Please help get a debate on Remploy - sign the e-petition

The fight to save Remploy, which employs almost 3,000 disabled workers, and trains several thousand of the most disadvantaged in society a year to help them back to employment, goes on.

We are close to our 100,000 target to force a parliament debate - as we saw this week over the European Union.

Please help the Remploy unions to raise this issue in Parliament. You can do a number of things to support this campaign:

• go on line and sign the "e" petition,
• cascade this email to all your friends, family and colleagues to have them sign it.

Please please help the disabled workers in Remploy keep their jobs.

 

HELP SAVE REMPLOY - Go to www.remployworkers.info and sign the petition.

An evening of music and comedy in aid of the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centres

Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centres are proud to present

The BIG SOCIETY SOCIAL
at the Winding Wheel, Chesterfield
Friday November 25th 2011 Doors open: 7.00pm

Entertainment will include:
In the Ballroom:
• Mondegreen • Judy Dunlop/Birgit Baker-Schellhorn
• Blair Dunlop • Loscoe State Opera

In the Function Room:

• Fred T Baker • Attila the Stockbroker

For tickets ring 01246 231441
£10 Waged
£5 Unwaged

Flyer for Birmingham Nov 30 rally

A flyer advertising the November 30th Pensions Justice rally at the Birmingham National Indoor Arena can now be downloaded from the Midlands TUC website

Save our Railways Trade Union Briefing - Why the government should reject the McNulty report

The McNulty report was commissioned by the government to 'improve value for money to passengers and the taxpayer.' But the report's recommendations are a false economy which will worsen services to passengers and short change the taxpayer.

You can now download and reads the full trade union briefing from the Midlands TUC website

Women 'hit hardest by job cuts

A GMB survey has today hit the newsstands pointing out that women have born the brunt of job losses in local authorities.

Of the 129,000 jobs axed in councils in England and Wales between the first quarter of 2010 and the second quarter of this year, two-thirds were women.

In the West Midlands 70% of all the job losses were women. In one of our local authorities, North Warwickshire, female job losses made up the entire 100% of job losses.

This is yet more evidence of how the government's spending cuts and austerity have a disproportiante impact. At the weekend we saw the brilliant rallies in Nottingham and Birmingham highlighting the massive impact of cuts on disabled people. Today, these figures highlight the disproportionate impact on women.

These figures should serve as a wake up call and the Government really must take another look at their policies. Job losses are not only hurting our economy but putting at risk years of advances in tackling inequality.

National Indoor Arena - venue for Birmingham Nov 30 rally

The Midlands TUC have booked the National Indoor Arena for the Birmingham 'Pensions Justice' rally on November 30th.

NIA doors open from 12.30pm.

There will also be a march through Birmingham prior to the rally. However, route & assembly details yet to be confirmed.

As soon as route & assembly point are agreed with the authorities details will be posted both here on the Midlands TUC blog and on the Midlands TUC website www.tuc.org.uk/midlands

Tell David Cameron: Back the Robin Hood Tax at the G20

At the G20 summit this November world leaders have a chance do something good for the world, by introducing a Robin Hood Tax.

It would help stop the cuts, tackle climate change and global poverty and help control the casino banking that got us into this mess.

Lots of governments are already on board. To date, our own government has been lukewarm in public, while opposing it behind closed doors.

But cracks are beginning to show and if enough of us raise our voices now we can make a difference.

Tell David Cameron to ignore the banking lobby and take a stand at the G20 that will be admired worldwide.

Tell him to put the people before the banks.

Tell him to vote for Robin Hood.
 Email the Prime Minister now

Going To Work is a project of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)

Growing life expectancy is a warning against forcing people to retire later

Commenting on the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics on life expectancy across the UK published today (Wednesday), Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Rob Johnston said:

“The growing life expectancy divide is a stark warning to a government intent on forcing people to retire later.

Life expectancy in deprived areas of the UK is increasing at half the pace of the wealthiest parts of London and the South of England.

The Government’s plans for accelerating the state pension age may sound plausible for the elite in Kensington and Chelsea but it is a frightening prospect to the millions of people here in the Midlands.

