The Welfare Cuts Tsunami Arrives

To the accompaniment of criticism from the churches, disability groups, charities, voluntary organisations, political parties outside the coalition and decent fair minded folk everywhere, the Government's welfare cuts regime is upon us - arriving at the same time as the implementation of the "NHS dismemberment legislation" and attacks on legal aid.

The welfare cuts include the hated bedroom tax which will face many low income families with the choice of going without or moving (perhaps away from friends, family, jobs, schools etc) into more expensive private sector accommodation (that will also raise rather than decrease the government's required expenditure - so will not succeed even on those terms, though perhaps one government aim is to further enrich their friends in the Rachmanite community).  There simply is not enough smaller property available in the Social Housing Sector to accommodate all those affected that are being expected to move. This will cause widespread hardship and anguish.

At the same time there is a 1% cap being put on increases in benefits which will reduce the income of poorer people in real terms.

This is not to be confused with the cap in overall benefits which is encountering problems in roll out through pilot areas but the government is still determined to bring in.

There is also the farming out of Council Tax Benefit payments to Councils with a cut in their funding which will lead to people who have never had to pay Council Tax before having to fork out large sums from limited and fixed or decreasing (see above!) incomes.

There is also the moving of many disabled people from DLA into the new PIP regime, again likely to cause disruption and potential hardship. (Not to mention the ongoing war on the disabled being conducted by ATOS and their ilk.)

Taken as a whole this is a wide ranging and multi-faceted, disgusting attack on the most vulnerable in our society and should be opposed - it is all the more sickening when coming from a government of Millionaires, most of whom have never had to suffer any kind of deprivation.

Councils must be encouraged to follow the lead of those Green, SNP and (few) Labour councils that have said that they will not evict tenants who fall into arrears as a result of the Bedroom Tax.  Local campaigns must be built to resist bailiffs and fight people's corners.  The hypocrisy of the well heeled,  expenses- claiming, generously pensioned, extravagantly paid and often multiple job holding political classes must be exposed.

The People's Assembly Against Austerity gives an opportunity for uniting much of the rising tide of opposition to the Coalition's policies and both the local and National events should be supported and built.

The local elections in May will give an early opportunity to show the Coalition parties the contempt that millions of ordinary people now hold them in.

Eastleigh By-election

The Green Party in Eastleigh have decided not to stand a candidate in the forthcoming by-election brought about by the downfall of the disgraceful Chris Huhne.  The main reason is that the local Party need to concentrate on the forthcoming Council elections and do not have the funds to run in the crowded by-election field as well.

As this was a "safe" Lib Dem seat with a majority Lib Dem Council, where the main challengers are the Tories, it is safe to say we do not have a horse "likely to win" in this race.  The likely victors seem to be the Treacherous Quislings or their Dark Overlords!  However, the lack of a Green candidate and the lack of any pressure for "tactical" voting gives an opportunity to look at the other alternatives on offer.

The preferred alternative candidates of many former Green voters look likely to be either Dr Iain Maclennan of the National Health Action Party, (a former Green Party member and local election candidate)  Jim Duggan of the Peace Party (whose policies are very similar to the Greens), or Daz Procter of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) (who comes from the TU side of that coalition)

These candidates all offer a good opportunity for a meaningful protest vote highlighting the Coalition Government's continuing attacks on the NHS, their overseas warmongering and their horrendous attacks on working people, benefits and the welfare state in general.

As far as Labour is concerned, it is interesting that they are standing a comedian/humorist - one might say that they are joking if they think that people have forgotten the wars, the privatisations, and the craven crawling to corporations and banks that led us to having to suffer the current ghastly Coalition.  Truly, as far as this election is concerned, a plague on the houses of all three main parties.

Of course, the gutter media favourite contenders are UKIP.  The vote of this Party of climate change denying conspiracists, xenophobes and ill-informed bar room ranters continues to rise.  This is no coincidence.  The right-wing media barons and their attack dog commentators and journalists who are promoting them see UKIP as a useful tool to drag the Tories even further to the right.  Once this is achieved, I predict that UKIP will be very quickly cut down to size, with the right wing vote directed back home to Toryland.  The yellow press have ample dirt on Farage and co (not least the behaviour of their hypocritical MEPS) to bring them down to size when required. Consequently, expect the Thatcherite droolers to poll well, for now, in Eastleigh.  Politics - it's a dirty game.....

The Reality of Coalition Neo-liberalism

I was up close and personal with the reality of the austerity coalition's policies this week as the redundancy axe began to fall in my workplace.
For those still deluded enough to think the coalition is just about "Deficit reduction" and getting rid of "unproductive workers" the coming few months is going to be instructive. A tsunami of job losses in local government is coming along with the proposed total transformation of the National Health Service and a slow but sure dismantling of locally democratic controlled education. The shared (Neoliberal) aim of the two coalition party leaders, Sauron and Saruman, is the final dismantling of the post war settlement in Britain. That is effectively the end of anything resembling a welfare state and the beginning of a new age of corporatism. At the same time they hope to finish off what remains of anything approaching effective trade unionism by decimating the public sector and shaving off services left right and centre to corporations, religious groups, charities, philanthropists and the like. Their ideological attack dogs in organisations like Policy Exchange are already slavering for even more restrictive anti-union legislation and attacks on freedom of speech and assembly. So much for the "libertarian" rhetoric of the Cameroons and Orange Bookers.

