No To Cuts Whatever They Are and Wherever They Come from

NO TO CUTS WHATEVER THEY ARE AND WHEREVER THEY COME FROM

 

This Branch Committee notes:

- Labour MP John McDonnell has established that so far only 15 % of the austerity plan imposed by the government under the aegis  of the international financial institutions ( IMF, ECB ) have been enforced  and that consequently the wave of cuts to be announced very soon will be of  unprecedented harshness against working people and their communities.

 

- Recent research published by the Guardian predicts an average of  £ 196 per person in Islington

 

This Branch Committee recognises the gravity of the situation both in Islington and nationally

We reaffirm our policy : no cuts whatever they are, wherever they come from.

We call on the Government to immediately withdraw this plan which aims at making working people and their communities pay for a debt which was not created by them, as our General Secretary reminded us all at the TUC congress

We will call on the Labour Councillors that we elected, to vote no to the cuts.

We will organise a lobby of the Executive on 6th February 2013 and a march and lobby of the budget setting meeting on 28th February 2013.

We will consult members about taking strike action if or when members are made compulsorily redundant

 

The Branch will work alongside the other trade unions in the Borough in preparing these steps.

We call on UNISON’s National Executive Committee to immediately take the steps aimed at  creating the maximum unity of the working class and the trade unions to fight for the withdrawal of all the cuts nationally.

 

We also call on the UNISON NEC and service group execs to step up the campaign against the pay cuts and to stop calling four years without a pay award a “pay freeze”, UNISON should call it what it is in reality a pay cut. The government suggestion of 1% pay increase for next financial year would be well below inflation and is a further pay cut in real terms.

In the spirit of the TUC motion to look at the practicalities of a general strike we call on UNISON to build unity and coordinate strike action with other unions over the continuing cutting of pay.

We also stand against those trying to demonise people on benefits. This will be the third year running that a section of our membership will lose tax credits and this time it will hit some of our very lowest paid members who now face the double whammy of a pay cut and a cut in tax credits.