Our region was the hardest hit during the recession. Families are struggling to pay their bills and battling against falling into poverty. This is just yet further evidence that the Government needs to think through the full consequences of their pension plans”

38 degrees petition - 24hours to go

On Thursday at 2pm, 38 Degrees will meet with key Lib Dem members of the House of Lords.

38 degrees will be handing in the 'Save our NHS' petition

It would be great to give this petition a push in the next 24 hours. Please can you get as many people as possible to add their signature by 2pm Thursday at:

www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/Protect_our_NHS_Petition#petition

If you use Facebook you could also share the petition on your profile:

http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.38degrees.org.uk%2Fpage%2Fs%2FProtect_our_NHS_Petition

If you are on Twitter you could also send a tweet:

http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Help+grow+the+%23SaveOurNHS+petition+before+the+urgent+meeting+on+Thursday.+%4038_Degrees+http%3A%2F%2F38d.gs%2Fnhssaveour

Hardest Hit in Nottingham

Lats night was the final planning meeting in Nottingham for the Hardest Hit campaign which takes to the streets this Saturday. Nottingham's campaign event will be held in the Old Market Square, outside the Council House form 12 noon. If you are in Nottingham do go along and support this excellent campaign which is highlighting the cuts imposed on disabled people by the government.
Not in Nottingham on Saturday? Hardest Hit are also having an event in Birmingham's Victoria Square, again starting at midday.

Birmingham University Jobs Fair

Today is Birmingham University's Autumn Jobs Fair - so here talking to students about their employment rights. Very busy start with lots of students looking for work to take them through Uni. Christmas working is key for many students. Already getting questions about the national minimum wage and National Insurance numbers.

High inflation and low wage growth are squeezing living standards even tighter

Inflation has increased considerably over the last month. September's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate was 5.2%, up 0.7% on the previous month, reaching the record high set in September 2008. The Retail Prices Index rose to 5.6% from 5.2% in August, the highest level it has been since 1991.

Midlands TUC Regional Secretary, Rob Johnston, said "The economic news just keeps getting worse. Only a few days ago we had thousands more people added to the Midlands dole queues and now families are today hit with news of soaring inflation. With a stagnant economy, living standards ae continually squeezed.

'Osborne's austerity is hurting and clearly not working. The Chancelloe is out of touch with the difficulties faced by people across our region. It is about time Ministers stopped posturing and started to take action to get people working.'

What's more, the figures today show that public sector pensions will be cut by 0.4% next year alone as a result of the Government's pensions uprating switch from RPI to CPI."

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

"The cost of living is now rising three times faster than wages - squeezing people's living standards even tighter. But instead of standing up for hard-pressed families, the government is making things worse by hiking VAT and cutting vital tax credits.

'Ministers must do all they can to promote a plan B based on jobs and decent wages. We cannot build a sustainable economic recovery on the back of people getting poorer.

'Today's figures also confirm that the government's CPI stealth cut will reduce the value of benefits and pensions by 0.4 per cent next year. This cut could slash public sector pensions, as well as many in the private sector, by nearly 30 per cent over the next three decades, and send many more people into poverty in retirement."

When will George Osborne finally wake up?

When will George Osborne finally wake up?

George is seemingly fixated by his politically motivated plan to eradicate the structural deficit in time for the next election. Seemingly chucking yet more people onto the economic scrap heap is a price worth paying for George.

However, increasing unemployment will simply make it impossible to reduce the deficit. West Midlands unemployment in the three months to August rose by 8,000 to 234,000 an increase of 3.5%

How can this be good for the deficit? More people not paying tax and claiming benefit. It really is the economics of the mad house.

One can only hope that George has read this weeks New Statesman with the excellent contributions outlining practical measures that can get our economy moving. Check out the leader here: http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2011/10/lower-growth-plan-osborne

Things we can do? Investment bank; regional support; house building, money direct to consumers. It is not rocket science.

George, if you listen you may yet get the growth you need to tackle the deficit. If you don't, all your scheming and political strategy for a Tory majority in 2015 will surely come crashing down around you.

