Local government

Overwork in children’s services

01 August 2017
Ofsted inspectors said that Kirklees council in West Yorkshire Children’s Services staff are “not able to complete all the tasks needed to support children and families effectively”.

Councils need to fight the Tories' demands for cuts - including those run by Labour

04 July 2017
Even if councils stopped filling in potholes, maintaining parks and open spaces it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the Tories’ demand for cuts.

Social workers at Kirklees council plan a two-day strike against outsourcing

27 June 2017
Social workers at Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire were set to strike on Wednesday and Thursday of next week.

Unions will need to fight to beat the pay cap

20 June 2017
Unions representing more than 1.6 million local government workers are demanding a 5 percent pay rise to break the Tory public sector pay cap.

Tension at the Unison conference

20 June 2017
Thousands of public sector workers met in Brighton this week at the national and sector conferences of Britain's largest union, Unison.

Three largest unions demand pay rise for local government workers

20 June 2017
Unions representing more than 1.6 million local government workers are calling for a pay rise to break the Tory public sector pay cap.

Outpourings of solidarity and anger after Grenfell Tower fire

20 June 2017
Hundreds of people came from all over Britain to offer solidarity to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, and to demand answers.

Scottish TUC leader says, ‘Learn from the lecturers and fight back on pay’

24 May 2017
Scottish TUC deputy general secretary Dave Moxham's call to “challenge the public sector pay freeze” comes as 70,000 council workers ballot for strikes over pay

Barnet’s Tory council retreats from selloffs

16 May 2017
Anti-cuts campaigners in Barnet were celebrating a breakthrough after the Tory-run north London council decided to keep its waste, recycling and street cleaning services in-house.

Tories gain in Scottish elections, but not enough to beat the dominant SNP

09 May 2017
The Tories came second in last week’s Scottish local council elections and proclaimed themselves the sole winners.

Independence is at the heart of the Scottish election debate

25 April 2017
The general election in Scotland is likely to revolve around constitutional questions.

Reports round-up

18 April 2017
Includes short reports from the latest strikes in manufacturing, IT services, higher education, local government, plus news from abortion rights, housing and climate change campaigns

Labour activists slapped down by party officials for opposing free school

21 March 2017
Labour Party officials have threatened to suspend one of their own constituency parties for campaigning against a free school

Glasgow janitors are back out

28 February 2017
Glasgow janitors began another two-week strike last Wednesday.

School staff protest in Durham

28 February 2017
Around 200 teaching assistants (TAs) protested outside Durham County Hall on Friday of last week. It was the culmination of a week of protests during half term.

SNP cuts budget backed by Greens

21 February 2017
The Scottish government was set to pass its budget on Thursday.

Teaching assistants keep up action against pay cuts in Derby and Durham

21 February 2017
Also: will the SNP satisfy Glasgow council strikers?

Job centres targeted in Tory assault on the poor

31 January 2017
The Tories are preparing a fresh attack on the poor, announcing plans to close more than one in ten job centres last week.

Striking teaching assistants besiege Derby council to overturn huge pay cut

31 January 2017
Around 150 teaching assistants (TAs) descended on Derby Council’s head office on Tuesday blowing whistles, ringing bells and waving flags and placards.