PCS news digest 11 November

You are:

»
News and events »
PCS Comment

11 November 2011

This weekly news digest is a summary of news, campaign articles, media releases and reports from the past week

11 November

US unions win huge victory for workers’ rights – Union-News

A year after governor John Kasich and legislative Republicans were swept into office, Ohio voters delivered them a stinging rebuke, striking down an extensive curtailing of public-union power that Republican leaders had hoped to make a centerpiece accomplishment of 2011.

TUC right to go ahead with strike on 30 November – Morning Star

The “concessions” offered by Danny Alexander to the TUC are certainly no basis for settling the present pensions dispute, says a letter by leading trade unionists in the Morning Star.

10 November

Public sector job cuts deepen the divide – PwC

The recession has his households in Wales and the north east far harder than in southern area of England, says a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Audit confirms Ministry of Defence waste as staff robbed of millions – PCS

Spending on external consultants and contracts in the Ministry of Defence is spiralling out of control, while ministers press ahead with raiding the pay and pensions of their staff, PCS says.

Unions plan huge pensions protest – Cornish Guardian

Hundreds of union members across Cornwall are expected to converge on Truro for a mass rally in protest at Government plans to cut pensions.

Use radio to defend pensions – PCS

PCS members and supporters are being urged to challenge the government over public sector pension cuts by contacting radio phone-in shows.

9 November

Heads to strike on pensions – Daily Mirror

Headteachers angry over public sector pension reform last night voted ¬overwhelmingly in favour of strike action – for the first time in their union’s 114-year history, reported the Daily Mirror.

Jobless will be told: serve the community or lose benefits – Daily Telegraph

A Daily Telegraph article reported that people unemployed for more than two years could be forced to do compulsory community work or have their benefits cuts, David Cameron has announced.

8 November

‘Wales will suffer’ as 65,000 taken off incapacity benefit – Wales online

Wales will be hit harder than any other part of the United Kingdom by reforms to incapacity benefit, according to a study, reported Wales online.

Britain’s youth unemployment crisis laid bare – Morning Star

TUC reveals spiralling joblessness across country

Government reforms could force 600,000 off benefits – The Guardian

The government’s tough new welfare reforms will force over half a million people off incapacity benefit and cause widespread poverty in some of Britain’s most disadvantaged communities, reported the Guardian.

7 November

Union welcomes independent inquiry into border agency – Union-News

PCS welcomed the announcement by the home secretary of an independent inquiry into claimes that the UK border force ceased carrying out some passport checks during the summer.

Pay cut sparks electricians’ protest in Manchester – Red Pepper

Blogger Andy Bowman wrote a piece for Red Pepper on how electricians from across the north west are fighting a co-ordinated attack on their pay and conditions.

‘Cuts could rob our society of everything we hold,’ claims Welsh-born union boss – Wales online

Workers set to take part in Britain’s biggest day of industrial action since 1926 are fighting cuts “that could rob our society of everything we hold dear”, according to one of the strike leaders.

6 November

The millions should control the billions – Financial World

Mark Serwotka argues that banks should be publicly owned

Euro crisis could set UK back by six years – Sunday Telegraph

The eurozone crisis knock Britain’s economy back to the levels of six years ago, according to leading forecasters, reported the Sunday Telegraph.

5 November

Suspension of immigration officials symptomatic of ‘wider malaise’ – PCS

The suspension of the head of the UK border force and other senior immigration officials is the product of the disarray in the agency, said PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka.

Public and Commercial Services Union