Tribune – Comment, news and reviews from Britain's democratic left

Twinings, the firm founded by Thomas Twining, who opened a tearoom on the Strand in 1706, but now owned by Associated British Foods, has been outmanoeuvred in its attempt to dump British workers in favour of cheap foreign labour – and get its snout into the public trough.

The Government’s economic strategy was endorsed by the International Monetary Fund this week after a team of its economists were invited to the Treasury to look at the books.

Union leaders have launched a bitter attack on Conservative-led Birmingham City Council which is set on outsourcing 100 local authority jobs to India.

The Forestry Commission is trying to force through plans to sack more than a quarter of its staff – just months after a national campaign to prevent it being sold off forced the Prime Minister into a humiliating U-turn.

One of Britain’s biggest education unions is balloting its members over whether to strike against coalition pension reforms that would see them work longer, pay a larger contribution, and get much less in return.