You can’t help but wanting to kick the telly every time they come on, and that’s just for what you can see happen or begin to experience. The jolly hockeystick bunch should carry a health warning, ¼ of whom are private landlords and 23 of the 29 ,of just the cabinet ,are millionaires. With an estimated membership of the Tories of 130,000 down from 300,000 when Cameron got it in, them as democratic representatives is a quite a sick joke! Hardly any wonder they are changing rules as though it’s just a game of monopoly.
There are little to no negative consequences to them expect that it will maintain there wealth and see us struggle even more on a daily basis. More of us are cutting down on what we eat, the price of it, the volume, or having to go to foodbanks, today’s modern day soup kitchens. We are cutting back on heating our homes, and more of us are living in insecure housing. Those with their own homes are loosing them on a daily basis or just about keeping them in highly tense and stressful circumstances.
In direct attack at trade union hard fought rights, the Tories are also proposing that workers can swap rights for shares, including maternity rights from 16 weeks to 8!
There are alternatives to austerity – PCS, one of our supporting unions, have clearly and continuously argued against austerity and proposed ways to fund welfare and general social needs. On the day Cameron speaks about sharing out privilege and the week Osborne tells us that £10billion of the extra £16billion cuts will be attacks on welfare – one of the biggest companies in the world, Facebook is outed as avoiding millions in UK corporation tax! Unite now joins this argument more publicly with its new briefing demands: Rent and energy bill caps, an increase in the minimun wage, house building, collection the unpaid taxes by big business and stop wasting money on failing PFI and privatization. It cost £2billion to reorganize the NHS alone!
The stakes for us in this are high, quite literally life and death. At a Southwark Trades Council public meeting last night John McDonnell MP spoke of how 5 young men had stepped in front of trains in the last 4 months at his local station and that research had shown that the rise in suicide and violence esculated at times of a recession. With another attack on young people and housing benefit, the boot continues, and a further £10 billlion of cuts. As though enough hasn’t been cut? John McDonnell also put his support for a general strike, which April Ashley (Unison NEC) had raised as part of the strategy to defeat the cuts. (STC, CWU Birmingham & Black country, Bucks Health Unison & Unite Housing workers carried the motion to support a general strike unanimously! Unite Housing workers added support to the call by NUT NEC to write to other TUC affiliates to explore the practicalities of building joint action on pay, pensions and jobs and for Unite to support this More
This is the fight of our lives and we need everybody involved. We would encourage you to take part in the 20th Oct protests & join us in handing out material for a general strike and discussing how practically we can do that. (Contact [email protected])
Call, text, email and use all mediums available to you to encourage others, tell them your taking part and arrange to meet up.
We have events and meetings up and down the UK.
NSSN Meetings – Tonight is the first in Coventry, ‘ How to build a general strike’ .
For those who use social media – we will be plugging away on our facebook groups and using tweet with @NSSN_AntiCuts: Hashtag #Oct20 plus #NSSN and perhaps for the ‘#TUCnametheday’?
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NSSN steering committee met at the weekend to review our strategy to fight the unnecessary cuts and our successful lobby of the TUC for a general strike. Everyone there was practically working to put that motion into action by having meetings, discussions, sending round petitions etc in workplaces and in their local anti cuts group.
We also agreed to ensure we have more specific material on the NHS and campaigns on fighting cuts with the aim to win! We are aware of some excellent NHS campaigns and felt it important to link our industrial strategy as a key tool in the process to develop trade union activists and industrial campaigns. South West NSSN are having public meetings on the attacks facing NHS works…
Our new NSSN NHS bulletin is also now online Plus other new articles on our website include one of our Anticuts Steering committee member, Terry Pearce, to Save Heatherwood Hospital – Fight to Win! And the proposed cuts to East Midlands Ambulance service is facing massive cuts in services, from Charlie Taylor. Mid Yorkshire Health Staff are also now balloting for action over redundancy’s and pay.
Other NSSN Leaflets, Petitions and flyers on our website.
