Noise by Peter Redgrove

Suddenly in this dream I was printer’s ink
Poured through the presses, patterned in every man’s
  mind,

Fund Mergers - the Silver Bullet in LGPS Negotiations?

Local government pension schemes will be free to reform the fund without imposing a 3.2 percentage point increase on employees' contributions, the government has announced. The LGPS has been granted autonomy to formulate its own package of reforms while still helping deliver additional 'savings' of £3.8bn required for all schemes across the public sector by the Treasury:  http://www.professionalpensions.com/professional-pensions/news/2095677/lgps-freed-contribution-increase-rule#ixzz1Skjq5TeG

Debtocracy - a documentary on the Greek crisis

Aris Hatzistefanu and Katerina Kitidi are the directors and researchers of “Debtocracy” a full length documentary on the Greek Crisis (74 mins) and can be viewed with the English subtitles button (top right). It's distributed under Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 license and has had over 1 million views so far. http://www.debtocracy.gr/

BDS Campaign : Israeli Democracy and Human Rights

In an open letter to The Herald newspaper in Scotland, Mike Kirby, Scottish Secretary questions potential attacks on the human rights organisation, B'Tselem, which has been supported by UNISON.

The Co-op Good with Food...bad with pensions

With the Coalition Government and certain councils pushing for co-ops as the future model for public services the issue of pensions yet again rears its head.

What they say and what they mean..

In the phrase "Greek bail out" "Greek" means " Banks in France, Germany and the UK". "Bail out" means "collecting on a bet even though the horse was shot". Austerity means this http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,775301,00.html

Robbing Pensioners of £15bn to Pay Bankers £14bn?

Local Government Pension Scheme pensioners have had £15billion stolen from them since April 2011. Why? Because the imposed change to CPI to increase their pensions had the effect of reducing payments to them by around £15 billion going forward to 2013.

Cameron two steps away from the axe?

What links David Cameron to a murder in a South London pub in 1987 the year the News International dispute at Wapping ended? And could this be one of the reasons he will be forced to quit? Pressure is mounting.

Russell Tribunal on Palestine will convene in Cape Town's iconic District Six

The third session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine is to convene in Cape Town in November to answer the question whether the treatment of Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories fits the international legal definitions of the crime of apartheid.

UNISON calls in troops for pensions' fight-back

More than 200 senior activists and UNISON staff from across the UK, will gather in London today (19 July), to draw up a fighting strategy for the next stage in the union’s pension campaign. http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2372

Murdoch Protest today at Parliament

The Coalition of Resistance is calling on all its supporters who can get there to join today's protest against the Murdoch empire, its corruption of our democracy, and its relentless attacks on working people, public services, and the welfare state – at 1.30PM Portcullis House Westminster http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/2011/07/protest-when-murdoch-comes-to-parliament-19-july/

Students & unemployed workers no substitute for working members

The Guardian reports that ‘Unite will offer students, single parents and the jobless 50p per week "community memberships"’:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jul/17/unite-start-reduced-membership

Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival‏: Weaving international solidarity with local disputes

The 77th Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival opened at the weekend with its usual mix of politics, music, comedy and drama, blended with solidarity and diversity. After a rain-lashed start, Saturday morning opened with a UNISON sponsored debate on the NHS with John Healey, Roger McKenzie speaking, chaired by Joanne Kaye, UNISON South West Regional Secretary.

The long fight against austerity & cuts – local, national & global

‘Uniting those inside the workplaces with those outside them but who use the services provided from the workplaces can be a powerful alliance’ writes Gregor Gall in an assessment of how local struggles against Con Dem cuts can be generalised into a campaign of resistance: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/107069

Tolpuddle Man by Graham Moore

Farewell to my family, it's now I must leave you
That far fabled shore in chains we shall see
Although we are taken, do not be mistaken
As brothers in union, we shall be free