Top Ten Global Digi-Tech Companies 2024

Posted on July 22, 2024 by Tony Burke

A recent study has ranked the Top 100 digi-tech companies in the world in 2024, highlighting these tech titans’ financial prowess and innovative capabilities. 

It is worth noting that these companies are not unionised.

According to the study by tech industry experts at coveragely.com, Alphabet ranks 1st with an overall score of 100. It has a net asset value of $293 billion, the highest globally. With a market cap of $2.28 trillion and an annual revenue of $318 billion, Alphabet showcases exceptional financial strength and profitability, boasting an operating margin of 25.49%.

The company’s solid financials include total assets valued at $407 billion and liabilities of $115 billion. Alphabet’s workforce of 180,900 employees each generates a remarkable $1.8 million in revenue, underscoring its efficiency and productivity. These metrics collectively make Alphabet a leading example of technological and financial excellence.

The study by tech industry experts at coveragely.com analyzed various financial metrics, including market capitalisation, revenue, operating margins, revenue per employee, and net asset values, to rank the companies shaping our tech-driven world.

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Labour Needs A Plan To Neutralise Farage

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Tony Burke

First published in the Morning Star July 19th

Like many Morning Star readers I had to do a ‘double take’ when the General Election exit poll predicted Reform would win 13 seats.

The final figure turned out to be five – all of them middle-aged blokes with short attention spans, who get rattled at tough questioning, whose economic policies are “shallow and inconsistent” to quote political commentator Steve Richards and which fail to stand up to any scrutiny –  coupled with a half baked view of the world – based winding the clock back to 1950s.

The coverage of Reform in the media following the election result on July 4th was at times staggering.

Anyone would think Nigel Farage had been elected Prime Minister. The fact is that too many media outlets still give him an easy ride and indulge his ‘cheeky chappie’ image.

Farage is a clever communicator, who can turn a phrase into a slogan, seize on unfounded prejudices and push the envelope as far he can go.

He admits to nothing – including Brexit – which he said had nothing to so with him and blames everyone else for running an organisation of individuals who pay a fee to be candidates and who appear to be misfits, cranks, ex National Front supporters, UKIP and Brexit Party veterans, racists, mysoginists and pub bores.

Reform is one-man band,  a company of which he is the main shareholder – not a political party with a financial sugar daddy in Richard Tice (among others) who Farage elbowed out of the way  to take over the leadership.

Despite this Reform polled14%. TV vox pops still show he has support among working people who buy into the easy slogans and prejudices, often saying Farage speaks ‘common sense’.

The current investigatory work being undertaken by Byline Times journalists into bogus Reform candidates and electoral irregularities is to be commended.

I had to laugh when Ben Habib, one of Farage’s most trusted supporters – who failed to win a seat but had dutifully appeared at every opportunity on breakfast time sofa’s and on late night panels defending Farage and Reform was unceremoniously dumped from his job as Farage’s deputy – claiming not to know why.

The new Labour Government now has enormous powers and opportunities to tackle the grievances Reform exploits head on and challenge their lies and the BBC’s love affair with Farage has to change too.

His easy access to the airwaves must stop and he should be treated just like the leaders of other small parties as well as facing robust scrutiny.

In the meantime, expect the Mail, Express, Sun, Telegraph and GB News to regroup and become the opposition to Labour as the Tory electoral catastrophe hits home.

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Samsung Workers Launch Indefinite Strike

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Tony Burke

Thousands of South Korean workers employed by electronics and tech  giant Samsung, one of the world’s largest smartphone and AI chip makers have gone on indefinite strike after the management of the company failed to respond for requests for discussions on pay and conditions.

Workers formed the National Samsung Electronics Union representing 30,000 staff – about a quarter of Samsung workers in South Korea. Samsung Electronics has a total workforce estimated at 268,000 globally across 74 manufacturing sites and sales outlets.

There are about 120,000 workers in South Korea. Workers are described as ‘sub-contractors’. Samsung Electronics Service is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics and relies on in-house subcontractors who are managed by Samsung.

The Samsung union is affiliated to the Korean Metal Workers Union.

Samsung has a long history of anti unionism, including classic union busting strategies including setting up yellow union (company run non independent unions), and threats of violence and intimidation.

The current strike started as three days of action but escalated after management failed to respond to proposals for negotiations from the union.

Workers are demanding 3.5% increase in base salary and a day off to mark the union’s founding.

