No to Austerity: Yes to Jobs and Solidarity in Europe

The STUC is supporting the ETUC ‘s day of action. Today sees workers mobilising and standing up against austerity and for a new social compact in Europe. We want to see a real social dialogue, an economic policy that fosters quality jobs, economic solidarity between countries and social justice.

Austerity measures are dragging Europe into economic stagnation and recession. Growth has stopped and unemployment is rising inexorably. Cuts to salaries and social protection are attacking the European social model, worsening inequalities and fostering injustice.

Youth unemployment is one of the most damaging consequences of the obsession with the discredited economics of austerity. More than half of young people in Greece and Spain are without work, more than a third in Italy and Portugal, and 27% in Cyprus.

Currently in Spain more than13 million people (27% of the population) are living below the poverty line and more than 2,200,000 children are growing up in poor households. The extent of this crisis is severe and it is absolutely clear that further austerity measures cannot be pursued in this context without serious and long-term damage to society.

Yet the architects of austerity have no idea and no plan of how to rebuild economic growth – they are simply focused on keeping financial markets happy without regard to the social and economic costs.

This is why trade unions across Europe are taking action today under the banner of the ETUC. Workers are paying a steep price for the crisis and the austerity measures that have been imposed on them while it remains business as usual for corporations and financial institutions across Europe. We need to stop tax fraud and put an end to tax havens and tax competition between countries. Proposals like the financial transaction tax also have an important role to play to help repair the damage of casino capitalism.

To find out more about this action sign up to the ETUC facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CESETUC     

Or follow the campaign on twitter: #14Nov2012

Also sign the ITUC’s pledge against austerity: http://act.equaltimes.org/en/node/144 

Helen Martin
STUC

Recent changes to immigration rules and how they affect families

The Coalition Government recently changed the rules for people wishing to bring their family into Britain. These changes affect migrant workers but they equally affect British nationals who have married people from outside the EEA and are bringing their partner into the UK for this first time, or who are returning from abroad with their family.

The changes are designed to ensure that British nationals do not need to claim benefits to support their family. It is important to realise that this does not represent a policy change and there were always provisions in place to make sure that this was the case. What this rule changes does, however, is severely limit the ability of low paid workers to have a family life as they place an earnings bar on the right to have your family with you in Britain.

The new rules mean that only someone earning more than £18,600 a year can bring their partner into the UK. This rises to £22,400 for a partner and a child, with an additional £2,400 for each further child sponsored. The new rules also mean that only the income of the British citizen (or visa holder) will be considered. This means that you could be married to a billionaire, an oil tycoon, or another low paid worker whose income would bring you over the threshold, but still deemed unable to support your family without recourse to benefits under the new rules.

This rule change is extremely concerning and seems to be an attack on the fundamental Human Right to have a family life for low paid workers.

These changes were recently debated in the House of Lords and this debate gives a useful overview of this issue.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/121023-0002.htm#12102355000231  


Helen Martin
STUC

Stay of execution and promise of a great legal battle for refugees threatened with eviction and absolute destitution

Below is an update from the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees outlining the result of yesterday’s hearings into the forced evictions of asylum seeking families in Glasgow. The STUC has been supporting this campaign and is appalled that our asylum system works in such a way that people are systematically and routinely left destitute on our streets. We are glad that yesterday some progress was made in tackling this issue, although much is still to be done. We are also glad that the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees will be joining the march for a Future that Works on Saturday.


Refugees and campaigners who attended today's first court hearings in Court 14 in Glasgow Sheriff Court brought by the YMCA to evict the remaining refused refugees, witnessed a remarkable event. While a number of undefended cases went through on the nod, 8 of the cases were defended and the case for eviction challenged. The first effect was to extend the cases into December, giving the refugees at least a stay of execution, the longer and more significant outcome could be to develop a group of test cases which will challenge the legality of the use of absolute destitution as an arm of government policy. Some of the cases were defended by an advocate, an unusual enough event in the eviction courtroom, but an indication of how seriously the refugees' lawyers intend to pursue these cases.


