Following on from George Osborne's horrid Comprehensive Spending Review today – which will see Salford Council get cuts of 10%, public sector workers lose automatic annual pay increases (= pay cut) and caps on welfare spending – tomorrow (Thursday) will see a day of action centred around Manchester…
LOBBY LORD FREUD
THURSDAY from 9am: Manchester Central (formerly known as GMEX)
Following on from Tuesday's Lobby The Landlords demo, tomorrow the Government's Welfare Adviser, Lord Freud, visits Housing 2013 – the main conference of the social housing industry.
Freud, seen as the man behind the Bedroom Tax, actually lives in an eight-bedroom country mansion, and owns a £1.9m property in London as well. There's a few Salford people who want to have a word with him as he explains his horrid theories and practice to social housing companies like Salix and Contour.
TEACHERS STRIKE RALLY AND MARCH
THURSDAY meet from 10am at Cathedral Gardens (back of Manchester Cathedral) and march to a rally in Piccadilly Gardens (11am-12).
The majority of state schools in Salford will be shut as teachers head into Manchester for a march and rally to defend their pay and conditions of work.
Judith Elderkin, of Salford NUT, told the Salford Star…
"The NASUWT and the NUT met with Michael Gove on June 17th, to try to resolve the unions disputes on pay, pensions and conditions of service. Over the last year he has made no serious effort to hold discussions with the unions or stop his escalating attacks on teachers or schools.
"That meeting was a final opportunity for him to avoid the strike action on June 27th. He failed to acknowledge the extent of teachers' dissatisfaction and crumbling morale, let alone offer to withdraw any of his attacks or offer any other solution to our dispute. Instead he told the unions that teaching was the third happiest profession in the country!
"Our strike action for June 27th goes ahead. NASUWT and NUT members in the north west will join the strike and show Michael Gove that he has to change his stance. We are asking that he suspends the implementation of the changes proposed to the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document and publishes the valuation of the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
"Without effective strike action, Gove's proposals will go ahead next September. New Pay and Appraisal policies will remove fixed pay scales and pay portability and impose tougher pay progression, linked to agressive performance management. The outcome of these changes will pit school against school, authority against authority, unless Salford adopts a supportive pay policy for its schools, which will encourage recruitment and retention of teachers to the city.
"It is important to note that taking action in 2011 won concessions which improved the Government's offer on pensions. We are now taking action again to protect our conditions of service. We are sending a clear message to Government that we do not accept its attacks.
"In September and October other parts of the country will take part in strike action as our campaign increases. As the NASUWT and the NUT represent over 80% of classroom teachers in state funded schools, it is expected that many schools will be fully close or partially closed on Thursday."
For a list of Salford school closures – click here
CIVIL SERVANTS ANTI CUTS RALLY
THURSDAY 1pm outside Civil Justice Centre, Bridge Street Square
The main Manchester court will see yet another rally, backed by the PCS against attacks on civil servants' pay and conditions – for background to the days of action and strikes see previous Salford Star feature – click here
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