Much of the time, Trades Union Congress’ annual get-together is reminiscent of a revivalist meeting – true believers gathered in the certainty of salvation. Nearly every motion is endorsed by unanimous acclaim, the General Council’s opinion on each proposition is …
“To know better your enemies is to better chances of your eventual victory”, wrote Sun Tzu in the Art Of War. So an eyeball-to-eyeball encounter with one of the European Union’s competition tzars provided provided a rare chance to understand …
Rigged competition: how EU law works against freelances Read more »
“Taking a picture is to take away, not to put in, otherwise it is mediocrity”, the gruff Oliviero Toscani barked at a contestant on Sky Arts Master of Photography last week. It is a gnomic gem he has dished it …
Camera wobble: Sky’s photo contest misses its subject Read more »
Reaching the riverbank in Grantchester, my instinct was to first test the water’s temperature. The grassy bank is nearly two feet above the lapping surface so I inched forward from a sitting position before fully committing. It wasn’t to be. …
VIEW FROM THE TOP “It would be an enormous privilege for you to be a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Congress Presidium” Jim Boumelha (then IFJ president) whispered in my ear. “Basically it means that you are …
I stopped listening to David Bowie a year ago. My love for his music was undimmed but I had come to the conclusion that old tunes were crowding out the new – at least on my playlists. I decided that, …
The pumping handshake before a roomful of international representatives appeared enthusiastic. Flashlights popped and applause rippled around Geneva’s Press club. Jim Boumelha, president of the International Union of Journalists and Mostefa Souaq, executive director of the Al Jazeera Media Network …
Welcome news: unions’ agreement with global broadcaster Read more »
A febrile air of hope and opportunity runs through most of United We Stand – a dramatic exploration of the 1972 building workers’ strike and subsequent jailings. Set against glam rock and rank-and-file radicalisation, the play explores how builders’ anger …
Conviction politics: Shrewsbury’s jailed strikers won’t be the last Read more »
Few childhood books made such a lasting impression on me as Ian Serraillier’s Silver Sword. Nevertheless, until my daughter reminded me of the work, I would have struggled to identify the source of the themes that so impressed me. The …
Poles apart: a war-torn-childhood classic resonates yet Read more »
Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader the day before Trades Union Congress gathered in Brighton electrified the annual gathering of shop stewards and general secretaries. Speeches on the most prosaic subjects were greeted with thunderous applause if they included a …