As one of the legal firms involved put it, in more measured terms:

"Latta and Co. Solicitors represented several clients who were faced with eviction at Glasgow Sheriff Court today. The cases were successfully continued to consider challenges raised to the lawfulness of the eviction proceedings. Additional challenges were also raised in respect of potential human rights breaches involving destitution issues. These will be considered at an evidential hearing which has been set for December. The clients are allowed to remain in the accommodation until the matters are fully considered."


Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees and numerous other organisations will continue to campaign until our society is rid of this barbarity. Not only out of sympathy with refugees but for ourselves too for what governments can get away with doing to demonised refugees today they can do to the demonised "undeserving poor' tomorrow.

Jock Morris
Chair
GCtWR

Black Workers are suffering because of austerity and will be marching on 20th Oct.

The STUC is having its 16th Annual Black Workers Conference this weekend in Glasgow. Black Workers from a variety of workplaces and sectors across Scotland will be gathering to discuss issues that are important to them in their workplaces and in their daily lives.


The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Our Scotland ....Beyond Colour’ which represents the sort of Scotland we want to create. Too often we hear politicians saying ‘we’re all in this together’ but this phrase rings hollow. We want to see a Scotland were everyone truly is valued, regardless of their race, gender, sexuality or disability and we want to make sure that Black and Ethnic Minority people feel that their contribution to our country is recognised.

As chair of the Black Workers Committee and from work within my own union, I know that Black Workers are suffering in the current climate. Too often we hear stories of Black Workers being the last to receive their shift allocations, and the first to have their hours cut. We also know that racist bullying and harassment is a part of many workers daily lives and that tensions in workplaces often rise as cuts begin to bite.

It’s not right that Black Workers should have to bear the brunt of this crisis. Nor should we allow the Government’s policies of austerity to divide us. All workers Black or White, old or young, public or private sector, need to stand up to this Government’s ideological and damaging economic policy.

That’s why I’m marching on the 20th October, and why I’ll be proud to carry the STUC Black Workers’ banner. It’s our Scotland and we need to fight for it.

Nazerin Wardrop – Chair, STUC Black Workers’ Committee

In Support of Aid

The STUC is supporting Mark Hendrick’s Private Members Bill to legislate for the commitment to spend 0.7% of UK Gross National Income on international development. The second reading of his Bill will take place on Friday 13 July in Westminster.

This Bill is being introduced by a Labour MP despite a pledge in the Coalition Agreement to introduce legislation within the first session of this Parliament. The Coalition now only pledges to legislate by 2015 – which suggests that the pledge is in the process of being dropped, as quietly as the Government can manage.

The Government, however, still maintains that they will reach the 0.7% target in the next financial year, even though this requires increasing the aid budget by a third in a single year.

The STUC is therefore calling on trade unionists and those with an interest in anti-poverty work to back Mark Hendrick’s Private Members Bill which puts this spending commitment on a legislative footing.

We are asking you to contact your MP and encourage them to attend the debate on the 13 July and support the Bill. Contact details for your MP can be found at http://www.theyworkforyou.com by simply putting in your postcode.

In times of economic hardship it is easy to forget our wider responsibilities in the world. But the UK has a duty to support developing nations and a key part of this is the 0.7% spending commitment.

This pledge was in all three major Westminster parties’ manifestos, so it is right that we should hold them to it. But it’s also about making sure that governments in the global south know the level of aid that they can rely on over years to come, which enables them to plan ahead and make the most of the money that we provide.

Helen Martin - STUC

Disabled Workers, the Race to the Bottom

Guest Blog by Bill Scott, Manager, Inclusion Scotland

The proposed closure of Remploy factories quite rightly provoked outrage. Whatever anyone’s opinion might be of supported workplaces it is a fact that 85% of the disabled workers sacked during the last round of Remploy redundancies have yet to find work. That means that the vast majority of the Remploy workforce affected by the current round of closures are being condemned to a lifetime on the dole.

‘But don’t worry’, says the UK Government, ‘the money saved from closing the Remploy plants will be reinvested in Access to Work’. Forget the morality of stealing funding that supports one group of disabled workers to fund another group to keep their jobs and simply ask “Will this work?”.