Currently 6,500 workers have been taking part in strikes and the union was holding training sessions to organise more workers to join the union.

The union said production on certain chip lines had been affected with equipment running slowly.

In response Samsung said: “Samsung Electronics will ensure no disruptions occur in the production lines. The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union.”

Earlier this year workers held a one day strike – (using annual leave) – the first labour strike at Samsung Electronics.

The strikes come as Samsung recorded a profit of $7.5 billion (£5.84 bn) between April and June, up more than 900 per cent on last year.

The strike comes as workers digi-tech companies are organising into unions with campaigns in Coventry UK at Amazon (GMB), Google and other tech companies in the UK, (Unite, CWU) fin-tech companies such as Klarna in Sweden (Unionen) and gaming, digital and AI companies in the USA, self organised independent unions predominately company wide or site wide unions.

 

For more article on digi-tech union campaigns and AI in the workplace paste these links into your browser.

TUC AI Report, Employment Bill & Organising In Digital & Tech Sectors

AI: Threats & Opportunities For The Media

Labour: Implementing The TUC’s AI Bill Is A No Brainer

https://medianorth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Artificial-Intelligence-and-the-threat-to-Workers.pdf

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How Labour Can Govern For Working People

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Tony Burke

Paul Nowak, General Secretary, TUC

By Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary

The trade union movement will work with Keir Starmer to deliver change.

What an extraordinary moment in British politics. Labour back in power with a near-record majority. The Conservatives brutally ejected from office. A dozen cabinet members gone. A red wave in Scotland at the SNP’s expense. But while it’s easy to get carried away by the seismic nature of this election – we cannot afford to be distracted. We have a country to fix.

When I congratulated Keir Starmer my message to him was clear. The trade union movement stands ready to work with the new government to repair and rebuild Britain – and to deliver the change working people desperately need. After 14 years of wretched Tory rule and chaos, I am not blind to the size of the task this incoming government faces.

The Conservatives have left behind a trail of destruction for all to see. Stagnant growth and wages. Rising in-work poverty. Broken public services. The charge sheet goes on and on. But despite all of the damage wrought, I am optimistic. After nearly a decade and a half in opposition, Labour can finally begin transforming the country – an urgent and necessary challenge that must be grasped with both hands. So where should we start?

First and foremost, we need to get our economy growing again. Unions and business have been crying out for years for a proper industrial strategy. The Green Prosperity Plan starts us on the road to economic recovery. And it will be a breath of fresh air to work with ministers who are actually serious about protecting and creating good jobs, and boosting skills and productivity.

But securing growth alone is not enough – we also need better living standards. Labour needs to act urgently to make work pay. We currently have over four million people who are trapped in jobs that offer little or no financial security. This is a national disgrace. The UK’s long experiment with a low-wage, low-rights economy has been terrible for productivity and workers alike. Labour’s New Deal For Working People – delivered in full – will help end the Tories’ race to the bottom on employment standards.

A race to the bottom that has allowed good employers to be undercut by the bad, and scandals like the illegal sacking of 800 seafarers at P&O Ferries go unpunished. Labour’s plans will be a genuine game-changer. Employment rights from day one. A ban on zero-hours contracts. An end to fire and rehire. New rights for unions to access the workplace. And the scrapping of anti-union legislation.

These are all part of a comprehensive new package of rights that will be good for workers, good for businesses and good for the UK economy. Inevitably there will be some siren voices in the business community who will seek to delay and water down this legislation. But it is vital Labour stays the course and ignores the doomsayers. All the tired arguments that have been made against improved rights and protections at work echo those used against the minimum wage – now widely acknowledged to be one of the great policy successes of the last 25 years.

The naysayers were wrong then and they are wrong now. It is also vital that immediate work begins on repairing our crumbling public realm. At the heart of the pressures on our schools, hospitals, prisons and social care system is a huge workforce crisis. Across the NHS and social care alone there are nearly 300,000 staffing vacancies and in education the number of teaching vacancies has more than doubled in the past three years.

With morale at rock bottom – after more than a decade of Tory vandalism and neglect – Labour has the chance to signal a new direction of travel. We’ve already seen really encouraging commitments on scrapping tax breaks for private schools to fund new teachers in the state sector, and on closing non-dom loopholes to help bring down waiting lists. It’s no secret though that I want the party to go further and that we explore all funding options for rebuilding our public services.