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NUT
NUT NEC & NSSN Steering Committee member Martin Powell-Davis Report on the successful first phase of non-strike action. More Martin also reported on the NUT NEC, which unanimously agreed to start to build on the motions in the TUC of co-ordination national action. Specifically. The NUT agreed to write to other TUC affiliates to explore the practicalities of building joint action on pay, pensions and jobs. More
The Local Associations Network also met with 23 associations attending after packed meetings of NUT Easter conference to return to collective action in opposition to attacks, develop a fight back on workloads and More.
PCS
Join the fight for the civil service. In addition to raiding their pensions and freezing their pay, the government is now mounting unprecedented attacks on civil servants’ terms and conditions. More
Massive vote for strike at Capita in Liverpool. Low-paid staff who work for Capita at the Criminal Records Bureau in Liverpool have voted nine to one to strike over pay. In a ballot 91% voted for a strike and other forms of industrial action on an 82% turnout.
Help take anti-cuts petition to 100,000. Sign now to tell the government to stop and review the cuts to benefits and services, which fall disproportionately on disabled people, their carers and families. Deadline of November 1, so please sign the petition for a parliamentary debate on the issue. Also share youtube video.
RMT
Evidence unearthed has revealed that all of the rail franchises currently eligible for receiving taxpayer financial support under loaded contract rules are now claiming it with the exception of Northern Rail and London Midland who could move onto the same special measures shortly. More
Tube driver action prevents potentially lethal incident with 12-year-old boy and highlights case for “detrainment” staff. More
RMT demanded that the review of franchising in the wake of the West Coast fiasco, being undertaken by Eurostar CEO Richard Brown, examine in full the cheaper and more efficient option of renationalisation. More
RMT is organising a further protest on the south coast to raise awareness of the impact on shipping jobs of social dumping and the exploitation of oversees workers by the shipping companies. More
Scottish signallers step up strike action in long-running rosters dispute. More
RMT, along with supporters from the community, will be stepping up the demand next week that Mayor Boris Johnson increases the London living wage to £10 per hour, benefiting cleaners and other low-paid workers. More
CWU
Walkout by 150 postal workers in Preston took place this week over the companies refusal to suspend a worker. More
CWU postal executive has agreed to ballot members working for maintenance and facilities firm Romec on possible industrial action as company chiefs continue to stall on 2012 pay talks. More
UNITE
First Cymru Bus strike: Bus services in Swansea, Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire were devastated by a one day strike for a decent pay rise without strings by drivers and engineers at First Cymru Bus. They had voted to reject an offer of 5% over 15 months despite it being recommended by UNITE full time officials. More
More than 180 drivers at the Tesco distribution centre in Doncaster will strike for 48 hours next week, disrupting supplies to Tesco stores across the region. More
Unite members at Amnesty International UK (AIUK) staged a second day of strike action on Wednesday 10 October over a large-scale cost cutting programme, including compulsory redundancies. More
Cumbernauld DHL workers vote for strike action in pay dispute | Unite Scotland. Unite Scotland members at the Cumbernauld-based DHL Supply Chain will take industrial action after a long-running dispute over pay and the future of the site.
JLR shop stewards vote in favour of two-year pay deal.The stewards, who met at the Jaguar Castle Bromwich social club, voted overwhelmingly to accept the deal for the 21,000-strong workforce at Castle Bromwich and Solihull in the West Midlands, Halewood on Merseyside and the research sites at Gaydon and Whitley, also in the West Midlands.
JLR shop stewards vote in favour of two-year pay deal.The stewards, who met at the Jaguar Castle Bromwich social club, voted overwhelmingly to accept the deal for the 21,000-strong workforce at Castle Bromwich and Solihull in the West Midlands, Halewood on Merseyside and the research sites at Gaydon and Whitley, also in the West Midlands.
Industrial action suspended at blood transfusion service. The situation had been complicated by the fact the blood centre at Filton was temporarily shut for a week because of the recent heavy rain. Filton is built on a flood plain. More
Southampton council workers vote to accept deal to end pay cut dispute. More
Visteon Pensioners protest at Tory Party Conference.
