Campaign news archive - October 2013

Co-op Bank: a tragedy

Co-op Bank: a tragedy By Mick Brooks The co-operative movement, together with the Labour Party and the trade unions, is the third wing of our labour movement. Co-op Bank customers learned with dismay in October 2013 that the Bank has just fallen into the hands of predatory hedge funds. 10,000 Co-op Bank workers tremble for their jobs. The Bank’s ethical policy, such a striking and pleasant contrast to the rapacious greed and social irresponsibility of the commercial banks’ lending, is likely to be torn up. [continue...]

Anti-Migrant bill: PLP’s guilty silence

Why is Labour silent on this viciously anti-migrant bill? On the day the Home Secretary announced she was abandoning the Government’s racist “Go home” vans - trialed in Brent this summer to a huge public outcry - the Labour frontbench decided to sit on their hands in the vote on the second reading of the new Immigration Bill. [continue...]

INEOS: Grangemouth threatened with closure

INEOS: Grangemouth threatened with closure By Mick Brooks Last week boss Jim Ratcliffe ordered Grangemouth oil refinery to be closed. He did so despite Unite calling off their threat of strike action due to take place on Sunday 20th October. This is a lockout of nearly 1,400 workers which could soon bring large parts of Britain to a standstill, with millions of jobs potentially under threat. Grangemouth supplies Scotland and Northern England with petrol and diesel, is in a supply chain with a myriad of subcontractors and is a key link in bringing North Sea oil onshore through the Forties pipeline. Ratcliffe seems determined to take on the union. On October 23rd he made a shock decision announcing the permanent closure of the plant. [continue...]

Keith Henderson and the GMB.

Keith Henderson and the GMB. Earlier in October we published material about the dispute between Keith and the GMB leading to his dismissal from a full-time position with the Union and the resulting Employment Tribunal decision. Here Keith puts his case in a letter to LRC members: [continue...]