The truth about public and private sector pay

A common attack on public sector workers is that they get paid more than those doing private sector jobs. Sometimes critics go further and talk as if this is something new, implying that public sector workers have overtaken private sector workers.

And if they are paid more, the critics say, then it’s unfair that they should get a decent pension on top of this.

So what’s the truth?The raw statistics show that average pay in the public sector is higher than it is is in the private sector.

But that’s because the the two sectors employ different kinds of workers.

Many jobs in the public sector are skilled professional jobs or others with comparatively good pay. The last government took on 44,000 extra doctors, 55,000 extra police officers and 38,000 teachers. These are all jobs where you earn above average pay.

At the other end of the pay scale the public sector has been contracting out low paid jobs -such as cleaners – for many years.

Let’s look at what this means for average pay. Even if everybody’s pay is frozen, if you add better paid workers and take away low paid jobs the average will go up, however you measure it. It doesn’t mean that anyone has had a pay rise.

If you look at the private sector there are very many jobs that are low paid. Many jobs in the restaurants, pubs, hotels and other jobs that make up the hospitality sector are minimum wage jobs. The same goes for shops. At the other end are the real fat-cats with huge pay-packets.

So comparing averages between the two sectors tells you more about what type of jobs are in each sector than anything very useful about pay.

If you want to make a proper comparison between the public and private sector, then you need to compare people doing exactly the same job.

But there aren’t many jobs that are done the same way in both sectors so this doesn’t work as a way of comparing the whole of the public sector with the whole of the private sector.

The best we can do is compare what people with the same qualifications earn. This is because people who have GCSEs are likely to be doing jobs with the same skill level wherever they work, just as graduates are likely to be doing better paid and higher skilled jobs wherever they find work.

This is where it gets interesting.

The truth is that people with high levels of qualification tend to earn more in the private sector, while those with lower qualifications tend to earn more in the public sector.

The TUC last looked at this in 2009 – and we hope to return to this issue before November 30. What the figures show is that those with a degree earned 3.4 per cent less in the public sector, while those with no formal qualifications earned 3.7 per cent more in the public sector.

That is not perhaps that surprising. There are certainly people with low pay in the public sector, but they tend to get more than the minimum wage because they have unions to represent them and the public sector does not have the really vulnerable exploitative jobs that disfigure parts of the private sector.

At the top end, the public sector has some very well-paid people, but their pay is nothing like the stratospheric levels reached by the real fat-cats in the private sector.

The figures also show that the public sector has been getting more qualified. In 1998 25% of the public sector workforce were graduates, by 2009 this had risen to 38.5%.

Many would say that the public sector is a fairer employer as the gap between the best and worst paid is smaller than in the private sector . If you take the figures apart in another way you find the gap between men and women is smaller in the public sector too. That is not to say it is perfect of course, but fairer than the private sector as a whole.

The independent Institute for Fical Studies has said:

"Overall, pay levels in the public sector are probably not significantly out of line with those of similar workers in the private sector, once you take into account factors such as their age, education and qualifications.”

So let’s set out two ‘truths’ about pay.

1.Average pay is higher in the public sector because it employs a much higher proportion of highly skilled people doing jobs that anyone would expect to be relatively well paid.
2.But those highly skilled people on average earn a little less than they might in the private sector, while people in jobs that do not require qualifications get treated a little better in the public sector.
And we can add a further truth. There is nothing new about this.

Pay in the public sector tends to get held back and then catch up. But if we compare the median full time weekly wage in public and private sectors the median has been higher in the public sector every year since 1984. It’s got nothing to do with the last government, it is simply a reflection of the different kind of jobs that there are in the public sector.

Bombardier Poll result

Commenting on our first snap poll which closed yesterday, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Rob Johnston said, "We are pleased that we saw so many of you vote about an issue of such importance, not just to Bombardier workers in Derby, but for anyone involved in manufacturing."

The question we posed was, " Should the government support midlands manufacturing by rethinking the decision not to award the Thameslink contract to Bombardier in Derby?"