FBU
Pension update! Matt Wrack FBU General Secretary “The pension campaign is far from over. The current Government proposals are unworkable, unrealistic, unsustainable, and therefore remain unacceptable.” More
The Fire Brigades Union has condemned East Sussex Fire Authority’s decision to risk public safety by proposing to move towards the downgrading of the Ridge fire station in Hastings. A lively march took place last weekend to fight this Front line fire and rescue services across the county are in danger of being axed due to drastic spending cuts. Less than two years after ‘efficiency savings’ saw firefighters made redundant and stations close, West Sussex County Council are demanding further savings. More
On the 16th of October, Suffolk County Council Cabinet will meet and are expected to agree the decision to remove the immediate full-time emergency response capability in Felixstowe.
NUJ
The NUJ has entered into dispute proceedings with the BBC Scotland over its selection process for redundancies. The corporation is looking for a possible 15 compulsory redundancies. More
UCU
Gateshead College lecturers to strike over unfeasible hike in working hours.
VICTIMISATION
Crossrail – daily protests against the sacking of 28 EIS workers at Westbourne Park in West London continue 7am-12pm
New leaflet “London’s new tube line – tax dodging disgrace”. London’s new 18 billion pound tube line, Crossrail is costing taxpayers double the cost of the Olympics. Yet tax avoidance scams by the contractors building it are rife and serious health and safety concerns for construction workers are ignored. Tell Crossrail London underground passengers want an end to tax avoidance and a safe environment for construction workers. Email [email protected]
UBS – Unite protest over sacking of shop steward at the Camden depot – reinstate Winston Dallen!
INTERNATIONAL
France CGT Filpac are in a long-running dispute with union comrades in CGT and the printer Roto 93. They have now been in dispute for over 100 days and have occupied the factory in all that time. Messages of support: [email protected] & financial donations can be made, the bank details are: IBAN FR76 3000 3030 1000 0372 6160 523 BIC : SOGEFRPP
Lebanon – Teachers and public sector employees threatened Wednesday to escalate action after staging a one-day strike protesting the Cabinet’s delay in referring to Parliament a draft law to increase their salaries. Demonstrators gathered near the Education Ministry and marched to the Grand Serail in Downtown Beirut, the headquarters of Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Sources from the Internal Security Forces estimated around 3,000 people participated in the march.
Peru LIMA, Peru-Union workers began a strike Tuesday at Chinese-owned iron-ore mining company Shougang Hierro Peru SAA , a union leader said.
South Africa The “Joint Strike Coordinating Committee” of all mines on strike in Rustenburg calls for a march next Saturday to confront the government. It argues for a general strike for a national living wage of R12,500 (US-$ 1400).
Isreal A strike on 3 October prevented the daily newspaper from being published the next morning. Workers fight back against lay-offs and cuts.
US Wal-Mart Walk-out Strike spreads via courageous workers in 5 states.
Time to strike a united blow against EU/Troika austerity! For a European-wide day of general strikes and mobilisations this autumn! Towards a 24-hour all-European general strike!
DIARY
11 Oct
Coventry & Warwickshire NSSN. How do we prepare for a general Strike? 7.30pm Coventry SQ club, 1 Whitefriars St, CV1. Our main speaker will be John McInally, PCS National Vice-President, who spoke at the TUC in favour of the POA resolution calling for a general strike against austerity. [email protected] or Phone – 07751 364989
TUC’s Women’s Forum Domestic Abuse: Raising Awareness Seminar, being held in Doncaster on 11th October 2012. This event will form a starting point for the TUC’s regional toolkit on domestic abuse, so we would like to maximise attendance and involvement.
Slough trades council open meeting “Campaigning against austerity and fighting for a Living Wage”. 7pm Slough Labour Memorial Hall with Megan Dobney SERTUC, Sarah Santhosham Oxford Living Wage Campaign, Alberto Durango IWGB contact Christine Hulme [email protected]
17 – 20 Scotland March for jobs Please ask you Branch to donate to this cause if you have not already done so. It is officially supported by PCS Scotland and the STUC. More
20 Oct
TUC Mass demonstration, ‘A Future That Works’ TUC demos in Belfast, London & Glasgow. Transport details can be seen at, and should be uploaded to False Economy. The newsletter and twitter will include further details as they are available. New TUC demo websiteA Future That Works. NSSN stalls will be scattered across the march and material, join us to distribute and get involved!
