Tory councils cut services as demand surges

More and more working people are having to use more and more public services as the capitalist economy crumbles. Unemployment is in the millions, underemployment too.

Unlike the bankers and big businessmen, we can’t afford to hire financial advisers and accountants to help us deal with our problems, and if we lose the roof over our heads, we’re out on the street or a friend’s sofa – we can’t swan off to our second, third, or fourth home…

We need advice on housing and benefits, provided by local councils.

Unlike the bankers and big businessmen, we don’t have yachts or our own island to retreat to when we want to relax.

We might take a walk in the park, lend some books from the library, or visit the leisure centre to use the gym or have a swim in the pool – all provided by local councils.

Across England, Tory councils are preparing to slash spending, just when working people need help the most. Instead of boosting employment, Tory councils are ready to add to the dole queues. (But this won’t mean cuts in taxes – in fact, they’ll have to go up to help bailout bankers!)

Rather than expell these wreckers for the chaos they are planning, the Tory leadership in parliament is watching these councils and using their examples to draw up spending cuts top implement if they form the next government.

Yesterday the shadow chancellor, George Osbourne, claimed the Tories were a “progressive” party. Lord Mandelson responded by claiming this was laughable. Truly, this was two bald men fighting over a comb…

Stimulus-pocus

The recession is deeper than we thought, the central bankers say.

No shit? Gee, these guys are at the cutting edge. I wonder how they found out – perhaps they saw the unemployment lines…

Their solution is simple – keep interest rates at a record low and erm, print more money.

How much, you ask?

Oh, say another fifty billion pounds…

Quantitative easing. It sounds clever, but that doesn’t butter parsnips.

Why do I get the feeling that the only thing QE is stimulating is the profits of the banks?

Okay, so the bailed-out banks have reported losses – but things are going great for the remaining banks (their investment arms at least!)

As for the real-world stimulus mesures, like the car scrapage scheme and the reduction of value-added tax, these will not be extended.

Why do I get the feeling quantitative easing will be given another go?

Brave Vestas workers are sacked – but the fight goes on

For over a week now Vestas workers on the Isle of Wight have occupied their employer’s offices in an effort to stop the factory closing and their jobs being shipped overseas.

A workforce that wasn’t unionised, that had no experience of such a campaign, have shown how workers in England can struggle and gain support nationally (from many trade unions and environmental activist groups) and internationally (South Korean workers in the same situation have sent solidarity greetings).

These workers have now been sacked.

We need to show the government and Vestas how much this annoys us.

Our brothers and sisters in Scotland had 20,000 people marching in Kilmarnock last Sunday to protest job losses at profitable Diageo’s Johnnie Walker plants.

We can do the same for the Vestas workers!

Socialist Worker reports:

The workers have released a statement, which was read out at the protest outside the plant this evening. They said, “We all received letters to tell us that we had been sacked with no redundancy money. This has not deterred us in any way. We are now fighting for everyone else. Come to the court tomorrow. Bring your friends and family, and spread the word.”

Steve, one of the occupation’s stewards, read management’s letter to the rally. It stated that the workers had been sacked for “gross misconduct” as a result of their industrial action.

Steve said, “We will fight this all the way. We will not rest until the workers get what is rightfully theirs. They have fought for all of us. We will show the world that they are heroes.

“We have one message for the Vestas management: ‘We are here to stay.’ Please come to the court tomorrow. We will be putting on a show of strength there to show that workers in the Isle of Wight will not roll over.”

Darling begs the banksters, yet again

Bad news for Alistair Darling.

No, not that his cat’s just died, which is sad enough.

But that the banks don’t listen to his pleas to lend.

For months now he’s begged them to do something to help the small and medium enterprises, which are the back-bone of the private sector, get affordable credit.

But no, despite having nationalised much of the banking sector, the banksters aren’t listening. They’re profiteering.

To cap it all, John Kingman, the head of UKFI, the arms-length company which administers UK citizens’ collective stake in the banks, has announced that he’s stepping down to get a bigger pay-packet in the private sector.

If Darling is serious about wanting to help people through the recession – to keep businesses going and keep workers in their jobs so we can get out of it – then he should put representatives on the boards of the nationalised banks and make sure they give small businesses a fair deal.

We need democratic public ownership – with workers’ representatives on the boards of the banks.

In another months’ time there will be thousands of people out of work because the banks are being greedy – and they won’t be begging New Labour to change course…

Vestas occupied!

Socialist Worker reports:

A group of workers have occupied the Vestas plant on the Isle of Wight. Their brave stand is in defence of 600 jobs under threat and to keep production going at almost the only British producer of wind turbines.

The government says it plans to create a million “green jobs”. Meanwhile, in the real world, this wind turbine factory is being closed and Labour does nothing.

All 600 workers at the factory face redundancy.

The factory is the largest employer on the island.

Rush messages of support to 07980 703115 and 07970 739921 and 07733 388888.

E mail Messages to savevestas@gmail.com

Demonstrate Save Vestas, Save the Planet, support the occupation. Friday 24 July, 5.30pm, St Thomas Square, Newport Isle of Wight