that were to the fore in battles of the ’90s and which remain just as relevant today
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Former head of organising at GMB MARTIN SMITH puts forward eight principles to capitalise on the current wave of militancy
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As the prospect of a Labour government becomes increasingly likely, MARTIN SMITH looks at the lessons for unions from the 1997-2010 era and focuses on what our core goals should be today