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News &
Reports
Please
email news about and reports of your Anti-Cuts demonstrations,
lobbies, meetings and activity to
info@shopstewards.net
for
inclusion on our website.
Lansley's Health Bill is a threat to a public,
free NHS: An open letter from a health activist
June 28
I am involved in the campaign against Tory Minister Andrew Lansley’s
Health and Social Care Bill, specifically in relation to the removal
of the Secretary of State for Health's legal 'duty to provide' a
comprehensive health service. Our objective is to stop the bill...read
more
June 28
As teaching and civil service unions prepare to strike to protect
their pensions, an anti-cuts campaigner has produced a comprehensive
list of jobs and services that have been lost in Nuneaton and north
Warwickshire as part of the government’s cutbacks...read
more
2 June
A healthcare worker in Bristol writes, Southern Cross Healthcare is on
the brink of collapse. This company provides residential care to
31,000 people and has 44,000 employees....read
more
1 June
Topshop in Cardiff city centre was occupied on Saturday 28 May. This
was in protest at cuts to the NHS taking place while billionaire
business people like Topshop's owner Sir Phillip Green avoid paying
tax...read
more
26 May
The mood to fight the cuts, which brought over half a million onto the
streets on 26 March, has been boiling up. Thousands of trade unionists
have voted to support strike action against the cuts...read
more
Southampton City Council Workers Strike
24 May
"No ifs, no buts, you can stick your Tory cuts", "Cut my pay, no way"
were the angry chants of Southampton refuse workers out on strike
against savage cuts to pay. It is clear that there is overwhelming
support for the strike action...read
more
New report 'shatters the governments case' for
pension cuts
23 May
A House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts report "The impact of
the 2007-2008 changes to public service pensions" confirms what unions
have been saying - that there is no need for public sector workers to
be paying in more for their pensions...read
more
NUT votes for strike action over pensions
23 April
NUT
conference voted almost unanimously (with only two abstentions!) to
start a strike ballot against the ConDems’ attacks on their pensions.
The strike day is likely to be on June 30th – already
pencilled in by other public sector unions...read
more
Enthusiastic support for call centres strike
18 April
Hundreds of
call centre workers supported the strike by PCS (civil service union)
in the Department of Work and Pensions today over inhuman working
conditions and a bad service to benefit claimants...read
more
Wales SSN sets up an anti-cuts committee
17 April
A meeting
of trade unionists and campaigners fighting the cuts has agreed to set
up a Wales Anti Cuts Committee to coordinate the fight back of trade
union branches and anti-cuts campaigns across Wales. So that we can
maximise the impact we can make together to oppose all cuts...read
more
Locked-out construction workers take the fight
to BP
15 April Locked-out BP Saltend workers took their
fight straight to the company's fat cats at BP's AGM in London
Docklands' Excell Centre yesterday. Shareholders big and small had to
face workers from GMB and Unite from the Hull site, although behind a
line of hired bouncers...read
more
The NUJ conference taking place in
Southport has voted for the TUC to be called on to organise a 24-hour
general strike against the government's cuts onslaught...read
more
Widespread anguish as housing cuts start to bite
There will be widespread anguish as Tory/Lib Dem changes to Housing
Benefit come into force tomorrow (Friday, April 1st 2011). Hundreds
of thousands of families will find their future entitlement to help
with housing costs in privately rented property sharply reduced...read
more
An open letter to the TUC
The TUC demonstration on Saturday March 26th was a massive success. We
congratulate the General Council in implementing conference policy so
successfully - "Congress resolves that all TUC affiliates will
urgently work together to build a broad solidarity alliance of unions
and communities under threat and organise a national demonstration,
lobby of Parliament and national days of protest against the
government austerity measures...read
more
After the TUC march - where now for the
battle against cuts?
Last October on the
day before Osborne announced the ConDems' cuts package, Brendan Barber
was asked by Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight why British workers didn't
fight like their counterparts in France? Paxman pointed to the
TUC rally that day of 3,000 while French workers were on strike.
