May Day, May Day

Derby Trades Union Council banner at the head of the
2010 Silk Mill march in Derby.

Across the Midlands our trades union councils are planning their May Day and Workers Memorial Day events. We shall be listing these on the blog, so if your event is not there - it is because we don't know about it yet. Email aweaver@tuc.org.uk and I will post an entry so we have an up to date list for all visitors.

TUC publishes new negotiators guide to equality at work

The TUC has just published its' new negotiators guide for LGBT equality in the workplace . This can be accessed at the main TUC website here: http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-19413-f0.cfm

There are seven sections covering:
•Section 1 LGBT equality today: the context

•Section 2 Using the right language

•Section 3 The Law: (1) Equality Act 2010 (2) GRA (3) Civil partnership (4) pensions

•Section 4 Workplace issues and good practice: policies and training; workplace benefits; pension schemes; provisions for time off; bullying and harassment; domestic violence; Public sector equality duty; Trans workplace issues

•Section 5 Monitoring

•Section 6 Challenging prejudice, promoting equality - recognising diversity, training and networks

•Section 7 Resources
 Please pass  this message on to all union negotiators who may find it of use.

Job losses could turn the clock back on years of progress for working mums

Commenting on the latest figures on employment rates for women and mothers over the last 15 years published today (Thursday) by the Office for National Statistics, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The rising proportion of mothers in work over the last 15 years is a ringing endorsement of family-friendly working practices such as better parental leave and pay, and the right to request flexible working.
“The expansion of quality, affordable childcare through Sure Start centres, now under threat due to local government cuts, has also helped parents find work.
“It is deeply worrying that the government is about to turn the clock back by abandoning plans to extend family-friendly working, cutting childcare tax credits and forcing hundreds of thousands of women out of work through mass public sector job cuts.”

More photos from the March for the Alternative

Sarah Roy from Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centre has sent us this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=276279&id=734903946&l=374b27c315

With photos of Chesterfield comrades marching in London last Saturday.

Low pay deals and tax credit cuts adding to biggest income squeeze in generations

Commenting on the latest pay survey published today (Thursday) by Incomes Data Services (IDS), Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “Wages are edging up as firms increase profitability but most pay deals are still less than half the level of inflation.
“The government is also piling on the financial pressure, with tax credits cuts coming in next week costing many working families thousands of pounds a year.
“Ministers are overseeing the biggest income squeeze in generations and doing precious little to help people.”

March for the Alternative photos

Here are a few of our best photographs from the tremendous March for the Alternative last Saturday.

Half a million strong!

Steve Murphy, left, Midlands Regional Secretary for Ucatt
 at the March for the Alternative

Last Saturday trade unionists, service users, and the just plain concerned marched through London to show their displeasure at the governments cuts programme. Early estimates that the March for the Alternative would see one hundred thousand people on the streets have been quickly revised up - to five times that number. It is a great testament to the people of Great Britain that so many people came from all over the country to join this historic TUC organised event.
The march was led by trade union leaders including the TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber. Following our leaders were many thousands of midlands trade unionists from just about every affiliated trade union. Half a million people young and old,  black and white, all with the same message - rejecting the need for cuts and promoting an alternative which preserves services and jobs and keeps the economy driving forward.

Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centre publish their Spring edition of Solidarity

Derbyshire Unemployed Workers centre have published the Spring edition of their quarterly magazine, Solidarity. This can be accessed here: http://www.duwc.org.uk/

As more people find themselves redundant as a result of the government policies it will be even more essential to support the work of the centre. Funding cuts threated the level of service that can be delivered  - at a time when need is growing, not decreasing.

Are you an NUJ member going on the March?

The NUJ as part of the Federation of Entertainment Unions has been allocated an assembly point, all the assembly points are between Hungerford Bridge and the rear of Temple Place. Signs will be put on lamp posts and other street furniture to demarcate the different zones and we have been allocated position 13 along the Embankment - next to the east end of Temple Place. At the assembly point we will have 100 new NUJ flags and save the BBC World Service t-shirts to hand out before the demonstration starts so come along and march with the NUJ.
There will also be a rally in Belfast organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The Belfast march begins at the Art College in Donegal Street at 12.30 pm on Saturday March 26, with a rally at City Hall.

See you on Saturday 26 March!