The reality of this at the grassroots is likely to be disruption in the short term and in the longer term the creation of a two (or more?) tier system of services with the encroachment of private insurance, religious charities and corporate asset strippers.

At my workplace I have sat amongst devastated people who are going to lose jobs or workmates. We have people being made redundant on the grounds of "sickness points" who have otherwise exemplary performance and disciplinary records. That means people who have been unfortunate enough to have cancer in their families, who have had swine flu and even work related injuries, who have been coping with immense stress due to personal and family problems - these people are to pay for their bad luck with their jobs if they and their unions cannot win their appeals. This is people who have worked in a public sector employer that has been ranked amongst the best of its' kind in the country and in one of the most successful workplaces of that employer. And the 70% or 80% who remain may only have a temporary reprieve before the axe swings again, and again and again. Looking for jobs in this socially deprived part of the country will not be easy - the jobs that there are will probably pay half or less than what those being made redundant were paid and may be temporary or otherwise insecure.

Fortunately I sense that even those who went along for a while with the Coalition's rhetoric are now seeing the reality of what they are about - an ideological project to cement the power of certain sections of society even more firmly. They see the Bankers' bonuses, the sucking up to Murdoch and the political two-facedness and turn away in disgust. A mood of resistance is developing that goes far beyond the students that were the first to take the field. What is more, there is an awareness that alone in our workplaces and communities we are unlikely to be able to mount anything more than fragmentary resistance. What is needed is a movement across industries and society, across barriers of age and culture that takes inspiration from those resisting at the knife edge of the neo-liberal totalitarian project.

We need to work towards such a movement and as we do, the dream of ages past - the social general strike, the general expropriation of the expropriators becomes less of a dream and more of a possibility on the way to concrete necessity.

Protest Against Nottingham Social Care Cuts

Nottingham City Unison have called a demonstration outside the City Council Budget Meeting on Monday 8th March at 12.30 in Old Market Square. The Labour City Council is proposing cuts in Adult Social Services as part of an £18 million package of cuts in its 2010/2011 budget. The proposed cuts include -

* Proposed closure of Riverside Residential Home (Bulwell) for adults with learning disabilities
*Closure of the Willows Older Persons Day Centre at weekends
*A new daily £2 charge for attendance at all adult day centres
*Cuts in day care for adults living in residential and nursing homes
*A 3% increase in charges for homecare, meals at home and transport to day centres
*Cuts in City Council Deaf Sevice

It is particularly ironic that Labour politicians and activists have been prominently flying their flags at protests against the Conservative controlled Notts County Council over the last week as the Tories launch a similar cuts programme targeted on day centres, residential homes etc in the County. Labour in the City are following the same policy as Tories in the County - targeting the most vulnerable and those they estimate are least likely to kick up a fuss or cost them votes.

Workers and service users need to show the City Labourites that we oppose their cuts every bit as much as those being implemented by the County Tories.

Cuts Protest - Mansfield, Saturday 20th February

There is to be a protest against the cuts recently announced by Nottinghamshire County Council. It will take place in Mansfield Market Place on Saturday 20th February from 11am. The proposed cuts will mean hundreds of job losses, closure of vital services for elderly people, increases in charges and withdrawal of concessions. This action by the new Tory-led Council is a foretaste of what the Conservatives have in mind for the country as a whole if they gain power in the 2010 election - continued concern for the rich and powerful and cuts targetted on the poorest and most vulnerable. It appears to be no accident that the cuts seem to be harshest in areas like Mansfield - where people do not vote Tory (the last Tory District Councillor in Mansfield just defected to UKIP!).
Join the protest rally and help build the campaign against cuts.

Weekly Links 08/03/2009

British Politics
Mandelson "slimed"!
Interesting background information to the reasons this action was taken against Britain's least popular unelected Minister from Airportwatch site here.
Guardian report and more video here.

Meanwhile the Bank of England and the government went for "Quantative Easing" in response to the crisis, Larry Elliott's take on it here.

It was announced this week that prescription charges are to rise, prompting a welcome intervention from the BMA -

Our submission seeks to highlight the many problems within the current system, which consequently are inherent in the proposal to extend the exemption list to include those with LTCs. The BMA's position and the conclusion of this evidence is that the Department of Health should abolish prescription charges in England altogether, as has already happened in Wales and will happen shortly in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas this week had an article on the Gaza situation on the Guardian website.

A snapshot of the anger now prevalent in British politics can be gained from the comments underneath a Guardian article by normally cynical/apolitical cultural commentator Charlie Brooker where he expresses his frustration at the uselessness of the British political system.

Blogging
Joseph Healy reported this week on the lobby held against the Government's Welfare Reform Bill.

Derek commented on the "Quantative Easing" strategy.

Dave Osler reflected on the anniversary of the start of the Miners' Strike of 1984-5.

Jim has been to see the film of the "classic graphic novel", Watchmen, and reviewed it on his blog.


Unions and Work
The Iraqi government has this week tried to sieze control of the Iraqi teachers' union. TUC statement here.

