RUGBY ANTI-CUTS PROTESTERS JOIN CAMPAIGN AGAINST WELFARE REFORM BILL

 Last Friday, members of Rugby Against the Cuts joined campaigners from across Warwickshire to protest against the Welfare Reform Bill which is going through Parliament this very week.  “This Bill is trying to make the poor and disabled pay for an economic crisis they did not cause,” Rugby Against the Cuts spokesperson Pete McLaren claimed today.  “A number of us from Rugby, including members of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and the Green Party, joined the protest outside the Constituency Office of Leamington MP Chris White.  It is his Government which is pushing through these attacks on the Welfare State,” he continued, “and protest organisers ‘Disabled People Against Cuts’ targeted Leamington because it is a Tory marginal.”

“In the event, Chris White cancelled the planned surgery, so we gave in a long letter detailing the adverse effects of the Welfare Bill, including:

• Introduction of Universal Credit which will bring compulsory workfare and caps on housing benefit and other payments, leading to increased poverty and homelessness.
• Moving people from Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance through punitive and unfair compulsory work capability assessments which are carried out by Atos, a ‘private for-profit’ company who are declaring that those who need 24-hour support, and those with terminal cancer, are ‘fit for work’ in order to meet government targets and reduce disabled peoples’ income drastically
• The introduction of a much stricter sanctions regime with the loss of benefits for up to 3 years, a risk particularly to people with learning disabilities or mental health needs who find it difficult to cope with the demands of looking for work at the same time as having little prospect of finding any.
• Replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) with the explicit aim of cutting entitlement by 20%.”

 “The Welfare Reform Bill that Chris White and other Tory and Lib Dem MPs support has suffered a number of defeats in the House of Lords recently as people begin to realize just how draconian these cuts will be.  Whilst these cuts are being forced onto the poorest and most vulnerable, the richest people, whose banking friends helped cause the economic crisis, are actually seeing their wealth rise,” he concluded.

NOTES

§  Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) can be contacted at www.dpac.uk.net/

• Rugby Against the Cuts was set up by local trade unionists and political activists on September 22^nd.  Officers were elected as above
• Rugby Against the Cuts meets on the second Thursday of every month, 7.30pm, at the Three Horse Shoes, Rugby
• Rugby Against the Cuts can be contacted on 07881 520626, at rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com, or through our web site at http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com 

  

 

PROTEST AT LEAMINGTON TORY MP OFFICES FRIDAY 20TH JAN AT 1PM - DEFEND THE SICK AND DISABLED FROM TORY AND LIB DEM ATTACKS!

The Tories and Lib Dem Government was defeated in the Lords last week on cuts to benefits for people with cancer and also general time limits to claim benefit – the CONDEM government intend to ignore this hindrance and go ahead with their plans anyway  – its clear this government needs to be put on the spot for such callous action.

Being disabled or seriously ill is not a life style choice unlike owning a yacht or having your home done up at the tax payers expense

Please bring your banners and placards and tell your friends to support this West Midlands protest organised by Disabled People Against Cuts.

As the Tories discuss arbitrarily removing 20% of disabled people from Disability Living Allowance and plan to finalise the introduction of Universal Credit which will lead to massive increases in poverty and homelessness please join us to tell Tory MP Chris White in his very marginal constituency what we think of the Condems policies. Please invite anyone else you know who would like to join us in a protest in Leamington Spa.

JOIN US TO PROTEST AGAINST CUTS TO DISABLED PEOPLE’S BENEFITS AND SERVICES AND THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR NHS ON WHICH ALL OF US WHO ARE NOT MILLIONAIRE POLITICIANS RELY.

SAY “NO” TO THE WELFARE REFORM BILL,THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR WELFARE STATE AND “NO” TO WORKFARE

What Cuts do Disabled People Face?

▼Closure of the Independent Living Fund supporting those with high support needs, proving that the government’s rhetoric of supporting disabled people is as empty as their souls

▼Movement from Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance through punitive and unfair compulsory Work Capability Assessments carried out by Atos, a private for-profit company who are declaring those who need 24-hour support and those with terminal cancer ‘fit for work’ in order to meet government targets and reduce disabled peoples’ income drastically

▼VAT increases and benefit rates linked to CPI not RPI which is likely to cost disabled people an extra £800 per annum.

▼Cuts to social care budgets, cuts to housing support, cuts to Access to Work programme (helping disabled people with any equipment they might need to compete on an equal basis with non disabled employees), constant attacks on disabled peoples’ integrity by the Tories and others suggesting we’re not really disabled but ‘just pretending’ to get meagre benefits which they’re going to abolish anyway.

Where – LEAMINGTON SPA, WARWICKSHIRE

At CHRIS WHITE, MP’s office, 43a CLEMENS STREET, OLD TOWN,  CV31 2DP, not far from railway station.

When – Friday, JANUARY 20^th, meet outside constituency office at 1pm.

www.dpac.uk.net,   mail@dpac.uk.net, http://twitter.com/Dis_PPL_Protest

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

             http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

             rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com

ALL OUT ON NOVEMBER 30^th 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 30^th

* 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 2^nd Thursday of each month, 7.30pm, The Three Horse Shoes, Sheep St

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

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.

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 

Rugby Observer report on the Jarrow March in Rugby

Jarrow Marchers protest in Rugby

Buy photos» The Jarrow Marchers take to the streets of Rugby. 43.011.039.rug.jg4

Dan Santy

26 October. Updated: 26 October 12:47

THE JARROW Marchers rolled into Rugby this week protesting against the Government's handling of the continuing economic slump.
Around 50 marchers - recreating the famous 300 mile protest of 1936 from the north east to London against poverty and unemployment - arrived in the town centre yesterday (Tuesday).
They marched and protested against the Government's handling of rising unemployment, with local trade unionists and socialist political groups backing them.
The marchers first arrived at the Sheaf and Sickle pub in Long Lawford for lunch before a rally at the clock tower.
Tonight (Wednesday), the marchers will attend an anti-cuts meeting at which railway and maritime workers union leader Bob Crow will address them. It takes place at the United Railway Club on Railway Terrace.

Buy photos» Rugby Green party leader Roy Sandison speaking out against Government cuts. 43.011.039.rug.jg2Buy photos» A young protester with the Jarrow Marchers. 43.011.039.rug.jg3The Jarrow Marchers in Rugby. 43.011.039.rug.jg5www.therugbyobserver.co.uk/