Diary of a Job Seeker

Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centre have informed us about Justine - who has started writing a blog about her experiences of the benefits system. Justine's blog can be found here: http://justine-diaryofajobseeker.blogspot.com/p/all-about-me.html

The budget ‘forgot women’, says TUC

Responding to the budget today (Wednesday), Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said:
“It is deeply depressing that the only mention of equality in today’s budget was related to scrapping the dual discrimination regulations.
“By the government’s own calculations, the changes to the personal tax allowance will benefit more men than women – and they fail to take into account the fact that many working women are in low-paid jobs and part-time employment so they do not earn enough to even pay tax in the first place.
“We now have over a million women without work – and it is young women who are suffering the most. TUC research has identified a sharp increase in young female unemployment. In the South West it has trebled, while in the North West, Yorkshire, West Midlands, South East and Scotland it has almost doubled.
“The Chancellor’s budget today forgot women and does nothing to address inequality.”

Midlands TUC Newsletter available for 26th March

Download the Midlands TUC March for the Alternative special edition newsletter for this Saturday's march. Go here: http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-19379-f0.cfm?regional=6
and print the pdf version which includes the route map which some might find helpful.

Government must do more to help home-buyers

Commenting on the announcement by the Chancellor in the budget today (Wednesday) that the Government has earmarked £250 million from the bank levy to help around 10,000 first-time buyers, with incomes of up to £60,000, buy a new-build property, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “The number of first-time buyers fell by 13 per cent in the past year, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. “Although today’s announcement is welcome, it will not be enough to deal with the dearth of affordable mortgages.
“The government should also put pressure on the banks to increase the amount of finance earmarked for those who are struggling to buy their first home.”

March for the Alternative - Assembly and Map

In case you are one of the few people who have not yet got your map of the march and assembly area - here it is!


View March for the Alternative Route in a larger map

Today has been a no-change budget, says TUC

Cheryl Pidgeon

Responding to the budget today (Wednesday), Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said:
“Today has been a no-change budget. The Chancellor has been forced to reveal the evidence that his policies aren’t working but has not had the courage to change them.
“Today’s measures do nothing to end the basic error of imposing deep, rapid and unfair spending cuts on an economy where unemployment is rising and growth faltering.
“While there are some welcome measures on funding for apprenticeships and much needed relief on fuel duty, most of today is about taking us back to the 1980s with deregulation gimmicks, hand-outs to big business and a deterioration of working conditions that failed to deliver jobs or growth then and won’t today.
“Overall, there was little in the way of help for hard pressed ordinary people fearful for their jobs and reeling from inflation driven by the VAT increase. And for the young unemployed the best the Chancellor had to offer was cut-price unpaid work experience.
“Now workers learn that they are set for stealth increases in their tax every year as the Chancellor switches tax rate increases to CPI in the same way that he has already hit pensions and benefits.”

Government must take action as unemployment hits highest level since recession, says TUC

Commenting on the latest unemployment figures published today (Wednesday) by the Office for National Statistics, which show that unemployment in the West Midlands increased by 11.3% to 265,000 in the three months to January, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “Today’s figures are shocking. Over a year after the recession technically ended unemployment is now at its highest level since the mid 1990s, with 2.53 million people out of work. We have particular problems in the west midlands as figures show that 27,000 more people were unemployed in the region during the period. “The increase in the unemployment rate for young people is of real concern. Youth unemployment is at a record high, with more than a fifth of young people unable to find jobs, the risks for the future are very real.


“While the fall in the numbers claiming the dole is welcome, the number of jobs available in the economy has also fallen and there are over a million people in part-time work seeking permanent jobs.
“These figures show that the jobs recovery is still some way off. Public sector employment has already fallen 39,000 between September and the end of last year, and with thousands more redundancies still to come – for example in local authorities – this is no time to be cutting back on support programmes for the unemployed.
“This government’s economic policies risk making high joblessness a permanent feature of our economy. It must change course before it’s too late.”


The latest unemployment figures are available at www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lmsuk0311.pdf

GMB tracks 226,472 jobs under threat in the public sector

Unemployment at all levels is not just a social ill it is an economic disaster so putting people on the economic scrap heap is not a price worth paying as we found out during the Thatcher years says GMB
170,582 posts are under threat at 318 local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland the latest round up by GMB public services union shows. When jobs under threat at local NHS bodies and other public bodies including, universities, the MOD and the Environment Agency (EA) as a result of the spending cuts are added to the numbers at the councils a total of 226,472 public sector jobs are under threat. The full list of councils and authorities and of NHS and other public bodies are set out in 'Notes to Editors' below.
In nearly all of the councils and public bodies a 90 day statutory consultation period is underway on how to deal with these job losses. Most councils have given notice that they plan to delete vacant posts and seek volunteers for early retirements and redundancy.