Former Miners' leader Arthur Scargill gave an article to the Guardian summarising his current views on the momentous strike of 25 years ago.

Television
This week saw the first airing of the first part of the dramatisation of man of the moment David Peace's Red Riding novels on Channel 4. Not only is the dramatisation on TV, but Peace's book on the short spell of management of Leeds United FC by Derby and Nottingham local hero Brian Clough in the 1970s is coming out as a film, (The Damned United) and his book on the Miners' Strike GB84 is surely topical with the current anniversary in the news.
Red Riding, centred on Police corruption in West Yorkshire, was brutal and stylish, and the TV adaptation did well to capture Peace's disconcerting style.

Green Work And The Recession - Meeting in London

Green Work and the Recession

Public Meeting

Called by Haringey Green Party

Thursday March 19th, 7pm

Kurdish Cultural Centre, Portland Gardens, N.8 (rear of Haringey Green Lanes overground station, approached via Green Lanes and Stanhope Gardens

* The Green New Deal, a plan to help us find a way out of the triple crisis of financial crunch, rising oil prices and climate change.

* Limit working hours to share work and make time for living!

* Oppose workfare and benefit cuts!

With
JEAN LAMBERT,
London's Green Member of the European Parliament

and

SEAN THOMPSON,
Critical writer on political economy and Green Party activist

* The Green New Deal would:

create thousands of green-collar jobs
provide free insulation to every home
build safer ways of investing
raise finance for green energy
renew small and local businesses
increase food production in cities
invest in public transport
Greens who have been elected to local councils, the London Assembly and the European Parliament are already pushing through these ideas.

* Green work should be secure work. Jean Lambert has consistently pushed for employment rights for temporary agency staff.

* Green work must be well paid. Greens in the Greater London Assembly have pushed for a minimum ‘living wage’ of £7.45 per hour, in place of the pathetic national minimum wage of £5.73.

* Shorter working time can reduce layoffs; Jean has consistently challenged the UK Government's opt-out of the Working Time Directive and worked against it in the European Parlaiment. She recently backed the TUC’s Work Your Proper Hours Day on 27 February, the annual event which aims to ensure employees remember - and claim - their rights in the workplace. Over five million people in the UK regularly work unpaid overtime, handing their employers £26.9 billion in free work.

* Greens oppose the government’s Welfare Reform Bill, and supported the lobby of Parliament against it on March 3. Greens say no to benefit cuts, to forcing the disabled and parents of young children back to work, to workfare for the long-term unemployed, to privatisation of job centres and of back-to-work schemes .

Action against the planned welfare changes

The government's planned welfare "reforms" are stimulating increasing opposition. A good account of what is wrong with these plans was recently a centre page spread in the newspaper of the Socialist Party (CWI) and is available online here.
Here are some actions that are to take place in the next few weeks -

* 3 March: a public meeting in Parliament and lobby of MPs -- called by PCS, the union which represents DWP staff, and others. See www.pcs.org.uk/welfare and the letter from Mark Serwotka of PCS below. Also see the “Welfare for All” letter http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/welfare-reform/welfare-for-all.cfm

* 7-15 March: Week of action on “Welfare Abolition Bill”. “The London Coalition Against Poverty (LCAP), Disabled People’s Direct Action Network (DAN) and Feminist Fightback are calling on all groups and individuals concerned with the eroding of our welfare rights to take part in the week of action against the “Welfare Abolition Bill". A toolkit will be available soon with more information on the Bill and suggestions for action. For more information see http://www.lcap.org.uk and join the emailing list for the planning group via http://groups.google.com/group/no-to-welfare-abolition

* 10.30am on Wed 11 March: direct action during the week of action. The press will be there and more details will be available nearer the time. For more information and contacts see the DAN site.

* Letter, “Workfare protests face New Labour” in the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/feb/25/welfare-reform-bill-uk

* Parliament website with more info about the measures in the Bill and its timetable http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/welfarereform.html

EMAIL FROM Mark Serwotka, PCS:

Welfare Reform Bill – the next steps in the campaign

Lobby of parliament and public meeting

Tuesday 3 March – all welcome

We are inviting you to attend a public meeting and lobby of parliament about the welfare reform bill on Tuesday 3 March starting at 12.30 in committee room 14 at the House of Commons.

The lobby and public meeting are supported by a range of organisations including trade unions and the TUC, service user groups and campaigning organisations

PCS are campaigning against plans to introduce -

- the privatisation of the employment service and social fund

- ‘work for your benefit’ schemes

- the abolition of income support

- cutting the benefits of single parents and those with long-term illness

- requiring all parents of young children to seek work

PCS wants the government to introduce progressive measures to help people in these difficult times. This is why we are fully supporting the TUC’s demand for the government to urgently raise benefit levels.

We are asking people to attend the meeting and to lobby their MP. If you plan to meet with politicians on the day to discuss the welfare reform bill then you need to tell your MP beforehand. If you can not attend the lobby but support the campaign then please write to your MP about your concerns.

If you would like more information about this campaign, please visit www.pcs.org.uk/welfare

If you have any questions please email welfare@pcs.org.uk

Please feel free to pass this information on to others who may be interested to attend the event.
We hope you will join us on Tuesday 3 March.
Best wishes,

Mark Serwotka

PCS General Secretary

With the economic situation the effect of these so-called reforms will be even more severe - now is the time to apply pressure and force the government to abandon their attack.