An overwhelming number of you said "Yes" with only three people voting "No" or "Don't know" Some 224 people voted "Yes" to our question.
Look out for our next poll which shall be coming shortly.

Amendment shows government has got women's pension age increase wrong

Responding to the government's amendment to the Pensions Bill to cap the increase in the state pension age for some groups of women, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
"This concession means the government has now accepted that it got the increase in the state pension age for women wrong.
"But hundreds of thousands of women will still lose out and have every right to be angry.
"Putting up the state pension age doesn't create a single extra job for older workers, and the worst hit will be those women who can neither work nor claim a pension, and have to rely on our tough and mean benefits system."
Commenting on the amendment in the Pensions Bill to cap charges for deferred members of pension schemes, Brendan Barber said:
"We strongly welcome the amendment to give the government greater powers to cap charges for deferred members of pension schemes. This shows ministers have heeded the warnings of unions and consumer groups that this is a scandal waiting to happen.
"The industry may talk about active member discounts, but the correct term has always been deferred member penalties."

TUC Midlands regional secretary Rob Johnston preparing to lobby for Bombardier jobs at the House of Commons.

- Sent from my HT c -

Bombardier rally in the House of Commons

Midlands TUC off to support Bombardier workers at their rally in the Commons. Cutting edge British manufacturing jobs at stake.
- Sent from my HTC -

Support Lord Owen and Lord Hennessy’s amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill

Support Lord Owen and Lord Hennessy’s amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill

A very important amendment to the government’s controversial Health and Social Care Bill is due to be moved on Wednesday by Lord (David) Owen and Lord (Peter) Hennessy.

They are calling for the whole of part 3 of the Bill – the part that deals with increasing competition in the NHS, and the part that has aroused the most opposition, to be referred to a special Select Committee to be studied in depth.

Please send a message to a member of the House of Lords, asking them to support Lord Owen and Lord Hennessy’s amendment.

There is a strong argument for this as the House of Commons has hardly considered this part of the Bill. This is because it was changed in a very major way by government amendments in its final stages in the Commons, following the pause and listening exercise conducted by ministers.

Even non-controversial bills traditionally get closely examined in Committee by the House of Commons. Arguments are tested and hard questions are asked about detailed implementation.

So much of part 3 of the Bill has now been changed that it cannot now be said to have received this detailed scrutiny. There has not been any substantial debate about whether the changes meet the many concerns raised by health experts. Some say that the Bill is now even more bureaucratic and complicated than when it started.

This is why a proper in-depth review of this part of the Bill is absolutely necessary even if it gets in the way of the government’s preferred timetable.

The constitutional convention is that the House of Lords is a revising chamber and that it does not tamper with the principle of bills that have been put before the voters by the winners of a general election manifesto.

But the proposed NHS reforms were not featured in either coalition party manifesto, nor has the bulk of part 3 of the Bill received any scrutiny in the Commons. The House of Lords therefore does not just has a right, but a duty, to ensure that this part of the Bill is properly examined, and a select committee that can call witnesses is the right way to do this.

Please take a moment to write to a Member of the House of Lords about this. If enough Peers, especially Crossbenchers and Liberal Democrats, make a stand and vote for the amendment, it offers one of the best chances to slow or halt the progress of this controversial Bill.

If you’ve already used our Adopt A Peer tool, just use the same email address and it will recognise you and find the details of the Peer you last wrote to for you. Or if you’d rather write to a different Peer this time, it will give you the option of doing so.

If you haven’t yet written to a Peer, then the tool is really easy to use. It will pick a member of the House of Lords at random, tell you a bit about them, and then give you a tool to email them a message directly.

Please send a message to a member of the House of Lords now, asking them to support Lord Owen and Lord Hennessy’s amendment.

Investment in midlands manufacturing = new jobs and growth

It was great to see a welcome boost to Midlands manufacturing with news that Staffordshire based SSC Laser (a laser cutting specialist) is to set up another manufacturing base in Castle Donnington. The move will create new jobs when the base is up and running in early 2012.

