Protecting Your Pension from Tory Dummies

Well done to Barnet Local Government branch and UNISON for commissioning an independent report on the threat to pensions and the likely huge cost to Council taxpayers from Tory policies. Local and national.

First Actuarial LLP warn that the Tory led government plans to increase contributions to the Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS) by up to 50% could cause many council workers to leave. They will simply not be able to afford it anymore, especially after years of no pay rises, tax increases (and high inflation).

While Tory "easyjet" Barnet Council are trying to outsource nearly all its services.  This will result in even less active members of the scheme.

The government is considering getting rid of Labour's "Fair Deal" for pensions and banning Council workers who are outsourced from being in the LGPS at all.

What this collapse in scheme membership could mean locally is that the pension cash flow in Barnet Council will move from being £22.9 million per year in the black to being £25 million in the red! With fewer contributors to the pension this could double the fund deficit. This will also mess up the investment strategy and make the scheme pull out of equities and pursue a low growth policy. Which will make funding even worse.

Barnet has already had to pick up a bill for £1.4 million in June this year after a private contractor went bust. More outsourcing, more risk to the scheme.

Barnet is of course a rabid Tory borough but all Councils potentially, face huge potential financial problems from these policies. If the Government goes ahead and forces pension contributions to rise by a half and the outsourcing of services and workers continues, this will dramatically increase the risk and cost of the pension fund (to Council taxpayers).

The LGPS protects millions of ordinary working people from extreme poverty in old age. The Tories, locally and nationally, risk destroying it.

(BTW shame that someone did not check the facts and even used this report to attack their own union! not that I'm surprised...)

TULO: Join our Fight to Save the NHS

Email From Unions Together: "Dear John Just yesterday, when the scrutinising eyes of the media were firmly fixed on the Murdochs’ evidence to Parliament, the Government made an announcement that shows their true colours on the NHS – the privatisation of £1 billion of NHS services. Starting in April, whole swathes of the services our NHS provides will be opened up to the private sector – including wheelchair provision for children.

We’ve heard a lot over recent months about Cameron and Clegg’s ‘reform’ of the NHS. Health professionals, patients’ organisations and the public united in their campaign to slam the breaks on the reforms.
Cameron and Clegg claim to have watered down their plans, but their NHS Bill is still a deadly threat to our National Health Service – and yesterday’s announcement proves it.

If Cameron and Clegg get their way, it will mean:

• more privatisation and more companies making money from all parts of our health service
• worse patient care including cuts, hospital closures and longer waiting times
• more red tape making it harder for nurses, doctors and other health professionals to do their jobs
• millions of pounds wasted on new bureaucracy which should be spent on patients

After the Summer break, these plans will come back to MPs in the House of Commons. Will you join our fight to stop them?

http://www.nhsalert.org.uk/joinourfight

Before the General Election, Cameron promised to “protect the NHS”, to “give the NHS a real rise in funding” and to “stop NHS reorganisations”.

But he’s breaking every single one of these promises.

After just one year of his Tory-led government, one in ten people are now waiting over 18 weeks to get into hospital for the treatment they need. And he is making it easier for private patients to jump the queue.

We have to work together if we are going to protect our NHS from Cameron and Clegg’s plans to destroy it. Will you join our campaign?

http://www.nhsalert.org.uk/joinourfight

It's our National Health Service - join our fight to save it.
Yours,
Helen

Tories and Libs Wring Working People: Now and then

 Hat tip to former MP, Harry Barns with his post on this great cartoon (right) which he titles "Clegg and Cameron 1895". Check out his blog here.

It first appeared in the Independent Labour Party (ILP)
newspaper "Labour Leader" in 1895. Its message is nowadays even more clear.

So say "No" to "Same old, Same old". The Liberals and the Tories have been ripping off working people for more than 100 a years and are still doing it now.

There is still an ILP which is called the Independent Labour Publication

"Osborne's 'no budge' budget" - A Titanic "full speed ahead" to the Iceberg

Below is Unison's response to today's awful, bodged and Titanic "full steam ahead to the iceberg" budget.

I wonder how many folk recognise the picture of the actor and remember or realise its significance? 

Not a lot according to last years General Election results. 