Weekly Links 22/02/2009

International
Internationally the political temperature continues to rise, particularly for the Sarkozy regime in France, in Ireland, where 100,000 took to the streets and the inspiring Waterford occupation continues, in Latvia where the government has just fallen, and around the world as governments and their finances begin to look increasingly wobbly.


British Politics
The PCS union is mobilising around the proposed Labour Governmnent Welfare "reforms", with a lobby planned for next week.

Also this week, the Independent revealed the sorry tale of the possible destination of large quantities of British toxic waste.

On his Euro election blog this week, Derek Wall reports on the nasty effects of some EU policies on peasants and workers in Colombia.

There was a good turnout of Greens from London area (with some good work in achieving this from Green Left and the Campaign Against Climate Change)at the Downing Street demo last week against Heathrow expansion.

Peace
More details came out this week on the potentially disastrous crash between British and French nuclear submarines in the Atlantic. BBC report here and CND commentary here.

Gender Politics
For readers in England I have received the following about forthcoming events in Wolverhampton for International Women's Week -

A unique opportunity to listen to two prominent women leaders will take place in Wolverhampton on 12th March 2009. Ludmila Ermakova: Director and founder of the Crisis Centre “Ekaterina”, Ekaterinburg, Russia and Mavluda Shirinova: Director and founder of the Socio-Economic Development Centre “SABR”, Samarkand, Uzbekistan will be presenting their work together for the first time. You will also have the opportunity to listen to a contribution from Natalia Sukhareva, Head of the Sverdlovsk Regional Guild of Lawyers and her colleague Marina Zakharova, who were the first women in Russia to develop a training programme on domestic violence for lawyers.

The presentations will provide an opportunity to discuss the development of services for women abroad as well as debate and bring women’s issues to the forefront. The presentation is organised by The Haven Wolverhampton which has worked in partnership with the above organisations for over a decade and helped to support their work with vulnerable women and children (read more on http://www.havenrefuge.org.uk/International/International.htm).

The presentation will take place on 12th March 2009, from 1.00pm-4.00pm at the Light House Media Centre, Fryer Street, Wolverhampton. The event is free and open to anyone who wishes to learn more about women’s organisations in post-Soviet society. The presentations will be in Russian and in English. Please hurry, as places are limited.

On the same day the Light House will be hosting The Women’s Fair (11am-4pm) organised by WOW, The Haven Wolverhampton, YWCA and V Involved. This is a free event entitled ‘What Women Want’ which will include information stands, workshops covering everything from self defence and confidence building to pampering sessions, a children’s area and a large number of stalls from local groups and organisations. Free snacks and drinks will be provided. What’s more, the night will be rounded off with an evening of comedy from some of the UK best comediennes, courtesy of the Light House.

The events will take place as part of the City celebrations for International Women’s Week 2009 which was supported and managed by Wolverhampton City Council. All International Women’s Week events taking place in Wolverhampton are included in a programme which has been published by Wolverhampton City Council.

Weekly Links 01/12/2008

World AIDS Day
Today is World AIDS Day. The Guardian has a moving series of photos and information.

The famous Magnum Photos agency dispatched its photographers around the globe to capture images of people living with HIV/Aids to mark World Aids Day today. Magnum's Access to Life photographs went on show in Washington DC earlier this year before being displayed in locations around the world

Peter Tatchell comments on one aspect of continuing prejudice on CIF today.

Anti-incinerator campaign
The campaign against the incinerator planned for Rainworth within Sherwood Forest in Central England steps up this week with campaigning around the planning committee stages. People Against Incineration (PAIN) are calling for good turns outs to their coming protests and meetings. This is from the campaign organisers:

PLEASE PASS THIS ROUND!

Further evidence [available upon request] has recently come to light proving that if not for our previous efforts, a waste incinerator would have been built in Forest Town. Now we need your help to win again!

Help us prevent a waste incinerator being built in Sherwood Forest (Rainworth, on the outskirts of Mansfield).

Join with fellow demonstrators next Tuesday (9th December) for the Sherwood Forest Protests Against Incineration

People Against Incineration (PAIN), the group formed to take over from Mansfield Against incineration (MAIN), are organising two anti-incineration protest demonstrations to take place on Tuesday 9th December 2008 to correspond with Newark & Sherwood District Council's Planning Committee meeting where the Council's incinerator consultation response will be decided.

PAIN is putting out the call to all anti-incineration campaigners to join the peaceful fun in Sherwood Forest, with a morning protest during the Planning Committee's site visit to the Old Rufford Colliery Car Park, Rainworth (11.15-12.30), followed by an afternoon demonstration at the Newark & Sherwood District Council offices at Kelham Hall (protest from 3 – 4 pm, incinerator application to be considered 4 – 6 pm), and hopefully evening celebrations!

A meeting will be held by PAIN on Thursday 4th December, from 7:30 pm in the Phoenix Suite at Rainworth Village Hall, Kirklington Road to discuss plans for the protest demonstrations.

