TUC general secretary Paul Nowak has called for a “national mission” to remove asbestos from the UK’s workplaces. We need a fully funded, government-led programme to remove asbestos ‘from every school and every hospital’.

Nowak said “We have to be honest about the scale of the challenge we face. And none is bigger than asbestos. It remains the biggest occupational killer in Britain. And we have the highest rate of asbestos cancers in the world”. 

https://www.lrd.org.uk/news/tuc-calls-mission-eradicate-asbestos

Join our solidarity walk and social, hear what happened here 100 years ago, and enjoy some Anglo-Irish indie folk with The Publicans.

Minimum wages have gone up by slightly more than the recent level of pay settlements, but the new rates are still below the “real” Living Wage. Both of these are pay ‘floors’ and trade unions aim to secure higher wages wherever they can.

From 1 April the statutory minimum rate for workers aged 21 and over (confusingly called the ‘National Living Wage’) went up by 50p to £12.71 per hour, an increase of just over 4%.

The rate for workers aged 18-20 went up by 85p to £10.85 per hour. Under-18s and certain apprentices must now be paid a minimum of £8 per hour, up by 45p.

Self-employed people and those in some specific roles may not be covered by these statutory minimum rates (see https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage/who-gets-the-minimum-wage).

If workers aren’t getting the pay they think they are entitled to, their union should be able to help, and it’s another good reason why non-members should join. Hounslow Citizens Advice may also be able to help (see https://hounslowcabs.org.uk).

Many employers agree to pay a higher minimum rate known as the “real” Living Wage. It is set by the Living Wage Foundation, and London employers who follow its rates should already be paying at least £14.80 per hour (see https://www.livingwage.org.uk/news/national-living-wage-rise-welcomed-millions-still-short-real-living-wage).

Unions have been winning pay rises worth around 3.8% in the middle of the range this year, according to the union-based Labour Research Department (LRD). At that level, settlements would have beaten recent increases in the cost of living, but employers warn that food inflation ‘could hit 9%’ thanks to the war against Iran.

Some recent pay settlements have been worth much more than 3.8%. Over 130 cabin crew at Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) secured an 8% pay rise, backdated to November 2025, after strike action over Christmas. Their 14-month deal included higher incremental increases for longer service (https://www.lrd.org.uk/news/payline-release-march-2026).

Hounslow Trades Council would like to hear from local trade unions about their pay negotiations, settlements and pay campaigns. Please email any information you can share to secretary@hounslowtradescouncil.org

Townsend Theatre Productions are planning to tour their musical production of ‘FAREWELL LEICESTER SQUARE’ in spring 2027 celebrating the amazing life of Joe Clough, Britain’s first black bus driver. They are crowdfunding to help make that happen. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/farewell-leicester-square-by-neil-gore

AI is making inroads into so many areas of our lives and work, union organisation and collective bargaining have a vital role to play,

On Wednesday 11 March the TUC is offering an all-day forum at its Congress House headquarters in London to discuss collective bargaining on AI. This event is primarily designed for union reps and full-time officers who are already engaging with AI as an industrial issue and are looking to organise and negotiate with employers on this topic. You can sign up for the event here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/collective-bargaining-ai-forum

If this event is not for you, there are plenty of other union resources on AI. Unison members, for example, can sign up to a day-time on-line course on Thursday 16 April, aimed at individuals who are new to AI or looking to enhance their efficiency. Members can sign up here: https://learning.unison.org.uk/events/an-introduction-to-ai-artificial-intelligence/

If you are a union rep, organiser or activist in the Hounslow area, do you have experience in dealing with AI that you’d be willing to share? We’ll put this on the agenda at one of our evening meetings later this year. They are held on the third Tuesday of every month (except August and December) at Hounslow United Reformed Church (see our events page).

Local events planned

For 9 days in May 1926 normal life was thrown into a crisis as trade union members rallied to the TUC call to stand with the coal miners against wage cuts.

In Hounslow, transport, engineering and building workers came out on strike. Action was coordinated through the Hounslow Central Strike Committee, and actively supported by the Labour Party and others.

Opposing the strike were Conservative politicians – not least local MPs including William Joynson-Hicks (the Home Secretary) and his supporters – and by Volunteers trying to do the work of strikers as the wider population looked on.

Hounslow Trades Council is planning to mark the anniversary of the strike in our district on Saturday 9 May. It will be a day to remember the story of what happened here, and to celebrate solidarity.

Put the date in your diaries – Saturday 9 May – more information will be posted here soon.