Sunday, August 28, 2011

While I was away...

I'm catching up on my RSS feeds and emails...

War on Want report "Stitched up" on the gross exploitation of women workers in the Bangladeshi garment industry.  The research is spot on but I was concerned that recommendations failed to mention any action or pressure on pension funds or insurance companies who own the companies that make money out of such misery.  Hat tip Phil T.

Tom P at Labour & Capital on the recent report on directors pensions by the High Pay Commission.  Double standards in boardrooms. Not only are directors paid far more than their workers but they build their pensions at a much higher rate - often with 1/30th DB schemes rather than 1/60th for their staff.

"A FTSE 100 director with a defined benefit pension could be expected to receive a
median annual pension worth £174,963 on retirement. The annual median pension paid from a private sector defined benefit pension scheme was £5,860 for the rest of the work force".

Good to see "Labourhome" back after nearly 2 years offline. Welcome back Alex! I notice that they are moderating comments :)

Astonishing history link from normblog "Trumpeter Landfrey, a bugler in the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava (October 25, 1854), sounds the charge again, playing a trumpet that was used at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The recording was made in 1890 and you can listen to it here. (Via.)".

Tribute at UNISONActive here to Newcastle City Branch Secretary and Northern Region Deputy Convenor, Kenny Bell, who died of cancer on August 14.  Kenny was quite simply a top trade unionist and will be sadly missed.   UNISONActive also has a link to this Guardian article on the true cost to workers of outsourcing which I will post further upon later this week.

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