20,000 jobs at risk from Con Dem cuts in Wales‏

UNISON Cymru Wales region is warning that the Con-Dem Government’s plans to slash departmental budgets by 25% could lead to economic devastation in Wales comparable to the Tory’s 1980s pit closure programme. Research undertaken by UNISON estimates that a 25% cut in local government support grants could cost the Welsh economy at least £404 million in local investment.
http://www.unison.org.uk/cymruwales/pages_view.asp?did=11422

What's in this Black "Shit" by Mongane Wally Serote‏

It is not the steaming little rot
In the toilet bucket,

Building influence and widening participation not leadership choice is key test for UNISON Labour link‏

The annual conference of UNISON Labour Link takes place in Leeds over the next two days. In a cathartic process – presumably to purge the 2007 uncontested annointment of the disastrous Gordon Brown leadership - the travelling roadshow of Labour leadership candidates will pitch up in one of 50+ hustings taking place before the September ballot of Labour Party members and trade union levy payers.

Tax Dodgers Alliance - masters of recycled misinformation‏

A basic war strategy is to act as a decoy or create a diversion. Such an approach is being practised today by the Tax Dodgers Alliance with its desperate and tiresome media spinning about the ‘union rich list’.

http://bit.ly/b4LOIX

Public sector cuts - 'Tell Dave'‏

UNISON Northern has launched a 'Tell Dave' campaign in response to David Camerons consultation exercise inviting public sector workers to identify cuts. David Cameron has written to public sector workers asking for ideas on reducing the deficit - so let's tell Dave......

• Make the banks cover the cost of the crisis they caused.
  
• Tackle tax avoidance.
• Cut unnecessary defence spending.
• Cut spending on consultants and agency staff.
• Engage with Trade Unions and staff to deliver real efficiency and improvement.

Tell Dave on http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/

Lifting the Gaza blockade - your voice has made a difference‏

Those of you among the 25,000 who signed up to Oxfam's 'Help lift the Gaza blockade' campaign by emailing William Hague will have receive a letter of thanks from Oxfam. The action that made a difference that will allow 1.5 million ordinary Gazans to start importing all food items and some of the many thousands of non-food items Israel has denied them up until now. While only a small step, it is a step. Read below for the letter.....

Restore trade union freedom and scrap the anti union laws Mr Clegg‏

The shallow opportunist (& supposed Deputy Prime Minister) Nick Clegg MP is today launching a ‘Your Freedom’ website which will ask the public to nominate laws and regulations they would like to see abolished. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/politics/10470071.stm

Spanish unions launch an escalating process towards a General Strike on 29 September‏

Yesterday Spain’s two main unión federations CCOO and UGT held demonstrations and rallies in over 40 cities against Government policies which aim to dismantle the social and labour rights of workers to benefit financial markets including a freezing of pension benefits and pay cuts for public sector workers.
http://www.elpais.com/misc/herald/herald.pdf
Also, CCOO and UGT leaders Ignacio Fernandez Toxo and Candido Mendez launched a manifesto for a general strike - planned for September 29 – the ETUC day of action – stating that the protests mark the start of an “escalating process” towards the general strike.
http://www.ccoo.es/

Plans for mass privatisation in Nottinghamshire‏

Tory led Nottinghamshire County Council is intending to privatise 13 services which could lead to over 3000 staff transferring to the private sector.  http://bit.ly/cyRhye

Wishful thinking not enough to secure workers’ rights‏

“Workers’ prosperity has always come through fighting for rights, never from thinking hard about them” says US teamster union leader James Hoffa. http://www.economist.com/node/16422252?story_id=16422252
Hoffa was responding an Economist article which suggested that unions should rediscover “their old role as friendly societies, providing their members with the support they need to confront inevitable changes rather than trying to defend jobs for life” - see review by UNISON Active on 9 June:
http://unisonactive.blogspot.com/2010/06/unions-age-of-austerity.html

Greek unions fight austerity - General Strike today‏

Greek trade unions are staging another general strike today in protest at economic crisis driven labour market reforms including cuts in pay and pensions. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/29/1706076/greeks-walk-off-job-in-general.html
All public services have been shut down and transport, media and industry subject to widespread disruption. Marches have been held in Athens and other cities across Greece.
http://www.pamehellas.gr/main.php?lang=2

Public service unions march at Toronto G20 Summit‏

Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE), led by NUPGE President James Clancy, wearing unmistakable green shirts calling for a Robin Hood tax on financial institutions, made their presence felt at a major march and rally by trade unions and other progressive groups on Saturday at the G20 summit in Toronto.

My boy lollipop? Tory cuts strategy revealed‏

Tory 'trade union envoy' Richard Balfe is suggesting that Government concessions on pensions are the key to securing an accommodation with public sector unions on the massive £100bn cutbacks which will decimate public services and add 500,000 to the dole queue.

Let's make Telegraph scaremongering a self fulfilling reality on 29 September‏

The Daily Telegraph yesterday drew a parallel between the economic and political conditions which led to the 1926 General Strike and the attacks on jobs, services and the welfare state by the neo liberal Con Dem government. http://bit.ly/crkdVY

UNISON protests in Hartlepool against ConDem hospital cuts‏

150 people attended a rally yesterday in the centre of Hartlepool to protest against the decision of the new coalition government to block the building of a new £460m North Tees and Hartlepool hospital which had been given the go ahead by the previous Labour government. All Labour leadership candidates except Ed Miliband attended and spoke along with Clare Williams, UNISON Northern convenor and NEC member.

Employers add insult to injury on local government pay‏

Local government workers in England, Northern Ireland & Wales, currently subjected to an imposed ‘pay freeze’ from 1 April, are being exempted from Government pledge to pay a £250 annual pay rise to public service workers earning less than £21000 per year.

Hasta Siempre Comandante by Carlos Puebla‏

We learned to love you
From historical heights
Were the sun of your courage
Put you close to death.