Unions Together

Tory plans would mean 40,000 jobs axed, say experts.

10.04.10

Tory plans would mean 40,000 jobs axed, say experts. From the Financial Times: "David Cameron’s efficiency chief has told him to cut the public payroll by up to £2bn within a year of the general election… The projected saving implies that at least 20,000 to 40,000 public sector jobs would go during the next 12 months, said experts."

Of course, the Tories are trying to wriggle out of taking responsibility for what their cuts would mean for the families affected. They’re claiming they could cut the payroll bill without having make people redundant. So, how does one cut the public payroll without firing anybody? Well, they say you simply reduce the usage of contract and agency staff, and don't refill vacant posts (a process known as 'natural wastage') That way, no one actually gets sacked... Or, so they say.

But, they would say that wouldn’t they. The problem with their argument, however, is that many so-called 'natural wastage' savings have already been made. So, where else could the money come from? The only other way to make payroll cuts, especially at such a short timescale (only 12 months) is to cut jobs. That means 40,000 job losses in the public sector. And that's just the first year. We still know nothing of their plans for the public sector over the long-term. We do know what they did to the public sector last time though…

And, of course, these 40,000 are only the beginning. Slashing public spending doesn’t just threaten those who work directly for the public sector – it will threaten those who work in the private sector fulfilling government contracts. Slashing spending on government projects means less jobs in the private sector too.

Last time, the Tories told us unemployment was a “price worth paying”. Tell that to thousands of families who will be affected if tens of thousands of jobs are scrapped!

Join the campaign to make sure the Tories don't get their hands on the public payroll!

The Fairness Pledge

09.04.10

Approaching 60% of British children who fall below the poverty line live in households where at least one adult is in work. Children growing up in poor households are more likely to have poor health, to perform badly at school, to become teenage parents, and to come into early contact with the police. This costs us all in many ways. Shamefully, we also have the largest gender pay gap in the EU, and two thirds of low paid workers are women, meaning poverty in the UK has a female face.

Thousands of British people are known not to be receiving even the minimum wage of £5.80. And yet poverty experts report that a single adult, working full time, needs to earn at least £6.88 an hour to reach the most basic weekly standard of living; and much more in cities like London.

In 2010, this is a shameful state of affairs. Those who did the least to cause the current recession are suffering the most. We the undersigned, working for social justice and collectively representing millions of British people, call upon all prospective parliamentary candidates in the 2010 general election to pledge to act in support of those receiving poverty pay in their constituency by endorsing the five urgent asks:

Barbara Stocking CBE (Oxfam), Neil Jameson (London Citizens), Brendan Barber (TUC), Shan Nicholas (Child Poverty Action Group), Wes Streeting (NUS), Billy Hayes (CWU), Stephen Burke (Counsel and Care), Dave Prentis (UNISON), Sally Hunt (UCU), Dr Katherine Rake (The Fawcett Society), Derek Simpson/Tony Woodley (Unite the Union), Bob Crow (RMT), Peter Kenway (New Policy Institute), Paul Kenny (GMB), Fiona Weir (Gingerbread: One Parent Families), Don Flynn (Migrants Rights Network), Mark Serwotka (PCS), Eileen Devaney (UK Coalition against Poverty)

THE CANDIDATE’S PLEDGE: FAST FORWARD TO FAIRNESS:

1. Safeguard the poorest: I commit to support an annual increase of the National Minimum Wage in real terms; to encourage the independence of the Low Pay Commission and to support a meaningful increase in resources for NMW enforcement

2. Spend our money ethically: I commit to actively encourage and support my local authority in the introduction of “living wage clauses” in every single public procurement contract that it awards to private contractors.

3. Learn from the best: I pledge to follow the example of employers like London Olympics 2012, Barclays and KPMG and generate employer interest in and support initiatives to introduce living wage policies in the public, private and third sectors as soon as possible.

4. End discrimination: I commit to actively encourage the government to strengthen laws relating to pay discrimination on the grounds of gender, race and disability by requiring all organisations to publish pay audits showing pay rates for men and women, including ethnicity and disability, at all levels

5. Public Sector in the Vanguard: I commit to parliamentary activity to root out low pay in the public sector in which almost a quarter of all low-paid jobs reside.

We can’t let the Tories threaten Britain’s economic recovery.

07.04.10

A report by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), one of the foremost authorities on global economic matters, says that, as predicted in Alistair Darling's budget, Britain's economy is starting to grow again – estimated at 3.1% a year. That puts Britain ahead of every other G7 nation except resource-rich Canada.

Yet, the report emphasises caution in light of what it calls the "fragility of the recovery". There are many variables at play in shaping an economy, and market forces can be incredibly volatile. This, they said "underscore(s) the need for caution in the removal of policy support." Otherwise, we could very well fall into a so-called 'double-dip recession', risking even greater job losses and long-term economic damage.

The Tories, however, seem to have their collective heads in the sand on this issue. This is the same party arguing for "clear and courageous cuts", an "emergency budget" seemingly designed only to introduce swingeing cuts, and whose Chancellor promised to introduce an "age of austerity" if given the reigns.

