Updated 7:43pm 19 May 2013

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Kevin Rowan

Kevin Rowan

Focus must be on jobs

THE confirmation this week by the Governor of the Bank of England that the recovery from recession is at least three years away provides no comfort to anyone.Read

Worrying signs in the labour market

CONFIDENCE in any sector is important, so it is encouraging that business leaders in the region step up to say that despite the bleak news about the UK economy, especially in manufacturing, this region has the capacity to buck the trend and spring into growth.Read

Taking lawful strike action is a human right

THIS week will see the largest industrial action taken by trade unions for some time.Read

This Budget didn’t offer very much

THERE was little evidence ahead of last week’s Budget that businesses engaged in the fragile, tentative recovery, or hard-pressed families could expect to be overly optimistic.Read

Focus on jobs in the North East is needed now

THE news last week that unemployment had shot up by 5,000 in the North East was a shock to no-one.Read

Tough times will increase this year

THE New Year message from the Prime Minister will be received as further confirmation that 2011 is going to be a very tough year.Read

Pessimistic predictions can come true

THE real trouble with dismal, pessimistic predictions is them coming true.Read

Back to the bad old days for unions

TRADE union relations with Government are in the headlines once again.Read

A long, long way to go yet on equality

LAST Friday saw the long-awaited start of the new duties under the Equalities Act.Read

Looming cuts are the economy of madhouse

THERE have already been thousands of jobs lost in the public sector in the past couple of years.Read

North public sector is not too large

NISSAN is to be among the beneficiaries to receive cash from the public sector with a share of £52m of green technology funding to develop hybrid engines.Read

Where our cash may be well spent

IN the debates around public spending cuts the easy solution is that we need to reduce the size of the public sector as quickly as possible irrespective, it seems, of the consequences.Read

Generation may be left behind permanently

THERE was considerable focus on youth unemployment last year as young workers were in many cases the first and most obvious victims of the recession.Read

Mixed picture on banks' latest profits

THE banking industry is back in businesses, according to last week’s far from surprising announcements from the sector.Read

Importance of skills for our future

LAST week the Government launched a consultation on a future skills strategy, with a skills funding consultation.Read

Raising pay levels could help us all

THE Low Pay Commission visited the North East last week, taking evidence from employers, trade unions and low paid workers about their experience and views of the national minimum wage.Read

Clearly the drugs just don't work

LIFE expectancy in the UK is increasing and while posing economic and social challenges for society to adapt appropriately, it still must be broadly welcomed as a positive development.Read

Pain has not been shared out equally

FROM the first day of the coalition government being in power, last week's 'emergency' Budget was much anticipated as a 'watershed' moment which would define the new executive and give a clear steer to the strength of the bond between the partnering parties.Read

Cuts are not inevitable

ANY Budget usually attracts considerable attention. Determining spending priorities and allocating the vast volume of public spending that is available in the UK is an area of Government action that has a direct and dramatic impact on people’s lives.Read

Spending cuts will be critical to this region

AS every day brings another piece of shocking news about where public spending "needs" to be cut, the impact of this slash and burn approach to reducing the budget deficit becomes increasingly clear.Read

Author Profile

Kevin Rowan is regional secretary of Northern TUC and also writes a weekly column for The Journal covering all major business issues affecting the North East. Kevin was formerly the regional organiser of the GMB where he was been involved in a series of campaigning issues. He was brought up in Cumbria and studied government and public policy at Northumbria University.

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