The latest investment comes after the firm recently spent £800,000 on new machinery for its Hixon headquarters.

It clearly shows that with proper investment, manufacturing in our region will provide us with much needed employment and growth.

If the Government is serious about the 'march of the makers' then they need to visit our region, listen to our manufacturers and provide the investment.

Playfair 2012 - teaching pack

The Playfair 2012 campaign have launched Fair’s Fair – life and rights in the global sports industry for World Day for Decent Work. This interactive, cross-curriculum teaching pack has been developed through collaborative work with Anti- Slavery International, ATL, NASUWT, NUT and the TUC.

The pack consists of lessons, activity sheets, photo cards and a DVD. It is online here

http://www.playfair2012.org.uk/resources/fairs-fair-teaching-pack/

Hard copies of the pack can also be ordered from the Playfair site

Bombardier Poll

We have added a new snap poll to the blog - Should the government support midlands manufacturing by rethinking the decision not to award the Thameslink contract to Bombardier in Derby?
Have your say in the poll on the left hand side of the blog - we can take the results to the Bombardier rally in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Blogger is great  - but occasionally hard to read, so answers run from the top -Yes, No, Don't know.

Disability Forum Focus

The Midlands TUC Disability Forum has published its' first enewsletter and this is now available on the TUC website here: http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-20150-f0.cfm?regional=6

The newsletter has information relating to World Mental Health day, which falls today. It also highlights The Hardest Hit campaign, which is having two rallies in Nottingham and Birmingham on 22nd October, and has information on our Forum.
Midlands TUC Regional Secretary, Rob Johnston said, "

Our Disability Forum is keen to campaign publicly on issues so that the voice of working disabled people can be heard on issues that directly affect them – but will also have resonance with many more disabled people in our society.

This edition has been produced specifically for World Mental Health day, which falls today, 10^th October. Hundreds of thousands of people at work face ignorance, prejudice and stigma because of mental health problems. Even more – who are both able and willing to work – cannot get a job if they have or have had a mental health problem because of discrimination by employers. This goes on even though it is illegal under the Disability Discrimination Act. Our Forum is keen to see Mental Health issues in the workplace taken seriously.

BBC Cuts – Birmingham and the Midlands suffering again

It was sad and depressing to learn that across the Midlands the BBC will be cutting back. Birmingham and the wider West Midlands has been particularly hard hit with the loss of programme making at BBC Birmingham and job losses at local radio stations.

So what is being cut?

- BBC Birmingham to lose 25% of its staff, a reduction from 600 to around 450 posts.
- Approximately 100 BBC staff working in factual TV programming at the Birmingham Mailbox site to be moved to Bristol
- BBC WM: 11 posts
- BBC Radio Stoke: 7 posts
- BBC Hereford and Worcester: 8 posts
- BBC Radio Shropshire: 8 posts
- BBC Coventry and Warwickshire: 7 posts
- BBC Midlands Today: Loss of the 3.00pm & Saturday lunchtime bulletins; reduced weather presenters
- The Asian Network: reduction from 82 posts to about 40 to 45 (to be split between London and Birmingham)

It was BBC Birmingham that was responsible for classic programmes like All Creatures Great and Small and more recent hits such as Countryfile, Gardeners World and the hit series Coast. The loss of programme making in the city is a bitter blow and brings to an end a proud era. Another pillar of Birmingham’s civic pride is to be lost.

Michele Paduano, Midlands Today's NUJ rep, got is spot on when he said: “It's the end of Birmingham as a major, national, programme-making centre. It continues the decline from Pebble Mill and Birmingham is losing out to Bristol and Manchester. The people of the West Midlands shouldn't stand for it.”

Yes we should not stand for it. In the same way we should not stand for our high youth unemployment, the continued erosion of our manufacturing base and the utter contempt that this Government has for the region.

Indeed, this announcement could not have come at a worse time. It is not just a travesty for the affected staff or a knock to regional pride, but potentially a real blow to the city’s economy. The media industry amounts to around 10% of the City’s economic output. Coming on top of council cuts of £212million and economic stagnation the cuts to the BBC in Birmingham and the Midlands further threatens the health and dynamism of the local economy.