Access to Work (AtW) funding is only available to disabled people starting or continuing employment. It is of no use to unemployed disabled people wanting to get qualifications or to volunteer. In addition the adaptations that AtW will fund have been severely restricted. What effect has that had on take-up?

There are 668,000 disabled people in Scotland aged between 16 and 64. In 2009/10 AtW supported 2,790 of them to keep or get employment at a cost of £6.4 million. So just 0.4% of Scots disabled people of working age received any AtW support.

The proportion of disabled people being assisted through AtW in Scotland is also way below the UK average. In the UK there were 35,820 disabled people assisted through AtW in 2010/2011. Proportionately that means 3,500 disabled people in Scotland should have been helped meaning AtW take-up in Scotland is about 20% lower than it should be.

The number of new customers being supported by AtW has also fallen dramatically. In the years 2008/9 and 2010/11 between 6,500 and 8,000 “new” disabled people were helped in the first 6 months of each year. But in the first 6 months of 2011/12 the figure for new customers helped had fallen to under 5,000. That’s around a 25% drop year-on-year. Far from AtW supporting more disabled people it’s actually supporting less. Instead of Government platitudes disabled people need real jobs and genuine support to access and keep them.

There has to be a Better Way...

For further information on AtW and its success, or otherwise, in supporting disabled workers in the workplace please access the AtW official statistics  available on the DWP website.

Bill Scott

Manager, Inclusion Scotland

For further information on the work of Inclusion Scotland please vist their website

 

SAVE the Equality and Human Rights Commission

PCS Members at the EHRC were on strike on the morning of Thursday 23rd February to protest about government cuts of 63% to its budget and 72% cut to staffing, compared to 2007 levels. This was followed up by a leafleting exercise on Tuesday13 March to seek further support from members of the public.

In Scotland, a properly resourced EHRC which maintains its core functions is necessary to address the equality agenda, given the very different political, legal and economic landscape. The proposed cuts would threaten high profile work in Scotland – such as the Disability Harassment Inquiry, Human Trafficking Inquiry, guidance to public bodies on their obligations under Equality Law and the EHRC hosting of Independent Living Scotland.

Their Scottish Helpline deals with over 5000 calls per annum from service users who feel they have been discriminated against; the largest proportion from Scots who have been subjected to disability discrimination. The Scottish Helpline also provides a UK wide service, taking tens of thousands of calls more on a UK wide basis. Many more Scots receive specialist advice in writing

The nature of the advice provided by the EHRC is highly technical; there is no other organisation with an equivalent level of experience and knowledge who can fill this gap and provide a similar quality and level of service. The cuts would also jeopardise the ‘transfer of expertise’ services and events ran by the casework team for other organisations advisors and employees, whilst Public Sector Equality Duty enforcement would be less vigorous.

The Commission losing its funding function is already leaving a gap in the finances of well respected organisations such as Govan Law Centre, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Equality Network and Central Scotland Racial Equality Council, to name just a handful. The effects of these cuts will be felt sharply by the most vulnerable sections of Scottish society. In addition the reductions in funding currently being experienced by charities and other 3rd sector organisations will create an equality and human rights advice desert in Scotland.

The STUC would urge all trade union members and the wider general public to show your support now by signing the No 10 petition to save the EHRC  to protect not only a valuable public service but also our human rights that are under constant attack by the coalition Government.

Ian Tasker
STUC

Songs for Social Justice: Gil Scott-Heron - A Message to the Messengers

Speaking ahead of the Songs for Social Justice Festival on Thursday, SweetS (Northern Xposure) said, “Music has always been at the heart of many civil rights movements and revolutions, and it also acts as a vehicle for different cultures and faiths to have some common ground. It is something that reaches so far into our very being and existence that it resonates with each and every one of us on a profound level, indeed even before we can say our A, B, C, D we find it is easier to communicate with a harmony or a bit of melody.  Therefore it is NRNXPO's mission to promote music for social justice in all form's and across all genre's.”

