Tony Burke: The UK should listen to unions like the Germans do
German unions are proposing a four-day week
Tony Burke
WebsiteTony Burke is assistant general secretary of Unite; President of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions; a member of the TUC executive committee and general council, a member of the Labour Party National Policy Forum, Trade Union co-ordinator for the Morning Star newspaper and chair of the Campaign For Trade Union Freedom. He writes for Left Foot Forward on international issues, trade, skills, and workers’ and union rights.
As well as LFF, he contributes to the Morning Star, TUC's Stronger Unions website, Unite Live, CSEU website and blogs at his own Power In A Union.
Calls for EU to act over Belarus as union leaders are targeted
Lukashenko cracks down on increasing protests after his election is widely seen as illegitimate.
Shorter weeks and longer holidays: How Covid-19 could transform our working lives
A new report has laid the groundwork for less work, more flexibility and better parental leave options
Holidaymakers shouldn’t be punished for government’s rash announcements
If they have to quarantine, they should get full pay.
The Tories have quietly dropped their hopes for a US trade deal this year
Johnson’s trade plans are falling apart by the week.
Unions fume as EU member states cut ambition of EU recovery plan
Working people across the EU need more.
Unite poll reveals voters’ verdict on Sunak’s mini-budget
Brits believe the Chancellor’s interventions should have been more targeted – and there is real anger over some policy decisions.
Boris Johnson’s plans for a US trade deal have hit the buffers
Dominic Cummings said deals to replace our relationship with the EU would be a ‘walk in the park’.
Britain’s other trade deals may rely on getting a good trade deal with the EU
Trade unions say the UK’s access to EU markets was a ‘major driver’ of Japanese investment
Unions are putting ‘work-life balance’ back on the agenda
A big dispute fund has been built up.
