Allyson Pollock and Louisa Harding-Edgar say there is also an opportunity to end the neo-liberalism that got us to this point There is no doubt that the Westminster government’s delay in implementing public health measures to prevent COVID-19 has cost thousands of lives and enormous hardship for the many millions of people plunged into unemployment […]
Andrew Watterson says unions must be part of the post-crisis economic and social reconstruction Pandemics cannot be avoided but COVID-19 has shown that Britain could and should have done a lot better to protect its workforce, protect the public and, hence, protect the economy too. April saw the Society of Occupational Medicine along with a […]
Helen Glancy reports on her work as a carer in the coronavirus crisis and highlights the persistent problems The role of home care is one which is complex, demanding, varied and under-valued. However, since the global Covid-19 pandemic, the world has suddenly realised how dependent society is on this low-paid workforce. At the same time, […]
Stewart Forrest says it should not have taken a crisis to recognise the crucial role of retail workers When the Coronavirus hit our shores, the shopping public panicked in the aisles of our supermarkets. Suddenly, the world understood the essential role retail workers have in keeping our communities fed, healthy and safe. Finally, Usdaw’s consistent […]
Mags Hall argues that the precedents being set can be used to open up a greener and fairer future There are no silver linings to the coronavirus pandemic. Nature is not ‘healing itself’. We are mourning the loss of our loved ones, our communities, our ways of living. But riding underneath all this, we still […]
Stephen Smellie recounts the pressures and learning curve to become a health and safety expert I am not a frontline care worker, nurse or doctor. I am not even a key worker. I am a full-time seconded union branch secretary in a local authority. I have been involved in negotiations, disputes, strikes and political struggles. […]
Ben Kritikos says a bad situation is getting worse as governments ignore the tenants’ plight The coronavirus pandemic has widened what were cracks in our social welfare into yawning chasms. The economic downturn resulting from social distancing and lockdown measures taken to tackle the spread of this virus has worsened an already-dire situation for precarious […]
Mick Cash says though there is ‘clear and present’ danger, we have a political opportunity on our hands It goes without saying that the Coronavirus pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for the rail industry. Throughout this period, the RMT’s absolute priority is protecting our members’ health, safety and livelihoods and we have worked with […]
Jim Sillars says it’s going to be nasty and brutish but the independence movement can and must survive Alex Salmond was cleared of serious sexual charges by a jury of eight women and five men. They saw and heard all the evidence against him, and watched and heard the accusers under cross-examination. In addition, they […]
Kenny MacAskill picks through the detritus of the trial of the century and finds some unpalatable truths The Alex Salmond case was entirely unprecedented. For sure there have been major Scottish criminal trials from Oscar Slater through Lockerbie to numerous recent ones. But despite the notoriety of many and the horror of their crimes, none […]