UNISON Active: 04/07/2010

Saturday, 10 July 2010

Market is on the march in the NHS‏

The market is on the march in the NHS according to a preview of an upcoming Government White paper by Allyson Pollock and David Price in today’s Guardian. A major share of the NHS budget, (£80bn) could be handed over to private corporations which will buy hospital and community health services on behalf of General Practitioners.

Doàn Kêt by Meridel Le Sueur‏

How can we touch each other, my sisters?
How can we hear each other over the criminal space?
How can we touch each other over the agony of bloody roses?
I always feel you near, your sorrow like a wind in the
great legend of your resistance, your strong and delicate strength.

Friday, 9 July 2010

Lollypop Louise defeats BNP in Barking & Dagenham‏

UNISON NEC member Louise Couling clearly defeated BNP Nazi Richard Barnbrook in yesterday's by-election in Barking & Dagenham. http://grayee.blogspot.com/2010/07/lollypop-louise-defeats-bnp-in-barking.html

UNISON Active debate - How do we roll the union on?‏

The ideological heirs to Thatcher have now condemned us to five years of hell. This will be a war for the very survival of public services in this country, along with hundreds of thousands of job losses and attacks on terms and conditions. This will test the capacity and will of every UNISON member, like never before. http://bit.ly/96sklb

Thursday, 8 July 2010

UNISON rejects fat cat attack on public sector pensions

UNISON Scotland has strongly rejected the latest attack on public sector pensions as simply scaremongering by fat cats anxious to keep their own incomes bloated at the expense of cuts for ordinary workers in both public and private sectors. http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2010/julyaug/0707.htm

Is Organising in the private sector mission critical to UNISON?‏

“As we campaign against socially divisive and economically counter-productive cuts in the public sector - as we defend the jobs, pay and pensions of dedicated public servants who are being made to suffer for the bankers' recession, and defend the services that millions of people rely upon - we must not lose sight of the central organising challenge we face. And that, of course, is rebuilding our presence in the private sector” said TUC Deputy General Secretary Francis O’Grady earlier this week
http://www.tuc.org.uk/organisation/tuc-18167-f0.cfm?

TUC OWN GOAL IN WORLD CUP YEAR

UNISON’s TUC delegation yesterday agreed the union’s three motions to this year’s annual TUC Congress in Manchester. Given a choice of four motions, the delegation had little hesitation in agreeing that the priorities were motions on Public Services, Pensions and Benefit cuts and Housing.

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Save the NHS from death by one thousand cuts‏

The recent budget announced on 22 June by Osborne and his Coalition government brings with it the most stringent cuts to public services in recent years. Amongst the hype is the repeated mantra that NHS funding is ring-fenced. Although the NHS, at this time might not be facing the savage cuts of other departments the myths must be challenged.

EU pensions Green Paper: "Unrealistic" says ETUC‏

Commentary on the pensions green paper issued today by the European Commission: John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said “Where is the evidence that employers want to keep older workers in work? We know the life expectation is rising but see no evidence that a higher age of retirement would be matched by employers developing workplaces which encourage older workers to remain at work.

Now is the time to Organise the Unorganised‏

Faced as we are now with a determined attempt by both government and many employers to destroy trade unions, we need to work out what our priorities are as a movement. For as long as trade unionism delivers benefits to workers, employers will be seeking to destroy the source of our power – collective organisation.

The case for Socially-Responsible Public Procurement‏

Last week, SOLIDAR - a network of NGOs working to advance social justice in Europe - co-signed a letter coordinated by the Fair Trade Advocacy Office addressed to the EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Services.

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Budd feared Tories use unemployment as class weapon‏

Sir Alan Budd, who resigned as head of the new Office for Budget Responsibility today, warned against early spending cuts and accused Thatcher of waging class war, writes George Eaton on the New Statesman blog http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/07/class-war-budd-thatcher-cuts

Union-Labour link - Coalition poised to move in for the kill‏

The Times is reporting today that ‘the Conservatives are planning an assault on Labour’s historic link with the unions’. Current arrangements whereby a member opts out of payment of a political levy will be replaced by a legal requirement to opt in. http://www.timesplus.co.uk/tto/news/login=false&url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article2588587.ece
(subscription required)

Economics for Everyone

You don’t have to be an economist to understand the reasons why the Tories are wrong. Try reading “Private Speculation rather than Public Profligacy is the real villain of the Labour Years……..”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/05/government-borrowing-public-sector-cuts

See the Real Venezuela this August: Further Details of this Unique Opportunity!‏

An Invitation to See Venezuela’s Inspiring Social Progress Firsthand – Places Still Available On Solidarity Delegation in August (13-23) 2010!

Chamber of Commerce? Chamber of Horrors more like it!‏

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme this morning a representative of Chamber of Commerce spokesperson stated that the public sector should not only lose 1.3m jobs but also have a pay cut, similar to that in the private sector.

G20 Toronto Summit - historic opportunity missed‏

'The big winners were the same financial institutions responsible for the economic crisis in the first place. Rather than seize the opportunity to act, the G-20 leaders failed to agree on any new regulations for the financial sector' says James Clancy President of Canadian public sector workers union NUPGE reviewing the outcome of last week’s G20 summit held in Toronto:
http://www.nupge.ca/content/3377/presidents-commentary-decisions-g-20-leaders-point-bleak-future-struggling-families

Monday, 5 July 2010

Tories conspiring to strengthen anti union laws?‏

Cameron is poised to become even more Thatcher than Thatcher. According to the Daily Mail he is in 'secret' talks with Ministers and Tory Mayor of London Boris Johnson over the introduction of even more anti trade union laws. http://bit.ly/aeeRtF

Cuban solidarity - a two way street‏

It is over four years since the European Trade Union Solidarity Conference with Cuba and Latin America took place in London’s City Hall and over 260 delegates representing more than 70 trade unions from 20 countries came together to participate in a unique event of friendship and solidarity organised by the British Trades Union Congress and Cuba Solidarity Campaign.

Have the NJC local government unions been derecognised for collective bargaining?‏

"Is the end in sight for national pay bargaining?" asks Labour Research Department in a recent feature on the demise of local government’s National Joint Council.
http://www.lrd.org.uk/issue.php?pagid=1&issueid=1393

Log in to the Con Dem consultation website to register your support for trade union freedom: http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/repealing-unnecessary-laws/repeal-trades-union-laws-improve-trades-union-freedom
Repeal all anti trades union legislation and replace with the following bill of rights:

Self Portrait by Frank Marshall Davis‏

I would be
A painter with words