Intouch Sept 2013
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Issue 25 AutumnAutumn TheThe Newsletter Newsletter for for all all UNISON UNISON Stewards Stewards and and Activists Activists in in the the North North West West Region Region intouch20072013 JOIN US in Manchester on Sunday 29 September! March & rally rally to defend outside the Conservative our NHS Party Conference Join us on 29 ensuring a massive turn- the city centre the march September to tell the out on the 29th. will pass two sides of Conservative Party The protest will the conference centre SUnDAY 29 Conference we won’t highlight the impact giving people plenty of SePteMBer let them destroy our of huge job losses and opportunity to raise the National Health Service. spending cuts across volume of our protest! Assemble 11am the health service, as The march will end in a at Liverpool Road, Supporters of the NHS well as the rapid sell- rally at Whitworth Park, Manchester City Centre. and all those who want off of the most lucrative starting around 2pm. to defend jobs, services parts of the NHS to Further details are and a decent welfare private healthcare available on the union’s state will be marching companies – many of national website in Manchester to deliver whom, like Circle, are www.unison.org. a clear message to also Conservative Party uk. If you use Twitter the Conservative Party donors. and Facebook join in Conference that we The event will also raise the discussion using mean to Save Our concerns about the wider #NHS999 NHS from cuts and effect that government privatisation. economic policies are GettinG there The Tory Party meets having upon communities in Manchester on Sunday across the UK. Liverpool Road (M3 4FP) is September 29th and the The rally will form off Deansgate. Look up in TUC has organised a up at Liverpool Road the sky and walk towards national demonstration. in the city centre from Manchester’s tallest building – the Beetham Tower – We in the North West 11am and march off at Liverpool Road is opposite its need to take the lead in 12.30pm. Going around entrance. The nearest station is Deansgate. The nearest Metrolink is Deansgate/ inside Castlefield. NHS at 65 The UKIP threat Pride in Public Services Shrewsbury 24 Fighting for the Page 2 Page 6 Page 7 future of the NHS September 29th Young Members Future Directions Pages 4-5 Page 3 Page 7 Page 8 2 intouch autumn 2013 UKiP a disaster in waiting Electricity North West members sign up to for Public Service workers three-year pay deal “I used to vote UKIP but I don’t right through our public services”. now - I read their policies” He echoed his UKIP colleague Electricity North West members have Members might be forgiven for Godfrey Bloom who said, “I hope accepted a three-year pay deal effective thinking that a new party like UKIP hundreds, thousands of jobs will from 1 August 2013. The deal gives an should be given a chance or that be lost... you will never understand increase of 2.75% from 1 August 2013, a voting for them will send some sort UKIP until you understand this point. further 2.65% increase from August 2014 of message to mainstream parties. Public spending takes money out of and 2.1% from 2015. However, a mere glance at their the economy, it doesn’t put it in”. In addition, standby rates will be policies should make any UNISON Whilst Paul Nuttall, Deputy increased to £35 (Monday-Friday), £40 member think twice. Leader of UKIP and North West (Saturday and Sunday) and £250 on Nigel Farage has said he favours MEP said of Labour and Tory Christmas Day. The Meal Interference abolishing regulation for Britain’s claims to protect NHS spending, allowance will increase to £5. small businesses, denying many “Well funding will have to be The offer applies to ENWL and millions of workers maternity reduced in the future. We know Construction and Maintenance Services rights, health and safety protection that. In the end, we will have to Ltd (COMA) and is expected to be paid in and employment rights. He wants look at a different way of funding October salaries. a referendum - not to empower healthcare in the 21st Century”. workers but instead to empower He also spoke of streamlining and their bosses. failed to deny he supports major health – more than He has condemned the “soft” reorganisation. approach of the Tories on public Of course, none of this covers ‘just’ the NHS spending: “The Chancellor is not the point that cuts on this scale cutting, we are borrowing £12 would ruin any chance of balanced As vital as the NHS is it is important to billion a month more than we are growth in our economy and