This table below summaries the total posts under threat across the UK
Local Authorities by Region (Total for 318 Councils)
North East 10,307
North West 30,005
Yorkshire & The Humber 21,433
East Midlands 11,874
West Midlands 22,161
Eastern 11,505
London 17,797
South East 14,547
South West 12,146
Wales 3,055
Scotland 15,752
Total 170,582

Total NHS Bodies 49,682
Total Other Bodies 6,208
Total Public Services jobs under threat 226,472


There are a total of 353 councils in England, 22 in Wales and 32 in Scotland. There are 104 other authorities including national parks, police, fire and waste. For a total of 185 plus authorities GMB has not yet established the number of posts under threat. GMB is waiting for information from 123 smaller shire district councils in England, from 6 larger councils in England (1 London Borough, 2 Met Boroughs and 3 Unitary Authorities), 11 councils in Scotland,12 in Wales and 38 plus other authorities.

RMT charted train to the March for the Alternative

RMT had chartered special trains for 26th March. There are still seats available on the train from the East Midlands and times and calling stations are given below.

Tickets are discounted for trade unionists and their families and friends at £20 return. I’d be grateful if you could circulate these details around your Branches. Anyone interested in booking a seat should email Dave Jones at d.jones@rmt.org.uk
Chartered train Saturday 26th March


Departs Sheffield 07.48
Chesterfield 08.01
Derby 08.32
EM Parkway 08.49
Leicester 09.06
Arrives St Pancras 10.46
Return from St Pancras 17.45

Northampton march to save Jobs and Services

March & Rally Saturday 12th March 2011 – Northampton - Oppose the cuts and privatisation of our public services.

The March will assemble from 11:00am at Becketts Park, Northampton (Adjacent to A428 Bedford Road)
Speakers confirmed for the Rally:
Cheryl Pidgeon - TUC Midlands Regional Secretary
Dave Ward – CWU Deputy General Secretary Postal
Roger McKenzie – Unison Assistant General Secretary
Matt Wrack – FBU General Secretary
Dot Gibson – General Secretary – National Pensioners Convention
John Lister – Information Director Health Emergency
Come and join us and march for an alternative to the CON-DEM cuts

For further information please contact: Mick Fitzmaurice

cwu.northamptonshire@btinternet.com
or Tel: 07885999769

Plans for Green Investment Bank a budget must-have, says TUC

Commenting on the Environmental Audit Committee report into the Green Investment Bank published today (Friday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The Chancellor will ignore this report at his peril. The Green Investment Bank has a vital role in securing economic recovery and jobs. Plans for a fully fledged, well funded bank are a must-have for this month’s budget.
“Without the new bank, the Committee warns that we face a funding gap for green infrastructure running into hundreds of billions of pounds. It says the Bank must be able to start making investments within twelve months.
“We need a real bank capable of issuing Green ISAs, supporting the Green Deal and advising government on the green economy roadmap so vital to our economic recovery.”

What you doing 26th March?

We will be there - where will you be?

Landmark Supreme Court Judgement Rules out Asbestos Exposure Threshold for Mesothelioma

In a landmark decision yesterday, 9th March, involving the deaths of mesothelioma  sufferers Diane Wilmore, exposed to asbestos at school, and Enid Costello, exposed to asbestos in a factory, the Supreme Court has handed down a judgment that low levels of exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma.
Both Diane Wilmore and Enid Costello won their cases in the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Both these decisions were appealed by employers who sought to establish a threshold of exposure which could rule out hundreds of potential claims for mesothelioma where there was low level exposure to asbestos. But, The Supreme Court has ruled that the current test that only requires a material contribution to the risk of developing mesothelioma should stand in such cases.

This case is just one of a long series of cases brought by insurers and employers seeking to deny their liability to pay compensation despite the fact that claimants were negligently exposed to asbestos and later developed the fatal disease, mesothelioma. Diane Wilmore fought her case despite failing health, dying just a day after she heard that the Appeal Court had upheld the High Court judgment.