Saturday's massive demo should finally dispel this myth...read
more
The National Shop Stewards Network on the 26th
March TUC Demonstration
Hundreds of NSSN supporters worked to promote the Network on the TUC
March 26th demonstration against the cuts. Some 40,000 high quality
postcards were distributed explaining the NSSN's main demand that,
following the success of the huge march, the TUC should step up the
pressure on the Government by bringing together public sector and
private sector workers in a 24-hour general strike to stop cuts and
defend pensions...read
more
On the 21st
anniversary of the mighty Anti-Poll-Tax demonstration, over 500,000
workers and their families filled the streets of London in the largest
Trade Union demonstration in British history...read
more
The TUC-organised demonstration
against cuts on the 26th March looks set to be the biggest display of
anger and and opposition to the cuts since this shambles of a
coalition government came to power last year. National Shop Stewards
Network supporters up and down the country were involved in the
campaign to get the TUC to call the demonstration and have been
helping to build for the big day, which is now finally here...read
more
Fight the Cuts in Nuneaton
Nuneaton against the
Cuts had its first public meeting on Thursday 3rd March at Hatters
Space community centre. It was a lively and interesting meeting, with
more than 25 attendees, all showing their support...read
more
Thousands protest against Lib-Dems in Sheffield
About 500 people
protested on Friday evening (11 March) and ten times that number on
Saturday’s demonstration (12 March) in Sheffield against the Lib Dem
spring conference. Lots of young people, many who had voted Lib Dem,
raged against Nick Clegg’s broken promises...read
more
Cardiff march and rally against the cuts
Thousands of workers, students and anti-cuts campaigners marched
through the centre of Cardiff on Saturday 5 March to send a message to
the visiting Con Dems - we don’t accept your cuts...read
more
Labour councillors conference lobbied
by hundreds of angry trade unionists
“I’ve never been handed a
petition quite like this before!” These were the words of David
Sparks as he received a 1000 name petition, on the steps of
Transport House outside a conference of Labour council leaders.
The petition, only
recently initiated by the NSSN Anti-Cuts Campaign but
enthusiastically taken up in local campaigns and workplaces across
the country...read
more
Brighton Stop the Cuts Coalition
Election Pledge
The biggest cut to any
government department is 27% to local council funding. The
responsibility for implementing Westminster’s austerity package is
being passed on to local government. In Brighton and Hove this will
mean an overall cut of £28 million according to the budget strategy,
which will be voted on in March 2011 by the full council...read
more
Dundee youth mobilise against the cuts
On
Monday 28 February young people marched from local schools and
colleges to Dundee City Chambers to protest against education cuts as
the councils education committee met. They joined trade unionists,
parents opposing the closure of a local nursery and students from
Dundee University in the city square...read
more
An Open letter to Brent’s Labour Councillors
Anti-cuts campaigners from the local trades unions, service unions and
residents are lobbying the Council budget-making meeting on Monday 28th
February. We are urging you to refuse to pass on the ConDem
government’s cuts...read
more
A way to fight the cuts
Labour Councils up and
down the country are all voting for cuts. Labour councillors claim
they have no alternative, that to not do the ConDem dirty work would
be illegal. Here we outline why it’s not illegal and offer...read
more
Haringey Civic Centre occupied by anti-cuts
protestors
Haringey Civic Centre
was occupied on Thursday 24th February by hundreds of anti-cuts
protestors for 2 hours. The angry residents were calling on the
Council to refuse to implement savage cuts to vital public services...read
more
NSSN Bulletin No. 32
As more and
more councils set cuts budgets, the anger and frustration of workers
and the local community is also rising. Good to hear Surrey County
Councils decision to axe mobile library service is now on hold after
campaigning...read
more
Lambeth Council Chamber Occupied
A little bit of
Wisconsin came to Brixton last night as over 100 protestors invaded
Lambeth Council's budget meeting after a lobby of about 300 local
people. The visitor gallery was full and looked down on a meeting not
of the Labour-majority councillors debating where to let the axe fall
but anti-cuts campaigners holding an impromptu meeting on how to
defeat the cuts...read
more
Hackney Councillors sign statement against the
cuts
The Con-Dem
Coalition is attacking the fabric of a civilised society: NHS jobs and
services are being cut and wholesale privatisation is planned. 3,500
young people in Hackney will lose Educational Maintenance Allowance
and student fees are tripling. Access to legal aid is being choked
off...read
more
NSSN Bulletin No. 31
As part
of our new anti-cuts campaign we will help to expose the shocking cuts
that are being proposed by this ConDem millionaire’s government,
already 150,000 job losses have been announced across 260 councils.
