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

Wednesday 29 June 2011

June 30 solidarity call out: Support the strike! Stop the cuts! UK Uncut

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS
PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ
Convenor and Press Officer: Pete McLaren  pete.mclaren@virgin.net 07881 520626
Treasurer: Julie Weekes           Trade Union Liaison: Roy Sandison; Martin Eversfield

PRESS RELEASE                           For immediate use June 28th 2011

SUPPORT FOR STRIKING PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS

Rugby Against the Cuts today announced its full support for public sector workers on strike this Thursday, June 30th.  Spokesperson Pete McLaren explained, “The teachers, civil servants and college lecturers on strike to protect their pensions mark the beginning of a concerted fightback by the labour movement against the Con Dem plans to decimate public services. Calls by Labour leaders not to go on strike are a disgrace, and will be ignored.  Public sector workers did not cause the economic crisis, so why should they pay for it?  Those who did cause the crisis – bankers and Government Ministers - get massive pensions, which are not under attack, whilst the average public sector pension is just £80 per week.  We already have 2.5 million pensioners who can not afford to adequately heat their homes – the current pension proposals would put a further one million pensioners into poverty, which is outrageous.  Is that the kind of society we want to bring our next generations into?” he asked.

The Treasurer of Rugby Against the Cuts Julie Weekes, who, like Pete McLaren, stood as a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidate in the May Council elections, is a member of the University and College Union (UCU).  She outlined why she would be on strike. “The Government want us to pay more, work longer and then get a lower pension.  Pensions are deferred pay, so in effect we are being asked to accept a pay cut.  The joint action will send a clear message to the Government about the level of opposition to its proposals.  We oppose this cut as we oppose all public sector cuts.”

Fellow Rugby Against the Cuts member and TUSC candidate Clive Dunkley is a member of the National Union of Teachers which voted 92% in favour of the strike.  “The Government wants to raise our pension contributions by over 50%”, he explained.  “At the same time it is planning to force all teachers to work until they are 68 for a reduced annual pension.  How will this help provide jobs for the growing number of young unemployed?   Like all public sector cuts, the attack on our pensions is simply to pay off the bankers’ gambling debts – whilst the bankers and their friends who got us into this mess get away with £billions in unpaid taxes.”

“The Government will try and divide public and private sector workers, but they will not succeed,” Pete McLaren concluded.  “It is a scandal that many private sector companies have already slashed their pension schemes – and that so many pensioners struggle in poverty.  The Government should be acting on this, not cutting public sector pensions,” he added.  

DEFEND PENSIONS, SAVE JOBS AND OUR SERVICES - DEMONSTRATION IN COVENTRY 30TH JUNE

Thursday 23 June 2011

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS SUPPORTS STRIKES ON 30TH JUNE TO DEFEND PENSIONS, SAVE JOBS , SAVE SERVICES

Letter sent to local Trade Unionists

DEFEND PENSIONS, SAVE JOBS. SAVE SERVICES
Rugby Against The Cuts would like to offer our support to all workers taking strike action on the 30th June to defend pensions, jobs and our services
.
Workers don’t take strike action without good reason and this is definitely the case on the 30th June, with a CONDEM Government so determined to decimate public services and make us pay for the bankers gambling debts.

Rugby Against The Cuts was formed in September 2010, to bring together local trade unions, community campaigners and progressive political groups to fight the cuts and also offer solidarity and act as a material local resource for ordinary working people.

Therefore, as well as offering our formal support to those in the forthcoming strike, could we please urge other workers and their Trade Unions to pass on messages of solidarity by email to those taking strike action of the 30th June and also attend the local rallies that are taking place in Birmingham, Coventry and else where in the West Midlands.

Rugby Against The Cuts members will also try to visit as many picket lines in Rugby as possible on the day itself to show community support for the strike – so please provide any details of local action to add to our list by emailing rugbyagainsthecuts@googlemail.com.

For those Trade Unions taking action on the day, please note,  since our formation, we have been able to provide local press contacts (we get very good publicity in Rugby) to local Trade Unionists and also offer a chance to network with other Trade Unions and community groups – so please do not hesitate to get in contact, if you think we could be useful in this area.

In Solidarity
Roy Sandison
Trade Union Liaison Officer – Rugby Against The Cuts

Tuesday 14 June 2011

ANTI CUTS GROUP VOICES ITS OPPOSITION TO CUTS IN LOCAL BUS SERVICES

Press Release - Save our Buses from Tory Cuts
Rugby Against the Cuts expressed outrage today at the cuts to local bus services which come into effect on Sunday (June 19th).  “These cuts being made by Stagecoach are as a direct result of the withdrawal of funding by Warwickshire County Council for socially desirable but not always economical evening bus services,” Rugby against the Cuts spokesperson Pete McLaren claimed.  “They are a direct result of Tory cuts.  Public transport is a service like other public services, and should not be run to make profits.  Some routes and times are bound to be used more than others, but that does not mean any of them should be scrapped.   A large number of people depend on public transport, including those without cars, the elderly, the poor and those with disabilities - in particular people who live in rural areas and have no other means of transport.”

 TAX THE RICH INSTEAD OF CUTTING OUR SERVICES!
“These cuts to our bus services are yet another example of how public spending cuts disproportionately hit those with low incomes.  They are less likely to be able to afford to run a car, especially with petrol so expensive at present.  Only last month, the Sunday Times ‘Rich List 2011’ showed that the top 1,000 multimillionaires are £60 billion better off than they were 12 months ago.  They now have wealth totaling £395,765 billion – they will not need public transport!  Just like when a library, youth club or care home closes, it is the poor that suffer the most.”

WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING GREEN?
Rugby Against the Cuts member Liz Peck is a regular user of public transport.  “The cuts to these evening services will make it very difficult and much more expensive for me to get around, “ she explained.  “I do not have a car, and I use the No 4 and No 86 buses in particular to visit family and friends and for social reasons.  People travel to and from work by bus.  We are supposed to be encouraging greater use of public transport to help combat climate change, and these cuts will make that even less likely.  The real effect of public sector cuts are only just beginning to be felt, and I dread to think what the next 12 months will bring.”

All IN IT TOGETHER? 
“We do not think ordinary working people should be made to pay for a crisis they did not cause,” Pete McLaren continued.  “There is plenty of money floating around as the Rich List shows, more than enough to overturn our economic deficit and then maintain and develop our public services, including public transport.  It is all about political decisions, and the three main Parties have all decided to make the poor pay for the crisis.  So much for Government leaders suggesting ‘We are all in it together,’ he concluded.

Coalition of Resistance National Members and Delegates Conference

The Coalition of Resistance National Members and Delegates Conference takes place on Saturday 9 July, 10am-5pm, at the University of London Union, Malet Street, London, WC1E (nearest station: Euston).

With top speakers, resolutions, workshops, and discussion, we will plan the way forwards in the fight against austerity and privatisation. All CoR supporters should register for the conference and encourage union branches, student unions, anti-cuts groups, and campaign groups to send delegates.



Saturday, July 9 · 10:00am - 5:00pm - University of London Union, Malet Street, London


Registration costs are as follows:
Individual member £5 waged/£3 unwaged
Organisation (up to 3 delegates) £15
Observer £10 waged/£5 unwaged
Combined CoR membership and registration £18 waged/£7 unwaged

Send name, organisation (if applicable), email, postal address, and cheque to:
CoR Membership, c/o Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DX.

Resolutions must be submitted by 24 June: email them to coalitionofresistance@mail.com