Barnet Council today announced that its preferred bidder for the Joint Venture to run
Development and Regulatory Services (DRS) is Capita Symonds, a wholly owned
division of Capita. The contract is worth £275 million over 10 years.

The Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS) is appalled that Barnet Council is intending to
award this contract to the same multinational company it has chosen to run Barnet’s New Support
and Customer Services Organisation (NSCSO), worth at least £320 million over 10 years. Together,
the two contracts, worth nearly £600 million – or £1 billion according to the original figures in the
Official Journal of the European Union – would give Capita a virtual monopoly on service
provision in the borough. Unlike the council, Capita can use the excuse of ‘commercial sensitivity’
to avoid being open and transparent in its dealings. Accountability to the taxpayers becomes a
sham, councillors become ciphers, and democracy is eroded.
Recent exposures of Capita’s failings reinforce the view that the council is reckless in handing over
its responsibilities in these contracts. Last week Capita announced it would shed 100 of its existing
staff at a time when it is supposedly going to take on staff from Barnet. It is likely that 400 people
will lose their jobs in Barnet, causing hardship to them and further damage to the local economy.
Neither contract can be signed, however, until the appeal on the decision not to allow Maria Nash’s
request for a judicial review is heard. The judicial review was refused on only a single technical
ground, while Judge Underhill ruled on the substantive issue that Barnet Council had breached its
legal duty to consult residents.
BAPS will continue to support Maria Nash’s legal challenge and to lead residents in fighting
against the mass outsourcing that threatens to devastate our borough, and for the retention of
services in-house.
[ENDS]
Notes for editors
1. The contract for the New Support and Customer Services Organisation (NSCSO), now
said to be worth at least £320 million over 10 years, was advertised in the Official Journal
of the European Union as worth between £600 and £750 million. Adding the last figure to the
undisputed £275 million for the DRS contract brings the total to £1 billion.
2. Maria Nash is not a member of BAPS.
Contact: Barnet Alliance tel: 07534 407703 or 07807 55 6161 – http://barnetalliance.org;
Barnetalliance4publicservices@gmail.com; @barnetalliance

We, professional and academic archaeologists, wish to endorse the call for a People’s Assembly Against Austerity (PAAA) at Central Hall Westminster on 22 June this year. We congratulate the lead signatories who launched this call in a letter to The Guardian in February.

With our museums, universities, and heritage services facing cuts, with unemployment and poverty a common experience among archaeologists, we fully support the aim of building a mass campaign against austerity and privatisation. We need a radical alternative based on investment for jobs, homes, public services, and a green transition.

We hope that the PAAA will bring together thousands of trade unionists, students, political activists, anti-cuts campaigners, minority groups, and others determined to defend our society against the effects of a crisis caused by the bankers, the rich, and the casino-economy they engineered.

The assembly will provide a national forum for anti-austerity opinion, which, while increasingly widespread, is barely represented in Parliament and the mainstream media. It could also provide a launch-pad for the wave of protests, strikes, occupations, and mass resistance – nationally and internationally – that we are going to need to defend our jobs, incomes, public services, and heritage in the years ahead.

Dr Umberto Albarella, Senior Lecturer in Archaeozoology, Sheffield University

Dr Maria Emanuela Alberti, IEF Marie-Curie Fellow, Department of Archaeology, Sheffield University

Caitlin McCall, Editor, Current World Archaeology

Professor Emeritus John Collis, Sheffield University

Dr Nadia Durrani, independent archaeologist

Dr Neil Faulkner, Research Fellow, Bristol University

Dr Helen Geake, National Finds Advisor, Portable Antiquities Scheme, Cambridge University, and Time Team

Dr Matthew Hobson, Research Fellow, Leicester University

Professor David Mattingly, Leicester University

Dr Gabriel Moshenska, Lecturer in Public Archaeology, UCL Institute of Archaeology

Dr Rachel Pope, Director of Fieldwork and Lecturer in European Prehistory, Liverpool University

Dr Miles Russell, Senior Lecturer in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology and Director of Fieldwork, Bournemouth University

Lorna Watts-Rahtz, independent archaeologist

1) Register for the People’s Assembly
2) Volunteers needed
3) Access and BSL interpreters for the People’s Assembly
4) Local events
5) Save our hospitals London demo | 18 May
6) European Alter-Summit Against Austerity | 7/8 June

Register for the People’s Assembly

The People’s Assembly Against Austerity now has well over 2,000 registrations and hundreds of organisations have pledged their support. With 6 weeks still to go it looks set to be the event of the year that can start the process of creating a movement of resistance so big it can’t be ignored.

Make sure you have registered your place:

Check the website for updates on the assembly here:
www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

Volunteers needed

In the last 6 weeks in the run up to the assembly, we are appealing to anyone who has some spare time to help with the preparations of the assembly.

We will be holding a volunteers meeting tomorrow evening to delegate tasks and discuss what’s needed. Please text 07872 481769 if you can make it.

Volunteers meeting for the People’s Assembly
Tuesday 14 May, 6:30pm
Unite community centre,
Basement of St Georges Town Hall,
Cable Street, E1 OBL

Access and BSL interpreters for the People’s Assembly

Westminster Central Hall is a fully accessible venue. A detailed page of information of provisions for disabled people in the area will be available shortly on the website.

Deaf People Against Welfare Cuts (DPAWC) are seeking qualified, NRCPD-registered sign language interpreters and STTRs who can donate their time during the People’s Assembly in London on Saturday 22nd June 2013. For more info or to volunteer please email Melissa at deafpeopleagainstwelfarecuts@gmail.com

We are also appealing for the cost of Speech-to-Text Reporters, so that deaf and hard of hearing people attending this event can read the speeches in realtime. Please consider making a donation here.

Local Events

See the growing list of local events for the People’s Assembly here. If you would like to organise one where you live, please email office@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk.

The website will be updated as and when new events are organised. Follow the People’s Assembly on twitter for updates – click here.

All London demonstration: Save our hospitals | 18 May

Coalition of Resistance supports this important demonstration. If you can help out with our team on the day please email office@coalitionofresistance.org.uk.

Assemble 12 noon, Jubilee Gardens, Waterloo (Belvedere Rd, SE1). March to Department of Health and Parliament.

Click here for leaflet.

European Alter-Summit Against Austerity | 7/8 June

On the 7 & 8 June, the Greek social movement is organising an Alter-Summit in Athens to encourage a convergence of the movements across Europe. The Alter-Summit has the backing of major trade-unions and campaignsopposed to the current anti-social and anti-ecological policies promoted by European governments and institutions.

The Coalition of Resistance is appealing to trade-unions, campaigns and all organisations fighting austerity in Britain to send representatives to this important event.

Full details click here

We are writing to invite you to attend the European Alter-Summit to be held in Athens on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 June. The Alter-Summit aims to encourage the co-ordination of movements against austerity across Europe. In Britain it is backed by the TUC and the Coalition of Resistance.

After six years of austerity across Europe, the European Union and Central Bank are still pushing through policies to make ordinary people pay for a crisis which is not of their making. The attempt to confiscate the savings of Cypriot citizens to bail-out their countries banks is the latest example.

Resistance against austerity is continuing. Greece has been at the forefront of the movement since 2008, but this year Portugal has seen the biggest demonstrations since the fall of the dictatorship and massive mobilisations are also continuing in Spain. In Britain, the People’s Assembly Against Austerity on the 22 June will step up the campaign against the Tory coalition slaughter of the NHS and public services.

Co-ordinating the resistance across Europe is necessary to challenge the austerity measures being rolled out across the continent.

On the 7 & 8 June, the Greek social movement is organising an Alter-Summit in Athens to encourage a convergence of the movements across Europe. The Alter-Summit has the backing of major trade-unions and campaignsopposed to the current anti-social and anti-ecological policies promoted by European governments and institutions.

The Coalition of Resistance is appealing to trade-unions, campaigns and all organisations fighting austerity in Britain to send representatives to this important event.

It will be the occasion to stress that the struggle of the Greek social movements is a European one, and show the solidarity of European organizations and movements towards the Greek struggles. It will be also the occasion to present the Alter Summit Manifesto, voicing the alternative proposals of the social movement against the crisis.

Outline of the programme for the alter-summit:
Friday 7 June:
Networking meetings during the day, followed by assembly with the presentation of the Manifesto and concluding with a cultural event.
Saturday 8 June:
Seminars and smaller assemblies on different themes, followed by a demonstration in the evening.
Sunday 9 June:
Meeting of delegates to discuss strategy following the Athens Alter-Summit.

Further information about the Alter-Summit is available at http://www.altersummit.eu/.

For further information in Britain, contact Fred Leplat on 079 4189 3212 or fred.leplat@gmail.com or Chris Nineham on 079 3053 6519 or chrisnineham@hotmail.com.

In solidarity,

Fred Leplat & Chris Nineham (Coalition of Resistance)

It is hard-hitting documentary which shows the plight of refugees and migrants in Athens.  Shot and edited with sensitivity and compassion, it doesn’t pull its punches and makes for harrowing viewing in parts. It gives incredible insights into the reality faced by people who simply want to lead peaceful, normal lives. Its origins go back to this time last year when the two directors went to Athens, with the first GSC delegation, to make a series of short films about austerity. If you know anyone who would like to host the film on their blog or website Guy would love to hear from you at guy.smallman@btinternet.com”

 

The Coalition of Resistance deplores the astonishing attack made by Labour leader Ed Miliband on Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey, following McCluskey’s call for Labour to break from the austerity policies which are destroying the British economy and wreaking havoc in the lives of ordinary people.