Campaign organiser Linda Tift says:

"We know it's a difficult time of the year with much to do and many commitments to meet, but this is the moment we have all been worked towards for the last 3 years. Time spent making our voices heard now will be an investment in the future for both us and our families. Bring your kids. This is a lesson in democracy and the power of the people they will never learn so well in school! Bring your granny, your neighbours, the window cleaner and the plumber..."

Media
Various interesting articles in the Comment is Free/Soundings "Who Owns The Progressive Future" series this week, including pieces by radical artist John Jordan, Middlesex Uni Academic Jo Littler and Green Party of England and Wales Leader, Caroline Lucas.
Activist Jordan is particularly sceptical about versions of a "Green New Deal", but could be surprised to find that considerable numbers of left wing Greens might sympathize with most of his criticisms of some versions of a "Green New Deal", but might question the lack of any clearly defined agents of change in his proposed alternative that seems to look to those outside society or at the margins rather than organised workers or accountable community delegates. The typical rabid rightist trolls infest the comments sections under the articles as usual I am afraid, but there is the odd bit of constructive debate.

Lefty Green Bloggings
Former Green Principal Speaker Derek Wall had an article on indigenous struggles published in the Morning Star newspaper last week.
The Green Party Trade Union Blog has a response to the proposed British Government Welfare "reforms" from Alan Wheatley and Anne Gray.
Jim comments on the troubles of Lib Dem leader Clegg at Daily (Maybe) as does Peter Cranie.
Meanwhile Matt S has started a much needed debate on the left and anti-social behaviour at his Anglo-Buddhist Combine blog.

Weekly Links 12/10/2008

British Politics
An article has been posted on UK Indymedia regarding the Government's new Green Paper which includes "workfare" proposals.

The Government has been exposed as completely misquoting a couple of researchers whose report they have used to justify the new workfare proposals in the Green Paper — “No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility”, where the report based on a study of the effect on the labour market in Australia of the introduction of a workfare scheme there actually found that as a result, the very long term unemployed in fact grew by 68%!

More here.

Green Politics
The UK's Green Party MEPs, Jean Lambert and Caroline Lucas have called on governments and the European Commission to legally recognise trade union green workplace representatives.

Jean Lambert, who sits on the Employment and Social Affairs Committee in the European Parliament said:

"Dedicated union green reps have the potential to raise awareness of environmental issues and help to change behaviour in the workplace. They would also help deliver significant environmental improvements through engagement between employers and the workforce that will help the UK shift to a low carbon economy.

"There is huge potential for trade union members to play a significant role as green representatives at work, but to perform their role effectively they need legal recognition and the right to undertake relevant training and duties."

Unions and Work
The following are action alerts from Labourstart -

SOUTH AFRICA: WOOLWORTHS ENGAGES IN UNION-BUSTING

South African unions have asked for our help to bring pressure on
Woolworths to recognize the right of their employees to join trade
unions. They say that Woolworths in engaging in Wal-Mart style
union-busting and are hopeful that a big global campaign can bring
pressure to bear on the company. Please send off your message today --
and spread the word:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=435

COLOMBIA: STRIKING SUGAR CANE WORKERS NEED YOUR SUPPORT

Some 18,000 sugar workers have been on strike since 15 September. The government and employer response was to use police violence to clear the mills of striking workers. The IUF is requesting international support for their struggle. For full details, including the chance to send off your messages, go here:

http://www.iuf.org/den5409

Climate Change

This is the latest from the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group in Britain, including dates of the next big demonstration in December and the CCCTU conference in March 2009:

As you can see, the date of the second CCCTU Conference is Saturday 7th March 2009 and it will be in London (possibly Kings College.) Please put this date in your diary and send it around your contacts so that we can try to ensure that other organisations don’t arrange anything else on that day.

We also discussed the National Climate March (which is part of the Global Day of Action on Climate, to coincide with the UN climate talks in Poznan) on 6th December 2008. It is of course very important that we get plenty of trade union contingents with banners on that march. Please try to ensure that your branch is represented, but also phone round others to ask them to do the same. Those of you who are members of UCU, PCS, CWU, FBU and Connect may be able to get assistance with transport to the march from your union since those unions are affiliated to the campaign nationally. For more details, and to download a leaflet, see: http://www.campaigncc.org/

Blogging
Sean Thompson of Green Left has written an appraisal and critique of the "Green New Deal" proposals which is posted at the Green Left blog here and at Socialist Unity blog here.

Molly at Gaian Economics has been commenting on the global financial situation as it developed this week. On the same subject, Andy C has linked to some of the humourous explanations of Bird and Fortune.

Finally, a plug here for GreenFeed which re-posts the postings of a whole spectrum of Brit Green blogs.