Tony Whitston, Chair of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum, said: “This case involved the wrongful exposure of two people to asbestos, which caused their deaths. There is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos. Arguments for a ‘safe’ threshold are everything to do with denying liability for compensation and nothing to do with protecting people. This case not only protects compensation for those who have been negligently exposed to low levels of asbestos, but also gives a warning to those who think that workplaces such as schools, which are heavily contaminated with asbestos, are low risk.”


Notes
The Supreme Court case: Sienkiewicz (Administratrix of the Estate of Enid Costello Deceased) (Respondent) v Greif (UK) Limited (Appellant)
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (Appellant) v Willmore (Respondent)

This is a landmark judgment because many people who had low level exposure to asbestos, e.g. teachers, would have been unable to secure compensation had the judgment gone the other way. 45 teachers died from mesothelioma in the three year period 2006-2008. On average during this period 15 teachers died from mesothelioma each year.


Reprinted from the newsletter of Asbestos Support West Midlands: http://www.asbestossupportwm.org/

Imposing harsh changes to public sector pensions could leave future pensioners in poverty

Brendan Barber

Commenting on the final report of Lord Hutton’s Review of public sector pensions published today (Thursday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Public sector workers are already suffering a wage freeze, job losses and high inflation. They are now desperately worried that they will no longer be able to afford their pension contributions, and will have to opt-out.
“Even without any changes recommended in today’s report, public sector pensions have been reduced in value by 25 per cent by a mix of negotiated change and the government’s arbitrary switch to the CPI measure of inflation.
“On top of this the government has announced a £2.8 billion increase in contributions and a review of the discount rate that could also increase contributions. Even without further changes public sector workers will pay much more for substantially less.
“Lord Hutton’s report is a serious piece of work with aspects we can welcome such as the call for good quality pensions and better scheme governance. But while we hope the government will heed his advice to get employers and unions around the table to make sure any changes are properly negotiated, these talks will take place against a very difficult background.
“Issues such as moves to a career average scheme will have very different impacts on different schemes – and unless there is an increase in the accrual rate the switch will simply mean that some will lose out more than others.
“And if changes force members to leave schemes this could make the short term cost of pensions for the government greater and store up real problems for the future.
“Imposing changes without agreement could lead to real industrial tensions and getting the decisions wrong could leave future pensioners in poverty.”

Government’s economic strategy risks crisis in female unemployment, says TUC

As the annual TUC women’s conference begins in Eastbourne today (Wednesday) the TUC is warning that the government faces a potential crisis in female unemployment – and that its current economic strategy risks making the situation much worse.

While more men lost their jobs in the recent recession than women and more men than women remain out of work, over the last year male employment has begun to recover (with a 238,000 increase in employment levels and a 0.4 point increase in the rate) while female employment has fallen (19,000 over the same period and a 0.5 point fall in the rate).

During the past 12 months overall male unemployment has fallen by 31,000 (with the rate falling by 0.3 percentage points), while female unemployment has risen by 71,000 (with the rate increasing by 0.5 percentage points).

Although they face a far higher risk of unemployment overall, the situation is similar for young people (aged 18-24). Unemployment amongst young men has dropped slightly by 0.4 percentage points, while there has been an increase of 1.6 points for young women.

TUC analysis of official Labour Force Survey figures from July-September 2010 shows that in some parts of the country as many as one in five young women (20 per cent) aged between 16-24 are currently unemployed.
The worst hit areas are Merseyside, where unemployment among young women has risen by 11 per cent since the recession started, the West Midlands (10 per cent increase) and Scotland and Yorkshire (which have both seen 9 per cent increases).
This rise in female unemployment comes at a time when the number of jobs in sectors where may women work is still far lower than was the case at the start of the recession.

Retail vacancies have plummeted

Since the downturn there has been a fall of 34,000 in retail vacancies, a 14,000 fall in administrative and secretarial jobs, the number of education vacancies has fallen by 20,000 and the number of jobs in health and social work has fallen by 18,000.

With redundancies in the public sector – where more than a third of women in work are employed – set to increase as a result of government spending cuts, and slow economic growth likely to mean that vacancy levels remain low across ‘female’ sectors like retail and admin, the TUC believes women are in for a tough few years.

Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “While the government focuses all its energy on cuts, our unemployment crisis continues to grow. “The UK desperately needs an economic strategy that prioritises growth and jobs to bring revenues in and the deficit down. The current plan of deep, rapid cuts is causing job losses to mount and sending our economy in the wrong direction."
“Women worried about losing their jobs or vital public services in the cuts should join at least 100,000 people coming from all parts of the country – including public sector workers, faith groups, community organisations, volunteers, campaigners and families – on the TUC’s March for the Alternative on Saturday 26 March in London.”

The TUC’s analysis of female unemployment is available at: www.tuc.org.uk/extras/womenconference.pdf
The 81st TUC women’s conference takes place at the Floral Hall, Winter Garden, Eastbourne, from 2pm on Wednesday 9 March to 12.45pm on Friday 11 March. Speakers include TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP, President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Helen Kelly and TUC President Michael Leahy.- The TUC March for the Alternative is on Saturday 26 March in London. For more information please visit: www.marchforthealternative.org.uk

On International Women's Day

This video is on Youtube, a must see for every woman - and us men probably need to see it more.

Latest on the March for the Alternative and disabled access

Will you be there?

Read the latest information on access to the March for the Alternative for those with disabilities who are intending to come to London on 26th March:

http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/2011/03/04/latest-arrangements-for-access-and-disability/

Don't forget - the TUC are looking for stewards for the march and you can sign up to be a steward here:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/alltogetherfor/stewarding.cfm

TUC welcomes European Parliament vote for Robin Hood Tax

Welcoming the vote today (Tuesday) in the European Parliament in favour of the introduction of a European-wide financial transactions tax (known as the Robin Hood Tax in the UK), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
“European politicians have turned the public anger against the financial sector highlighted recently by the Governor of the Bank of England into support for a Robin Hood Tax – a tiny tax that could make a big difference.

“European governments – including David Cameron’s – now need to listen up and turn this Parliamentary vote into a European agreement, so that the banks start paying for the crisis they caused, rather than ordinary people in Britain and abroad.”

Employers must do more to support women through the menopause

To coincide with International Women’s Day today (Tuesday), the TUC has published new guidance on how employers and union reps can work together to support women through the menopause at work.

The menopause is an important occupational health issue for the 3.5 million women over the age of 50 currently in work. The TUC believes that employers need to recognise that women of menopausal age may need extra consideration, as changes during the menopause can affect how a woman does her work, and her relationship with her boss and colleagues.

The TUC guidance is drawn from the experience of union health and safety representatives and also important new research published by the British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF) in conjunction with the University of Nottingham.

Supporting women through the menopause will help union reps raise the issue of the menopause in workplaces, and ensure that employers are aware that poor working conditions can aggravate symptoms.

Menopausal women can experience hot flushes, headaches, tiredness, sweating, anxiety attacks and an increase in stress levels. High workplace temperatures, poor ventilation, poor or non-existent rest or toilet facilities, or a lack of access to cold drinking water at work can make all of these symptoms worse, says the TUC.

Female staff have told the TUC their managers didn’t recognise problems associated with the menopause – they speak of being criticised for menopause-related sick leave, their embarrassment at discussing the menopause with their employers, and being criticised or ridiculed by their managers on the subject.

The TUC believes that employers have a responsibility to take into account the difficulties that women may experience during the menopause, and that female workers should be able to expect support and assistance during what is, for many, a very difficult time.

The report suggests:

• Employers should ensure that all line managers have been trained to know how the menopause can affect work and what adjustments may be necessary to support women who are experiencing the menopause.
• Employers can highlight the menopause so all staff know that the workplace has a positive attitude to the issue. Guidance on how to deal with the menopause should be freely available.
• Women should be given information of how they can get support for issues that arise as a result of the menopause. Some women will feel uncomfortable going to their line manager, especially if it is a man, and other options should be available through human resources, or a welfare officer.
• Sickness absence procedures should cater for menopause-related sickness absence.
• Working time arrangements should be flexible enough to ensure they meet the needs of menopausal women, who may require to leave work suddenly. They may also need more breaks during the day.
• Risk assessments should consider the specific needs of menopausal women and ensure that the working environment will not make their symptoms worse. Issues that need looking at include temperature and ventilation. The assessments should also address welfare issues such as toilet facilities and access to cold water.
TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “We welcome the research published by BOHRF. Despite the increasingly large number of older women in employment, the menopause is rarely seen as a workplace issue.

