At the Trades Council’s February meeting we considered the Government “consultation” – “A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: statement and accompanying consultation on earned settlement”, which followed up on the 2025 “White Paper” “Restoring control over the immigration system”. The White Paper had been followed, in July 2026, by changes in some immigration regulations – such…
NEWS&VIEWS
Workers Memorial Day 28th April 2026
Blackburn event – 12.30pm by the memorial tree, Sudell Cross end of Northgate The international “theme” for Workers Memorial Day in 2026 is “ensuring a healthy psychosocial working environment”. The psychosocial working environment is defined by how work is designed, organized and managed, and the organizational practices that shape everyday working conditions. Psychosocial factors –…
2025 Young Worker Survey and Meeting Report
We must apologise for the delay in reporting here on how our 2025 Young Worker survey and meeting went. A Report did go to our November Trades Council meeting, but we neglected to follow up here. You may remember that we attempted to do two things. Firstly, to run a local survey. And, secondly, to…
Trades Council responds to County Council care closures plan
At its final meeting of 2025 Blackburn and District Trades Union Council agreed a response to the public consultation held by Lancashire County Council on the “In-House Provider Services Redesign” affecting some of its Adult Social Care services – in particular its Care Homes and Day Centres. The immediate focus of attention is the proposal…
Trades Council receives report from 2025 “Hazards” conference
The annual “Hazards” conference, held at Keele University, is one of the key events of the Trade Union calendar. Bringing together Health and Safety Representatives and workplace safety specialists and activists, it makes an essential contribution to building their capacity and morale, and is always invested with a tremendous sense of shared purpose to make…
Barking Up the Wrong Tree – population growth and immigration
According to the IPSOS “Issues Index” 51% of people name “immigration” as the most important issue facing Britain today. Its rise up the index has no doubt been fuelled by the visibility of unauthorised entries by hazardous routes, but the concerns being expressed cover a much wider field: fears about population growth, about public services, about…
October Trades Council meeting hears of ongoing disputes – Responds to Government consultations on the future of the Post Office and on the Smart Meter rollout
Delegates at October’s Trades Council meeting received reports that illustrated a variety of the ways in which the dynamics of employment can provoke circumstances in which workers need to combine to take action to defend their interests. European intentions to increase defence spending don’t appear to have fed through to the industry’s shop floor. BAE…
Trades Council 2025 Young Worker Survey
Monday 8th September to Friday 3rd October To respond to the survey: https://forms.gle/HkSJrJwvjE21Pa64A One of the things about being a local Trade Union activist is that you end up doing things you never thought you would need to, and also working out how to do them for yourself – as opposed to having the resources…
July 2025 Trades Council meeting – concern over closure of “Healthwatch”
At the July meeting of our Trades Union Council we noted and discussed the announcement made by Wes Streeting, on 28th June, that Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch bodies were to be abolished. This move appears to link with the publication of the “Dash” “Review of patient safety across the health and care landscape”, which…
June 2025 Trades Council meeting – alarm as education and health provision moves out of Blackburn
Delegates at June’s Trades Council meeting heard of potential losses of local service in the fields of education and health. Staff and students at the Witton campus of Myerscough College had been shocked and distressed to be told that the College had taken the decision to close the successful animal studies and horticulture specialism programmes…