The TUC has previously called for a national conversation on taxing wealth and I remain convinced that policies like equalising Capital Gains Tax with the taxes paid on earnings could bring in much-needed revenues. People voted in this election because they wanted real change – and Reform’s populist insurgence is a timely warning of what happens when governments fail to act.

And this question of delivery is the crux of the matter. After 14 years of national decline the country has finally got the Labour government it desperately needs. I know how ambitious Keir Starmer and his team are to improve working people’s lives, and the trade union movement wants to work with them. Of course there will be moments of tension. That comes with being a critical friend. Our job is to speak up for working people and our members and to make sure their voices are heard at the heart of government – even when the message is difficult.

But the prospect of national renewal is real. Decent jobs, strong public services, a brighter, fairer future for all our children. The work will be hard and it starts today – but together we can realise a better future.

Originally posted on www.newstatesman.com

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Posted in Blogs, Economics, Employment Rights, European Trade Unions, Labour Party, Media, Politics, Solidarity, The Digital Economy and Unions, Trade Unions, Trades Union Congress | Leave a comment

UPDATED : Talks On Investment & Jobs Begin At Port Talbot

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Tony Burke

The UK steel industry stands on the precipice after Tata Steel announced plans earlier this year to close the blast furnaces at the Port Talbot steel works in July and September 2024, ceasing iron production and decimating what remains of one of the key areas of the UK’s industrial base.
At a time of rising global tensions and fears over security, Unite has said it will not stand by and watch the destruction of another key component of our critical national manufacturing infrastructure, while at the same time increasing our reliance on steel imports.
Unite says that in the coming years there will be a tenfold increase in demand for ‘green’ steel – steel manufactured using electric furnaces.
Unite has produced detailed plans which would result in the creation of jobs and make the UK the European capital of a profitable green steel industry. If adopted this plan would secure this critical industry for generations to come and reduce the UK’s over reliance on imports in what has become an uncertain world. You can’t deliver growth without steel.
The Tata announcement to end virgin steel production at Port Talbot with ‘blast furnace five’ closing this month and ‘blast furnace four’ closing in September, will result In a loss of 2,800 hihhly skilled and well paid employment.
jobs.
Unite’s says that during discussions with the Labour Party the union had secured a commitment that an the expected Labour government would provide £2.5 billion extra investment for UK steel.
Unite and other steel making unions (GMB and Community) asked Tata to wait until the change of government before making any final decision on the future of its blast furnaces and steel production.
Tata has refused to do this and on 31st May it wrote to its employees stating: “Neither the general election nor its outcome has any impact on the timings or our decision to proceed with the winding down of our heavy-end operations (blast furnaces).”
Given Tata’s stance Unite says it had no option but to exercise its mandate for industrial action and begin an overtime ban and announce strike action for next month. When announcing strike action Unite made it clear to Tata that we would ensure that all safety procedures would be met.
Unite says it has repeatedly requested that the company commit to not making any final decisions about the future of the blast furnaces until after the election when meaningful negotiations can be held. The only negotiations Tata want to have is to sell the jobs via redundancy packages. This is not acceptable.
Instead of waiting for a predicted change of Government, Tata has decided to double down, making continued threats to try and stop industrial action on “trumped up technicalities”. If they are successful, Unite says it will re-ballot for industrial action and will continue to do everything in its power to save jobs and fight to stop the destruction of this part of of the UKs critical infrastructure.
Unite has demanded that it waits wait until we have a change of government this week and not make any irreversible decisions and for Tata to enter into meaningful negotiations. Unite says this is the only demand it is making at this point.
Unite says it then can meet with government, other unions and Tata, to negotiate investment in jobs rather than abandoning the steel workers in Wales.

Update: On Sunday afternoon Tata Steel wrote to the steel unions offering to meet unions for fresh talks on the condition strike action in South Wales is called off.

Talks Begin: Talks have now began on investment and jobs and Tata is believed to have offered to discuss future investment in Port Talbot in exchange for unions suspending  future industrial action.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “There is along way to go. They suspend closure, we suspend action.”

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Labour: Implementing The TUC’s AI Bill Is A No Brainer

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Tony Burke

The Institute Of Employment Rights booklets have for years provided an authoritative analysis of employment rights issues and in some instances have pointed the way forward and helped draft future employment legislation.