There are almost daily activities to build for the 20th Oct Marches in London, Belfast & Glasgow. We would encourage you to get involved where you can. Check with your local union branch, trades council or anti cuts group. Here are a few below. Do use False economy site to add your events too.
Ipswich trades council campaigning for 20 October every Saturday opposite Boots 11am-1pm contact [email protected] or 07956 847 479
Lambeth trades council days of action for 20 October leafleting in Brixton and Streatham Saturdays 6 and 13 October 11am to 1pm contact Anton Johnson [email protected]
Kensington & Chelsea trades council is organising street stalls 12-2pm on Saturdays 6 and 13 October promoting 20 October and opposition to local health cuts contact [email protected]
Newham Joint Trade Union Committee leafleting for 20 October Saturdays 6 and 13 October 11am contact [email protected] or [email protected]
22 Oct
NUJ Black History Month Claudia Jones Memorial Lecture. 7pm London by Professor Paul Gilroy on “The Value of Multiculture”. Register at [email protected]
23 Oct
South West NSSN in Bristol public meeting to build for a general strike! Cheltenham Rd Library, BS6 5OX
TUC Green is Good for Growth conference. 9.45am Congress House with Frances O’Grady TUC, Vince Cable MP see www.greenisgoodforgrowth.eventbrite.com or Philip Pearson [email protected]
24 Oct
London NSSN public meeting: ‘How do we build for a one day general strike’– 7pm ULU, Malet Street WC1E 7HY Chris Baugh PCS AGS, Steve Hedley AGS RMT & Suzanne Muna Unite Housing workers
Caephily NSSN ‘ Fight the NHS Cuts!’ Tower room, Twyn Community Centre, Caerphilly
Reading NSSN ‘Build for a one day general strike’. Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC), Room 1, 35 – 39 London Street, Reading, RG1 4PS
27 Oct
Scotland NSSN conference – Glasgow Unison Offices, 84 Bell Street 11am -4pm
South West NSSN public meeting ‘Defend NHS workers’ – 2noon to 4pm, at the Great Western Hotel, Station Road, Swindon just opposite entrance to the railway station.
North West NSSN ‘ Build for a general strike’ Town Hall Tavern (upstairs), 20 Tib Lane, Manchester City Centre M2 4JA. Speakers include Steve Acheson – Unite Construction NISC and Sparks rank & file and Alex Davidson – PCS North West vice-chair. 1-3pm
London demo against return of EDL to Walthamstow, meet Town Centre. The racist EDL is threatening to march through the streets of Walthamstow on Saturday the 27th October. More
London SERTUC Regional Council at Congress House speaker Frances O’Grady TUC general secretary elect 10am. All trade unionists welcome but registration essential: Darren Lewis [email protected]
31 Oct
Hands of our Buspasses! National Pensioners Convention rally and lobby of Parliament “Hands off the bus pass” Wednesday 31 October 11.30am protest Old Palace Yard, 1pm rally/lobby
8 Nov
Gloucester NSSN Defend the NHS – Fight Consuritum pay. 7.30pm Barton & Tredworth Community Centre, 199 Barton Street, Gloucester GL1 4HR.
17 Nov
MIDLANDS NSSN Conference Unite offices, 211 Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1AY. 12.00-16.00. Speakers include Joe Simpson, Assistant General Secretary POA
24 Nov
YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE NSSN Conference 10am-4pm. Leeds, Cosmopolitan Hotel, 2 Lower Briggate, LS1 4AE. Contact Kevin Pattison 07962867034.
Construction Safety Campaign National Meeting & AGM. Affiliates and supporters of the CSC are invited to attend. 11.00am to 3.00pm. Venue: Doncaster Trades, 19 South Mall Second Floor, Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 1LL
25 Nov
Scotland Commemoration in Glasgow of legendary Red Clydesider John Maclean. Assemble 1pm at Eastwood Cemetery for graveside oration, march MacLean’s Cairn at Shawbridge.
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Twitter NSSN_Anticuts
Facebook main group ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ & ‘Stop the cuts’
New website: www.shopstewards.net
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07952 283 558
Post: NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9D
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