McCluskey has a strong track record in opposing austerity and has spoken out about the terrible hardships now facing the working class: the cuts in benefit, wholesale destruction of the NHS, the bedroom tax and other measures designed to pauperise and criminalise ordinary people. Unite is one of the main backers of the People’s Assembly against Austerity which is leading the campaign for a single united anti-austerity movement to take on the policies of this government – a vital development if any of the gains of the working class since the second world war are to be retained. McCluskey’s recent championing of the anti-austerity position in the New Statesman has led Miliband to respond by saying that McCluskey ‘does not speak for the Labour party’ and that he was ‘disloyal’ and his statements ‘reprehensible’.

In attacking austerity Len McCluskey is speaking for the whole working class, he is speaking up for the disabled, the pensioners, the young unemployed, those of poverty pay and millions of others. This is precisely what the Labour Party should be doing but is failing to do. The discussion raised by McCluskey is both essential and legitimate: it is over the future policies of the next Labour government and of the Labour Party manifesto going into the next general election – a process which is ongoing through the national Policy Forum. These are real discussions on matters of the highest importance for the future of the working class where anti-austerity voices must be heard and the opinions of a leading trade unionist – who speaks for so many, in and out of his union  – cannot just be dismissed with hostility and contempt. The question underlying Len McCluskey’s comments is the crucial one: if Labour is elected in 2015, will it be a government that seeks to protect and advance the interests of the working class or will it be a government that furthers the austerity agenda, destroying the NHS and what remains of our welfare state? This is the crucial debate.

By Sam Fairbairn

Registrations for the People’s Assembly have more than quadrupled since our last update!

There are now over 1,500 delegates who have signed up. Here is some of the support that has been coming in:

The CWU, PCS, NUT, FBU and TSSA national executives have all passed formal support in the last couple of weeks, including making a financial contribution.

Articles about the assembly have gone out to hundreds of thousands of trade unionists in the Unite, PCS and TSSA magazines. Labour briefing have also published an article on the People’s Assembly.

Unite has reserved 120 places in the main hall for a central delegation and PCS has reserved 50. The other unions involved will do the same to ensure that the trade union movement is at the heart of the event. This is in addition to the local delegates from these unions who are being sent by their branches and regions.

A big thank you should go out to Nick McCarthy from the PCS, and the PCS as a whole, who has agreed to take on the role of treasurer for the People’s Assembly. A People’s Assembly account will be set up within the main PCS account.

We will be sending out a new round of invitations to unions and organisations inviting them to support the assembly in the next few days.

We’ve still got more than 2 months to go and with the 1,500 registrations for the event we are now looking into additional capacity. Most likely we’ll apply for the road outside the hall to be closed and put up a marquee for breakout sessions and overspill.

We now have an impressive list of local trade union and organisation support for the assembly. The full list can be found on our website here.

The new website was launched a few days ago which has had thousands of visitors. Please keep checking it for updates and news about the assembly: www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

Organising meetings are taking place across the country and rally’s are being set up in the run up to the People’s Assembly. We will update our website here as and when meetings are confirmed. If you want a speaker or can set up a meeting where you are, please contact office@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

newsletter 56  

SERTUC  

SERTUC Disabled Workers Committee with SERTUC Young Members Network conference “Young Disabled People, employed and empowered?” Saturday 6 April 11am to 3pm  at Congress House

·         Further and Higher Education: the specific challenges facing disabled young people with Jawanza Ipyana, National Union of Students

·         Panel Discussion: Employment, Policy and Good Practice in the workplace with Rob McCraken CWU and Jonathan Naess CEO Stand to Reason

·         Question Time: How the Paralympics’ dream was destroyed by the cuts with Tara Flood, Paralympic Gold Medallist and Director of Alliance for Inclusive Education, Penny Pepper and Roger Lewis Disabled People Against Cuts, Rob McCraken and Jawanza Ipyana

This conference is free to attend  and lunch will be provided, but registration is essential – please register with Joanne Adams at jadams@tuc.org.uk and see facebook page http://www.facebook.com/events/490184461030411/  

TUC

Supporting Confronting the Climate Crisis conference Saturday 8 June London with Manuel Cortez TSSA, Chris Baugh PCS, Graham Peterson UCU http://climatetradeunion.eventbrite.com/ 

Union information

NUJ meeting on “Homophobia and transphobia & th media” Tuesday 16 April 6.30pm London with Peter Tatchell, Michelle Stanistreet, Lesley Woodburn, Helen Belcher, Marc Vallee register with Lena Calvert at lenac@nuj.org.uk

PCS petition opposing closure of HMRC Enquiry Centres http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/47400 info here http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/revenue_and_customs_group/latest-news/index.cfm/id/5E9B65AF-DC27-4D55-82AF18B8337EC79C

NUT London Women’s Network “A woman’s place… is leading the revolution” 6pm Tuesday 30 April meeting with Rahila Gupta Southall Black Sisters, Mary Compton Teacher Solidarity, Mahienour El-Massry Activist Egypt, via skype Chicago Teachers’ Union RSVP at london@nut.org.uk

PCS supporting their member (and SERTUC International Committee Secretary) Jon Bigger threatened with compulsory redundancy Wednesday 10 April 12.30 see http://www.facebook.com/events/351260921645866/?context=create

Unison supporting Mary Seacole fundraising night with jazz musician Courtney Pine Wednesday 10 April tickets from Gail Adams gail.adams@unison.co.uk or online at http://www.seetickets.com/EVENT/courtney-pine-live-/brixton-jamm/697247

Trade Council actions

Harlow trades council “Defend Council Housing, Benefits Justice” Saturday 6 April rally (10am) and public meeting (11.20am) http://harlowtuc.wordpress.com/events/ or contact mickpatrick@hotmail.co.uk 07792 208 695

Ipswich trades council May Day Festival Sunday 5 May 12 noon with Tony Lennon SERTUC, Peter Kavanagh Unite, Paul Moffatt CWU, Nancy Taaffe NSSN http://ipswichmaydayfestival.wordpress.com/  

Battersea & Wandsworth trades councils upporting LabourStart’s May Day party at Bread & Roses Saturday 4 May http://www.facebook.com/events/108124432691593  

Andover trades council public meeting “It’s time to take over the banks” Wednesday 22 May 7.30 with Matt Wrack FBU contact Maurice Whyte andovertuc@hotmail.co.uk

Bedford trades council celebrating International Workers’ Day Monday 6 May with Matt Wrack FBU, Megan Dobney SERTUC, Pat Hall Labour Party and at 3pm Banner Theatre “Fighting the Cuts” contact Mike Cattell adsalesmike@peoples-press.com 07933 717 463 or Graham Tranquada g.tranquada@ntlworld.com 07967 041 026

Bedford trades council newsletter available from Jim Thakoordin dthakoordin@sky.com and note that Bedford is working on the formation of a trades council for Central Beds if you can help contact g.tranquada@ntlworld.com

Norwich trades council May Day festival celebrating workers’ rights and the Living Wage Sunday 5 May 11am to 3pm more info s.pearce2@unison.co.uk

Bromley trades council next meeting Thursday 11 April 6pm contact Steve Leggett the_legman_69@yahoo.co.uk  

Other actions/information

UKuncut action central London Saturday 13 April “Who wants to evict a millionaire?” http://www.facebook.com/events/449156988493859/?ref=22

Searchlight 50th anniversary fund-raising committee launch event “From Africa to the White House”with Tayo Aluko plus The Travelling Irons Saturday 1 June 7.30 London http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/events-menu/searchlight-magazine-presents-from-africa-to-the-white-house 

London Keep Our NHS Public demonstration Saturday 18 May 12 noon londonkeepournhspublic@gmail.com  

East of England Employment Relations Forum summer conference “Fit for Life/Fit for Business” Thursday 6 June Newmarket with Dame Carol Black burystevents@acas.org.uk

Venezuela Solidarity Campaign public meeting on Venezuela’s presidential election Monday 8 April 7pm London with Alvaro Sanchez, Francisco Dominguez, Dianne Abbott MP see https://www.facebook.com/events/264276023707756 

Venezuela Solidarity Campaign national conference Saturday 27 April London info@venezuelasolidarity.co.uk

Dying for the Vote suffragette Emily Wilding Davison Centenary exhibition in Ewell, Surrey 7 May to 27 July contact Irene Cockroft hotshot@blueyonder.co.uk 

National Pensioners Convention RPI Action Day Monday 8 April http://npcuk.org/1184  or Neil Duncan Jordan nduncanjordan@ntlworld.com  

UpRise 2013 festival will be all over Peckham Sunday 29 September note the date! 

Burford Levellers’ Day 2013 one day programme of speakers, presentations, exhibits, workshops (on the theme “Learning the Lessons of History”) and a march around Burford Saturday 18 May more information soon confirmed speakers Dr Nick Mansfield (University of Central Lancs), John Hendy QC, and Professor Mary Davis, chair Megan Dobney SERTUC

Burston Strike School Rally 2013 note the date Sunday 1 September confirmed speaker Mark Serwotka PCS

IMF declarations that do not please European leaders

In October 2012, the IMF provided a key explanation of why the crisis was getting worse in Europe. Its Research Department wrote that every euro cut from public spending would result in a .90 to 1.70 euro decrease in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Wolfgang Münchau, who is editorialist at the Financial Times, concludes that in this time of crisis a 3% fiscal adjustment (that is a 3% decrease in public spending) would produce a 4.5% decrease in GDP. Therefore, the current policies being pursued by European governments have been leading to a drop in economic activity making it impossible to decrease the amount of public debt. As Wolfgang Münchau writes, the IMF’s motivation must not be misjudged: “The IMF does not say that austerity is too hard, too unfair, causes too much pain in the short term or hits the poor more than the rich. It says simply that austerity may not achieve its goal of reducing debt within a reasonable amount of time”²

Meanwhile, if IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde hinted that the beginning of some austerity measures should be spread over a longer period of time, and that it might be possible to increase some public spending in order to stimulate the economy, this is because she is under pressure from IMF members from emerging countries (especially the Brics, led by China and Brazil), which are fearful of the boomerang effect of the drop in European imports, and criticise the importance of the IMF’s financial engagement in Europe. The IMF’s Managing Director expressed this point of view in Tokyo, at the annual assembly of the IMF and World Bank in October 2012. The IMF document and Christine Lagarde’s recommendations made European leaders react with discontent. For example, in Tokyo, Wolfgang Schaüble, the Finance Minister of Merkel’s government, publicly criticised Christine Lagarde for her untimely remarks.³

Wolfgang Münchau considers that the reservations expressed by the IMF on the depth of the austerity measures will in no way modify the attitude of European leaders who are sticking to a hard line position: “European policy makers are paranoid about their credibility, and I expect them to hold on to austerity until the bitter end, when the policy implodes”⁴

The tension between the IMF and the European Commission was expressed publicly again on 14 November 2012. Christine Lagarde contradicted the optimism expressed by Jean-Claude Junker (Luxembourg), who is President of the Eurogroup, concerning the outlooks for Greece. The IMF seems to want to put pressure on the Commission in order to increase its influence on the direction that should be taken in Europe. Emerging countries and the United States have been taking action within the IMF to influence the solutions adopted concerning the European crisis, especially since they are being asked to make a financial contribution.