Why is it each generation eventually forgets not just how horrible the Tories are but that they are economic illiterates who think that mass unemployment is "a price worth paying".

" Osborne’s ‘no budge budget’ is a missed opportunity to right Tory economic wrongs, UNISON, the UK’s largest union, said today. By passing up the chance to scale back the savage public spending cuts, the Tories are condemning the economy to long-term low growth and high unemployment.

The union said that the Tory’s half-hearted attempts to tackle rising inequalities through a Learjet levy and action on tax loopholes, were token gestures, which would not restore fairness - spiralling out of control under the Tories.

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:

“Under the Tories our economy isn’t growing, but the dole queues are. The Government’s own Office of Budget Responsibility has downgraded the growth forecast by 0.9% since the Chancellor’s last budget. The carnage going on in the public sector was completely written out of the Chancellor’s budget.

“Osborne should have used this budget to right his economic wrongs. This no budge budget flies in the face of mounting evidence of the toll Tory cuts are taking on our economy and our society. The Chancellor is pinning his hopes on the private sector driving the recovery – but the evidence shows the private sector is not creating enough jobs to stop total unemployment from rising.

“Struggling families will be pleased that tax receipts have been used to stop fuel price rises. But with dole queues rising, and business and consumer confidence low, this is a warning to Osborne – he will not be able to rely on tax receipts to top up spending much longer.

“Osborne's over-hyped increase in tax allowances will in fact be worth less than £2.50 a week to the average basic rate taxpayer. This is more than cancelled out by the increase in VAT, which will cost the average family more than £3 a week, and other reductions in benefits, tax credits and services, which will cost families even more.

“This small tax giveaway will do nothing to help the 2.53 million people on the dole and struggling to find work. It is a drop in the ocean for millions of public sector workers hit by pay freezes. With inflation up to 5.5%, any benefit will swiftly be wiped out by higher prices.

“The Learjet levy is a token gesture. The mega-rich who can afford a private plane could pay a lot more towards our recovery. Instead, public sector workers are cutting back on food, vital healthcare such as dentists and prescriptions, and are still racking up high levels of personal debt. The poor, sick and vulnerable who did not gamble away our future are paying the price, as the public services they rely on disappear.”

On top of the VAT rise and cuts to tax credits, benefits and services that are hitting all workers, public sector workers are being hit by an increase in their pension contributions that will take more than £10 a week out of their disposable income, and a pay freeze that, with inflation running at 5.5%, will have the effect of reducing their real living standards by the equivalent of another £20 a week.

The union is calling for a change of direction and a budget for growth including a Robin Hood Tax. This tax on the banks would add £20 billion to the public purse – twenty times the measures the Chancellor announced today to close tax loopholes. Twenty billion would save local services from shut down, keep children’s nurseries open, stop hospital’s shedding jobs and save adult day centres from closure.

There is another way

- Andrew Lansley’s £3 billion* top-down reorganisation of the NHS could fund 600,000 hip operations, or fund full home care packages for 150,000 elderly or vulnerable people.

- Francis Maude’s “mutuals taskforce” has a £10 million price tag – these funds could keep more than 200 social, youth and community workers in their jobs for a year.

- And Gove’s Academies and Free Schools programme has £410 million of funding – which could restart around 20 of the vital school rebuilding projects he cancelled last year, giving disadvantaged children better schools, and creating valuable construction jobs.
(picture is from "Boys from the black stuff")

West Ham MP Lyn Brown (with badly broken elbow)

Picture is of Lyn Brown our West Ham Labour MP  who suffered a very bad fall on the steps of the House of Commons early this month.  She has broken her elbow in several places and has been warned that she may never recover the full use of her left arm.

Check out Lyn's column in the Newham Recorder here.

As Lyn herself admits it could have been a lot worse.  I am sure that she enjoyed the supportive text I sent her as West Ham CLP agent saying she should take more care of herself in the future and not rush about.  As Agent I am far too busy at the moment for a by-election!

 :)

It was a shame that some local Newham Tories posted a typically sneering, misogynist and unpleasant post on their blog.  But there you go - same old Tories, same old Nasty Party.