How can the Tories argue for swingeing cuts, even though top economists say it will threaten Britain's recovery? Simple: it's ideological. They don't care if cutting will threaten jobs and the economy at large; at their core, their first concern is the size of the deficit, and nothing more.

Remember, when faced with the last recession the Tories claimed that unemployment was "a price worth paying". Their policies resulted in a recession with higher unemployment, higher crime, higher foreclosure rates, and a slower recovery than we've faced. That is despite the fact that this recession is categorically worse in economic terms.

Do you really want to give the Tories the chance to threaten the recovery and the job market?

Join the campaign to make sure they don’t have the chance.

Chris Grayling: did he mean what he said? Either way, it’s the same old Tories

06.04.10

Chris Grayling, the Tory shadow Home Secretary, made headlines this weekend after it was revealed that he supported the right of B&B owners to turn away gay and lesbian couples. Speaking to a right-wing think tank, Grayling was secretly taped saying that B&B owners should have to right to decide "who does and who doesn't come into their home".

Of course, as the Tories' chosen heir to the Home Office throne, Grayling should well know that, under regulations introduced by Labour (and, of course, opposed by the Tories) any business, even one run from home, cannot discriminate based on sexual orientation, and they're also prohibited from discriminating on other grounds, such as race and religion.

Many on the blogosphere have accused Grayling of being a homophobe, but it’s not as simple as that. The truth is, Grayling rebelled against his party and voted for the very regulations that prohibit this kind of discrimination. Yet, when faced with a gaggle of right-wing true believers, he claimed to oppose the very tenets of the legislation he voted for.

The Tories say one thing and do another. Can you really trust them? The Home Secretary is a major office of state, with huge powers over our lives . Can we really afford to have someone who says one thing and does another in such a key position? The answer is a clear 'no!'. Equality isn’t negotiable.

Get involved!

Sign our petition-

David Cameron would pull Britain out of the Social Chapter, one of the most important pieces of equality legislation ever introduced in Britain. Click here to sign our petition letting him know that that's unacceptable.

Campaign Weekends-

Click here to find a campaign weekend in your area. Your help will contribute to stopping Cameron, Grayling, and their cronies from getting their hands on the country.

More information

A record of who voted which way on the "Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations", the legislation banning business from discriminating against LGBT people: The Public Whip

An article going in depth on the comments and the reaction: The Guardian

This election is a choice

06.04.10

It's time.

This morning, Gordon Brown called the election.

As GMB general secretary, my top priority is speaking up for the best interests of our members. And now it's the turn of working people like you to decide who is going to speak up for you in Parliament.

In the last 13 years of Labour government, the 600,000 workers I represent have experienced real change. I remember the bad old days under the Tories, when kids had to wear their coats into school because the government wouldn't pay for heating. But things have changed since then. I want to make sure my grandchildren continue to get the first class education they are receiving at their newly built local school.

Governing is difficult, and we know that over the last 13 years Labour hasn't always lived up to all our expectations. They haven't given union members everything we've asked for. But, when it comes down to it, Labour has changed Britain for the better.

And what about the Tories? Make no mistake, we know what they stand for: greed. Big cuts to public spending, soaring unemployment, scrapping rules that give mums and dads time off - and tax cuts for millionaires. The Tories would wreck Britain. No wonder they have 63 bankers standing as their candidates in this election. They don't speak for ordinary people.

Union members face a choice. The day after the election, we are either going to wake up with a Labour government, or a Tory government - it's as simple as that. Labour or Tory. Fairness or greed.

It's a choice we all have to make. If you don't cast your vote, you will still have to live with the consequences of the election - and that could be 5 long years of Tory rule. The consequences of that Tory rule will be dire for everyone except the wealthiest few, which is why we need to do everything we can to stop it happening. We need to make sure people are voting Labour, and where possible are getting active and helping campaign for Labour too.

That's why we are calling a weekend of action on 17th and 18th April. We are asking you to give up just an hour or two of your time, to help prevent 5 long years of the Tories. I'll be out campaigning that weekend, and I hope to see as many union activists as possible joining me - letting other people know the truth about the choice we all face on polling day. Click here to find out the nearest event to you:

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/weekend-of-action

This election is a choice for all of us - do we want a government that cares for the majority, or one that just protects the narrow interests of a wealthy minority? To me, the choice this election remains clear, which is why I'll be casting my vote for Labour.

Paul Kenny

General Secretary, GMB

TULO Campaigning in Stoke

16.03.10

A group of Trade Union and local Labour Party activists hit the streets in Bentilee and Townsend ward in Stoke-on-Trent Central on Saturday to deliver local Labour Party material.

The group of around 30 campaigners delivered to over 3,500 households in the area, which is represented by three BNP Councillors. 

Why this expectant mum can’t sleep

02.03.10

A growing belly, worrying about what pram to buy and wondering about baby names... . As an expectant mum, there is already so much keeping me up at night.