The IMF looks back on the historical failures of brutal austerity policies

Much has been written about another IMF study, a chapter in its World Economic Outlook report, which was published just before its annual assembly in October 2012. In this chapter, the IMF studies 26 public debt crisis episodes since 1875, in which public debt was greater than 100% of GDP. It analyses the policies that were applied to resolve these crises. One of the episodes analysed was that of the United Kingdom after the First World War. British public debt stood at 140% of GDP. The British government applied a radical policy of fiscal austerity combined with a stringent monetary policy. By making large cuts to expenditures, the government achieved a primary fiscal surplus of nearly 7% of GDP (before the payment of interest) throughout the 1920s, in order to reduce British debt by strictly paying it back. However, public debt did not decrease: in 1930, it was 170% of GDP, and three years later in 1933, it was more than 190% of GDP.

Martin Wolf, the chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, states that the real objective of the British government policy “was to break organised labour. These policies resulted in the general strike of 1926. They spread a bitterness that lasted decades after the second world war.”⁵ This is exactly what is being done in Europe today.⁶ Wolf suggests that European policymakers and the Spanish government of Mariano Rajoy want to push down wages drastically by using unemployment as a weapon. He states that: “Meanwhile, Spain’s real GDP is shrinking. Efforts to tighten fiscal policy are sure to reduce it further.” He continues his analysis by stating that the Italian government has been inspired by the same policy. He concludes with a statement that may seem unusual coming from a star journalist at one of the principal financial dailies on the planet: “But fiscal austerity and efforts to lower wages in countries suffering from monetary strangulation could break societies, governments and even states.” In fact, as Martin Wolf has been insisting for months, it is because of austerity measures that countries are heading straight for disaster. As proof of his analysis, he points to the overwhelming electoral defeat of Mario Monti in March 2013 in Italy.

As Wolfgang Münchau writes, European policymakers are going to continue pursuing and aggravating these policies.

Why are European policymakers pushing for such harsh austerity policies?

It would be a mistake to believe that European policymakers have become blind. Their motivation is neither to return to economic growth, nor to balance the asymmetric relationships within the eurozone and the EU, so as to create a more coherent whole in which prosperity would reign. Corporate leaders, who shape government action, would like to push forward their great offensive against the hard-won social rights obtained in Europe after the Second World War. From this point of view, the policies pursued recently have been very successful. With the austerity policies that have increased unemployment, workers find themselves in an increasingly precarious position, their capacity to resist and fight has been radically decreased, wages and the various social benefits have been reduced while the tremendous disparities between workers within the EU have been maintained so as to increase the competition between them. One of the objectives pursued by European policymakers is to improve the capacity of European companies to increase their market share throughout the world. To accomplish this goal, the “cost of labour must be radically cut”, as they would say. That would imply inflicting a major defeat on European workers. Other objectives are also being pursued: pushing even further the offensive against public services, avoiding as much as possible a new crash in the banking sector, further strengthening the executive powers (the European Commission and national governments) over the legislative powers, imposing tighter constraints through treaties that set in stone policies that favour the Capitalist agenda…

The political and electoral price to pay may be high, but generally speaking the major political families that dominate European politics have made the bet that even if they lose in the current elections, they will win in the next ones and return to power. In any case, moving over to the opposition does not mean losing a whole set of privileges already acquired in the central State government apparatus, and European institutions, not to mention the local powers they may have (in big cities, regional governments, and so on).

What is complicating the European policymakers’ project is the Obama administration’s decision to pursue radical austerity policies in the footsteps of the Bush administration. In particular, fiscal cuts in public and social spending are going to be even deeper in the United States. These reductions will not help European companies win market share there. Only Japan seems to be willing to adopt what is only a half-hearted stimulus policy, but this must still be confirmed.

Conclusion: In light of the objectives described above, there is a total convergence between the IMF and European policymakers. Furthermore, since December 2012, when the Obama administration announced that it intended to tighten austerity measures in the United States, we have no longer heard any critical declarations by Christine Lagarde or other leaders aimed at the IMF concerning the policies pursued in Europe.

We must not misjudge the deeper meaning of the IMF’s declarations: if it has taken a bit of distance with respect to European policymakers, it is not to convince them to abandon the structural adjustment policies that are favourable to privatisations and a more intense offensive against the social rights won after the Second World War. It would like to have more influence on the decisions made, and impose its own. We shall see in the upcoming months whether or not it continues asserting that it would be a good idea to slow down the rhythm at which European policymakers want to balance their budgets. While the research produced by some IMF departments contains arguments that contradict dominant policies more or less clearly, the IMF’s actions throughout the world have not changed an iota. These are the actions against which we must combat with all our force.

Translated by Mike Krolikowski and Charles La Via

 “As the Economist put it at year-end 2006, ‘having grown at an annual rate of 3.2% per head since 2000, the world economy is over halfway towards notching up its best decade ever. If it keeps going at this clip, it will beat both the supposedly idyllic 1950s and the 1960s. Market capitalism, the engine that runs most of the world economy, seems to be doing its job well.’”¹ Alan Greenspan

There is a war on. It’s going on right under our noses. It’s a war on democracy, on community, on health, on happiness. And it’s a war waged by a coalition of government and big business. We no longer have an elected body that represents the people. Whatever their political leanings, people surely will agree that a country’s government should represent its citizens, and its policies should be founded on the interests of everyone. Instead we are confronted with the sinister reality that the business elite dictate policy and that our vital public services are being handed over to the private sector to be run as profit-making businesses. These services impact hugely on the lives of everybody, yet they are steadily being hijacked as a source of profit for the chosen few. We are facing the prospect of a society in which our own health will depend on how much money we have. This is no longer a democracy but a corporate-led takeover of our basic human rights with the Tories, Lib Dems, and Labour pursuing the same agenda with equal vigour.

Whether it be the attacks on welfare or the NHS, the government’s sole motive is to promote corporate interests by increasing the channels through which public money is effortlessly transferred to the private sector. Take welfare: the government claims that it wants to reduce the annual £12billion Disability Living Allowance bill by 20%, roughly £2.24billion. Given that the government itself cites a fraud rate of 0.5% (£60million) [1], this cut means that half a million genuine claimants are set to lose essential support. With one third of disabled people already in poverty, the cuts will have devastating consequences for many more [2]. The continual shrill retort from Whitehall is “if money has to be saved, then tough decisions have to be taken”. Yet, when you look into the figures, it turns out that all is not what it is painted to be.

These DLA ‘reforms’ (a dexterously truth-cloaking synonym for benefit cuts) are costing £710million to implement, with the ‘benefit’ now to be known as the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) [3]. Furthermore, the government is paying private company Atos, along with two other companies, up to £1billion to carry out these new PIP assessments [4]. What’s the logic behind this? If money-saving is truly the aim, why isn’t the government allowing NHS doctors to continue to carry out these medical assessments at no extra cost to the taxpayer? This would save the government £1billion at a time of extreme financial uncertainty, so why the decision to contract out to businesses, who have far less medical expertise than claimants’ own doctors?

Firstly, doctors are far less likely to be willing to work to pre-set targets than a private company hired by the government to do so. In order to get half a million disabled people off DLA, the new PIP criteria have been created so that many genuine disabilities no longer qualify for the benefit [5]. Make no mistake, this is not about reassessment: this is about redefining disability so that millions can be pushed off benefit.

Secondly, it ensures that business can create more wealth for itself by acquiring large tranches of public money with no financial risk. Until now, people with a life-long disability (like me) were awarded DLA for life. Under new guidelines, everyone will be re-assessed every few years, including those with permanent disabilities, and the taxpayer will pay the billions this will cost. Billions wasted paying private companies to interrogate disabled people to find out whether they’re still blind, still missing a leg or an arm, or still brain-damaged.

The NHS has been systematically attacked by every government since Thatcher’s while big business has waited in the wings salivating at the prospect of making money out of illness. And it’s not just the Tories who have brought things to this pass. Current privatisation plans could not have happened without key legislation passed by New Labour. Those who think it can’t happen are wrong. It is happening, right now, and – according to NHS academic, Lucy Reynolds – we are 80% of the way to replacing the NHS with an American-style private health-care system [6]. Surveys show that most people in the country don’t want this and studies prove that the NHS functions far better than the American system [7].