Upcoming Anti-Poverty Events

KEEP THE PROMISE RALLY
Saturday 4 October
Trafalgar Square
London
End Child Poverty Coalition

End Child Poverty, a coalition including Save the Children, Oxfam, UNICEF and major trade unions will stage the UK’s biggest-ever event to end child poverty, calling on the government to keep its promise to half child poverty in the UK by 2010.
The march starts at Millbank at 11.30 and will end in Trafalgar Square.
Sign up to say you'll be there at www.savethechildren.org.uk/endchildpoverty


WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK
Tuesday 7 October
London
TUC

To mark World Day for Decent Work in the UK, and in support of the Decent Work, Decent Life Campaign, the TUC is organising a day of activities at Congress House, focusing on rights at work and ending inequality in the workplace.
Over the course of the day there will be over 50 workshops, films, exhibitions and stalls from UK development charities, trade unions, organisations concerned with fair and ethical trade, and academic institutions focusing on the development and gender dimensions of livelihood and income generation issues.
For more information, please email Gary Willis on gwillis@tuc.org.uk or visit
http://www.tuc.org.uk/wddw


END POVERTY NOW CAMPAIGNERS FORUM
Saturday 11 October
BOND, Global Call to Action Against Poverty, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Stamp Out Poverty, Stop Aids Campaign, Stop Climate Chaos, Trade Justice Movement and UK Aid Network.
Central London

Does the credit crunch mean we can't make poverty history? Is the food crisis undermining the benefits of debt cancellation? The End Poverty Now forum will bring together global poverty campaigners to hear the latest on economic justice campaigning, debate how current events have changed the context for our campaigning, and discuss the future of activism in the UK.
For more information please email events@jubileedebtcampaign.org or visit http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/forum


BLOGGERS AGAINST POVERTY
Wednesday 15 October

Thousands of bloggers across the world will blog about poverty on this day. Find out more and register your blog at http://blogactionday.org .
Confirmed UK bloggers include Nick Dearden (Jubilee Debt campaign) and Brendan Barber (TUC).

STAND UP AND TAKE ACTION AGAINST POVERTY AND INEQUALITY
17 October – 19 October

'Stand Up and Take Action' is a mass action in which millions worldwide take a stand against poverty. Last year, 43.7 million people in 127 countries took a stand. This year, don't just stand, take action as well. Make sure politicians and decision makers hear our call that they act on our demands.
Local events are planned in most UK cities. Many faith-based gatherings will have sermon themes of world poverty. Many NGOs will organise public meetings or panel discussions.

On 17 October, the UK premiere of the brand new film 'The End of Poverty' will take place at the Human Rights Action Centre in Shoreditch at 6:30pm. This will be followed by a party organised by pants to poverty.
Stand Up and Take Action Against Poverty and Inequality will take place over 3 days, Friday October 17 to Sunday October 19. The “counting” period will be at any time over those 3 days. Register your event and upload numbers directly to the Stand Up and Take Action website at http://www.standagainstpoverty.org .
To find an event close to you or to organise one yourself, please visit http://www.standagainstpoverty.org

Blogs and Links on Sunday 17/02/08

After being a little late last week due to writing up the Campaign Against Climate Change TU Conference, I am now back to the regular Sunday appearance of my links.

Blogs
Speaking of the CACCTU conference, there are photographs from a Green Party Trade Union Group participant at the Green Party TU Group blog.
A new ecosocialist blogger from Birmingham has also blogged on the conference and I am pleased to add the new blog, redgreen reflection to my links column.

I have also added a couple of other blogs to the links, the quirky and infrequent Durruti Column and Liam Mac Uaid's blog for a view from the left of Respect Renewal.

Meanwhile Green Left supporter Peter Tatchell recently blogged on the situation in Pakistan and the regime's US backed assault on the people of Baluchistan.

Some excellent stuff over at former Green London Assembly member Noel Lynch's blog The Green Room, with posts on the Mayoral hustings, lone parent income support restrictions, "greener" vehicles, and the Green candidate in the 3rd March Highgate by-election in London.

Workplace and Union Struggles
The IWW and various other groups have organised a series of workshops on 22nd March in London on "How To Enforce Your Rights at Work". More info from Hackney Independent and London Coalition Against Poverty here.

Wildcat action secured a quick win and management return to negotiation on the bins in Brighton this week.

Nottingham City Council are trying to force some of their library staff into uniform against their will and at public expense - let them know how you feel (particularly if you are from Nottingham) here.

The RMT have warned of possible action over pensions at Network Rail, in Birmingham the unions have announced 26th February as the next day of action against the actions of the City Council and members of the offshore workers OILC have voted to merge with the RMT.

International
The President of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions is scheduled for a UK speaking tour from the end of the month into March. More info on dates etc here.

6th March 2008 is scheduled as a day of solidarity with jailed and repressed workers in neighbouring Iran, where union organisers Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi are imprisoned and in ill health.

In Ireland, Green Party ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley faces a potentially embarrassing High Court challenge over a decision made by his predecessor to allow the M3 motorway to be built over an historic site near the Hill of Tara.

A Venezuelan representative addressed the England and Wales Green Party Conference earlier this week about their conflict with US oil giant ExxonMobil - more here.

Green Politics

Derek Wall gave his keynote speech to the Green Party Spring Conference in Reading, by all accounts a stirring one.

By all accounts Sian Berry gave a very good account of herself in the "Green Alliance" hustings for London Mayoral candidates. I particularly liked her introduction -

"First I'll speak for five minutes and tell you about my ideas. You've heard them before, they're the Green policies - things that will build a London that is not only a greener place, but also a better, more affordable place to live.

Then, after me, these men will stand up in their suits and agree with me."

The Lib Dems must be worried as they launched a nasty and inaccurate attack piece through former Clegg adviser Blincoe on Guardian CIF.