Pensions Justice Website

The TUC has just launched a new campaign website - pensionsjustice.org.uk

The website is designed to enable local activists and unions to produce high quality literature around the Pensions Justice campaign.

Myth buster/campaign materials
There are two new myth buster leaflets which can be downloaded from the website. One is focussed on members and the other at non-members.

Pensions Calculator
The TUC is also presently developing a generic calculator that will apply to all the big pension schemes and will soon be up and running on the website.

Midlands TUC Disability Forum enewsletter

Our Disability Forum is publishing a special newsletter on Monday to coincide with World Mental Health Day. Look for it at: http://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/regions_info_midlands.cfm. The newsletter also has information on plans for the Hardest Hit campaign events in both Nottingham and Birmingham.

Pensions Justice campaign - building for 30th November

The TUC has launched a new website: http://pensionsjustice.org.uk/
(which is still being constructed) to provide a central point for useful links, myth busting information and campaign resources. There are a series of branding logos available for download - these can be used to advertise the campaign and are obtainable here:
http://pensionsjustice.org.uk/for-reps-activists/

Time to rebuild economy and put pensions and savings at heart of it

Letter to Birmingham Post - October 6th

Dear Editor

I read with alarm the article attacking public service pensions – a piece based on myth, a lack of understanding and more than a little prejudice (‘unions please think again before striking’, September 29).

The author, Russell Luckock, says that unions ‘would not accept any change in their pensions’, yet only a few years ago unions negotiated substantial reform of public sector schemes with the then government. As a result, new cost-sharing arrangements were put in place so that if life expectancy rose faster than anticipated, the resulting cost would fall mainly on scheme members rather than on the taxpayer. Lord Hutton said in his report earlier this year that these changes alone reduced the value of the schemes to current members by 10 per cent, rising to 25 per cent once the impact of the change in indexation from RPI to CPI is factored in.
However, none of the changes this government has announced – a further increase in contributions, a rise in pension age and a change in indexation from RPI to CPI – were done so with any consultation. More importantly the proposed increases in staff contributions have nothing to do with the long-term affordability of the schemes, but are pure and simply about taxing low-paid public sector workers in an attempt to pay down the deficit.

The changes risk making public sector pensions more unaffordable and could see thousands of low-paid workers leaving the schemes. Without pensions provision in their old age the state would be faced with picking up a very expensive benefits bill as millions of pensioners are forced into pensioner poverty. This is the reality of the government’s race to the bottom.

The unions want to see ‘pensions justice,’, not just for public sector workers, but for all workers in the UK. Rather than undermining the basic rights of public service workers, ministers should be legislating to improve pension provision in the private sector. The UK needs a private sector where businesses adopt and support good quality pensions for their entire workforce and not just for their top executives. We need to rebuild our economy and put pensions and savings at the heart of the UK economy.

Finally, Russell Luckock makes reference to the ‘real world’ and the difficulties that retailers and manufacturers are facing. Tough times are here for everyone, with the possible exception of the city where it is pretty much back to business as usual.

That’s why the TUC has been leading the call for an economic alternative to the government’s austerity. Deep and rapid spending cuts have sucked demand out of the economy, choked off growth and undermined UK Plc. We need action from the government to stimulate growth and to tackle unemployment. Stigmatising public service workers is not the answer to the economic perils that we face. We need to get Britain working and spending again, otherwise businesses and communities ‘in the real world’ will continue to suffer.

Despite union plans to ballot their members this autumn, we still hope that a settlement can be reached through negotiation. However, unless there is a significant shift in the government’s position, it is likely there will be co-ordinated action across the public sector at the end of November. So, rather than asking unions to think again, Russell Luckock should be asking the government to take a long hard look in the mirror, to think again and to avoid causing yet more misery to millions of families.

