Shelly Asquith

The general secretary of the RMT has, within the space of a week, become a television hero. It has happened in part because Mick Lynch is a no-nonsense, effective communicator. It is also because his sudden and prolific presence on our…

The struggle is real – and it’s growing. More workers are on strike now than at any point in the last five years, as a report by Tom Wall in The Guardian this week details. The TUC has reportedly logged more than 300 disputes this year…

Once more unto the picket lines. Right across the country, there are battles taking place over pay, pensions, safety and more, and in many cases industrial action is taking place or is on the cards. For Labour members, we are tasked with…

It didn’t have to be like this, did it? We needed tougher measures to enforce safety, contain the virus and protect jobs: all calls the labour movement has made since the start of the Covid crisis. There is so much to be angry about, but…

It’s all change at the top of the unions. You likely will have read reports about the three biggest (Unite, GMB, UNISON) being set to choose new general secretaries. Meanwhile, the BFAWU’s new general secretary – Sarah Woolley – has just…

Here is an update on some of the main stories from the union frontlines this week. A Labour council Today is the last in a three-day strike by UNISON members in Tower Hamlets. As explored on LabourList, the Labour-run council is forcing…

There’s been a lot of talk about ‘Section 44’ since Boris Johnson announced plans to ease coronavirus lockdown measures at the weekend and advised some people to return to work. But what does Section 44 actually do, and what does it mean…

All out for education Around 100,000 education workers are on strike today. Not just in universities this time, but in further education, too. Today, members of the National Education Union in 34 sixth form colleges walk out in a battle for…

Union talk among Labour members has centred on who’s backing who in the leadership contests, with the party’s affiliates pulling behind various candidates. As workers continue to walk out or prepare to strike against their bosses though…

The world is a more dangerous place following events in Iraq last week. In a move that has been widely condemned as "reckless", the US President assassinated both Quasem Soleimani, Commander of Iran’s Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis…

The words of songwriter Joe Hill “don’t mourn, organise” may have been used countless times in these last few days, but they could not be closer to the current task at hand. When it comes to our defeat at the polls last week, reflection and…

This general election, head to the Labour doorstep – but visit a picket line along the way, too. As thousands of workers across sectors prepare to walk out in the coming weeks, the Labour Party must stand with them. Not just in name, but in…