CONTACT: RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS:

Email: rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com Tel: 07881 520626

Write to: RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS - PO Box 4123, Rugby, CV21 9BJ.

CONVENOR and PRESS OFFICER – Pete McLaren.TREASURER – Julie Weekes TRADE UNION LIAISON –Martin Eversfield and Roy Sandison

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Show your support for the strike - by visiting local pickets lines!

Rugby college staff will be having picket Tomorrow  morning (Wednesday) and we expect other public sector workers to be picketing as well - please show your support.
  RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS
              PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ
             rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com

ALL OUT ON NOVEMBER 30th IN SUPPORT OF PENSIONS, JOBS AND OUR SERVICES!
The attack on pensions is yet another attempt to cut public spending.  The 3% increase in pension contributions is to pay back the country’s deficit not to fund pensions. The attack on pensions is yet another ideological attack on workers and our public services. The ConDems are happy to see the rich receiving bumper pay rises and massive pensions.  The rich created a budget deficit and then expect the workers to pick up the tab!

The economic crisis was not caused by workers in the public or private sector
  • Public sector workers are being asked to pay an extra £3 billion per year in pension contributions: the Government cancelled the banker’s bonus tax that raised almost the same amount
  • The Con Dem government wants to make people pay more and work longer for less pay and smaller pensions
  • Ministers are imposing unfair changes without meaningful negotiation
  • Most public sector workers are modestly or low paid and public sector pay has been frozen despite inflation of 5%

SUPPORT PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS ON NOVEMBER 30th
* Early morning workplace pickets – see http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com/
* 10.15am Cathedral Steps, Priory Street Coventry March/Rally
* 12 noon TUC March through Birmingham - Assemble Lionel
                St/Livery St car park
* 1.30pm Rally with TUC Gen Sec Brendan Barber and others
               National Indoor Arena, Birmingham
* 7.30pm NSSN Public Meeting to reflect on the day ‘Building on
              Nov 30’ Methodist Central Hall, Coventry

PUBLIC SPENDING CUTS ARE NOT NEEDED OR WANTED
Governments throughout the world are trying to make the poor pay for the global economic crisis.  The Con/Dem Coalition is pushing through massive cuts to public services of between 25% and 40%, coupled with horrendous attacks on those unable to work, with little or no opposition from Labour.  It has been estimated that the poor will be 10% worse off, and the wealthy just 3%, as a result
The cuts, locally and nationally, will mean
  • Closure of the Youth Service across Warwickshire
  • Fewer buses, and higher fares on public transport
  • Closures of fire stations, as we have already seen in Warwickshire
  • Further privatisation, meaning we have to pay for our services
  • Fewer doctors, nurses, teachers and fire fighters
  • Wage cuts for those who remain in work
  • Huge rise in unemployment as public sector workers are sacrificed
  • Thousands being forced off benefits although no new jobs exist
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO REMOVE THE DEBT
·         The banks could repay the £850 billion given to them by the
Government to bail them out - £850 billion that could be spent on
public services
·         There could be a 5% wealth tax on the richest 10% which, alone,
would resolve the debt
·         There is £120 billion per year of unpaid tax that the rich avoid
            paying or evade – this could be reclaimed immediately
·         The banks and building societies, which continue to make
         massive profits, could be nationalised and run by the
         people for the people, with profits used to maintain and
improve our public services

WHY SHOULD WORKERS AND THE POOR PAY FOR A CRISIS THEY DID NOT CREATE?
Rugby Against the Cuts meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 7.30pm, The Three Horse Shoes, Sheep St

Tuesday 22 November 2011

ALL OUT IN SUPPORT OF PENSIONS, JOBS AND OUR SERVICES - 30TH NOVEMBER!

