As far as this blog is concerned the Tory party never really lost the ‘nasty party’ tag ... there are a number of reasons for that. But the vindictive attitude towards workplace rights is probably the most obvious one.

If they get back into Government have much wickedness planned.  We won’t dwell on that right now, partly because if we get a Labour Government we won’t have to endure them,  mostly because we want to look at one of call me Dave’s  recent acts of viciousness.  One aimed at keeping the likes of us in our place and bad bosses laughing all the way to bank.

 In a move that there was no real demand for (not even from big business to any great extent, although they were certainly pleased) the Con Dems brought in fees for Employment Tribunals. 

This isn’t about efficiency or streamlining, it’s about pricing people out of Justice.

It’s not exactly rocket science to work out that people who want to make a claim about (say) unpaid wages or unfair dismissal might just have a bit of bother finding the cash. But that isn’t the end of the unfairness.  If people know that they won’t be able to afford to take a case to a tribunal , they may just decide to put up with whatever they are suffering in the workplace...making it seem acceptable. That’s not a deterrent to bad bosses – quite the reverse.

By enabling bad bosses and encouraging bosses to be bad, Employment Tribunal fees don’t just harm those affected, they are bad for all of us.  

Labour are quite clear.  Labour will scrap Employment Tribunal fees.

 The SNP in an 56 page manifesto can’t find the space for the single sentence it would take to do the same.  The SNP often talk the language of partnership when it comes to industrial relations... this is one of those indications of whom they see the senior partner being. Check their policy on  Zero hours contracts for proof of that.

 It’s all the more serious because the operation of the Employment Tribunal system will at some point be devolved. So there is a real chance that, unlike many things they have opinions about, the SNP will be in charge of this. It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that their silence on this is deliberate. 

So while we don’t know what the SNP are going to do about another Indyref  we do know what they intend to do about Employment Tribunal Fees - nothing.

 If we are going to see an end to the price on Justice we need to make sure Labour win. We can only do that by voting Labour. 

There was a suggestion that we might have been exaggerating the impact of the SNP's Full Fiscal Autonomy, or 'Responsibility' as it has now been rebranded. 

We originally said the gap caused by the collapsing oil price was £6bn. However, the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies said it was actually £7.6bn.

First the SNP hinted that they might want a transitional period. Then their leader said in a televised debate she would vote for it this year. Now, their manifesto says it "would take a number of years". This makes Kenny Dalglish look decisive, or more accurately, they are just making it up as they go along. 

In the referendum campaign they said that independence was achievable by 2016 - so why is something short of that going to take longer?

So, would a transitional period make any difference? Back to the IFS who say:

"the gap between Scotland’s deficit and that of the UK as a whole would, if anything, grow somewhat larger in the years ahead, reaching £9.7bn in 2019–20 (equivalent to £8.9 billion in today’s prices)."

But of course Labour are just 'Red Tories' campaigning for 'austerity lite'. What we need are lots of SNP MPs to keep them on the right track to end austerity. 

Again the IFS have added up the numbers and found:

"There is a considerable disconnect between [the SNP’s] rhetoric and their stated plans for total spending, which imply a lower level of spending by 2019–20 than Labour’s plans."

As this chart shows.

The SNP's Full Fiscal Autonomy or Devo Max plan sounds harmless, but it isn't. It would bring Tory austerity to Scotland all over again. In this leaflet we highlight what the experts say.

The latest Trade Unions for Scottish Labour leaflet focuses on Scottish Labour's plan for tackling low pay, insecurity at work and the cost of living - as well as UK manifesto commitments that matter for working people.

Labour is the Party of work, and values working life. Labour will push up standards and boost productivity by implementing the commitments in Labour’s Workplace and Business manifestos.

The key message from Ed Miliband to working people is set out in his foreword, “The fundamental truth that runs through this manifesto is that Britain will only succeed when working people succeed. It is an idea at the heart of my beliefs. And it drives our better plan for a better future. It means a country where hard work is rewarded, with high skill, high wage jobs.”

Commitments that really matter to working people include:

·         Increase the National Minimum Wage to more than £8 an hour by October 2019 and introduce Make Work Pay contracts to provide tax rebates to firms becoming Living Wage employers.

·         Ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and close agency worker loopholes.

·         Abolish Employment Tribunal fees.

·         Guarantee an apprenticeship for every school leaver who attains the grades and require any firm that gets a large government contract to offer apprenticeships.

·         Employees have a voice when executive pay is set by requiring employee representation on remuneration committees.

·         Double paternity leave from two to four weeks and increase paternity pay by more than £100 a week.

·         Requiring large companies to publish their gender pay gap and strengthening the law against maternity discrimination.

·         Tackling tax avoidance including abolishing non-dom status so that all those who make the UK their home pay tax in the same way as the rest of us.

Specifically for Scotland, there is a commitment to implement the Smith Agreement in full. And go further, with a Home Rule Bill to give extra powers to Scotland over tax, welfare and jobs. Rates of income tax will be set in Scotland. Billions of pounds of social security spending will be devolved, including benefits that support disabled people. The Work Programme will also be devolved along with a greater ability to invest in capital projects.

The new devolution settlement will recognise the strength and security offered by being part of the United Kingdom. The Barnett formula will be retained saving Scotland from Tory austerity all over again through the SNP’s Full Fiscal Autonomy. Scotland will continue to benefit from pooling and sharing resources across the UK.

In this election, the country has a choice. We can continue with a Conservative plan based on the view that success comes only from a privileged few at the top. Or we can change direction, begin to return power to people and build an economy together in which everyone can contribute to a shared and enduring prosperity.

The story of the day has been a letter signed by 100 Tory supporting fat cat bosses.

These are the very fat cats who have benefited most from the growing gap in wages and inequality in our society. A Chief Executive in a FTSE 100 company now earns on average over 130 times their average employee. Fat cats like Prudential CEO Tidjane Thiam who was paid £11.8 million in 2014, up from a mere £8.7 million in 2013. In 2010, he struggled by on just £5.3 million, so it's not surprising that he thinks things have got better under the Tories.

In contrast, average wages have fallen by £1600 a year since 2010. Half of all jobs created have been in low paid sectors with one in five paid less than the living wage. More than 250,000 workers aren't even getting the legal minimum wage, thanks to the lack of enforcement by the Tories.

The GMB has identified bosses, among the 103 that signed the letter to the Daily Telegraph asking voters to support the Tory Party, from companies with links to tax dodging, blacklisting, zero hours contracts, pubcos, potential job losses and collapse of Southern Cross care homes as well as known Tory donors. So we can see why they think another Tory government would be a good thing.

As Paul Kenny says: "This list of shame shows that voters are faced with a stark choice - a party governing in the interest of corporate bosses with zero hours contracts and for tax breaks for the wealthy elite or a party seeking to provide rights and protection for working people."

In stark contrast to the self serving bosses letter, Labour has published it's manifesto for work. 'A Better Plan for Britain's Workplaces'. It includes:

1. Labour will raise the National Minimum Wage to more than £8 before 2020.
2. We will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts – so that if you work regular hours, you get a regular contract.
3. We will make it illegal to use agency workers to undercut wages of permanent employees.
4. We will guarantee an apprenticeship for all school-leavers who get the grades.
5. We will double paternity leave to four weeks and increase the level of pay so that families can afford to take up their entitlement.

This manifesto sets out how Labour will ensure that those who do a hard day’s work are rewarded for doing so, as part of a plan to build an economy that creates the secure and better paid jobs we need to raise living standards for working families.

A concept unrecognisable to the pampered Tory fat cats who signed today's letter.