Rap and Hip Hop started out in the 1970’s as a way of communicating a social and political message while having a good time.

Gil Scott-Heron is often credited with being the Godfather of Rap, he was rapping to music by 1970, some time before Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa created Hip Hop as a means of bringing communities together, offering young people a route out of gangs and encouraging social harmony.

Gil Scott-Herons’ lyrics focussed on the social and political issues of the time. His music still resonates today and he can still find a new fan-base amongst young people. His 2010 album I’m New Here, was remixed by Jamie Smith of The XX and released in 2011 as We’re New Here.

It is difficult to choose just the one track from Scott-Heron’s extensive, educational and inspiring output, obvious choices would be The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, The Bottle or Johannesburg. However, today’s choice comes from his 1994 album Spirits. A Message to the Messengers calls on rappers, musicians and young people to remember their history and heritage and use this knowledge and understanding to promote positive social change.

Gil Scott-Heron - A Message to the Messengers

Songs for Social Justice Dance Night featuring guest DJ Jerry Dammers -

o      Thursday 26^th January

o      STUC Centre, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow

o      6.45pm – midnight

o      Tickets £8/£4 - Available direct from the STUC - 0141 337 8100

Songs for Social Justice: SOPA / PIPA Blackout Day Protest Songs

This blog was written by John Powles at the Alistair Hulett Memorial Trust. STUC Unions Into Schools and the Alistair Hulett Memorial Trust have worked in partnership on the Songs for Social Justice Festival. We would like to thank John for writing this blog.

On Wednesday 18th January 2012 many internet sites intentionally blacked out for the day in protest against the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) legislation now being advanced in the USA. The day of protest has been judged a success by some of the major organisations involved. Wikipedia stated "More than 162 million people saw our message asking if you could imagine a world without free knowledge. You said no. You shut down Congress's switchboards. You melted their servers. From all around the world your messages dominated social media and the news. Millions of people have spoken in defence of a free and open internet." Meanwhile Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg urged people to protest saying "Tell your congressmen you want them to be pro-internet. We can't let poorly thought out laws get in the way of the internet's development. Facebook opposes Sopa and Pipa, and we will continue to oppose any laws that will hurt the internet."

Of course the internet with sites like YouTube, Facebook and the rest is a powerful tool for distributing activism against social injustice, including using songs as a vehicle for protests. Needless to say the SOPA / PIPA protests have led to the creating and posting of songs. The following examples demonstrate just how easy it can be to make protesting voices heard – no expensive equipment is required, no record industry moguls have to be grovelled to, no media pawns of government have to be persuaded – just do it and post it.

The first sample uses the age old method for creating a song of social justice – the adoption and adaption of an existing well known tune and lyric – in this case Don Maclean’s American Pie. Created by LaughPong, The Day The LOLcats Died - #SOPA #PIPA Protest Song [http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/17/the-day-the-lolcats-died/] includes some pertinent lyrics:

”Why, why are laws a thing you can buy? / They got paid off, should be laid off, re-election denied / Our web means more than lawyers, lobbies and lies / So speak up before the internet dies / Speak up before the internet dies”.

LaughPong - The Day The LOLcats Died

Finally in this brief selection Stop the SOPA Song is just a guy in his room with an acoustic guitar and some very clever lyrics:

Songs for Social Justice Dance Night featuring guest DJ Jerry Dammers -

o      Thursday 26^th January

o      STUC Centre, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow

o      6.45pm – midnight

o      Tickets £8/£4 - Available direct from the STUC - 0141 337 8100

Songs for Social Justice: The Projects – Anne is a Socialist

There are regular articles in the press which claim that there is no political music around that reflect the times in which we find ourselves. This just doesn’t play out, though it is obvious that there is a void of political song making the charts these days, the charts themselves are not the focal point they once were. Ways of promoting, accessing and distributing new music has changed dramatically in recent years. The internet has been the key factor in this stage in the evolution of music distribution and access.

