Search

< News

19.03.2018 / News /

Guardian praises UVW

Article in the Guardian today discussing the current state of the union movement and suggesting the likes of the “ambitiously named” United Voices of the World (UVW), and IWGB, and other inspiring disputes from the bigger unions such as BECTU and BFAWU, might help “capture the public imagination” and save the union movmemt from “irrelevancy”.

“…Some radically different ideas are taking shape, thanks to a new breed of small, nitty-gritty organisations that work at the frontiers of precarious employment, and often have backstories involving frustration with the big unions’ lumbering ways…

….They may collectively have no more than a couple of thousand members, but these unions’ operations are fast, loud, and agile, and the faces of the people who keep everything together are admirably diverse. By contrast, the big unions can appear to be just waiting for a Labour government to come along and somehow make things alright. Is the work simply beyond them of reinventing their movement for new times so as to renew its liberating purpose? Are they holding back for fear of threats to their power? These questions require attention, before an iron rule kicks in: that complacency usually invites the slow sunset of irrelevance.”

https://amp.theguardian.com/…/new-breed-trade-union-rmt-uni…

SHARE  

05.06.2026

Model motion: Support for Cleaners at Ark Globe Academy


02.06.2026 / /

Migrant Cleaners at South London School To Be Balloted for Strike Over Pay and Payroll Disputes

26.05.2026

International Workers’ Day celebrations — UVW style 

29.04.2026 /

Migrant cleaner takes Hackney Council to court for discrimination and breach of contract 

28.04.2026 /

UVW and legal support centre defending pro-Palestine advocacy sign trade union recognition agreement

23.04.2026 /

100% YES! Concierges and cleaners at London luxury apartments vote unanimously for fresh strikes

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our latest news, campaigns, trainings and events