Weekly Links - 03/02/2008

A mixed bag of sites this week, in what could be an interesting period both domestically and internationally.

Green Politics
Green Left, the ecosocialist and anti-capitalist current of the Green Party of England and Wales have a new website at http://gptu.net/gleft/greenleft.shtml.

Like many Greens with a left and workplace orientation I am looking forward to the first Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Conference in London on Saturday 9th February.

London Green MEP Jean Lambert is on a fact finding mission to Israel and Palestine with other MEPS this week.

In Scotland the Green MSPs have been commenting on the consultation on a Climate Change Bill.

Lastly on the Green front, the blog of GPEW Male Principal Speaker Derek Wall carries an alert regarding protests against the US Secretary of State who is visiting the British Prime Minister on Wednesday.

Around the blogs
Some excellent thought provoking blog posts to link to this week -
Jim at Daily Maybe and Louise at the S.U.B. report on the media and political feeding frenzy of attacks on the disabled and benefit claimants.

Andy at the Socialist Unity blog has this week posted the debate on political strategies between Hilary Wainwright and Mark Perryman that appears in the current Red Pepper.

Dave Osler at Dave's Part has been reflecting on the situation in Kenya.

Anton Vowl at "Enemies of Reason" had an enjoyable rant on Friday at the duplicity and idiocy of the Mail, Express and the more excitable of their readers on the subject of immigration.

At the Climate and Capitalism blog, Daniel Denvir reports on developments on the green left in Ecuador.

DWP Workers On Strike

DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) staff in Jobcentres and Benefit offices are on strike today and tomorrow.
The PCS union have organised the action in response to the derisory pay offer they have received. Unfortunately other public sector workers have settled so there is not the added pressure of other disputes ongoing that had been anticipated, but other public sector workers are offering solidarity and the mood against the government is angry - the HMRC fiasco is linked to the cuts, penny pinching and attempts to bring in the private sector in parts of the Civil Service.

PCS Press Release on why they are going on strike:

The two day strike to be followed by an overtime ban will be held next week on Thursday 6 December and Friday 7 December and adds to the pressure on the government following rows over party funding and the loss of child benefit data. The two day strike comes as the DWP seek to impose a pay offer which would see approximately 40% of staff receive 0% pay increase next year.

Members are angry over the three year pay offer, which sees cost of living increases for longer serving staff members of 2% this year, 0% next year and 1% in the final year. The pay offer averages just 1% a year over the three years and sees the lowest paid receiving increases which take their wage to only 24 pence above the minimum wage.

The news comes as it emerged that the DWP would be closing three pension centres located in Birmingham, Blackpool and Dearne Valley at the cost of 650 jobs. The union warned that the closures would further damage the pension service which has been hit by delays and backlogs.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "The department has provoked conflict and the inevitable disruption that strike action brings by walking away from last minute talks. This insulting pay offer that will see low paid staff receive a pay cut in real terms has provoked anger amongst people who have borne the brunt of job cuts. Imposing a pay offer that averages out at 1% a year will do little for the morale of staff who have seen job cuts and services suffer.

"The government have got to start realising that its policies of cuts and driving down pay are not only damaging staff morale and services, but creating the conditions for systemic failure across the civil service. If the government and the department want to avoid damaging industrial action, then they need to re-start talks quickly on a fair pay deal for staff."

Weekly Links - 02/12/2007

I have various links for you this week, after what has been quite an exhausting few days.

Industrial
The Remploy dispute continues after the predicted treachery of the management and the government in the shape of Peter Hain. Despite all the assurances and weasel words around the time of the Labour Conference and possible election hysteria, Hain has now agreed to the slippery and vindictive managements' plans. It has been asked - what would have happened if Remploy was a bank?

Elsewhere the National Blood Service dispute also continues, with a campaign to pressurise via councillors in those areas scheduled for NBS cuts. Here is the Save Our Blood Services blog. The IWW continue to work on this issue.

Culture
The campaign to defend the William Morris Gallery continues. This featured this week on the Green Party Trade Union Group Blog.
More on the campaign and what you can do here.

Blogs
Returning to the malign actions of Peter Hain, Louise reports on the latest raft of welfare "reform" proposals on the Socialist Unity blog.

Quote For The Day : Connolly On Pensions

With the continuing attacks on pensions and benefits in the UK, accompanied by the usual chorus of apologetics sounding off about 'welfare dependency' and 'demotivation', it is interesting to note that the ruling class and their apologists do not alter their position in a century. Nor should we. Massive gains may have been made by the working people of Europe and to a lesser extent other parts of the developed world, but they are always dependent on our willingness to fight to defend them. Likewise, workers in developing economies will have to fight in a determined and united fashion to gain even the most basic of the limited rights and welfare of workers in the developed world. With this in mind, read the words of James Connolly on the battle for decent pensions in his Workshop Talks of almost a century ago -

But the Socialist proposals, they say, would destroy the individual character of the worker. He would lean on the community, instead of upon his own efforts.

Yes: Giving evidence before the Old Age Pensions’ Committee in England, Sir John Dorrington, M.P., expressed the belief that the “provision of Old Age Pensions by the State, for instance, would do more harm than good. It was an objectionable principle, and would lead to improvidence.”