IERs new ‘Algorithmic Management And A  New Generation Of Rights At Work’, written by Dr Joe Atkinson (University of Southampton) and Professor Philippa Collins (University of Bristol) is one such booklet that all incoming Labour MPs should read along with the TUC’s draft ‘Artificial Intelligence (Employment and Regulation) Bill’. 

How AI will effect workers has been much talked about. A low point was Sunak’s ‘AI Summit’ at Bletchley Park to which unions were not invited and ended as little more than photo opportunity for Sunak to smooze with Elon Musk.

I have no doubt there will be many benefits for working people and society from the use of AI, but one of its biggest drawbacks is AI’s potential for intrusiveness coupled with the ability to produce in nono-seconds what it would take humans to do in hours.

As Unite National Officer for the Media Louisa Bull  (one of the areas where there will be a big downside to the use of AI could be in the media) and where the union is busy organising digital and tech workers told the global union Union Network International: “It is never acceptable to pass off responsibility for key decisions to non-human agents and yet that is happening”.

The authors rightly point out that: “Technology has revolutionised the way we work over the last 30 years, and is now changing radically the way in which working people are managed. 

“Rapid advances in ‘artificial intelligence’ have given rise to complex and powerful algorithmic management tools that pose an increasing threat to the right of workers to enjoy decent working conditions and exercise agency over their working lives.”

Although the Labour manifesto has a reference to “updating regulations to outlaw the use of predictive technologies for blacklisting and safeguard against the singling out of workers for mistreatment or the sack without any evidence of human interaction” overall the current outdated employment protections will just not be enough to provide the protections workers will need. 

As the authors point out – with collective bargaining in the UK at low levels – for millions of people protection will not be available to those engaged in business models that exploit workers.

They correctly contend that what is needed is: “a new regulatory framework giving workers and unions a genuine voice in the use of algorithmic management tools, alongside recognition and protection of their rights and access to justice that ensures their employers can be held to account”.

Without widespread sectoral collective bargaining a new frame work of protection for non-human interventions and decisions underpinned by law, not a toothless code of practice – is now essential. 

Coupled with the TUC’s recent work, this LRD booklet sets out the way forward. A Labour government needs to agree wider employment protections in consultation with those unions already in at the deep end and have members working and organising in digital and tech companies such as Unite, Prospect, Equity, NUJ, CWU along with the TUC to implement the TUCs ‘Artificial Intelligence (Employment and Regulation) Bill’ as first step. 

For Labour the spade work already done – coupled with the research by Atkinson and Collins’ work – its a no brainer.

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Down, But Not Out

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Tony Burke

Julian Vaughan, a great trade unionist on his quest to become the first working trading driver to sit in the House of Commons in 50 years.

After standing as a Labour candidate in the last two General Elections, when you are offered a candidacy in one of the safest Tory seats in the UK, it dawns on you rather quickly that your face just doesn’t fit and it is time to move on.

So, after politely declining the opportunity to stand as a candidate, and with the freedom of someone who believes his time in politics is up, I am writing this from the perspective of a ‘critical friend’ who has been silent for too long on issues that matter to him, but who desperately wants a Labour government. I write this with sadness rather than bitterness that I will not be a candidate in the General Election announced yesterday.

Some have said that I have been treated quite shabbily, and I have to say that I do not disagree. 

However, I would rather look to the future rather than dwell on the past. As a candidate and a campaigner, I have displayed the ability to work across political divides, bring people together as an effective team and lead by example. I will use these qualities, as well as my relentless determination, in whatever direction I decide to go next.

As a Labour supporter since the 1980’s, it was the miners’ strike that first politicised me. I am desperate for a Labour government, after 14 years of Tory rule have trashed our public services, shredded our reputation around the world, and further diminished trust in our politicians and politics itself.

Tragedies such as Grenfell and scandals such as Windrush and the Post Office’s treatment of sub-postmasters have shown that there is a deep-seated imbalance of power between the state and the people. 

A Hillsborough Law must just be the start of the fundamental change needed.

The UK needs far more than just a change in the management team. I would urge the Labour Party to place empathy, compassion and indeed love at the heart of its offering to the country. Labour must of course be pro-business, but I would add a small caveat. Labour must be pro-ethical business. Grenfell showed us what happens when a naked pursuit of profit is put ahead of people.

We need more working-class representation in Parliament.

If I had been elected in the upcoming General Election, I would have been the first train driver to be sitting in the House of Commons for over 50 years. We need people who understand the lives of ordinary working people, MPs who have worn a hi-vis as part of their job, not just for a photo opportunity.

