Now -read the book!

Here is a link to my memoirs which, if you are a glutton for punishment, you can purchase online at https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/an-obscure-footnote-in-trade-union-history.
Men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name. (William Morris - A Dream of John Ball)

Friday, November 08, 2013

Stop the Lobbying Bill’s union membership data grab!

Full marks to the TUC for launching an urgent lobbying initiative to combat the threat of (the relatively little noticed) Part Three of the Lobbying Bill.

(http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2013/11/stop-the-lobbying-bills-union-membership-data-grabthe-lobbying-bill-pause-is-not-quite-what-it-seems)

This legislation - if it comes into force - will create unnecessary and uncalled for administrative burdens for trade unions in relation to our membership records - and open up new avenues for vexatious litigation against us.

The TUC are rightly highlighting the threat of breach of confidentiality of union membership records (in an economy where we know many major private employers have previous form for blacklisting trade unionists). However, the scope for mischief-making by anti-union employers and right-wing fringe groups is at least equally alarming.

The Lords will debate Part Three on Monday - so we only have the weekend to get the message across about a serious attack on the rights of millions of trade union members which has almost slipped below the radar of the civil liberties campaigners doing such good work to resist the outrageous restrictions of Part Two.

The TUC has launched an urgent campaign (http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=12387&qid=58722) to allow union members and anyone concerned about data privacy to adopt a Peer and email them about this.

Please make some time to do this today!

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