There now! You will always observe that it is some member of what an Irish revolutionist called “the canting, fed classes,” who is anxious that nothing should be done by the State to give the working class habits of “improvidence,” or to do us any “harm.” Dear, kind souls!

To do them justice they are most consistent. For both in public and private their efforts are most whole-heartedly bent in the same direction, viz., to prevent improvidence – ON OUR PART.

They lower our wages – to prevent improvidence; they increase our rent – to prevent improvidence, they periodically suspend us from our employment – to prevent improvidence, and as soon as we are worn out in their service they send us to a semi-convict establishment, known as the Workhouse, where we are scientifically starved to death – to prevent improvidence.

Old Age Pensions might do us harm. Ah, yes! And yet, come to think of it, I know quite a number of people who draw Old Age Pensions and it doesn’t do them a bit of harm. Strange, isn't it?

Then all the Royal Families have pensions, and they don't seem to do them any harm; royal babies, in fact, begin to draw pensions and milk from a bottle at the same time.

Afterwards they drop the milk, but they never drop the pension – nor the bottle.

Then all our judges get pensions, and are not corrupted thereby – at least not more than usual. In fact, all well-paid officials in governmental or municipal service get pensions, and there are no fears expressed that the receipt of the same may do them harm.

But the underpaid, overworked wage-slave. To give him a pension would ruin his moral fibre, weaken his stamina, debase his manhood, sap his integrity, corrupt his morals, check his prudence, emasculate his character, lower his aspirations, vitiate his resolves, destroy his self-reliance, annihilate his rectitude, corrode his virility – and – and – other things.

TUC Social Policy Forum : The Welfare Reform Bill

Just time for one very important link tonight - read THIS on the TUC Social Policy Forum deliberations on the Welfare Reform agenda by Louise over at the Socialist Unity Blog.

Welfare Reform Letter

A vey important letter on the British welfare 'reform' plans, signed by representatives of various groups working in the field, appeared in the Morning Star earlier this week. I felt it was well worth reproducing here -

Where are claimants' voices?

There would appear to be a consensus across the main political paties that drastic welfare reform is needed.
However, one needs to ask where are the claimants' voices in all this? There has been little consultation with the people who will be affected most by these reforms - and, of course, the workers in the Department of Work and Pensions.
In terms of the, in our view, draconian Welfare Reform Bill sadly going largely unopposed through Parliament, over 600 responses were sent to the Work and Pensions Select Committee consultation on the welfare reform green paper.
Yet few, if any, of the fears and concerns of these respective groups have been taken into account in the published Bill.
The latest savage proposals in the Freud review to privatise the welfare system and force individuals "back to work" will ultimately benefit only third-sector private companies who have become multimillion pound enterprises as a result of their government contracts.
These reforms clearly represent the biggest structural changes in welfare since the 1940s - indeed, there are now clear similarities between the Freud proposals and President Clinton's seminal 1996 welfare reforms, which have been such a disaster for poor people in the US.
Many people on welfare benefits, particularly disabled people, have contacted our various groups and are very angry, concerned and distressed about these reforms and wonder what the future holds for them.
JOHN ROGERS (Sheffield Welfare Action Network)
EILEEN DEVANEY (Co-ordinator, UK Coalition Against Poverty)
SIMONE ASPIS (United Kingdom's Disabled People's Council)
STEVE BLAKE (Welfare Reform UK)
COLIN HAMPTON (Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centres)
BOB HOLMAN, MARSHA JANE THOMPSON (UNISON National Young Members Forum, personal capacity)
Dr DUNCAN HALL
DOUGALD HINE

More on the Camden Anti-Cuts Campaign

I have just received the following additional information on anti-cuts campaign activities in Camden -


No Cuts in Camden!

Lobby the Council from 6pm -- Wednesday 21 February 2007



Come and support deputations to Camden’s Executive from disabled people, Save Kilburn Grange Play Centre, UNISON



*** Kilburn Grange Play Centre will be bringing the after-school club to the Town Hall from 6pm ***

Camden Town Hall, Judd St WC1
Wheelchair accessible
All welcome including children

On 21 February, councillors on the Executive will agree the budget to go to full Council on 28 February. In the most serious cuts for years, Camden councillors aim to take £23 million from Council and community services. We, other community groups and Council workers oppose these cuts which will have a devastating impact on the whole community.



As women with disabilities, pensioners, mums, immigrants, low-income people facing discrimination, we rely on homecare and day centres, welfare rights help, advice and legal services, translation, play centres, housing services and support. Home helps employed by Camden are worried they could lose their jobs in a switch to 100% private agency staff. Councillors plan to raise Council rents as well as charges for meals on wheels (poor-quality frozen meals) and other services.



This is our money; it should go into people´s care. We must stop it being taken from us to pay for war and other policies which inflict death and disabilities.



Come to the meeting to show how many of us oppose these cuts in basic necessities of life. People are losing services now – we want more, high-quality services and care.



Wed 28 February: March and lobby called by Camden UNISON

5pm Meet at Cobden Statue, Camden High St (near Mornington Crescent)

5.30 March to Camden Town Hall (minibus to ride down being arranged)

6-7 Lobby outside Camden Town Hall, Judd St

Bring your placards and banners.