(Hat tip Picture - Newham Recorder)

St Georges Hospital, London - £55 Million Cuts - 500 Jobs going

Despite the great news today about the Tory climbdown over the privatisation of our Forests and the apparent retreat over reducing Housing benefit for the unemployed.  This Government still shows its nasty, vindictive side by the announcement that "Leading Hospital" St Georges in Tooting London will suffer £55 million in cuts and 500 hospital jobs (10%) cut.  Three wards are due to close. 

UNISON PRESS RELEASE "Staff at St Georges Hospital, South London have acted with growing shock and anger at the announcement that 500 posts ( almost 10% of the workforce)at the hospital are to be axed as part of the Governments 20 billion NHS cuts programme.

St George's will now be forced to cut £50m from its annual budget, cut 500 medical nursing and health care posts close wards, cut approximately 100 beds, and cap the number of births in its Midwifery unit to 5,000 a year Posts affected include frontline doctors, nurses and professional staff.

Michael Walker, UNISON Regional Officer, states "In a week when the bankers are set to receive huge pay rises and multi million pound bonuses, we are going to witness the spectre at St George's of dedicated nurses, doctors and health staff losing their jobs. How can that be fair or right?"

Nurse Jane Pilgrim, UNISON Nursing Convenor at St Georges Hospital states:
"We were told by the Government that there would be no cuts in frontline posts but in reality the NHS is witnessing swingeing cuts to frontline services every day".

Geoff Thorne, UNISON St George's Branch Secretary stated: "Before the General Election Andrew Lansley visited St Georges Hospital and gave a personal guarantee to staff that there would be no frontline cuts in the NHS"

Nora Pearce UNISON Midwifery Convenor states: "Capping the number of births at St George's to just 3,000 a year will mean thousands of local women will no-longer be able to have their babies at St George's, denying them the back up and confidence they know comes from having a baby at an internationally renowned teaching hospital.

Michael Walker, UNISON Regional Officer stated: "UNISON will be working with St George's Hospital management to mitigate the impact of these cuts on patients and staff. Mr Lansley needs to urgently recognise the damage he is causing to the NHS with these unprecedented levels of cuts".

"We fear these cuts are just the prelude to even greater cuts in our NHS when the Government unleash GP Commissioning and GP's are forced to ration care.  "We urge all local Member's of Parliament, of all political persuasion’s to intercede and urge Andrew Lansley the Conservative Secretary of State for Health to halt these disastrous cuts at St George's before patient care suffers.

Aneurin Bevan on the Tories: History repeating itself

Two quotations: "That is why no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party....so far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.

Now the Tories are pouring out money in propaganda of all sorts and are hoping by this organised sustained mass suggestion to eradicate from our minds all memory of what we went through.

But I warn you men and women do not listen to what they are saying now. Do not listen to the seductions...He is a very good salesman. If you are selling shoddy stuff you have to be a good salesman. But I warn you they have not changed, or if they have they are slightly worse than they were" Aneurin Bevan - Bellevue Hotel - 3rd July 1948.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

That's what happened on May 6th 2010.

Painting by Andrew Vicari here and hat tip new FB friend Sue Marsh. 

"because we are tories - and that's what we do..."

Well, no great surprises today.  It's not that we were not warned I suppose.

"It's the same the whole world over, It's the poor wot gets the blame; It's the rich wot gets the pleasure, Ain't it all a blooming shame".

Check out UNISON's view on this attempt to strangle the recovery and the new fightback Labour Party website Your Better Way. 

By coincidence this evening was my UNISON Housing Association branch executive meeting and while everyone of us dreaded today I think we would agree that there was definitely a feeling that we are not down and out and that it is still possible and feasible to defeat the coalition by organising and sheer plain hard work. 

Not (IMO) by gesture politics and pointless oppositionalism.

Remember the Tory Years

Yesterday I went to Wales for a quick visit and updated my Face Book profile so - and was then reminded by one FB friend about the former SoS for Wales - dear old John Redwood.  I remembered this Youtube video - and yes, the Tories are still singing the old same tune.

"New York Times" attacks Brit CONDEMS cuts

Amazing but true - the "Gray Lady" (I kid thee not) of American capitalism in this editorial on 9 July attacks the CONDEMS proposed massive public spending cuts.  ".... Britain isn’t Greece. Recovery would eventually have wiped out much of that red ink. The stiff, but less damaging cuts Labour had planned would have done the rest...The less well off, who depend on functioning public services, will suffer most....No reputable economic theory justifies this bleeding. In fact, most mainstream economists have argued for delaying the most severe cuts until a more robust economic recovery has begun.