“There is no excuse for the silence, embarrassment, confusion and inaction around the menopause – something which all women go through.

“The health of women in later years depends very much on their health when they are working through the menopause, and this report shows employers and unions can work together to do much more to protect them.”

CWU Keep the Post Public campaign visits Beeston

The CWU march and rally in Beeston was the biggest yet in the Midlands. View the march and rally here:

One step closer to a Derby Unemployed Workers Centre

Ian Wilson, Colin Hampton, Chris Williamson MP and Cheryl Pidgeon

Campaigners from Derby Trades Union Council held a "Listening" event at the Beckett Street Irish Club where unemployed people were able to share their stories of existing on benefit. The trades council have been discussing establishing a Centre for the Unemployed for several months and have taken advice from the Chesterfield based Derbyshire UWC. The "Listening" event was the next step in establishing the need for a centre and what support provision would be required.
The meeting heard from a number of unemployed people who highlighted the problems associated with existing on benefit, including:

• Being pressured to apply for inappropriate jobs
• Lack of essential information to enable appropriate claims
• Inappropriate medical checks
• The shame of not being able to access work when willing and able to do so
• Degrading and humiliating treatment from the benefits system
• Needless form filling after doctors have signed people off sick
• Automatically being turned down when applying for Disability Living Allowance forcing lengthy appeals

The Panel discussion heard contributions from Colin Hampton, Coordinator of the Derbyshire UWC, Chris Williamson, MP, Cheryl Pidgeon, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary, and Ian Wilson, President of Derby Trades Council. Points made by the panel included:

• Government cuts were taking away the very institutions that unemployed people relied upon
• All jobs should be registered at Job Centres so as to ensure they provided a full service to the whole community
• Investment in the economy with strong public services were needed to provide good quality employment opportunities

The trades council will continue to hold further meetings to look at the practicalities of establishing an Unemployed Workers center for Derby.

Disability Reforms Risk Widespread Poverty

Cuts to the disability living allowance (DLA) will leave disabled people, their carers and their children in poverty.

Disabled people – and those living with and caring for them – are more likely than non-disabled people to face poverty and restricted chances in life. The current failing of the allowance is not that it is paying too much, as the Government believes, but it is not generous enough to provide disabled people with a decent standard of living.
Limiting the different rates of the allowance will mean many claimants could lose the benefit.
The new allowance due to replace the DLA – the personal independence payment – is much less generous and will be available to far fewer people, and seems to have been designed primarily to cut government spending.
DLA claimants are all too often portrayed as malingering benefit dependants, but evidence shows that fraud is rare. Recipients of the current benefit rely on it to pay for basic food and accommodation. Any cut in the allowance would reduce the living standards of disabled people, and risk leaving them and their children in permanent poverty.

Changes to the mobility component of DLA could see older disabled people particularly hit by the loss of vital income, and left isolated in care homes and hospitals.

Last month the TUC quite rightly reacted cautiously to the publication of the Government’s incapacity benefit reassessment programme.While we welcome the Government’s commitment to implement the Harrington Review to improve the operation of work capability assessments, these trials were carried out under the old system where 40 per cent of appeals were upheld, due to problems the government acknowledges still exist.

Even among those who do not appeal, many of the people judged as ‘fit for work’ in these trials are disabled, and will face additional barriers moving into the jobs market – particularly as they are likely to have spent a long period out of work and live in areas where unemployment is high.

News that Dame Carol Black and David Frost are to carry out an independent review into sickness absence should receive a cautious response.We would welcome a genuine attempt to support those on long-term sickness back to work but there is concern that it will end up as just another part of the Government’s cost-saving onslaught on the income and rights of those at work, and those on benefits.
The fact that the review is being conducted by a leading voice of employers’ interests, with no corresponding involvement from unions representing workers affected by sickness absence, gives little confidence in the outcome.

Training Setback

The Government's decision not to extend the right to request training to employees in small and medium businesses was a setback for all those who have argued for a skills-driven growth strategy.
With a third of employers not providing any training to staff, and SMEs less likely than bigger firms to invest in skills, the decision will hit Britain's productivity and competitiveness.

Directors' Thatcherite Fantasy

Plans to stimulate economic growth set out by the Institute of Directors last month are Thatcherite fantasy.