The internet and social media has also played a role in the uprisings across the Middle East, in the anti-capitalist protest movements which are now galvanizing young people across the globe and in the democratisation of news dissemination. Activists around the world are blogging and organising from the comfort of their own armchair, they are also taking to the streets armed with a camera, a mobile phone and a laptop and then distributing their own first hand accounts of what they deem to be headline news to a global audience.

The video for ‘Anne is a Socialist’ captures footage of protests which we may recognise from our TVs and from citizen journalist postings on the internet, the footage is edited to provide an unflinching visual account of the song’s lyrics and music. The Project’s singer tells Anne’s story via a webcam. Combined, the audio-visuals act as a strong proponent of the protest movements and provide an angry portrayal of the power that the protestors are struggling against.

This contemporary political song is absolutely a reflection of the times; it is a song very much for this moment.

Sadly, Graeme Wilson the singer, lyricist and driving force behind The Projects passed away in December 2011. Ricky Maymi, guitarist with The Projects said “I think this [the Songs for Social Justice festival] is a great thing for his song to be a part of! I'm honoured to be a part of it!”


The Projects – Anne is a Socialist

Songs for Social Justice Dance Night featuring guest DJ Jerry Dammers -

o      Thursday 26^th January

o      STUC Centre, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow

o      6.45pm – midnight

o      Tickets £8/£4 - Available direct from the STUC - 0141 337 8100

Songs for Social Justice: Rev Hammer - Freeborn John: The Story of John Lilburne – The Leader of The Levellers

The Songs for Social Justice blogs have so far looked at individual songs on the subject of social justice, often stating that the bands have a canon of fitting material but offering a reason as to why that particular song has been chosen. Occasionally a great album is released with a common theme of social justice, but seldom does an artist release a biographical album about a historical figure.  In 1997, Rev Hammer released such an album.

The story is set during the English Civil War, with a particular focus on one of the main characters of that period – John Lilburne, the leader of The Levellers. John Lilburne struggled against tyranny in the pursuit of equality, fairness and the freedom of speech. The album is a biography set to music and lyrics and is based on Pauline Gregg’s biographical book ‘Freeborn John’. 

Rev Hammer worked with a number of artists on this album, with many taking on particular roles. Eddi Reader, The Levellers, Justin Sullivan and Maddy Prior all make appearances.

Rev Hammer - Freeborn John: The Story of John Lilburne – The Leader of The Levellers

The full album can be listened to here:

• http://www.youtube.com/user/levellinglilburne/videos

Songs for Social Justice Dance Night featuring guest DJ Jerry Dammers -

o      Thursday 26^th January

o      STUC Centre, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow

o      6.45pm – midnight

o      Tickets £8/£4 - Available direct from the STUC - 0141 337 8100

Songs for Social Justice: Michael Franti & Spearhead – I Know I’m Not Alone

Michael Franti is best known as a political activist and musician. His song ‘Television: The Drug of the Nation’, was widely hailed as a groundbreaking mix of political rap/rock. He originally recorded it in 1988 with his first group The Beatnigs and then re-recorded it with his next band The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. U2 brought the song to prominence by using it as the intro on their Zoo TV tour. In 1994 he formed a new band - Spearhead which had more of a soul and funk influence, while remaining political.

In 2004 Michael Franti decided to visit the Middle East to see with his own eyes, the human cost of war. He undertook the trip with a group of friends, a camera and his acoustic guitar. On returning to the USA he edited the footage into a film and encouraged fans to organise screenings in cinemas, in community halls and in their homes.

‘I Know I’m Not Alone’ is that award winning documentary, the filmmaking process resulted in the album ‘Yell Fire!’ which was also the soundtrack to the film. The title of the film is also the name of one of the tracks on the album.

Michael Franti & Spearhead – I Know I’m Not Alone (Song)

I Know I’m Not Alone (Full length film)

 

I Know I’m Not Alone (website, with lyrics and background info):

• http://www.iknowimnotalone.com

Songs for Social Justice Dance Night featuring guest DJ Jerry Dammers -

o      Thursday 26^th January

o      STUC Centre, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow

o      6.45pm – midnight

o      Tickets £8/£4 - Available direct from the STUC - 0141 337 8100