So, once again, who will this serve? It won’t be the public, many of whom won’t be able to afford medical care. Those who can afford it can expect to face long hard battles to convince insurance companies to pay out in cases of treatment of ‘expensive’ conditions such as cancer. The insurance companies and the health providers stand to make a fortune, and these are the groups that have helped push through the legislation which is paving the way for privatisation [8]. In fact, business leaders have been shaping government policy concerning public services for years, making sure that their narrow self-interests are looked after, while the interests of the public at large remain ignored. (See George Monbiot’s ‘A Captive State’ for detailed evidence of just how far back the merging of power and big business goes.)

Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) are another ingenious way to hand over major chunks of public dosh to the private sector. Imported by the Tories from Australia, these neo-liberal constructs have been enthusiastically adopted by Labour and Conservative governments. Under these schemes, taxpayers owed an estimated £229 billion for assets worth £56bn in 2012 [9]. Then there are the eighteen main ‘work providers’ hired by the government to get the long-term unemployed back into work. A4E, for example, has been awarded contracts worth £438 million [10]. The total value of these work programme contracts has been estimated at £2 billion, which is a sixth of the annual benefit bill for the long term unemployed [11]. When you add these figures to the £850 billion (some estimate £1 trillion) bank bailout and the billions spent farming out other public services to private companies through PFIs, what’s being paid out to ‘save the country money’ is staggering [12]. When the government says there is not enough money to go around, it really means there’s little left after the private sector has creamed off the lion’s share of it. And as we have recently seen, many private companies routinely pay little or no tax, so that public money ends up making a few wealthy people wealthier while driving the poor into even greater poverty [13].

Be sure of this: the one thing these policies are not about is saving money. If the government really wanted to save money, it would introduce much more stringent banking reforms. It would heavily regulate the financial sector that steered the country into this recession. It would close the tax gap, which is currently estimated to be over £100 billion a year [14]. Addressing these issues would save far more money than selling off the health service or cutting welfare for those who genuinely depend on it. But none of these solutions will be introduced because the government represents those in the banking world, the corporate tax dodgers, and the billionaire executives. In 2012, Britain’s rich got much richer: the wealthiest 1,000 people are now worth a record £414 billion [15]. The elite are clearly benefiting from a government that has their interests at heart.

When politicians gravely announce the need for cuts in tones perfectly pitched with regret, they are lying to us. Many of the world’s leading economists, including Nobel Prize-winners Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz (as opposed to history graduate George Osborne) argue that austerity measures will only worsen the economic situation [16, 17]. They have been proved correct [18]. But the beauty of this global crisis is that it has given our leaders the perfect opportunity to flex their neo-liberal muscles. Under the mantras of thrift and fairness [19], it’s full steam ahead with their corporate agenda, as they pave the way for their business buddies to siphon off public money without limit. It is no longer a question of Labour versus Conservative versus Lib Dem. Thanks to years of deregulation, the business elite effectively control all areas of government no matter who the incumbent is.

The profit motive drives all but very few have benefited: Britain has become one of the most unequal countries in the world and the gap between rich and poor continues to rise [20, 21]. The unquestioning worship of the profit motive is destroying our environment, our support networks, and our public services. The pursuit of profit allows for no consideration of morality or ethics, which is why so many of us are so unrepresented. Left to its own devices, this insatiable insane greed for more-more-more will ultimately destroy the environment that nourishes us, and all the humane ideals that so many have fought and died for to create.

We do not live in a democracy. We are unrepresented. We live in a country where our taxes are chosen to fund illegal wars and WMDs. Where corporations routinely exploit people yet receive huge tax breaks. Where 24,000 people died last winter because they couldn’t afford heating [22]. Where City bankers responsible for this financial crisis are still luxuriating in bonuses worth £14 billion a year [23]. Where disabled people have to beg for their basic human rights. Where people with mental health problems commit suicide because their benefits were taken away [24]. Where thousands die after being declared fit for work [25]. Where the quality of healthcare and education you receive depends on how rich you are.

The hypocrisy behind the scrounger rhetoric is appalling. Two-thirds of our cabinet ministers are millionaires (with a combined wealth of more than £70 million) [26]. Their experience of life is one almost exclusively of privilege. They don’t know what it’s like to struggle to pay your bills, to have to choose between sending your child to university or losing your house. Yet these are the people quick to label the impoverished as ‘work-shy’, who administer ‘tough-love’ to the masses, who demonise the sick and disabled as burdens on the state while propping up the same institutions that have plummeted the nation into crippling debt. We have a system in which the privileged pass laws that affect them not a jot, and make judgement on lives they have no understanding of. The place to look for corruption and abuse is among their number. Welfare has been turned into a dirty word in a state unwilling to protect vital benefits from attack while at the same time fighting furiously to protect bonuses and tax breaks for the wealthy [27].

We must fight back and demand a government that represents the majority. We must have the discipline to come together with anyone who is willing to take up this fight, no matter what labels they may use or what ideologies they may subscribe to. The principle of a government that puts its citizens first must be our common goal. There are many growing movements you can get involved with, such as The Peoples’ Assembly Against Austerity, which seeks to voice the concerns of the majority. As Lotte Scharfman said, ‘Democracy is not a spectator sport’. In these dark times, it is easy to feel powerless and disenfranchised, but that’s what the powerful want us to believe: that nothing can be changed. That there is no alternative. It can be inspiring to remember that every social change for the better was fought for and won by ordinary people who had the courage to believe that a more just society was possible. Those who rule do not give away power voluntarily. They have to be forced by us, the people that they claim to serve. Cynicism just preserves the status quo.

The corporatisation of society has worrying implications for the future health of us and our environment. Business has no business encroaching on human rights. Human beings should not be treated as economic pawns in an ideological chess-game. Not everything in the world should be exploited as a source of profit. We need to keep hoping and believing that a more equal and sustainable society is possible, to remember what it is to be human, to share, to cooperate, to care for each other. We need to stop a tiny minority driven by crazy greed to turn every aspect of our precious lives into dollar signs. We are all worth more than that.

The Peoples’ Assembly Against Austerity provides a national forum for anti-austerity views which, while increasingly popular, are barely represented in parliament. To get involved, please visit here.

To sign my War On Welfare petition, please click here.

References

[1] http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd2/fem/fem_1112.pdf

[2] http://www.poverty.org.uk/summary/key%20facts.shtml#disability

[3] http://www.update.org.uk/news-detail.php?page=242

[4] http://www.update.org.uk/news-detail.php?page=364

[5] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/braindamaged-amputee-fit-for-work-says-atos-8547539.html

[6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6k5ZisRV8Y

[7] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6505773/NHS-better-than-American-health-care.html

[8] http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/nov/23/david-cameron-privatisation-adviser-health-lobbyist

[9] http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/29/deborah-orr-pfi-disaster-lesson

[10] http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmpubacc/1814/181406.htm

[11] http://www.cesi.org.uk/keypolicy/work-programme

[12] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/163850bn-official-cost-of-the-bank-bailout-1833830.html

[13] http://news.sky.com/story/890619/all-but-two-ftse-100-firms-avoid-paying-tax

[14] http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/national-campaigns/tax-justice/why-are-they-increasing-the-tax-gap.cfm

[15] http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/rich-list-2012-where-do-the-celebs-chart-811206

[16] http://www.social-europe.eu/2012/10/paul-krugman-and-joseph-stiglitz-on-the-economy-and-inequality/

[17] http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/2013/03/63-economists-pledge-support-for-peoples-assembly/

[18] http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jan/25/uk-triple-dip-recession-gdp

[19] http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4578229/george-osborne-one-nation-ed-miliband.html

[20] http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/may/22/social-mobility-data-charts

[21] http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/

[22] http://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/24000-died-from-cold-last-winter–highest-death-rate-in-london-8367789.html

[23] http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jul/19/city-bonuses-totalled-fourteen-billion

[24] http://news.stv.tv/politics/97594-poets-suicide-note-held-up-as-warning-over-impact-of-welfare-reforms/

[25] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/atos-told-incontinent-woman-to-wear-nappy-firm-condemned-by-mps-for-pressuring-sick-and-disabled-into-returning-to-work-8456447.html

[26] http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/millionaire-ministers-combined-wealth-of-cabinet-851909

[27] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21661089

Follow Francesca Martinez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chessmartinez

Here’s what one GMB activist had to say:

This is a call to all those millions of people in Britain who face an impoverished and uncertain year as their wages, jobs, conditions and welfare provision come under renewed attack by the government. With some 80% of austerity measures still to come, and with the government lengthening the time they expect cuts to last, we are calling a People’s Assembly Against Austerity to bring together campaigns against cuts and privatisation with trade unionists in a movement for social justice. We aim to develop a strategy for resistance to mobilise millions of people against the Con Dem government.

The assembly will provide a national forum for anti-austerity views which, while increasingly popular, are barely represented in parliament. A People’s Assembly can play a key role in ensuring that this uncaring government faces a movement of opposition broad enough and powerful enough to generate successful co-ordinated action, including strike action. The assembly will be ready to support co-ordinated industrial action and national demonstrations against austerity, if possible synchronising with mobilisations across Europe. The People’s Assembly Against Austerity will meet at Central Hall, Westminster, on 22 June.