Giving directors greater freedoms, reducing training, and ending collective bargaining in the NHS would all hinder not help the recovery.

Cowboys Charter?

News that the Government is to open up its procurement budget to small and medium companies risks letting in the cowboys. The Government needs to be smarter about how it spends its money, and use the £191 billion procurement budget to improve skills, innovation and sustainability.

Bank Holiday Plans put backbench grudges over staff and business needs!

Re plans announced in the government’s tourism strategy today (Friday) to move the May Day bank holiday to either late April or October, Cheryl Pidgeon, Regional Secretary Midlands TUC said :“There is strong support for an extra public holiday as the UK has the stingiest allocation in Europe".

“But messing around with established bank holidays will disrupt people’s schedules and create more red tape for employers. Moving the May Day bank holiday forward a week or so is not about bringing forward the tourist season – which starts around Easter anyway – but all about satisfying Tory backwoodsmen who have a bee in their bonnet because of May Day’s association with international labour day. In fact May Day is a traditional British celebration dating back to the fourth century.

“The government should rise above this backbench grudge, stop re-arranging the deckchairs and introduce an extra bank holiday in late October instead.”

Government plan to privatise Blood Service

Unite have launched a campaign to stop the government from privatising the Blood Service. The Government is planning to let big business profit from blood donations.
It's almost unbelievable - almost.
Up and down the country, thousands of men and woman give blood each week. They don't do it for selfish reasons. They do it for friends, neighbours - and for people they will never know. By giving blood they do something amazing and save countless lives. Anyone who has either needed blood, or has a loved one who has, will know that feeling of gratitude.
But this Government doesn't care about that selflessness - that's why they're planning to literally privatise your blood. By letting big business marketise blood donations, the Tories will shatter the virtuous link between donors and recipients.
We can't allow this to happen - we need to rally around a simple but profound message: Our blood is not for sale.
In response to these plans Unite are launching a national petition. Sign the petition and demand that David Cameron steps in and stops this dangerous plan:
Chances are that if you haven't benefitted from someone else's amazing generosity, someone you know and love has. Often, we owe our loved ones' very survival to a blood donation from a complete stranger. Blood donors give blood so that doctors and surgeons are able to save lives. They don't give blood so that private corporations can make a profit.
We are talking about life and death, about an incredible selfless act. Money and profit margins have no place in this transaction. This is a step too far. We cannot allow this to happen.
Act now. Act for yourself. Act for a loved one. We are all under threat if the Tories can get away with this - please sign the  Unite petition now:
http://action.unitetheunion.com/BloodMoney

Have you signed up to be a steward on The March for the Alternative?

The March for the Alternative is going to be huge!
That means we are going to need lots of volunteer stewards to help make the day a well-run, family-friendly event. Good events need about one steward for every 50 people attending, so that tells you how many we will need.
But first it's worth stressing what the job doesn't involve, as we know a wrong impression can put people off volunteering.

Volunteer stewards are not being asked to deal with any trouble-makers the event might attract. Of course we are planning this to be a massive, peaceful and friendly event, but in the unlikely event that a few fringe trouble-makers do cause difficulties, our volunteers are not expected to do anything other than report problems to senior stewards.
So if that's what the job isn't about, what do these two roles involve?
Travel stewards
We are asking every group of people travelling together to the event to nominate at least one person as a travel steward.
The travel steward's role is to make sure that people get to the right place at the start, can brief people on what to expect during the day and know how to get home again. We will make sure that you have any last-minute information you need, and will be able to keep in touch on the day by text.
We know that anyone organising a coach or block booking to the event will already be fulfilling most of this, but we would like to know who you are and make it easier for you to your job.
If you want to register as a travel steward, please do so here:  
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-19001-f0.cfm/formbuilder/118/p/1
Travel stewards do not have to help steward the march, but it would make sense to also volunteer to be a route steward as well - as the people travelling with you will already know who you are.

