FW: PSC Weekly Update 26 March 2010 - BDS Days of Action - this weekend! and more..‏

As the Palestinians commemorate ‘Land Day’ - when Israeli security forces shot and killed six young Palestinian citizens of Israel 33 years ago– we urge all those who support the Palestinian cause to get involved in a local action and ask people of conscience to boycott Israeli products.

Requiem for a Decade by Roger Cowin‏

Here we are
on the cusp of the second decade
of a still young century
and things are pretty much the same
as when it began.

Mobilise for public services – 10 April London & Glasgow‏

UNISON is calling on members to support two pre-General Election demonstrations in support of the welfare state and public services which are being held in London and Glasgow on 10 April.
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=5951

Top Economist slams Tory Plans

Danny Blanchflower, a top economist and a former member of the Bank of England Committee on Monetary Policy has written a scathing condemnation of Tory spending plans in today’s Daily Mirror. Accusing both Cameron and his Chancellor of economic ignorance, Blanchflower is the latest example of a professional economist supporting the case for sustaining demand within the British economy rather than slashing public expenditure.

2010 BUDGET – UNISONACTIVE HEADLINE ANALYSIS

When the Daily Mail and the Times run headlines about “Darling’s Class War Budget” things can’t be all bad. When the Telegraph says that he is guilty of cynical tricks, you begin to feel the monied classes squirming. Add to that the Express’s “Darlings Tax Bombshell slammed by Tories” and you can sketch out the picture emerging. You could start to imagine that yesterday’s budget deserved to be called a Labour budget.

Breaking news - Local Government Service Group nominates Dave Prentis for UNISON GS‏

The Local Government Service Group has voted overwhelmingly to nominate Dave Prentis in the UNISON GS election. At its meeting today in UNISON head office, the service group executive of the 765,000 strong service group, voted by 19 to 6 (combined vote of Dave’s opponents) to endorse the nomination. All 7 UNISON service groups have now endorsed Dave Prentis in the General Secretary election – a tremendous show of unity by the elected lay leaderships across all of the union’s bargaining groups.
Why we're backing Dave Prentis . Dave Prentis election website

Police & Justice Service Group nominates Dave Prentis for UNISON GS‏

UNISON's Police & Justice service group today endorsed Dave Prentis in the General Secretary election. The decision of the service group executive meeting in London was unanimous.
Why we're backing Dave Prentis . Dave Prentis election website

Poetry and Music in solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution

Poetry and Music in solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution 16 April 2010
7:30 - 9:30pm Bolívar Hall 54 Grafton Way London W1T 5DL Tickets £6 concs £4 contact: 020 8579 3553. A fascinating evening with three of Britain's leading poets a renowned actress and the unmissable sound of the Amigos Artistas: Jane Duran, Andy Croft, John Cuevas y Amigos Artistas, Prunella Scales, Imtiaz Dharker. Click here for flyer.

TUC slates Policy Exchange attack on workplace health and safety‏

The TUC has slammed proposals by the right wing Policy Exchange lobby group as 'Alice in Wonderland'. Chiming with Tory Party de-regulation proposals, the new report 'Health and Safety - Reducing the Burden' advocates the 'stripping back' of health and safety regulations - going as far as to question whether 'the self-employed need any health and safety requirements at all?'

Our City's Not For Sale, says Edinburgh

UNISON has launched a campaign against 'reckless' council plans to sell-off Edinburgh services and over 3,000 jobs. The "Our City's Not For Sale" campaign will work with other unions, community groups and the public to expose the dangers of the council's 'alternative business models'.

South East Region backs Dave Prentis for GS

Another UNISON region - South East region meeting in Guildford - today backed Dave Prentis in the General Secretary election.

UNISON launches Who Cares: Who Pays? report on personalisation

UNISON has today launched a hard-hitting report on the future for care in the UK, in light of the roll out of personalised budgets in social care.

Breaking news - Greater London region backs Dave Prentis in GS election‏

The 130,000 strong Greater London Region today resoundingly backed Dave Prentis in the UNISON General Secretary election.

Exposed - New Labour's complicity with the Public Services Industrial Complex‏

The latest cash-for-influence lobbying scandal has exposed the symbiotic relationship between New Labour and the corporate interests which profit from the privatisation of public services.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7069795.ece

Taking the Axe to Axa - hands off our pensions‏

AXA insurance, who are registered in France, want our pension benefits turned into the poor money purchase system forced upon wokers in the private sector over the last five years.

Three more assassinations in Colombia‏

Last week one journalist and two social leaders were murdered in unrelated incidents in Colombia. On Monday 15th March, human rights activist Jhonny Hurtado was shot dead near his home on the rural outskirts of La Macarena municipality, Meta department. Jhonny was president of the human rights committee in the La Catalina area of La Macarena.

Jack Jones & James Connolly‏

On Saturday 13 March 2010, the International Brigade Memorial Trust held a celebration of the life of Jack Jones (1913 - 2009), at the Imperial War Museum in London. Manus O'Riordan, Head of Research at the leading Irish trade union SIPTU and son of Irish International Brigade member Michael O'Riordan, introduced 'a rebel song' by James Connolly:

The House Murdered by Mahmoud Darwish‏

In one minute, the whole life of a house ends.
The house murdered is also mass murder, even if vacant of its residents.