Tony Benn President, Coalition of Resistance

Len McCluskey General secretary, Unite the Union
Mark Serwotka General secretary, PCS
Christine Blower General secretary, NUT
Michelle Stanistreet General secretary, NUJ
Manuel Cortez General secretary, TSSA
Billy Hayes General secretary, CWU
Bob Crow General secretary, RMT
Mick Whelan General secretary, Aslef
Kevin Courtney Deputy general secretary, NUT
Paul Mackney Former general secretary Natfhe (now UCU)
Vicky Baars NUS union development
Kevin Donnelly Trade Union Council JCC

Caroline Lucas MP
Katy Clark MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
John McDonnell MP
Murad Qureshi London assembly member
Dawn Butler Former Labour minister for young citizens and youth engagement

Tariq Ali Author
John Pilger Journalist
Ken Loach Filmmaker
Owen Jones Writer
James Meadway Senior economist, New Economics Foundation

Mark Steel Comedian
Lee Hall Playwright
Roger Lloyd Pack Actor
Josie Long Comedian
Iain Banks Author
Arthur Smith Comedian
Roy Bailey Folk singer
Francesca Martinez Comedian
Richard Wilson Actor

Dot Gibson National Pensioners Convention Keep our NHS Public
Merry Cross Disabled People Against the Cuts
John Hendy QC Co-chair, People’s Charter
John Hilary Director, War on Want
Sam Fairbairn National secretary, Coalition of Resistance
Imran Khan Solicitor, co-chair, People’s Charter
Rachael Newton People’s Charter
Romayne Phoenix Chair, Coalition of Resistance
Zita Holbourne Co-chair, Black activists rising against the cuts
Clare Solomon Vice-chair, Coalition of Resistance
Andrew Burgin Vice-chair, Coalition of Resistance
Colin Hampton Co-ordinator, National Unemployed Workers Centres Combine
Anita Wright Secretary, National Association of Women
Joginder Bains Association of Indian Women
Shang Gahonia Indian Workers Association
Carolyn Jones Director, Institute of Employment Rights

Lindsey German Convenor, Stop the War Coalition
Kate Hudson General secretary, CND
Bruce Kent Peace campaigner

John Rees Counterfire editorial board
Natalie Bennett Leader of the Green Party England and Wales
Fred Leplat Socialist Resistance
Robert Griffiths General secretary, Communist Party of Britain
Bill Greenshields Chair, Communist Party of Britain
Richard Bagley Editor, Morning Star

  By Owen Jones

The cartel of modern politics is only ever disrupted from the right. Now, with the help of like-minded others, I will be touring the country to set up a left-wing movement

Austerity is a given, though its speed and scale may be queried; all agree on selling chunks of our public services to private sector vultures, though the extent may be challenged; the fact our workers have some of the worst rights in the Western world, that large corporations sitting on a cash pile worth £750bn are expected to pay less and less, that our banks are bailed out with the public’s dosh but are not under our control – none of this is seriously questioned.

If this cartel is ever disrupted, it is from the right. Ukip has surged in part because of a widespread sense that the political establishment are all in it together, to coin a phrase. Hard-right pressure groups like the Taxpayers Alliance out-flank the Conservatives, and in doing so drive the nation’s political conversation ever rightwards.

Anti-austerity movement

With the help of supposed newspaper reporters – in reality, often thinly veiled Government propagandists – the Tories have ruthlessly redirected growing anger at ever-tumbling living standards towards our neighbours: people thrown out of work, people who still have intact pensions, disabled people suspected of inventing their conditions for benefits, and so on. The latest target are immigrants. New arrivals will be barred from joining council housing waiting lists – which most are stuck on for years as it is – for up to five years. We have a scandalous shortage of council housing. Up to five million people languish on waiting lists. But the fault lies squarely with both the Tories and New Labour for selling off stock and failing to replace it. Convenient, then, to conjure up the spectre of the scrounging foreigner instead.

Well, the great British political cartel now faces a new challenge. On Tuesday, I’ll be helping to launch the People’s Assembly with Green MP Caroline Lucas, my fellow Independent columnist Mark Steel, disability rights campaigner Francesca Martinez, Labour MP Katy Clark, and leading trade unionists. The aim of the Assembly is to unite all opponents of the horror show being inflicted on this country. On 22 June, there will be a 3,500-strong meeting at Westminster Central Hall, but in the meantime, I and others will be touring the country, encouraging local groups to be set up in every town and city.

Here’s the rationale for the Assembly. It is unacceptable that – five years on from the near-collapse of the global financial system – there is no broad anti-austerity movement. In a week’s time, the British poor will face the biggest organised mugging in generations, with the bedroom tax, cuts to working people’s tax credits, council tax benefit, housing benefit, and so on. Each year, the average Briton is poorer than the last. “Now is the period when the cost is being paid,” said Mervyn King, and that was two years ago. “I’m surprised the real anger hasn’t been greater than it has.”

There’s actually plenty of anger out there, but there’s something else missing. It was the US politician Harvey Milk who said: “I know that you cannot live on hope alone but, without it, life is not worth living.” Anger without hope tends to amount to despair, frustration and resignation – and that is what has to change.

Hope for change

Inevitably, such an initiative will have to plough through a fair amount of cynicism from both left and right. Put “left” into a sentence including “piss-up” and “brewery”, and few would disagree. But this isn’t going to fall into the trap of being a recruitment exercise for some obscure sect with newspapers to flog. It’s being driven by a formidable coalition of unions such as Unite, Unison and PCS, representing millions of workers in both the private and public sector; Labour activists and the Green Party; campaigners for disabled people, and for tax justice; BME people; and people frankly who are just stranded and without a political home. It’s not the 867th attempt to set up yet another doomed left-wing party, but a movement that will nonetheless fill a chasm in British politics.

This has implications for the Labour leadership, of course. It’s not as if there haven’t been any other determined attempts to challenge austerity: like huge strikes by teachers, health workers, bin collectors and other public-sector workers; two huge TUC-organised demonstrations against austerity; and the efforts of campaigners, such as tax avoidance crusaders UK Uncut. But there has been no sustained, permanent movement to take on the whole austerity consensus. Most pressure on Labour’s leaders comes from the right. But the appetite for a far more confident, courageous voice of opposition to the Tories’ ideological hijacking of the financial crisis exists. It will now be satisfied.

The Tories have counted on opposition being too fragmented to withstand their shock-and-awe offensive. But in doing so they have inadvertently created a potentially formidable coalition. There may be no end in sight for Britain’s depressing icy winter, but it’s springtime for opposition to the nightmare of austerity. The People’s Assembly offers the one thing missing from British politics: hope.

Coalition of Resistance Press Release
22 March 2013

PRESS CONFERENCE TO LAUNCH MASS ANTI-AUSTERITY CAMPAIGN.

LABOUR AND GREEN MPs, HIGH-PROFILE JOURNALISTS, COMEDIANS, CAMPAIGNERS UNITE.

TUESDAY 26TH MARCH,
11.30AM, UNITE THE UNION,
128 THEOBALD’S ROAD, WC1X 8TN

Caroline Lucas MP - journalist Owen Jones - comedian Mark Steel - Labour’s Katy Clark MP – comedian and disabled activist Francesca Martinez – Steve Turner (Unite) - Zita Holbourne (Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts).

The People’s Assembly – a new initiative backed by major trade unions such as Unite, Unison, NUT, PCS, the Green Party, Labour MPs, Coalition of Resistance and campaigning groups – will be hosting a press conference on Tuesday 26th March at Unite’s head office (map).

The People’s Assembly will be holding a 3,500-strong rally at Westminster Central Hall, 22nd June 2013, as well as meetings and rallies across the country.

This new movement will be pushing the arguments against austerity currently missing from British politics, and fighting for all those people currently being hit by Government policies: whether low-paid workers, disabled people, unemployed people, the young, women, BME people and others.

NOTE TO EDITORS 

- For further information please get in touch with People’s Assembly Co-Ordinator Sam Fairbairn on 07872 481769

·         Further and Higher Education: the specific challenges facing disabled young people with Jawanza Ipyana, National Union of Students

·         Panel Discussion: Employment, Policy and Good Practice in the workplace with Rob McCraken CWU and Jonathan Naess CEO Stand to Reason

·         Question Time: How the Paralympics’ dream was destroyed by the cuts with Tara Flood, Paralympic Gold Medallist and Director of Alliance for Inclusive Education, Penny Pepper and Roger Lewis Disabled People Against Cuts, Rob McCraken and Jawanza Ipyana

This conference is free to attend, but registration is essential – please register with Joanne Adams atjadams@tuc.org.uk

TUC

Action for Rail day of action Wednesday 27 March (the 50th anniversary of the Beeching Report). Stations covered will be circulated shortly – but if trades councils want to take action at stations within their own community please inform Matt Dykes mdykes@tuc.org.uk

Union information

PCS national strike Wednesday 20 March rally 12 noon Old Palace Yard (opposite Houses of Parliament) withMark Serwotka http://pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/national-campaigns/action-now/index.cfm contact London regional secretary Andy Thomas 07843 642 752 andyt@pcs.org.uk

Unison supporting Mary Seacole fundraising night with jazz musician Courtney Pine Wednesday 10 April tickets from Gail Adams gail.adams@unison.co.uk or online at http://www.seetickets.com/EVENT/courtney-pine-live-/brixton-jamm/697247

CWU defending the Royal Mail universal service obligation, Early Day Motion 818 http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/818

Trade Council actions

Andover trades council public meeting “It’s time to take over the banks” Wednesday 22 May 7.30 with Matt Wrack FBU contact Maurice Whyte andovertuc@hotmail.co.uk

Bedford trades council celebrating International Workers’ Day Monday 6 May with Matt Wrack FBU, Megan Dobney SERTUC, Pat Hall Labour Party and at 3pm Banner Theatre ”Fighting the Cuts” contact Mike Cattelladsalesmike@peoples-press.com 07933 717 463 or Graham Tranquada g.tranquada@ntlworld.com 07967 041 026

Norwich trades council May Day festival celebrating workers’ rights and the Living Wage Sunday 5 May 11am to 3pm more info s.pearce2@unison.co.uk

Brighton & Hove trades council AGM Wednesday 27 March 7.30pm guest speaker Matt Wrack FBU,brightontradescouncil@googlemail.com

Bromley trades council next meeting Thursday 11 April 6pm contact Steve Leggett the_legman_69@yahoo.co.uk

