Southend People’s Assembly Against Austerity

Kate Hudson addresses the meeting

Last night I went to the Southend People’s Assembly Against Austerity meeting at the Leigh Community Centre. Although the meeting was about the cuts in general, it covered the library cuts in some detail.

Chaired by Des Freedman of the Coalition of Resistance, the audience of about 80 listened to three speakers (a fourth, Francesca Martinez, could not make it). First up was Julian Esposito (who saw fit to adorn the meeting with vote Green Party posters). He gave a teacher’s perspective on the cuts. To be honest his speech did ramble a bit.

Julian was followed by Peter Passingham, a Unison official, local librarian, and organiser for Stand up for Southend Libraries. His speech spoke at length about the library service in Southend and the effects of the cuts.

Kate Hudson from CND and the Coalition of Resistance spoke about austerity, the cuts, the rolling back of the welfare state, and the People’s Assembly. Kate wants a strong anti-cuts message from the Labour Party, who she believes will win the next General Election.

I announced my presence, and thought I was the only councillor present. I was not; Cllr Mark Bromfield from Leigh Town Council also spoke in the question and answer section that followed the main speakers.

Southend Against The Cuts AGM 2013

Nick Bradley addresses the meeting

At last night’s Southend Against The Cuts AGM the three officers were re-elected. Thus, Tim Sneller remains as Chair, Julian Esposito was re-elected as Secretary, and I will see my third year as Treasurer. Prior to the elections I presented my annual report, a story of fairly low amounts in and out and a general need to raise some funds to finance campaigning. Any donations can be sent to me (email warelane@gmail.com if you wish to contribute).

The very brief business of the AGM was followed by the public meeting.

The first speaker was Mick Patrick from Defend Council Housing. He spoke about the benefit cuts, changes to DLA and the ATOS testing regime, council tax benefit, the bedroom tax and universal credit. He also spoke about the benefits justice campaign which he is also part of.

Nick Bradley, a regional organiser with UNISON, spoke on the destruction of the NHS by the Coalition Government. He also touched on the dismantling of the welfare state that is going on, and spoke about the Health and Social Care Act.

The good sized audience then had an opportunity to debate the issues touched on by the two speakers, as well as throwing in a few new points. Everyone was encouraged to get involved in the Southend Echo blood test campaign. It was also noted that the PCS is planning a day of action on budget day (March 20th).

Southend Against The Cuts public meeting

See here – https://www.facebook.com/events/270156483114320/

For those without access to Facebook here are the details -

[When] Thursday, 7 March 2013
[Time] 19:30 until 21:30

Southend Central Library
Victoria Avenue, SS2 6EX Southend-on-Sea, United

[Description] All welcome to our Annual General Meeting. Speakers have been invited from the Campaign for Benefit Justice and the campaign against NHS cuts and privatisation.

Sticking plaster

Seven blacklisted in Southend-on-Sea

The General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union has issued a press release regarding the blacklisting of workers in the Eastern Region.

This affects seven people in Southend-on-Sea (although the 32 in ‘Essex’ could include more from the borough).

The blacklist is for construction workers who have, at some point, taken an interest in trade unionism or health and safety – there is no suggestion that any have broken the law. To be blacklisted for doing perfectly legal activities smacks of the sort of thing one expects in a dictatorship, not in a modern and mature democracy.

Cuts in Trade Union facilities time – both sides of the argument

I have received (as has every councillor) a letter from the Southend-on-Sea Local Government Branch of Unison about the proposed cut in trade union facilities. The letter runs to five pages, and so I will not produce it in full here. Instead I reproduce the Conclusion, which seems to neatly sum up their argument.

There are many challenges ahead and there is a clear need for a consultation mechanism at all levels to implement fairly any changes the council propose. It must be therefore also be clear that this financial cap on trade union facilities will exacerbate the problems we already have in meeting requests for Unison’s presence from the employers ranging from the representation of members in individual cases to collective grievances and restructures.

Many of you, I am sure, may not agree with the current attacks on public services and believe this Government is failing the public. The erosion of trade union facilities time will not help support local services but will simply mean that proposals for cuts go without challenge and the voice of staff is not effectively heard.

Both the employers’ and trade unions’ heads of the Eastern Regional Joint Council (the joint body where employers and trade unions meet) are clear that they do not support the loss of facilities time and that attacks like these do not benefit councils in any way.

Facility time for union officials helps to ensure timely availability of representation leading to early resolution of work issues and, ultimately, better outcomes for employers, the workforce and service users. Undermining this investment will not prove productive in the long term.

I have also received the council’s response. I do not reproduce this in full either, instead choosing the Current Position as this similarly strikes me as a neat précis of the council’s position.

 As part of the 2013/14 budget proposals, a further reduction of the time off for trade union duties is currently under consideration.

