MoD comes under fire after scrapping barracks upgrade

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has been accused of undermining the military covenant after scrapping a £1.5bn programme to upgrade decaying barracks.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8755669/MoD-comes-under-fire-after-scrapping-barracks-upgrade.html

Day of action - 30 November

Following today's historic decision on co-ordinated strike action at the TUC, the 30 November has been agreed as the date for action.

 

The National Disputes Committee and National Executive Committee will meet to consider developments as soon as possible.

The TUC has today published the following statement:

TUC statement on pensions

Speaking at a press conference today (Wednesday) TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

The TUC’s public service unions met urgently today after the conclusion of the TUC’s annual Congress to receive a report on the most recent round of negotiations with the government on public service pensions and to consider the next steps in their united campaign to defend decent pensions for millions of public services workers as part of their battle for decent pensions for all.

The TUC and unions are committed to continuing the talks with the government, and with the relevant employers in each of the separate major public service pensions schemes, but the government is urged to bring new proposals to the table urgently to make progress possible. 

Today’s meeting also agreed, however, given the failure of the government to engage properly in the negotiations, to step up the campaign and to hold a first day of action on Wednesday 30 November. 

Each union has been asked to consider taking what they judge to be the most appropriate form of action possible to show their support for this united campaign.

This would range from strike action, where ballot mandates have been secured from members and unions judge that appropriate, through to lunchtime meetings, rallies and joint events with community groups and service users. The intention will be to take the call for pensions justice for both public and private sector workers to every corner of the land on that day in the biggest trade union mobilisation in a generation.

Further consideration is being given to what further action may be appropriate beyond the day of action if progress towards a settlement is not secured.

A further meeting will be held before the end of September to receive reports from unions on plans being made.

This call reflects the huge anger of public service workers over the threat to their pensions and the deep frustration over difficulties of securing government engagement in meaningful negotiations. This planned day of action will be an unprecedented coming together of the whole public service workforce and the communities they serve in a united demand for pensions justice.

We remain absolutely committed, in good faith, to seeking a fair negotiated settlement of this dispute so that this action will not be necessary. But the government needs to understand the strength of unions’ resolve reflected in today’s decision.

My CSP campaign

My Civil Service Pension (MyCSP) campaign

The government are planning to privatise My Civil Service Pension (MyCSP), the administrative body responsible for the management of civil service pensions.

PCS is concerned about our members working in MyCSP who stand to lose their public sector /civil service status and pension if plans for privatisation go ahead. The union is also concerned about the impact on security and reliability of the service and the lack of clarity around theses plans.

Please contact your local MP and urge them to take action.

Contact your MP today

The is an alternative and the unions are leading it

There is talk today of there being no alternative economic narrative.

That’s not true. Take this from the Guardian:

Britain’s trade unions must build a movement for an “economic alternative” rooted in green technologies and forcing banks to lend to small businesses, the leader of the TUC says on Monday.
On the same day as the government-commissioned Vickers report outlines plans for reforming UK banks, the TUC’s general secretary, Brendan Barber, will urge trade unions to “shift the debate” away from deficit reduction and on to building a new economy.

Momentum builds as executive agrees autumn strike

PCS's national executive has unanimously agreed to call a further one-day national strike in the autumn as part of our campaign against cuts to pensions, jobs and pay.

The date is yet to be fixed, and will be determined in consultation with other unions to maximise wider involvement, but the NEC decided to consider November as a likely date for action.

The union will also consider industrial action short of a strike, either in the run-up to or following the national strike day, and to consider the possibility of targeted action in co-ordination with other unions.

Central and sector-specific talks with the government on pensions are continuing but no progress has been made in either the civil service or elsewhere in the public sector because the employers are failing to provide sufficient information or show a willingness to negotiate on the main issues.

The NEC agreed we should continue to participate in these meetings, but will also continue to build the greatest possible unity for industrial action in November. There is a growing recognition among unions that no one sector can win this fight alone.

The executive received an interim report about the impact of 30 June that showed it was the best supported strike in PCS's history. More work is being done to analyse areas of the union that might require greater support.

Discussions are continuing with other unions and – as well as the NUT, ATL and UCU, who joined us on strike in June – there are clear signs that members of more unions will be or are likely to be balloted for action in the autumn.

We have welcomed the statement issued today by two other civil service unions, FDA and Prospect, that they are seriously considering balloting for action because of the government's unwillingness to negotiate.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "We have a lot to be proud of. Our strike in June had a major impact on the debate on public and private pensions, and forced the government onto the back foot.

"Momentum is clearly building now for further action in the autumn involving more unions, and we will do everything we can to work with them to ensure this has the maximum impact."

Tories accept thousands of pounds from firm behind 200% loans

The Tories have accepted more than £100,000 from a company behind a "sub-prime" financial services business that lends to people with poor credit ratings at interest rates of 45% and, in some cases, almost 200%.

The donation was accepted just four days before the government voted down plans to curb the power of subprime lenders.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/11/conservatives-party-funding-sub-prime?CMP=twt_fd

Working till you drop - Pension Age Rise brought forward

The Government is to bring forward an increase in the state pension age to 67 under plans to prolong the working life of millions of people under 50.

Liberal Democrat MP Steve Webb said timescales set by the previous Labour administration, under which the pension age was to be increased to 67 in 2036 and 68 by 2046, were "too slow".

Ministers are already pushing the pensions bill through Parliament that will raise the age at which men and women can claim a pension to 66 by 2020.

It has been reported that the retirement age could rise to 67 as early as 2026 - affecting millions of people in their 40s who would have expected to stop work at 66.