The coalition budget reflects Conservative Party ideology, which asserts that as the government withdraws money from the economy, private businesses and consumers will step in to replace it. That won’t happen if Britons see only hard times ahead".

So even the good old New York Times admit that in Britain the the poor will suffer the most while the  rest of us are being stuffed purely due to dogmatic Tory ideology...Hope Mr Clegg is proud of himself.

Same old tories...

Hat-tip thingy Col. Roi

CONDEMS axes 14 school construction projects in Newham

Well, don't say you were not warned. 

Check out the Newham Recorder - we are facing a "predicted 25 per cent increase in the number of four and five years needing a school place in the next three years. 

Executive member for children and young people, Cllr Quintin Peppiatt said: "The coalition government's decision to put a stop to 14 projects in Newham means that thousands of a students will miss out on the better education facilities they were promised.

This was a chance to improve educational attainment. After already seeing their free school meals and free swims under threat, we're deeply disappointed to see another blow to the young people of Newham."

I just hope that the David Cameron's "useful idiots" who poured such bile and hatred on the last (imperfect) Labour Government are feeling very proud of themselves.

Notting Hill Housing Dispute: UNISON Housing Association Branch Press Release.

UNISON BEGINS LUNCHTIME LOBBIES OF EMPLOYERS’ HEAD OFFICE

The first of a week-long series of Lunchtime Lobbies of Notting Hill Housing Trust’s (NHHT) head office got of to a rousing start yesterday. UNISON members shared lunch with many of their non-union colleagues whilst protesting at senior management’s continuing refusal to negotiate on the new terms and conditions that they have imposed.

“It’s very encouraging to see non-union members supporting UNISON’s campaign to defend Family Friendly Policies at Notting Hill Housing Trust”, said UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss. “It contradicts the Trust’s claim that most members of staff are happy with imposed change. Unison’s campaign will continue until the Trust realises that cutting family-friendly benefits demoralises staff and has a negative impact on service delivery”.

UNISON’s dispute with Notting Hill Housing Trust is now in its third month. A day of strike action was taken on 15th March; further strike action is planned for May. In an effort to resolve the dispute, UNISON has referred it to ACAS for mediation.

For Further information or comment please contact:

UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss on 07703 194 127 or C.Inniss@unison.co.uk

Notes for Editors

1. UNISON’s Housing Association Branch represents approximately 3,500 members in the Greater London Region and the South East. UNISON Members at Notting Hill Housing Trust took successful strike action on 15th March.

2. NHHT manages 25,000 homes in London and the South East. According to its own website NHHT has an asset base of £1,317m and an annual turnover of £167m. Group reserves on 2008/2009 totalled £188m and its operating profit was £19.8m. In June 2009 the group absorbed 3 smaller BME housing associations – Presentation, Pathway and Croydon People’s.

3. 14% of staff took paid carers’ leave in 2008/09 at a total cost to the organisation of £40,000. Chief Executive, Kate Davies total pay and reward package for the year 2008 to 31March 2009 was £192,000.

4. Paul Hodgkinson is the Chair of NHHT’s Board. He is also a Trustee of Parenting UK, a national charity that sets the policy for parenting focus in the UK. Respect for cultural diversity and the different needs of men and women within the context of human rights for all, is one of Parenting UK’s key principles.

5. UNISON’s Lunchtime Lobbies of NHHT Head office will take place during the first week of May. 2 days of industrial action will take place at a later date.   Check out here and here

(picture is an artists impression of the new Notting Hill Housing Group proposed headquarters in Kings Cross)

Hugh and Fry on Thatcher

"The Common People" (pass this on amongst us proles)

"THIS VIDEO IS NOT PRO-ANYONE. IT IS SIMPLY ANTI-TORY.

Cameron sings the truth to the British electorate about what he needs to do to get in and what he'd do if he gets there.

Do the right thing on May 6th". Hat-tip thingy Anna

I couldn't possibly comment.

Same Old Tories: David Cameron mixes up his lines on discrimination

Hat-tip Comrade Sigurimi.