Now, my sleepless nights are spent worrying over the extra challenges mums could face if the Conservative Party takes control at the general election. What will happen if they strip away the protections our government affords working families and mums-to-be like me?

This Mother's Day, Unions Together is giving me something constructive to think about during those sleepless nights - slogans that tell the Tories we're not going to give them the chance to destroy families' rights. We're collecting loads of ideas and will plaster the best slogan on one of those mobile billboards and drive right up to Tory headquarters with it.

Tell us your ideas for a slogan we can use to protect the rights of mums and working families. Contribute your ideas now:

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/yourslogan

As I prepare myself for motherhood, I know I face a host of life changes. But one change I will not accept is the Tories threatening my rights during pregnancy.

Right now our government protects the health and safety of workers who are pregnant, those who have recently given birth, and women who are breastfeeding. They make sure that if I need to go to an antenatal checkup during work time, I can't have my wages docked. Rights like these are guaranteed because of European law. Cameron has made it clear that he wants to pull Britain out of European social and employment guarantees like these.

Families are facing more burdens today than ever before. My baby will be born after the general election, and the worry of what a Tory government could mean for me and my new family is one burden too many. Let's send a message to Cameron that working families' rights matter, and let's make sure that voters know what the Tories really stand for.

Please take a few minutes and add your slogans to mine. I can't wait to see the ideas we come up with:

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/yourslogan

I hope to soon be spending my sleepless nights worrying about baby names, not about what rights a Tory government might take away. That's why I'll be out campaigning, baby bump and all, to make sure the Tories don't get the chance.

Thanks for all your help,

Claire

Merry Christmas.  Happy New Year?

05.01.10

I just wanted to share these with you – it’s a few photos we took in Conservative Central Office of all places!

Thousands of you signed our Christmas Card to David Cameron asking him to drop his callous threat to our right to fair holidays. And here’s what happened when we delivered Cameron’s special Christmas treat!

For some reason, Dave is yet to respond – so we’ll be escalating the campaign in the coming weeks and months. You can still add your name to our Christmas card here. It’s important that we act - because all of us deserve fair working rights – and Cameron presents the greatest to these for decades.

But for now – enjoy! And we’ll be in touch soon about where our campaign goes next.

Cameron’s Callous Christmas - your stories

21.12.09

Since we launched our campaign to stop David Cameron threatening all of our Christmases last week we've been overwhelmed by the response.  Thousands of people have signed our Christmas card to David Cameron which demands that he drops his callous plans.  And hundreds of you wrote in to us at TULO to tell us why you took action.

Here's just a few of the stories that have been sent in:

Billy, one of our members from Dunbartonshire said:  "David Cameron should realise that terms and conditions should not be eroded especially now that wage rises have been virtually frozen.We might not have the money to spend on our families but we need the time. Time costs nothing."

Paul from Glasgow added "removing the holiday rights of ordinary working families just further proves that David Cameron and the Tories think on behalf of the "haves" as they have always done, whilst ordinary working families are due less".

John from Lancashire has also commented that, "working in the education sector, I am witnessing greater numbers of staff (both teaching & support) falling victim to work related stress. The importance of holidays & breaks cannot be over emphasised. Holidays are sometimes the only way to recapture some level of normallity in an increasingly pressurised world"

Labour have fought for, a will continue to fight for these rights.  Its important that workers are treated fairly - and the Unions must take much credit for the real and genuine progress we've made in the past 12 years.

But your words are better than mine ever could be - so I want to wrap up this post with a final comment from Alan who speaks for many of us when saying: "Its simple. Christmas should be about being with loved ones"

Just makes you think what the Tories would be like in power doesn't it?

Giving my family hope

15.10.09

Up in Newcastle we have long been fighting for justice for pleural plaque sufferers, in particular for my dad.

He was diagnosed with pleural plaques a few years ago and it actually broke our hearts, after we found out the repercussions. We were horrified when the House of Lords decided that pleural plaques sufferers were not eligible for compensation because of its "lack of symptoms"... it scars the lungs! How can they say that it has no symptoms!? We were also horrified to find out that if you have pleural plaques, they won't give you life insurance... so there must be something wrong there.

We read in the evening chronicle that they were heading a campaign for justice so we eagerly jumped on board.

We decided to send petitions around everywhere we could. Peoples' reactions were generally good - they were disgusted to find out that people like my dad who have worked all of their lives are being forgotten. The unionstogether video gave my family hope that other people are campaigning for the same thing as us.

I just hope that my dad will last until my wedding day so he can walk me down the aisle in three years time. It’s terrifying to think that someone so close to you is going to be taken away by something which they can’t be blamed for. I hope that we shall get a ruling soon, as it would benefit so many people like my dad who deserve to be compensated for what they have to endure.

If you can please sign any petitions online, and send an email to Alistair Darling and Peter Mandelson, that would be great. The evening chronicle has been campaigning for justice for a while now and its a breath of fresh air to know that it is a nationwide thing, rather than just a regional thing.

Thank you for giving my family hope, especially my dad.

Vicky x