Driving a harder bargain against austerity

#undc13 A key debate on bargaining through austerity noted that UNISON members are faced with 'the most severe economic and political challenges for a decade' leading to widespread attacks on pay and conditions. Clare Williams of Northern region called for UNISON to be 'at the forefront of campaigning and challenging at local, regional and national level.' Full speech below.

Fighting austerity in the North East

Red Pepper interviews Clare Williams, Regional Convenor of UNISON's Northern Region, about the impact of austerity in one of Britain's most socio-economically deprived regions and how the labour movement is fighting back. 'What I’d really like to see is that we continue to build, strengthen and deepen those alliances so that the majority of people understand that there is an alternative. Then when we get to the next general election, we vote out the present government who are clearly only focussed and concerned with a minority of people in society rather than the majority' says Clare:
http://www.redpepper.org.uk/austerity-bites-hard-in-the-north-east/

Austerity isn't working - Clare Williams

‏#undc12 In one of the first debates of Conference, Clare Williams, Northern regional delegate, powerfully outlined the impact of Con Dem austerity on the regions, particularly in the North of England:

"We are living in an age of austerity - but austerity for who? The Government's economic and political policies are having a devasting impact on ordinary people, and on some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society.

What do people in the North think about the pensions dispute?

If you only listened to what the media are telling us about the public’s views on public sector workers, and their defence of jobs, pensions, pay and in the services they deliver you would believe that everyone agrees with the Coalition Government’s view. This is clearly not the case as a recent YouGov poll carried out in the North East shows.

NHS reforms scaled back - really?

The response to the Government's Health White Paper showed the level of anger at plans to dismantle the NHS, and hand it over to profiteers: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nhs-reform-scaled-back-after-review-2297267.html

Middlesbrough rallies against Con Dem cuts

Hundreds of public sector workers, campaigners, local politicans, and trade unionists came together yesterday in Middlesbrough as part of the Northern Public Services Alliance programme of activities to highligh the impact of the Coalition Government's disastrous economic policies.
http://www.itv.com/tynetees/unions-rally-over-cuts50295

'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