Other actions/information

Campaign for Trade Union Freedom launch 1.30pm Saturday 23 March with Manuel Cortes TSSA, Kevin Courtney NUT, Bob Crow RMT, Keith Ewing TUF, Carolyn Jones IER, Billy Hayes CWU, John Hendy QC, Tosh MacDonald ASLEF, Len McCluskey Unite, Roger McKenzie Unison, Michelle Stanistreet NUJ, Sarah Veale TUC at Friends Meeting House London http://www.tradeunionfreedom.co.uk/

East Kent Keep our NHS Public “Carnival Against the Cuts” on the occasion of David Cameron’s visit to CanterburyThursday 21 March 11am contact eastkentkonp@gmail.com 07947 424 505 or 07939 268 962

East of England Employment Relations Forum summer conference “Fit for Life/Fit for Business” Thursday 6 June Newmarket with Dame Carol Black burystevents@acas.org.uk

Venezuela Solidarity Campaign national conference Saturday 27 April London info@venezuelasolidarity.co.uk

Sustainability and Employability, Learning and Skills Improvement Service London Region workshop Thursday 28 March 10.30 to 3.30 “How can we integrate sustainable development in the tertiary sector?”graham.petersen@south-thames.ac.uk 07879 492 339

East London Employment Tribunal User Group Meeting Thursday 4 April 4.30pm London E14rabia.mohamed2@hmcts.gsi.gov.uk

Northampton Connolly Association produces greetings cards, £7 for 10, Peter Mulligan ca-projects@gmx.com01604 715 793

National Pensioners Convention RPI Action Day Monday 8 April http://npcuk.org/1184

UpRise 2013 festival will be all over Peckham Sunday 29 September note the date!

Burford Levellers’ Day 2013 one day programme of speakers, presentations, exhibits, workshops (on the theme “Learning the Lessons of History”) and a march around Burford Saturday 18 May more information soon confirmed speakers Dr Nick Mansfield (University of Central Lancs), John Hendy QC, and Professor Mary Davis, chair Megan Dobney SERTUC

Burston Strike School Rally 2013 note the date Sunday 1 September confirmed speaker Mark Serwotka PCS

Published in the Guardian on Thursday 21 March

George Osborne‘s latest budget confirms that austerity policies are set to continue for years to come (Budget 2013, 20 March).

This is a call from economists and academics to all those millions of people in Britain who face an impoverished and uncertain year as their wages, jobs, conditions and welfare provision come under renewed attack by the government. It is important that people understand that there is a large body of opinion against these policies.

With some 80% of austerity measures still to come, and with the government lengthening the time they expect cuts to last, we are calling a people’s assembly against austerity to bring together campaigns against cuts and privatisation with trade unionists in a movement for social justice. We aim to develop a strategy for resistance to mobilise millions of people against the Con Dem government. Register for the People’s Assembly here

Professor Ha-Joon Chang Cambridge
Professor Hugo Radice Leeds
Professor Stephanie Blankenburg SOAS
Professor Ian Gough LSE
Tom Lines Economic consultant
Professor George Irvin SOAS
Professor Malcolm Sawyer Leeds
Senior lecturer David Hudson UCL
Professor Diane Elson Essex
Professor Sergio Rossi Fribourg
Professor Andrew Dobson Keele
Professor Frances Stewart Oxford
Professor Alan Freeman London Metropolitan
Sir Anthony Atkinson Oxford
Professor Christine Cooper Strathclyde
Dr Bruce Philip NTU
Professor John Weeks SOAS
Molly Scott-Cato Gaia economics
Professor Simon Mohun London
Professor Giuseppe Fontana Leeds
Diego Sanchez-Conchea Oxford
Professor Victoria Chick UCL
Michael Burke Economic consultant
Professor Simon Lilley Leicester
Professor Andy Denis City
Richard Wolff
Senior lecturer John Simister MMU
Professor Colin Richardson Imperial
Professor John Ross Shanghai
Professor Matthew Watson Warwick
Dr Julian Wells Kingston
Professor Judith Clifton Cantabria
Professor David Byrne Durham
James Meadway Senior economist, Nef
Professor Andrew Cumbers Glasgow
Professor Mario Seccareccia Ottawa
Associate professor Anitra Nelson RMIT
Ann Pettifor PRIME
Dr Theodore Koutsobinas UWG
Professor Guglielmo Davanzati Salento
Professor Hartmut Elsehans Leipzig
Professor Julie Matthaei Wellesley
Professor David Harvey CUNY
Professor Raphael Kaplinsky Open University
Professor David Gleicher Adelphi
Professor Geoffrey Harcourt UNSW
Adjunct professor Steven Hail Adelaide
Professor Noemi Levy-Orlik UNAM
Professor Stefano Lucarelli Bergamo
Associate professor Louis-Philippe Rochon Ontario
Roy Rotheim Skidmore
Professor Judith Mehta
Dr Hideo Shingu Kyoto
Professor Daniel Diaz-Fuentes Unican
Professor Riccardo Bellofiore Bergamo
Professor Alan Ciblis UNGS
Dr Jesus Munoz Lancaster
Professor Mary Mellor Northumbria
Dr Veronica Villarespe UNAM
Arturo Hermann
Dr Pritam Singh Oxford
Professor John King La Trobe
Professor Elizabth Dore Southampton

Roger Lloyd Pack

Owen Jones:

Whole march sped up:

Traffic sounds support for demo:

Jeremy Corbyn MP:

Video by Dan Poulton

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This is not a one-day protest, this is the start of a rolling programme of walkouts and disruptive action to put pressure on a government that is refusing to talk to us.”

Protests and rallies are taking place across the country. In London there will be a rally outside Parliament as the Budget is announced.

The details are:
12-2pm, Wednesday 20 March, Old Palace Yard (Opposite Parliament), SW1P 3JY.
For a full list of rallies across the country click here.

In the evening of Budget Day, Coalition of Resistance and Unite the Resistance are organising a rally at Downing Street from 6:30pm.

London Region UCU is organising a march from Kings College, the strand to the rally assembling at 5:30pm.

People’s Assembly continues to build support

The People’s Assembly Against Austerity is gaining momentum and looks set to be exactly the kind of event needed to initiate a mass, broad-based campaign which can challenge the government’s austerity agenda.

Over 500 people have already booked their place and hundreds of trade union branches and organisations have passed support for the event. Just some of the latest supporters include: East London Teachers Association, Greater London Pensioners Association, Harlow & Epping Forest NUT, Goldsmiths UCU,  Unite LE/460 Branch, Ipswich, Huntingdonshire TUC, WOW Petition Campaign, Chelmsford & District Trades Union Council, PCS DWP South East London branch, Lewisham People Before Profit, Unite Community Portsmouth. Add your support to the growing list here.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Pass this model resolution in your trade union branch or organisation
2. Get local support for the assembly: ask trade unionists, people in campaigns or community organisations, local MPs or councilors or any celebs if they will add their name to the call. Once you have a good spread of support, put the letter with local signatories in the local press.
3. Organise a public meeting with the local signatories to help build for the assembly and to support local campaigns.
4. Invite your friends to the Facebook event and for twitter use #peoplesassembly

Please get in touch if you have any questions or need advice on what you can do in your area.
assembly@coalitionofresistance.org.uk | 07872 481769

The two largest teacher unions, NUT and NASUWT, representing 9 out of 10 teachers,  announced the next phase of their jointly coordinated campaign to Protect Teachers and Defend Education on March 18. 

Following the refusal of the Secretary of State to genuinely engage with the NASUWT and NUT to seek to resolve our trade disputes with him, plans are in place for the next stage of industrial action which will include:

• continuation of the current action short of strike action instructions;
• national rallies across England and Wales in April and May;
• escalation of the national action short of strike action;
• a rolling programme of national strikes commencing with local authority areas in the North West of England on 27 June; and
• unless the Secretary of State responds positively to the unions’ demands, a rolling programme of strike action will continue into the Autumn term and will include a one day all-out national strike before the end of the Autumn term.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:

“The time has come for the Secretary of State to listen to the concerns of teachers and school leaders.

“He has recklessly pursued a relentless attack on the profession and teachers’ patience has been exhausted.

“The Secretary of State still has time to avoid widespread disruption in schools by responding positively and quickly to the reasonable demands we are making.”

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT, said:

“We have already rejected the new pension arrangements and the proposed deregulation of teachers’ pay.

“The attacks on pay and pensions in combination with increasing workload is making teaching an unsustainable option for many.

“The resolution to all the aspects of our dispute with the Secretary of State is in his hands. He can respond positively engage with us to seek a way forward.

“If there is no positive response to our reasonable demands, the joint strike action we are announcing today is inevitable.”

Addressing NUT members she stated:

“This is a very important time for the NUT and the future of the teaching profession. 

Michael Gove is not listening to the collective voice of the profession. He is pursuing courses of action that are detrimental both to the education of our students and the careers and well-being of teachers.

I urge all NUT members to support this campaign to make our voice heard.”

Alex Kenny of the East London Teachers Association said;

The first days of strike action will be regional strikes, involving every part of the country in turn – these will be followed by a national strike in the second half of the autumn term.

Both unions have said that there will more strike action to follow this if Michael Gove does not listen to the concerns of teachers about pay, pensions and workload. It is the first time either union has announced such a programme of action and the first time we have had such a clear intent by both unions to work together in the interests of teachers and education.

The two unions are also organising a series of rallies for education in major towns and cities on April 27, May 11 and May 18 which will feature speakers from both Unions as well as parents, governors and education campaigners. These rallies will be a really important part of our campaign and it is crucial that NUT members support them and bring people along.

The Prime Minister is surrounded by ideological crusaders and they’ve succeeded in turning the politically impossible into the politically inevitable, says Owen Jones

David Cameron is sunk, kaput, finito. He leads a party that has not won an election since 1992: back when nearly no one had heard of the internet; before text messages, DVDs, and even Take That’s first number one hit. They didn’t win the last election, after the British economy had jumped off Beachy Head and Gordon Brown was beginning to do an uncanny impression of a political Basil Fawlty.

The Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS) is a coalition of residents, community and campaign groups, and trade unions in the London Borough of Barnet who want to protect our quality of life, our public services, and our local democracy. We believe we should participate in and contribute to the place in which we live.

That is what we have in common, but we come from a range of backgrounds: young and old and in between, shopkeepers and union members, workers and retirees, carers and those cared for, British-born and immigrant. Individually, we are of many different political persuasions but together we are non-partisan.

BAPS opposes the privatization of public services and the erosion of democracy in Barnet. In the absence of consultation from Barnet Council, it has produced newspapers and leaflets and provided public meetings and conferences to inform people of what the Council is and has been doing and proposes to do. It has promoted the screening of the films A Tale of Two Barnets and Barnet: the billion pound gamble, and shows the explanatory animation Barnet Casino on its website. Because of the restrictive nature of the Residents’ Area Forums run by the Council, BAPS runs open forums where residents from anywhere in the borough can come to air their views on any subject.

BAPS biggest battle is against the One Barnet Programme of privatization, by which the Council wants to hand over the many customer services in a single, bundled contract to Capita for 10 years, and to form a joint venture, possibly again with Capita, to run our development and regulatory services. Our members have read the published plans and business cases, and have asked questions and made presentations at council and council resource, cabinet and scrutiny committee meetings in repeated efforts to make the councilors aware of the risks of the proposals and the residents’ opposition to them and desire for consultation. We have presented a petition with more than 8000 signatures asking for a referendum. The Tory councilors have responded with contemptuous remarks, insults, name-calling and a stubborn refusal to listen to the people.

But the people’s voice has had an impact. BAPS was and continues to be instrumental in the campaign against the privatization of and changes to parking enforcement, which have angered residents and businesses and badly damaged our local economy. So far the campaign has resulted in the defeat of Brian Coleman, who was responsible for this policy, when he ran for re-election to the GLA in 2012, and a decrease in some of the parking fees.

BAPS campaign in the Brunswick Ward by-election in 2012 helped turn the Tory majority into a resounding Labour victory.

BAPS supported the Save Friern Library campaign, which prevented the building being sold against the wishes of the community. BAPS campaigns to save the NHS and to oppose cuts to benefits.

BAPS has held marches and rallies to support its campaigns in 2011 and 2012. The Barnet Spring March to save our services will be on 23 March, just days after the judicial review against Barnet Council’s proposed contract with Capita is heard at the High Court. Whoever wins, there is likely to be an appeal; whoever wins, there is still the proposed joint venture for development and regulatory services to oppose.

Privatisation of public services affects all of us, not just people in Barnet. We are asking people from everywhere in the country to join us on 23 March, at Finchley Central Underground Station at 11 am. The march will move off at noon and proceed to the Friern Barnet Community Library.

SERTUC Public Services Committee & International Committee conference “Resisting Austerity in Europe and the UK” Saturday 16 March

·         first session: International crisis, international resistance with Fernando Mauricio Head of CGT Portugal International Dept, Marina Prentoulis/Andrew Burgin Greece, Paul Murphy MEP Ireland, Richard Howitt MEP. Chair Bernard Regan

·         second session: Austerity in Britain with John McInally PCS, Bill Greenshields People’s Charter, Duncan Weldon TUC, Sarah Veale TUC, Owen Jones journalist. Chair Megan Dobney

·         third session: How trade unions can fight austerity with Matt Wrack FBU, Joe Simpson POA, Max Hyde NUT, Paul Moffatt CWU, Gail Cartmail Unite, Unison, UK UnCut. Chair Martin Powell-Davies

Flyer, more details and registration: Joanne Adams jadams@tuc.org.uk 020 7467 1218 

SERTUC Disabled Workers Committee with SERTUC Young Members conference “Young Disabled People, employed and empowered?” Saturday 6 April  keynote speaker Paralympian gold medal swimmer Tara Flood

SERTUC unionlearn

The value of apprenticeships unionlearn annual conference Monday 11 March 10am to 2pm http://www.tuc.org.uk/events/detail.cfm?event=3571  register atapprenticeships@tuc.org.uk

Union Reps courses http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/sites/default/files/SERTUC_0.pdf 

TUC

A Future for Families, A Future that Works Pre-Budget Rally for ETUC Day of Action Emmanuel Centre Westminster Wednesday 13 March 6 -7.30pm with John Hannett USDAW, Harriet Harman MP, Billy Hayes CWU, Len McCluskey Unite, Lesley Mercer TUC, Frances O’Grady TUC, Dave Prentis Unison, Mark Serwotka PCS and more… http://afuturethatworks.org/a-future-for-families-pre-budget-rally-in-london/

TUC Public Services Research Network bulletin number 3 February 2013 available from Matt Dykes mdykes@tuc.org.uk  

Action for Rail day of action Wednesday 27 March (the 50th anniversary of the Beeching Report). Stations covered will be circulated shortly – but if trades councils want to take action at stations within their own community please inform Matt Dykesmdykes@tuc.org.uk

International Women’s Day event Thursday 7 March 6pm at Congress House to mark the struggle for Arab women’s rights. Register at http://www.tuc.org.uk/events/detail.cfm?event=3567   

Union information

NUT London march to the Department for Education Wednesday 13 March 5pm Victoria Street http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/17728 

BECTU strike threat leads to settlement with Ambassador Theatre Grouphttp://www.bectu.org.uk/news/1847 

Unison supporting Mary Seacole fundraising night with jazz musician Courtney PineWednesday 10 April tickets from Gail Adams gail.adams@unison.co.uk or online at http://www.seetickets.com/EVENT/courtney-pine-live-/brixton-jamm/697247

PCS supporting Jon Bigger, dismissed by the Home Office. Jon is also the Secretary of SERTUC’s International Committee.  Please write to the Home Office Permanent Secretary, see here: http://pcsglobe.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/victimisation-of-pcs-rep-jon-bigger-write-to-the-home-office-permanent-secretary/  

PCS supporting Kevin Smith, dismissed by the Home Office. Petition here http://www.thepetitionsite.com/686/000/863/reinstate-kevin-smith/

UCU and Unison defending suspended members. Petition here http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-the-witch-hunt-defend-max-jawad-and-steve.html

CWU defending the Royal Mail universal service obligation, Early Day Motion 818 http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/818

Trade Council actions

Kings Lynn trades council “Women for Change” Saturdays 9 March Lindsey German, 20 April Kate Connelly, 18 May Cristel Amis, 8 June Dr Helen Pankhurst, 21 September Dr Feyzi Ismail, 19 October Jo Rust kingslynnanddistricttradescouncil@hotmail.co.uk

Kings Lynn trades council public meeting “Austerity or a People’s Assembly for Democracy?” Thursday 14 March 7.30 with Neil Faulkner Coalition of Resistancekingslynnanddistricttradescouncil@hotmail.co.uk

Greenwich & Bexley trades council International Women’s Day public meeting “How will the changes to the NHS affect women’s health?” Thursday 7 March 7pm with Teresa Pearce MP, Professor Wendy Savage, Ellen Clifford contact Lynne Chamberlainlynne.windeatt@btinternet.com 07884 080 602

Norwich trades council May Day festival celebrating workers’ rights and the Living WageSunday 5 May 11am to 3pm more info s.pearce2@unison.co.uk

Brighton & Hove trades council AGM Wednesday 27 March 7.30pm guest speaker Matt Wrack FBU, brightontradescouncil@googlemail.com

Ealing trades council International Women’s Day event Friday 8 March 7.30pm with Sally Grove Trico Equal Pay Strike, Sarah Boston and her short film “A Woman’s Worth”, music from Vanita Nicholls & the Love contact Eve Turner eveturner@btopenworld.com

St Albans, Welwyn & Hatfield trades council presents Banner Theatre “Fighting the Cuts” in St Albans Friday 8 March 7.30pm . Admission free, bar and refreshments available. Contact Jon Berry nutjon@aol.com  or 07721 040 631 and seehttp://www.bannertheatre.co.uk/current_projects.htm#FoM  

Bromley trades council relaunched; AGM 14 March; contact secretary Steve Leggettthe_legman_69@yahoo.co.uk

Other actions/information

Ken Loach documentary film “Spirit of ’45″ screenings 15 and 16 March details herehttp://www.thespiritof45.com/Screenings 

Million Women Rise 12pm outside Selfridges in London Saturday 9 Marchhttp://www.millionwomenrise.com/

Norfolk Coalition Against the Cuts demonstration “Defend our NHS” in Norman Lamb’s constituency Saturday 9 March 12 noon North Walsham Market Cross http://norfolkcoalitionagainstcuts.org/ 

Campaign for Trade Union Freedom launch 1.30pm Saturday 23 March with Manuel Cortes TSSA, Kevin Courtney NUT, Bob Crow RMT, Keith Ewing TUF, Carolyn Jones IER, Billy Hayes CWU, John Hendy QC, Tosh MacDonald ASLEF, Len McCluskey Unite, Roger McKenzie Unison, Michelle Stanistreet NUJ, Sarah Veale TUC at Friends Meeting House London http://www.tradeunionfreedom.co.uk/ 

East of England Employment Relations Forum summer conference “Fit for Life/Fit for Business” Thursday 6 June Newmarket with Dame Carol Blackburystevents@acas.org.uk

Shrewsbury 24 Campaign petition for full disclosure of all Government documents relating to the 1972 building workers strike and the conspiracy trials at Shrewsburyhttp://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35394

Venezuela Solidarity Campaign national conference Saturday 27 April Londoninfo@venezuelasolidarity.co.uk

