Worker against worker competition by Jim Sharp‏

worker against worker competition
[creates its own imperatives]

because we're so gude at seeming so servile
they think we can't think things thru
and yet! how mistaken they be
we've allus got our concealed gifts of thought.
this will be proven deadly true
when the right left day dawns
then they shall hear our voices
our mighty deeds, our monumental social continuum.
a raging movement will herald that day
cleaving the top end of town asunder
and all talking shops will tremble
and all dynasties will come crashing down.

http://unionsong.com/u414.html

Fat Cats urge no U-turn on Con Dem cuts‏

Today’s Daily Telegraph reports that the Institute of Directors is arguing that although the Government's austerity measures are vital, the Chancellor's ability to implement them could be derailed by "Whitehall inertia and lobbying from the public sector": http://alturl.com/7tt34
The far right bosses organisation has published a report "Don't go wobbly, George", in which they say "there is a growing danger that if part of the Coalition is already wobbling on a politically sensitive issue like university tuition fees, it might wobble even more on what is a much bigger fiscal issue, not least because political opposition to deficit reduction has yet to reach fever pitch."
http://press.iod.com/2010/12/03/there-is-a-risk-government-will-wobble-on-spending-review-says-iod/

Trade unions confronting climate change in Cancun‏

Until the middle of December, energy and environment ministers representing governments from across the globe, unions and green organisations have taken all up residence in the Mexican party resort of Cancun. http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-18876-f0.cfm

Stop the Funding Being Cut for The People's History Museum‏

The government has announced that funding will be cut to eight “non-national” museums. The North West will be particularly badly hit, with funding chopped from the People’s History Museum, the Museum of Science & Industry, and the National Football Museum.
"Stop the Funding Being Cut for the People's History Museum [in Manchester] and other 'non-national' Museums" hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition service, at: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/MancPHM/ UNISONActive readers are urged to take a look, and consider signing yourself.

Lobby your MP to fight the pensions CPI switch

UNISON is urging members to fight the Government's plan to revalue state benefits and public sector pensions by CPI rather than RPI (CPI generally being 0.7% per annum less) by printing off and sending to your MP a template letter http://www.unison.org.uk/pensions/pages_view.asp?did=12156

Public service workers at their best

As extreme snow conditions hit hard, public service workers across the country have as usual responded above and beyond the call. Here are just a few examples from Edinburgh of the human faces behind the numbers of jobs facing the axe or being sold off.

Defending public services at the heart of today's global struggle‏

“British politicians are calling it ’consolidation’ of the economy, but make no mistake, the attacks on public services are ideological. The cutbacks constitute a direct attack on our legitimacy as a union. We’re in a fight over the right to unionise, and our approach to sustainable income growth through decent work is at real risk. Working people were the first victims of the financial crisis. During the crisis, the international refrain was ’jobs creation and restoring purchase power’”, said Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation at the Public Services International executive board annual meeting, held 17-19 November 2010 in Switzerland. http://tinyurl.com/34khmb6

UNISONActive Analysis: The death spiral of debt - George Osborne watch out‏

Ireland may now be in the 'death spiral of debt' that is a natural end result of fractional reserve banking system of debt issued money. Like the UK and nearly every other country, Ireland has given the power to create money to commercial banks and given the banks a monopoly on the distribution of this money so that the public must borrow it from the banking sector.

Lib Dems oppose cuts?????

They oppose cuts and privatisation. They throw scorn on the Big Society. They are Suffolk Lib Dems. They are backing a petition that says, "As Suffolk citizens, we’re happy to retain responsibility for the control of our lives and we expect Suffolk County Council to retain control of the services it provides for us, as its members were elected to do. If any member feels that he or she is unwilling to do so, we suggest that he or she should resign". How about telling that to Clegg? http://www.facebook.com/savesuffolkcc

The wholesale slaughter of public sector jobs‏

‘The Labour Party must sharpen up its act to effectively and collectively speak out now as the voice for the majority who are taking the hit. It must build a strong opposition and use the policy review to unite all parts of the party behind fairer, progressive policies that resonate with the public,’ says Dave Prentis in a scathing critique of Con Dem austerity measures published on the Labour List website: http://www.labourlist.org/dave-prentis-the-wholesale-slaughter-of-public-sector-jobs

OBR revised numbers cold comfort to at risk workers‏

UNISON GS Dave Prentis has rejected the spin around the economic forecast of the Office for Budget Responsibility – in which it scaled down its forecast of job losses:

'Mobilise and build united coalitions to defeat Con Dems'‏

UNISON NEC member and Northern regional convenor Clare Williams speaks at Tyne and Wear Coalition of Resistance meeting in Newcastle – view on line: http://bit.ly/eFEpKe

Ireland raids its peoples pension fund to pay for failed banks‏

The price extracted for money to bail out Ireland's failed banks is high. The Dublin government will have to raid its national pension fund andother cash reserves for €17.5bn as a condition of the deal to bail out its banks and debt-laden economy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/nov/28/ireland-bailout-contribution-pensions

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people‏

Today is the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, as mandated by resolutions agreed upon by the UN General Assembly.

Massive mandate for strike action at Compass‏

Cleaners, Domestics, Porters and Catering workers employed by the global company Compass - Medirest have voted massively for strike action over non payment of Agenda for Change.

How a genteel Scot fuelled revolution in South Africa

She was born into a white middle-class family in Kilmarnock, but when she died last year Nelson Mandela paid tribute to Eleanor Kasrils - the 'genteel and elegant Scottish woman' who helped ferment revolution in Africa, establish underground ANC cells in Scotland, and challenged Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s.A special report in the Herald http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/how-a-genteel-scot-fuelled-revolution-in-south-africa-1.1071242

Wales unites to fight Con Dem cuts‏

A Wales TUC special conference was held on Friday and united around its opposition to the Con Dem government cuts - declaring that the coalition has ‘no mandate from Wales and no mandate for their cuts’.

1,000 jobs at risk - so much for pay freeze bringing job security

Shared services could cost 1,000 jobs in the west of Scotland reports the Herald http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/politics/joint-services-could-cost-1000-jobs-at-councils-1.1071200 UNISON's Mike Kirby tells the paper: “The Scottish Government has promised the public service workforce that a pay freeze would be in exchange for job security. The figures coming out of Arbuthnott (the shared services report) fly in the face of that pledge and show the severe personal cost the unions always said would come with shared services.”

Libraries are culturally irreplaceable‏

Catherine Bennet, in today's Observer, says that although the 250 libraries earmarked for closure because of Con Dem spending cuts, "offer something culturally irreplaceable...it is becoming clear that Mr Cameron's government will do nothing to protect them". http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/28/library-closures-catherine-bennett

Workers rise up in Dublin and Rome (& a conference is held in London)‏

Over 100 000 joined in yesterday’s Dublin protest against austerity measures organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11849568

Beyond New Labour - But to Where?‏

The full text of Ed Miliband’s speech to yesterday’s Labour Party National Policy Forum is available on line at: http://www.labourmatters.com/the-labour-party/ed-miliband-weve-got-to-move-beyond-new-labour/

Roaring Meg by Peter Branson‏

Closing time, Saturday, ‘Top o’ the Trent’:
it’s nothing personal. Mix alcohol
with youth in equal quantities round here,
there’s always some bloke boiling for a fight.