Issues Follow Follow

The mainstream media is usually keen on opinion polls, yet it curiously overlooked the results of a survey by the ORB agency last week.They asked 1,461 Iraqis how many household members had died as a result of the conflict since the 2003 invasion.

The TUC took a stand against the neoliberal agenda in Europe last week and New Labour’s role in the race to the bottom by calling for a referendum on the latest European Union (EU) treaty.

The TUC also backed a motion calling for a national demonstration in defence of public services.

It now looks increasingly likely that the Unison union will be balloting its members in local government for strike action over pay. The ballot is set to start on 3 October.

Cleaners from the T&G section of the Unite union demonstrated outside the Lloyds building in central London last Saturday.

Mental health workers in Manchester decided at a 120-strong union meeting last week to take two further days of action during next week’s Labour Party conference.

Around 150 nurses from the Morriston hospital in Swansea packed an angry union meeting last week, threatening to strike unless a swathe of job losses are reversed. Feelings are running so high that many felt that they should walk out immediately.

"There are always good days and bad days."Adam Applegarth, the chief executive of Northern Rock

Royal Mail has put its cards on the table. For a small compromise on pay – a 6.7 percent rise over two years – it wants to rip up every national and local agreement between the company and the CWU postal workers’ union.

Some 10,000 people marched in Berlin last Saturday against Germany’s role in the Afghanistan war.

Almost immediately after the break up of talks with the CWU, Royal Mail sent out letters to thousands of postal workers telling them that their start times are to be changed.