If we continue to draw the majority of our MPs from the corporate world, it is little wonder that there is a ready acceptance of the narratives peddled by corporate lobbyists and policies that favour big business over ordinary people.

I have met some amazing people since first standing for Parliament and made many friends in the Labour movement. I hope we will remain friends. 

Thank you to ASLEF and other unions for their support. Unions are a force for good in the country. Labour must treat them as such – they will need steadfast friends in what is likely to be a turbulent time ahead. 

A special thanks to both those who have supported me and also those who have challenged me.

Finally, a thank you to my family. I chose to enter politics they did not, but are impacted by that decision just as much as I am.

My desire for social justice will never be dimmed. I will continue to hold power to account and will always be a champion of the vulnerable in our society. I look forward to working with a future Labour government and helping bring about a better Britain for all.

Editors Comment: Julian Vaughan is a hard working skilled train driver, a trade unionist,  a good friend and comrade. After working hard with trade unions he had the support of six Labour Party affiliated trade unions to stand for parliament.

Like many trade unionists he is concerned that the voice and views of experienced trade unionists has been largely ignored within the Labour Party during the selection process.

When the going gets tough for the Party hopefully in power (and it will) they will need the support of working people and trade unionists to stand with them, no matter how big the majority.

As can be seen by his blog, he is loyal and trusted comrade and I am proud to have worked with him to become the first rain driver to sit in the House Of Commons in 50 years.

Twitter/X: @julian_vaughan_

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jpvaughan66

Web: https://www.julianvaughan.com/

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Getir Gets Out As Race To The Bottom Continues

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Tony Burke

Turkish rapid food-tech delivery company Getir valued at $12bn in 2022 has pulled the plug on its UK and US operations, as well as its remaining European operations after it burned up cash as orders plummeted.

Launched in the middle of the pandemic in September 2021 with promotional offers that were too good to be trues (and they were) Getir went the same way as other gig economy rapid delivery services such as Jiffy, Bother, Oja and Gorillas (which had been bought by Getir). 

Getir who promised a 10-minute delivery eventually hiked prices as funding streams were burned through and dried up as post pandemic customers started eating out or buying in food.

Tech start-ups are reliant on continuous cash flow and investors  cash injections – Uber Eats made its first operating profit last year, having been founded in 2009, equating to  14 years of losses.

Getir created ‘dark stores’ (fulfilment centres with groceries and household essentials) and market leaders Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats stole Getir’s lunch by offering grocery deliveries with lower overheads in addition to their existing restaurant service while Ocado ramped up its same-day service with its Zoom based service. 

A company statement says: “Getir has raised a new investment round, led by Mubadala and G Squared. Getir will utilise these funds to bolster its competitive position in its core food and grocery delivery businesses in Turkey.” 

Clearly, Getir’s investors were unwilling to see good money thrown after bad.

Getir paid drivers by the hour – others in rapid food delivery pay them by delivery. The gig economy is a cut throat, race to the bottom world based on low pay and precarious work.

The need for an incoming Labour Government to introduce proper Government regulation on pay and working conditions decent employment rights. The need to regulate and protect workers from exploitation has never been starker.

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MediaNorth Condemns Banning Of Al Jazeera by Israeli Government.

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Tony Burke

The Israeli government voted on Sunday 5th May to shut down the operations of Al Jazeera, one of the last remaining international media networks reporting from the war-ravaged Gaza strip.

As a result, Al Jazeera’s offices in Israel were closed, broadcast equipment confiscate, the channel cut off from cable and satellite companies and its websites blocked.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Al Jazeera reporters had ‘harmed Israel’s security and incited against soldiers’, and referred to the outlet as a ‘Hamas mouthpiece’.

Al Jazeera rightly decried the decision and said the accusation that it threatened Israeli security was a ‘dangerous and ridiculous lie’  and was part of Israel’s ‘ongoing suppression of the free press’.

This action by the Israeli government takes place as the Israeli forces begin the forced evacuation of people from Rafah as a prelude to a military assault on the densely packed population there.

In the Spring issue of MediaNorth our front page was on the efforts of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to control critical coverage of the death and destruction by Israel in Gaza. This is their latest action and we strongly condemn it.

Granville Williamms editor MediaNorth

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Mexican General Election – Why The Election Is Crucial For Latin America

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Tony Burke

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