Whole services are being destroyed, but it’s even more important to
discuss and present an alternative strategy to defeat the cuts...read
more
Stand up to the ConDem Axemen
This millionaires’ government has
taken a massive axe to our jobs, pay, conditions and local services.
Central government funding to local councils is being slashed by 27%
over four years. Already more than 150,000 job losses have been
announced across 260 councils...read
more
Trade unionists, community
campaigners, students and socialists marched into the centre of
Southampton on 5 February to protest at government, council and
business attacks on jobs, pay and services in the city. Organised by
Southampton Shop Stewards Network...read
more
Open letter to all anti-cuts campaigners
The ConDem cuts are beginning to bite with councils
starting to announce thousands of redundancies. However, the
magnificent movement of the students has shown that the cuts can be
confronted both locally and nationally...read
more
The National Shop Stewards
Network (NSSN) anti-cuts campaign is well and truly launched. The
committee that was elected at the NSSN anti-cuts conference in January
met on 2 February. The first meeting reviewed the conference and the
challenges ahead for the anti-cuts movement and discussed some
initiatives...read
more
NSSN Anti-Cuts Committee launched
At its special
conference held in London on January 22nd the NSSN launched
its Anti-Cuts Campaign. In a very lively and democratic debate amongst
almost 600 delegates and visitors it was agreed that NSSN was in a
favourable position to make a vital contribution to the fight-back
against all the devastating cuts facing millions of people...read
more
Reply to SWP website “Statement on the crisis in
NSSN”
At the NSSN anti-cuts
conference on 22nd January 2011 nearly 600 people - mostly
workers with elected positions in trade union branches, trades
councils, workplaces and anti-cuts alliances – came together and
agreed to launch a national anti-cuts campaign...read
more
After 20 years of
slashing jobs, privatising, and cutting services, espoused by
Liverpool's ruling parties New Labour and Liberal Democrats, wedded to
the same free market policies, the local authority workforce is now
faced with a catastrophe. 1,500 will lose their jobs and many will
join an already high number of families without a wage earner...read
more
Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT)
council in South Wales has told its 10,000 strong workforce to sign
new contracts - which constitute a massive pay cut - or lose their
jobs. Unison and the GMB
have told members not to sign, but they are offering no way forward...read
more
Over the last few
weeks Leeds local government branch activists have been engaged in a
lively discussion and debate so we can decide how best we can take our
members forward in the fight to defend jobs and services from the
impending axe...read
more
Around 350 people
marched through Birmingham city centre on 29 January as the
Communication Workers Union's 'Keep the Post Public' campaign
continued its journey around the country. Although the turnout
was lower than expected considering the city's size and location, it must be
remembered that large demonstrations against the cuts were taking
place elsewhere, not to mention the student protests in Manchester and
London...read
more
Anti-Cuts Conference Success
I want to thank everyone who attended and helped organise yesterday's
excellent NSSN Anti-Cuts Conference in Camden. Well over 500 shop
stewards/workplace reps, community campaigners and students debated
whether the NSSN should launch an anti-cuts campaign...read
more
North West SSN lobbies Manchester City Council
Shop
Stewards Network supporters working and living in Manchester lobbied
outside the Manchester city council meeting on Wednesday 8th
December, with a great response from council workers and passers-by. We called
the lobby to signal to both councillors and the public that we do not
accept the cuts agenda – not from the Con-Dems and not from Labour
councillors either...read
more
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