An estimated 3 million workers will be on strike against the CONDEM Government attacks on pensions, jobs and our services. Other workers such as nurses, firefighters, police officers and the Trade Union movement as a whole will also be supporting the protest against the 'race to the bottom' in respect of pensions and services.
Rugby Against the Cuts fully supports workers in our town taking action by visiting picket lines and attending the marches and rallys taking place.
* 10.15am Cathedral Steps, Priory Street Coventry March/Rally
* 12 noon TUC March through Birmingham - Assemble Lionel
                St/Livery St car park
* 1.30pm Rally with TUC Gen Sec Brendan Barber and others
               National Indoor Arena, Birmingham
Midlands TUC are organising a march and rally in Birmingham to coincide with the TUC’s national day of action for Pensions Justice onWednesday 30th November, involving up to 20 unions and 3 million workers.
March: 11.30am assembly Lionel Street (B3 1DG)
Rally: 1.30pm National Indoor Arena (doors open 12.30pm)
Speakers:
CHAIR: Lee Barron, CWU Midlands Regional Secretary & Midlands TUC Chair
Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary
Kevin Courtney, NUT Deputy General Secretary
Janice Godrich, PCS President
Karen Jennings, Unison Assistant General Secretary
Martin Johnson, ATL Deputy General Secretary
Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary
Barry Lovejoy, UCU Head of Further Education
Joe Morgan, GMB West Midlands Regional Secretary
Tony Woodley, UNITE Executive Officer




Monday 7 November 2011

Thousands mark end of Jarrow March

On Saturday 3,000 joined the Jarrow marchers in London to celebrate the end of the 330 mile march. There was overwhelming support from the crowd who had travelled from all over the country. Coaches of workers, students, pensioners and unemployed people arrived at Embankment. We were even joined by 106 year old Hetty Bower who had welcomed the original marchers when they arrived in London 75 years ago. Hundreds clapped and cheered the lively demonstration into Trafalgar Sq. Trade unionists, campaigners and marchers supported the marchers from the platform of the rallies.

The Jarrow marchers would like to thank everyone who has helped make the march a success and supported the march in anyway. The march is over but the fightback against the Con-Dems and their cuts has only just begun. We hope to see you all at the Youth Fight for Jobs meetings around the country over the next few weeks and on the picket lines and demonstrations to support the strikes on 30 November.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

JOIN THE JARROW MARCHERS NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION IN LONDON 5TH NOVEMBER

After marching 330 miles the Jarrow March for Jobs arrives in London.  Following in the footsteps of the 1936 Jarrow marchers who walked to London against unemployment.

Assemble Temple Place on Embankment 12noon!

Come and join the end demostration and rally in Trafalgar Square. 

 Speakers Include:

Matt Wrack FBU General Secretary
Bob Crow RMT General Secretary
Paul Murphy MEP Socialist Party Ireland
Lizi Gray Great-grandaughter of 1936 marcher
Stephen Hepburn MP for Jarrow
US Occupy Wall Street Activist
Jarrow marchers
Day-Mer Youth
Socialist Party
Young Deacon performing his rap about the riots called ‘Failed by the System’
Ed Marsh NUS
London Slutwalk Activist
Maddy Carty performing her track ‘CONDEMn AGE’
Dennis Skinner MP for Bolsover
+ More!
 
Join the facebook event!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=223703481020168




Book you place on the coach from Coventry!


This Saturday the march ends in London, and coaches are booked from across the country. There is a bus from the Coventry and Warwickshire area. We would encourage as many trade unionists as possible to attend this.

Meet at the Sports Centre in Cov, 9am. It is £4 waged, and £2 unwaged.
Ring Lenny on 07530 429441 to book.
Marcher’s Diary – Day 25
Coventry to Rugby
On our journey to Coventry we passed; two closed down Peugeot factories, a closed Marconi site and a closed GEC building. This is a huge amount of jobs lost to a small area, jobs which are badly needed. We also passed a local Tory council; chanting and singing “if you hate the torys” we definitely made our presence known. we had lunch at the Sheath and Sickle pub where we had a brilliant reception and there were journalists there to meet us. When we got Rugby we had a rally in the town centre hosted by the local anti cuts group,Rugby Against the Cuts. The speakers were fantastic; Martin Powell Davies – NUT, Peter – TUSC, Roy – Green Party, Lenny Shail – Socialist Party and Matt Whale and Alex Moore from the march. We then walked down to the Griffin pub where tea had been put on for us by the RMT. After discussion and drinks we went back to supporters houses to sleep. Thanks to Lorna for putting me up, had some great conversation. Also thanks to her son, Paul and her neices and nephews who drew the marchers some pictures of the march. Everyone loved them