Sustainability and Employability, Learning and Skills Improvement Service London Region workshop Thursday 28 March 10.30 to 3.30 “How can we integrate sustainable development in the tertiary sector?” graham.petersen@south-thames.ac.uk 07879 492 339

East London Employment Tribunal User Group Meeting Thursday 4 April 4.30pm London E14 rabia.mohamed2@hmcts.gsi.gov.uk

Abortion Rights public meeting (Abortion Rights 2013: Ireland, the UK and beyond) 12 noon Saturday 16 March followed by annual general meeting, Londonhttp://www.abortionrights.org.uk/index.php/media-and-resource-centre/news/482-abortion-rights-in-2013-ireland-the-uk-and-beyond

London St Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday 17 March there will be a trade union section, assemble 11am Green Park, contact Austin Harney au5tin67@yahoo.co.uk

London Irish Women’s Centre first screening of documentary film of its history Friday 15 March 5pm http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mind-Yourself/339707972770066 020 7354 5248

Northampton Connolly Association produces greetings cards, £7 for 10, Peter Mulliganca-projects@gmx.com 01604 715 793

“The Tailors’ Last Stand” at Barons Court Theatre 19 February to 10 March new review here http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/38241/the-tailors-last-stand 

Photographic exhibition Mariavittoria Scala “Faces and voices of the informal economy”1 to 15 March http://islingtonartsfactory.org/events-n-exhibitions/faces-and-voices-of-the-informal-economy/ 

Campaign for Trade Union Freedom launch rally Saturday 23 March 1.30-4.30pm Friends Meeting House London. With Len McCluskey Unite, Bob Crow RMT, Billy Hayes CWU. http://www.tradeunionfreedom.co.uk/  

Forum for Equalities & Human Rights in Southwark free International Women’s Day event Friday 8 March 2-7pm with Carolyn Simpson SERTUC Women’s Rights Committee http://internationalwomensday.com/slan 

National Pensioners Convention RPI Action Day Monday 8 April http://npcuk.org/1184 

UpRise 2013 festival will be all over Peckham Sunday 29 September note the date! 

Burford Levellers’ Day 2013 one day programme of speakers, presentations, exhibits, workshops (on the theme “Learning the Lessons of History”) and a march around Burford Saturday 18 May more information soon confirmed speakers Dr Nick Mansfield (University of Central Lancs), John Hendy QC, and Professor Mary Davis, chair Megan Dobney SERTUC

Burston Strike School Rally 2013 note the date Sunday 1 September confirmed speaker Mark Serwotka PCS

The origins of International Women’s Day lie over 100 years ago. Socialist women, meeting at a conference in Copenhagen in 1910, called for a special day to celebrate working women which would take place every year to raise awareness about women’s rights and particularly about the case for universal suffrage.

They took their inspiration from the US workers’ movement and especially from the garment workers’ strike in New York in 1909-10. This was known as the ‘Uprising of the 30,000’. Led by a young Jewish woman called Clara Lemlich, the strikers were immigrant women, often teenagers, two thirds Jewish immigrants who spoke Yiddish, and the rest mainly Italians. They battled long and hard through the winter facing arrest, hardship, sexual harassment and violence.

The garment workers were part of a growing wave of strikes in the US and in many parts of Europe. In Britain, the years 1910 to 1914 saw the biggest wave of strikes for decades as workers battled terrible conditions and tried to increase their share of income in a period of growing inequality. In Bermondsey, London, in the summer of 1911, women from jam, pickle and bottle factories formed a flying picket to bring others out on strike.

Women in most countries were denied the right to vote, as were some working class men. They demonstrated and protested in great numbers.

The coming together of these issues formed the basis for IWD. It was marked in 1911 in four countries and then spread. The date became fixed at March 8^th.

As war threatened over Europe, the day became identified with peace campaigning. On or around 8 March 1914, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists.

War came however and with it the rupture in the socialist movement. But carnage at the front plus hardship and privation at home (with women bearing the brunt) fostered anti war opinion, which exploded in 1917. Women in Russia protested and struck for ‘Bread and Peace’ on the last Sunday in February (8 March on the Gregorian calendar). This turned out to be the first day of the Russian February Revolution. Four days later, the Tsar abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.

By the time the women’s liberation movement rose in the late 1960s, the origins of IWD and those who inspired it had been largely forgotten. But the movements of the 60s and 70s began to recover their hidden history and once more it was celebrated through demonstrations and meetings. While women had political equality by then, in the sense that they could vote, they still lacked full legal, financial and social independence.

The demands of women’s liberation tried to address many of those wider aspects of oppression and, while they succeeded in raising awareness, they were not always able to overcome the structures of oppression.

Women have made major advances in the past century, since the first IWD was established. But women’s oppression is still structured into society at work and in the home. Women still have to fight for equal pay, equal work, free childcare, freedom from sexual violence and abuse.

This is why it is so important that women are much more a part of public life, much more likely to live independently, to be in unions and to take part in campaigns than they were 100 years ago. Whenever there are protests  - from the gigantic Portuguese demos to the People’s Assembly – women are likely to be to the fore.  

Terry Conway looks at the crucial role women have to play in the movement against austerity today.

Cuts, privatisation and austerity hit women hardest. We were at the bottom of the pile at the beginning of the crisis as a result of both discrimination in the labour market and because of the role we play in the family; taking the majority of responsibility for caring, cooking and cleaning.  The attacks that have followed, particularly since this Con-Dem government took office, have made the burden on women even greater.

We are the majority of those who have lost jobs as a result of the cuts. In their report on the autumn financial statement, the Women’s Budget Group  (here) pointed out that women’s unemployment was then at 7.7 per cent, the highest level since 1994, with a dramatic increase for women over 50.

We are 65% of workers in the public sector.  Data from the GMB  union shows that women make up two-thirds of those who have lost their jobs in councils and schools since May 2010, and that in 19 English local authorities, women accounted for 100% the jobs that were lost.

More of us have been forced into part time work. There are 1.7 million under-employed women workers, they make up 52% of all under-employed workers. Since 2008, the number of underemployed women workers has risen by 495,000.  

The proportion of female part-time workers who would prefer full-time jobs is also rising. It passed 13% (from a previous peak of 8%) in November 2011 for the first time since the figures were first recorded in 1992.

We also depend more on the services that are disappearing because of cuts – or are being privatised.  From Sure start – where a quarter of the budget has been cut – to home helps, from the bedroom tax to the loss of Disability Living Allowance and  all the attacks on the NHS, women are at the sharp end.  £5.6 has been axed from violence against women services. 

The House of  Commons library estimates that the cumulative impact of all the income tax, tax credit and social security measures, from the June budget of 2010, to the December 2012 Autumn Financial Statement, is that 24 % of the money raised comes from the pockets of men and 74% from the pockets of women.

Some of the changes to benefits and allowances only affect women. Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance will rise by just 1% over the next three years, far lower than living costs. This amounts a loss of £180 in statutory payments for every new mother. 

The government has already abolished the Health in Pregnancy Grant, a
payment to all mothers in the later stages of pregnancy, and restricted the
Sure Start Maternity Grant for low-come parents to first babies or multiple
births. The cumulative loss of benefits and reductions in maternity payments 11
leave women with up to £911.87 less during pregnancy and maternity
leave.

And most of the changes introduced by this reactionary government hit the poorest hardest – and this in itself affects women worst – even where the changes are not consciously directed at us.

Childcare places are also becoming more expensive, both at source and because of the reduction in what can be claimed through working tax credit. At the same time childcare places during school holidays are becoming scarcer as a result of local authority cuts.

And mostly it will be women who are expected to increase our (unpaid) working day if our communities and trade unions cannot beat back those attacks. In other cases women are forced to give up their jobs or to take less secure ones with worse conditions in order to meet caring responsibilities.

Not surprisingly then, women are also at the forefront of resistance in Britain and internationally. Many young women came onto the streets leading the student protests in 2010 and the pensions dispute saw thousands of young women taking strike action for the first time.  

Last December UKUncut organised  highly successful day of action which focused on some of the effects of the cuts on women. Their call-out read:  Join us on Saturday 8th December to transform the tax dodger Starbucks into services women depend on, such as refuges and crèches.

And then there was the determined and courageous fight of Cait Reilly who through her tenacity won a fantastic victory at the Royal Courts of Justice in February against the Condems slave labour schemes after being forced onto a Workfare scheme at Poundland  ( see here for more).  While the government rushed through new legislation Cait’s campaigning gave the lie to the divide and rule nonsense of the government’s campaigning against so called ‘benefit scroungers’.

In the campaigns by disabled people, black people and LGBT people resisting austerity, women are often in the forefront of resistance. 

And this is not just something that is happening here. Sonia Mitralia from Greece explained the terrible effects of austerity in her country here  and calls for solidarity.  The situation has only got worse as a result of the interventions of the Troika and their supine friends in different Greek adminstrations. But in Greece, as in Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy women are a central part of the resistance. 

The struggles that women are involved in leading today include in the brilliant occupation against privatisation at Sussex University through which management plan to outsource 235 jobs, which is 10 per cent of the workforce.  As well as sustaining the occupation itself, campaigners have also used demonstrations and flash mobs to spread their message of resistance.

 Other places where women are playing a leading role include in the crucial fight to defend Lewisham hospital which has become symbolic of the broader battle to save the NHS (here),  in the campaign for better wages  for cleaners which involves many migrant workers (here), against the attacks on home care services in Ireland (here)  and in many other struggles.

 Across Britain a whole number of events are taking place to celebrate International Women’s Day – where we are aware of them, we have listed them in our calendar.  And here Lindsey German reminds us of the history of International Women’s Day.

As well as participating in the events taking place as an ongoing part of women’s struggle, one fitting way to mark this important day is to step up the fight against cuts.