would remember that ‘health’ is much wider than earning. We are not cutting we are increase the deficit through higher that. It is as dependent on the availability increasing our national debt by unemployment. of decent housing and clean water and nearly 10% per annum”. Meanwhile UKIP would go on controls on food outlets to avoid Interviewed on the morning BBC much further than the Tories on food poisoning as it is on availability of News earlier this year he promised Employment Rights, ripping the treatment for the diseases when that fails. to abolish inheritance tax, and heart out of Tribunals. They also Historically the great reductions in reduce taxes generally, and also prefer very short employment mortality were first brought about by Public claimed he would introduce real contracts. Health actions – for instance, outlawing cuts to get the deficit down. When It is vital our members hear the hideous overcrowding in housing and pressed, he came up with less truth about UKIP. It is not wrong to providing proper access to safe drinking than a quarter of the cash by question the EU, and many of our water. cutting overseas aid (£11billion) members will be sceptical. Yet in And that is yet another reason that those and cutting the £20 billion we their worst nightmares, they would of us from the NHS, will also remember contribute to the EU. Leave aside not support the kind of policies a to fight for our colleagues in Local that much of this is spent back in UKIP-led Britain would impose on us. Government, and against cuts in council the UK, but even if every penny of UNISON Activists who want and social housing provision, environmental it was money to spend, this saves a more detailed explanation of health, street cleaning and all the rest. not enough to reduce the deficit by UKIP should look at http://www. That’s why we continue to campaign in a quarter. ier.org.uk/blog/ukip-workplace. support of those colleagues in the long- So how will he save the rest? This features a blog, “UKIP in privatised water and fuel industries. “We need some serious cuts in the the workplace” by Narmada Frances Kelly – health worker (who has Quangos and some serious cuts Thiranagama, UNISON National worked in the NHS for 37 years!) in this massive growth of middle Officer on the Institute of management that has grown up Employment Rights website. 3 September 29th – Why we must all be there TELL THE CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE The TUC demo on 29th September affects us all. All branches need to mobilise members to attend. After all it was a major decision of this year’s National Delegate Conference to have a SAVE OUR march at all. UNISON is leading on saving the NHS. It’s being starved of funds, sliced up and flogged off to private firms. The right wing hate it – they want to see an American style health service where you have to take out insurance. We simply can’t afford to let them get away with it. And if we can’t unite to support the NHS what can we unite around? Other unions and groups will be there protesting about austerity, fracking, attacks on education and much else. The important thing is NHSDEFEND JOBS AND SERVICES we make sure there is a massive turn out. A poorly attended march will only encourage the Tories to go further faster. NO TO AUSTERITY NO TO THE BRITAIN STOP EDUCATION NEEDS A SAVE OUR BEDROOM NOT FOR ROYAL TAX THE September 29th - What you can do LIVING PAY RISE SALE A FUTURE MAIL ACTION CUTS WAGE THAT GUARANTEEJOBS FOR • Make sure you’ve got a supply of the HQ leaflets NOW WORKS FOR THE YOUNG RAIL • Organise a morning handing them out at your major workplaces * • The demo is on a Sunday. Check it’s possible to get to Manchester by public transport and publicise the times. • Think of hiring coaches to get to the march MANCHESTER • Use Twitter and Facebook to tell your members MARCH & RALLY (and the world!) about it SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2013 • Put it on your branch website • E-mail your branch activists Assemble Liverpool Road Manchester M3 4FP from 11am Find out more at NHS299.org • Make sure you bring your branch banner Follow us at #NHS299 *Rally in Whitworth Park • Come and have a great time on Sunday 29th! Are you under 27? If the answer is yes then you are classed as a young member. UNISON wants young members to play a full part in union activities. At the same time we know for many young people it can be difficult getting time off work for union activity, being taken seriously, or speaking out with confidence in a room full of older people who can give the impression they know it all.