Following a benchmarking exercise with other authorities a reduction to £45k has been proposed. The benchmarking identified that other similar sized unitary authorities were allowing between 1.5 – 2.5 FTE and that a number of County Councils’ were allocating less than Southend. In most District councils the amounts are significantly less and tend to be agreed on an ad hoc basis with more support coming from Regional officers (employed and funded by the unions themselves)

Most Councils who responded also indicated that they are in the process of reviewing and reducing their allocations.

Reference was also made to the consultation by the Cabinet Office on trade union facility in the Civil Service. This calls for a reduction in overall facility time and for a balance to be struck between reasonable paid time off and business needs and ensuring best value for money. This consultation also includes a proposal that no employee spends less than 50% of their time delivering their substantive job.

The proposed reduction for Southend Council does not include any change to the following benefits which will continue as follows:

• Accommodation ( Unison only)
• Telephone ( Unison only)
• Use of notice boards
• Access to e-mail
• Access to intranet
• Access to space on the Council server

On the cut to the budget for Trade Union duties

There are quite a number of cuts being proposed, and I stress proposed because nothing has yet been agreed. I hope to write about some of these in the coming days, and have chosen to kick off with one that is unlikely to illicit much support from taxpayers, but nonetheless is still important.

I am not going to caveat everything I write about the need for cuts, take that as read here. Whilst I may not agree with the ethos of cuts, I cannot get away from the fact that as far as I am concerned they are unavoidable, coming down on us from on high. The Government wants cuts, and will get cuts. My role is to lessen the impact as much as I can.

Under council services, item C5 in appendix 13 of the Report of Corporate Management Team (Draft General Fund Revenue Budget 2013/14) is entitled Trade Union Duties. This shows a cut of £45,000 – a reduction of 50%.

I am not going go over well rehearsed arguments about how important trade unions are; you will agree or disagree with my views on this dependent on where you see yourself in the wide political spectrum. However, even those who are cynical about the benefits of trade unionism will understand that, with the job losses and hardships to come for many council employees, there is a need for advice and support. Trade unions also have a role in lobbying for and against the targets of the cuts, and can offer help in saving money for Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.

This cut may not be directly felt by the wider populace in the borough. However, it will impact those will find themselves losing their employment at the Civic Centre, and those left to face tougher working conditions.

Trade Unions and Socialism in a Global World

Trade Unions and Socialism in a Global World

Leigh Community Centre, Elm Road 19th January 2013 3pm – 5pm

Speaker: Eric Lee

founding Editor of labourstart.org the news and campaigning website of the international trade union movement speaking on: How Trade Unions around the world are grappelling with globalization and neo-liberalism

 

 

 

 

Speaker: Richard Howitt MEP

Member of European Parliament for East of England has campaigned for legislation passed in 2002 protecting pension rights giving part time workers paid holiday rights speaking on: The Socialist Group in the European Union.

My part in protecting Liliany (and your part too)

Trade Union rights are something we take for granted in the UK. At times being a trade unionist in the UK can be difficult but no-one is imprisoned here for merely being in a union, or for organising industrial action, or for protesting.

Whilst I may not agree with everything trade unions do I think that without them all of our rights would be greatly diminished. Even at moments of disagreement I still want them to have their voice – democracy only exists where debate is unfettered.

Colombia does give the appearance of somewhere where trade union rights are sometimes abused. Justice for Colombia is campaigning against this, and this morning I was pleased to sign one of their petitions as well as post a postcard to the Colombian Ambassador. I also signed an online petition.

These small actions aggregate into a greater whole. I have played my part – now play yours.

Thank you.

A living wage

My memory of the introduction of the national minimum wage is that this was introduced with strident opposition from the Conservative Party, and big business. Claims were made, if my memory serves me right, that if implemented the NMW would see an additional one million made jobless. History shows us that the reverse was true; the NMW came early on in a record-breaking streak of growth in the UK economy – a streak only broken with the collapse of international financial institutions.

Ed and David Miliband this weekend announced their support for a Living Wage – a natural extension to the minimum wage. Whilst the NMW was did much good it clearly is now time for the next step in creating a fairer society. The national minimum wage, as its label clearly infers, is meant to be the low bar for remuneration. Its purpose was to liberate the low-paid from the shameful pittances they were expected to put up with. Wages at 70p an hour were not unheard of in 1997, and thankfully these are a thing of the past.

Now we have an established minimum we must push on. I think it is recognised beyond doubt that the minimum wage has been a boost for the economy, and a living wage would be another fillip. Remember, those on the lower rungs of the financial ladder spend a greater proportion of their incomes, and so helping the poor helps us all.

I accept that some employers will initially baulk at what they will perceive as an additional burden, and work will have to be done to convince them. Some are already on board, paying the Living Wage now, seeing the economic sense of doing this, and seeing the fairness argument too. Paying higher wages, seeing this recycled into the local economy, and seeing the benefits bill shrink too strikes me as a win-win.