Fact Service September 2022

Issue 39: Unions rip into new chancellor’s economic Fiasco; Food prices soar to new record; 5.2 million ‘forced into second jobs; 999 operators to strike; Pub strike leader wins interim relief; Free event:Issue 38: Unions launch three legal challenges over right to strike; Liverpool port workers on strike; Energy prices cut receives wary welcome; Four day week trial reaches halfway point; As government debt interest soars, tax cuts ‘will fail to aid economy’; Low-paid workers say this is worst time they have faced. Issue 37: Inflation flattened unexpectedly in August Unemployment at lowest since 1974, but inflation still trouncing wages Unions express sorrow over Queen’s death Supermarket giant offers crisis support to workers Heads ‘fear losing TAs’ Issue 36: Unions lay down law to new PM; ‘Don’t be a P&O PM’, TUC tells Truss; Firefighters could be next to strike over pay; Strikes suspended as workers review offer; Lay offs ‘follow strike vote’; Inflation flattened unexpectedly in August; Unemployment at lowest since 1974, but inflation still trouncing wages; Unions express sorrow over Queen’s death; Supermarket giant offers crisis support to workers; Heads ‘fear losing TAs’. Issue 35: Food prices hit record high; Unions continue battling for pay rises; Millions ‘will never recover’ from energy rise poverty; Shareholder payouts ‘rising seven times faster than wages’.

Issue 39

Unions rip into new chancellor’s economic fiasco (930 words)

As the pound plummets against the dollar following new chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s widely-derided tax cutting (particularly for the rich) ...
Subscribers only

Food prices soar to new record (319 words)

Food prices in the UK have jumped by a record 10.6% this month, up from 9.3% in August (see Fact Service issue 35), while overall shop prices ...
Subscribers only

5.2 million ‘forced into second jobs’ (359 words)

Millions of workers have had to turn to second or multiple jobs in the face of soaring living costs, while others are working extremely long hours, ...
Subscribers only

999 operators to strike (238 words)

Critical-services staff such as 999 operators will be joining 40,000 telecoms engineers, call-centre staff and others going on strike in October, the ...
Open access

Pub strike leader wins interim relief (197 words)

A judge has ordered pub bosses at Saint James Tavern (SJT) in Brighton to pay wages to a sacked United Voices of the World (UVW) strike leader, the ...
Open access

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (151 words)

The High Pay Centre is offering free admission to its first in-person event since the outbreak of the pandemic, to be held in London on 27 October, ...
Open access

Issue 38

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (395 words)

Unions launch three legal challenges over right to strike
 ...
Subscribers only

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (142 words)

Liverpool port workers on strike
 ...
Open access

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (526 words)

Energy prices cut receives wary welcome
 ...
Subscribers only

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (220 words)

Four day week trial reaches halfway point
 ...
Open access

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (548 words)

As government debt interest soars, tax cuts ‘will fail to aid economy’
 ...
Subscribers only

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (368 words)

Low-paid workers say this is worst time they have faced
 ...
Subscribers only

Issue 37

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (330 words)

Inflation flattened unexpectedly in August
 ...
Subscribers only

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (678 words)

Unemployment at lowest since 1974, but inflation still trouncing wages
 ...
Subscribers only

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (606 words)

Unions express sorrow over Queen’s death
 ...
Subscribers only

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (327 words)

Supermarket giant offers crisis support to workers
 ...
Subscribers only

Free event: strengthening the voice of workers (137 words)

Heads ‘fear losing TAs’
 ...
Open access

Issue 36

Unions lay down law to new PM
 (1,420 words)

Unions have reminded incoming prime minister Liz Truss that she must act immediately to remedy the cost of living crisis – and warned her off ...
Subscribers only

‘Don’t be a P&O PM’, TUC tells Truss
 (227 words)

The TUC has told Liz Truss to respect workers’ rights and, six months after the sacking of 800 seafarers “not [to] be the P&O prime ...
Open access

Firefighters could be next to strike over pay
 (189 words)

Firefighters and firefighter control staff will be balloted for industrial action within five weeks over this year’s 2% pay offer, the FBU has ...
Open access

Strikes suspended as workers review offer
 (247 words)

Strikes across Scotland have been suspended while unions consult on an improved pay offer from local authority employer COSLA (see last issue). ...
Open access

Lay offs ‘follow strike vote’
 (102 words)

GMB reports that almost 200 workers at a Manchester vinyl floor manufacturer have been laid off after voting to strike this Wednesday. ...
Open access

Issue 35

Food prices hit record high
 (339 words)

Shop price annual inflation hit 5.1% in August, up from 4.4% in July, a new record since the figures were first collected in 2005, according to the ...
Subscribers only

Unions continue battling for pay rises
 (987 words)

The wave of industrial action continues as unions and workers fight for pay rises that take account of spiralling inflation. The possibility of ...
Subscribers only

Millions ‘will never recover’ from energy rise poverty
 (853 words)

Ofgem’s announcement last Friday that the price cap on household bills will rise by 80% has unleashed a storm of criticism and calls for action ...
Subscribers only

Shareholder payouts ‘rising seven times faster than wages’ (149 words)

European companies have paid inflation-busting dividends to shareholders while workers struggling to cope with the cost of living crisis are told ...
Open access