Route stewards
The job of route stewards is straightforward. The main task is simply to keep the march moving. There's a terrible tendency for marches like this to slow down, but we need to keep people moving briskly so that everyone can get into Hyde Park for at least some of the rally.
The next job is to be able to answer questions and deal with issues raised by those attending. We will be providing briefing sessions in advance all round the country, and providing written briefing notes.
Next stewards will be briefed on what to do if any problems arise. Common examples of such issues are a lost child, someone being taken ill or injuring themselves. The answers to most of these will be to contact a senior steward or the march control centre, and full briefings will be given on different contingencies and what to do. As we have said this does not include any intervention if there is any disruption beyond polite requests to keep moving. This would be when you hand over responsibility to senior stewards and the police.
Again we will use text messages to send any urgent information to stewards, and senior stewards will be in radio contact with each other and the march control centre.
So what's needed is common-sense, a mobile phone and a desire to help make this the most effective and efficiently organised demonstration against the cuts that is possible.

If you want to be a route steward sign up here.

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-19001-f0.cfm/formbuilder/118/p/1

Subpostmasters warn government must do better following decision to withdraw benefits cheque contract

The National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP) has described as “bitterly disappointing” the government’s decision today to remove the contract for processing benefit cheques from the Post Office.
The NFSP warned ministers that if the post office network is to remain at its current 12,000 outlets, they must deliver on their promise to transform post offices into “the front office for government”; and that future tenders for government services must take into account the network’s unique geographical reach, high level of public trust and specialised, trained staffing.
The contract for the benefits cheque service (known as Green Giros or the Exceptions Service), which allows around 350,000 vulnerable citizens to receive pensions and benefit payments by cashing a cheque at their local post office each week, has been at the Post Office since its inception 43 years ago and is worth £20m a year. The government’s decision to award the contract to Paypoint at what the NFSP believes to be a below cost price raises fears among subpostmasters on the future of other benefits payment services such as the Post Office card account (POCA), used by almost four million customers every week.
NFSP General Secretary George Thomson said: “This is a bitterly disappointing decision from the government. Benefits cheque customers rely on their local post office to provide this important service, with subpostmasters and trained Post Office staff providing assistance to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable customers each week. Many of these customers will be unwilling or unable to travel to a Paypoint outlet such as an off-licence or garage forecourt to claim their weekly pension or benefit allowance.”
“Furthermore, we are unconvinced that Paypoint will be able to deliver this important and complex service. The company hasn’t consulted with its agents on their ability or willingness to provide the service. Instead Paypoint continues to force a race to the bottom, making below cost bids for contracts by driving down rates paid to their agents ever further.
“The post office network is the ideal channel for the public to access all forms of local and central government information, verification and payments, due to its trusted presence at the heart of local communities across the UK. The government has recognised this enormous potential by committing to make the network its “front office”. However, we must be clear that if we are to maintain a network of 12,000 Post Office outlets, subpostmasters need significant volumes of work in order to survive, including regular repeat transactions such as benefits payments. Ministers have to deliver new government work to post offices, not more broken promises. As the government plans to remove Post Office Ltd (POL) from Royal Mail Group and make it a stand-alone company, this imperative is even greater.
“If the government is serious about maintaining a national network of post offices, it must ensure that all future tenders for government services take account of the full range of factors alongside cost. The Post Office provides guaranteed availability of cash through its comprehensive infrastructure; unrivalled local access; and trained, trusted staff able to undertake specialist transactions in a safe, secure and professional environment. We would hope and expect that all future government tenders will include a strong focus on these important values.
“I warn the government that neither subpostmasters nor Post Office customers will tolerate any further moves to withdraw vital services from our counters, including the POCA. In 2008, a campaign backed by 4.5 million people succeeded in forcing the government to back down on plans to remove the POCA contract from the Post Office, and we will work again to make sure that the contract continues beyond 2016.”

Pay rises not enough to prevent tough income squeeze, says TUC

Cheryl Pidgeon

Commenting on the latest pay settlements survey published today (Thursday) by Incomes Data Services Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “As more companies move back into the black, increased profits are being reflected in improved pay settlements.
“But wages are still losing ground to rising living costs and the government is pushing through a downward wage spiral in the public sector – with pay freezes and bigger pension contributions – while inflation is around five per cent.
“This combination of tough pay settlements, tax rises and tax credit cuts due to start in April means that ordinary workers, and working families in particular, are about to experience one of the toughest income squeezes for a century – one that will test the economy’s ability to bounce back.”


Useful notes:RPI inflation – the measure most commonly used in wage negotiations – was 5.1 per cent in January 2011, while CPI inflation was 4 per cent. The inflation figures for February will be published at 9.30am on Tuesday 22 March.