Next week will see the TUC congress hear calls for co-ordinated strike action by public sector workers to overturn the government's two per cent pay policy.

If there is one goal of the Left that wasn't fulfilled in Britain in any real way, it is industrial democracy.

I personally believe it would've neutralised the power of the unions better than Thatcher's union reforms.

But the unions are in trouble. The genuine fighters, the Prentises, the Barbers etc., are undermined by figures unrepresentitive of broadly social democratic unions: the Gilchrists, the Crows etc.

Industrial democracy would probably see union membership soar. Hopefully to Scandanavian levels.

But how could we do it? Do we encourage co-operatives? Do we go for German style co-determination?

I've heard an excellent solution by Proudofvotinglabour. Currently, inflation is being driven up in part by our obsciance to the boardrooms. Shell and other companies are being stunned by the shareholders revolts. Patricia Hewitt, who was greatly overcriticised even though I think she was a very good minister, especially after inheriting NHS defecits, considered a couple of years ago giving rights to the shareholders to vote down boardroom pay packages.

The pay packages are money from the shareholders. It isn't good for inequality or inflation. But there could be a way of making shareholders rights, valid to all. The suggestion was to legislate so that all employees of a company own company shares.

This could be a great way of increasing the measly union membership in the private sector. However, we should find a way of increasing industrial democracy in the public sector as well.

But how do YOU think we should introduce industrial democracy?

Kevin Maguire is reporting that the various Trade Unions involved in Labour's Nation Policy Forum have dropped their call for a return for secondary action.

More on the deal at Labour Outlook > > >

The unions only represent a small proportion of society

Labour seems to face ruin in two ways - either no money or be shackled to the unions. Well, Gordon Brown should take a leaf out of John Smith's book and tell the unions to back off.

Gordon Brown has decided not to address the GMB conference.

Well, as usual a clever move by Bob Crow and the RMT.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23479174-details/Tube+strikes+on+the+eve+of+Mayor+vot e/article.do

Following the launch of the pamphlet Machines, markets and morals: the new politics of a democratic NHS we can announce a major debate in the House of Commons at 6pm on Thursday 28 February with Compass Chair Neal Lawson, Professor Julian Le Grand, UNISON's Head of Health Karen Jennings, Anna Coote from the Healthcare Commission and chaired by The Observer's Mary Riddell.

Over 150 people crammed into committee room 9 last night for a lively and informed debate on migration. The meeting was chaired by the country’s leading social policy commentator Polly Toynbee. The debate first heard from the Minister for Immigration, Liam Byrne who set out the reasons why he believes the policies being implemented by Labour are “firm but fair”.

A Houston, Texas woman says she was gang-raped by Halliburton/KBR coworkers in Baghdad, and the company and the U.S. government are covering up the incident.

Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in the Green Zone, the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she'd be out of a job.

The full (heart-wrenching) story is here: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1

I have only one question: How do we make sure nothing of this sort happens to a Briton?

I have been watching the highlights of the TUC conference and it has got me thinking. The past couple of years has seen the successful merger of the AUT and Natfhe into UCU and of Amicus and TGWU into Unite. Is it not time to put the merger of Britain's top two teachers' unions (NUT and NAUWT) back on the agenda?

Between them the NUT and NASUWT has a combined membership of over 500,000. A merged union is, in my view, probably inevitable in the long term and would provide significant benefits for members and ultimately for pupils. The sooner it happens the better.

This afternoon the executive of shop workers' union USDAW met and nominated Hazel Blears for deputy.

The Union also endorsed Gordon Brown for Leader.

Latest information on where the unions are going in the deputy leadership contest from this week's Tribune.

Incidentally this is my last Tribune story as I am leaving. My colleagues are intending to keep posting stories in future.

Story from this week's Tribune.
Peter Mandelson is giving Colombia extra trade rights because of its supposed excellent union rights. As the Sun would say, you couldn't make it up!