Rob Johnston

Regional Secretary, Midlands TUC

Testing

Trying to keep up with the times by posting from my mobile.
- Sent from my HTC -

Hardest Hit - Nottingham rally

Nottingham
Saturday 22nd October
Rally 12.30 – 13.30
Old Market Square

Disabled people in the East Midlands, along with their families and friends, are taking to the streets in Nottingham to protest against Government cuts to disability benefits and services. Join us and help to make sure all our voices are heard.

The rally is taking place in Old Market Square, just outside Nottingham Council House, from 12.30 – 13.30. There will be music and poetry from inspirational local group Moveable Feast and speakers who will join us to share their views on the proposed changes. We will also be joined by a number of local people who can speak from their own experiences about what the proposed cuts to benefits and services will mean to them as disabled people trying to live independent and fulfilling lives.

For a map of city centre Nottingham, including bus and train stations and parking places go to http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=7240&p=0

Please also help us spread the word about Hardest Hit. Nottingham is one of many cities across the Midlands that have been severely affected by budget cuts. Across the region people are seeing deep cuts in services such as social care and transport, which they rely on to remain independent. Please come along, and bring as many friends and family as you can. Help us to send a clear message to the Government: stop these cuts.

To register your interest in the rally please email: eastmidlands@hardesthit.org.uk or call 020 8522 7433

GDP figures show double-dip recession is now a real danger, says Midlands TUC

Rob Johnston, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary

Responding to the final revision of GDP growth figures for the second quarter of 2011, published today (Wednesday) by the Office for National Statistics, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Rob Johnston said:
“The economic news just keeps on getting worse. Today’s revision of the GDP growth figures show the economy is doing even more badly than expected. There is now a real danger of the UK going back into recession, and the best that current policies can deliver will be years of stagnation.
“The Midlands economy was the hardest hit region during the initial downturn and now we stand on the precipice of another recession.”
“As the manufacturing centre of the country, the Midlands really should be the engine for growth. We all know that we need to boost exports and manufacturing yet the Government’s policies are undermining confidence, investment and growth.”
“Manufacturers across the Midlands are crying out for the Government to get active rather than pontificate from the sidelines. The window of opportunity to avoid another recession in the Midlands is closing fast.”
“We need action to kick start the economy, rather than speeches telling us to look on the bright side. The fall in household spending is almost as steep as at the height of the crash as wages are squeezed, prices rise and families cut back.
“Of course people should be sensible about paying back unsustainable debt, but the truth is that the government is relying on people borrowing more as OBR forecasts reveal. George Osborne must be hoping that people ignore the Prime Minister’s advice to pay back their credit cards today.”

Birmingham Hardest Hit rally

Disabled people, their friends, family and supporters from across the region will gather in Birmingham city centre on 22 October 2011 to protest against cuts to disability benefits and services. We need you to join us and help make our voice heard.
We will gather in Birmingham city centre to protest against Government cuts to disability benefits and services. This is one year on from the comprehensive spending review, which revealed the Government’s intention to slash public spending.
Venue: Victoria Square, outside the council house for the rally.
WHEN: 22 October 2011, at 12:00pm for a 12:30pm start.

Disabled people, those with long-term conditions and their families are being hit the hardest by cuts to the benefits and services they need to live their lives.
Many are living in fear of cuts to essential benefits including Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The total cuts will mean an estimated £9billion loss to disabled people and their families’ incomes in the UK over the next four years, on top of cuts to many local care and support services.

Sign up for the campaign at: Email westmidlands@hardesthit.org.uk

Or phone 01905 740 500
Find out more info at http://www.hardesthit.org.uk/
Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/thehardesthit
or using #hardesthit on Twitter

No sign of growth strategy or help on living standards squeeze from Chancellor

Brendan Barber

Commenting on the Chancellor's speech to the Conservative Party conference today (Monday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Millions of people are looking for a strategy to get our economy growing again and respite from the huge squeeze on living standards that this government has worsened with deep spending cuts. They will be sorely disappointed by the Chancellor's speech today.
"At a time when the UK economy is stagnating, all we heard were cheap lines for right-wing activists, a re-hash of old policy announcements and help for bad bosses to mistreat and sack staff on the cheap. The Chancellor is not listening to the growing calls for a plan B - and we are all playing the price."