The Socialist 10 December 2008

Stop Job Cuts

Stop job cuts

Save our NHS

Greece in widespread revolt

Queen's rep suspends Canada's parliament

Chicago workers occupy factory

Welfare 'reform' - fight these attacks

Crisis loans

Usdaw presidential election - support Robbie!

DNA evidence - Labour's draconian laws...

Jean Charles de Menezes Coroner restricts inquest verdict

Lewisham's Greens and the BNP 'supporters list'

Student struggle in Spain - time of revolt

60,000 march against education cuts in Dublin

Wales - the true extent of student debt exposed

PCS gains steps towards settlement

Militant response needed at ex-Visteon plant to save jobs

South Wales job losses

The National Shop Stewards Network is organising a meeting for car workers and those in ancillary industries:

Unite against university attacks

Hospital trust offers pay cuts for Christmas

In brief

Water - essential of life or blue gold?

Socialism and left unity - a critique of the Socialist Workers Party

Previous issues, etc

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In brief

Attack on child protection

Greenwich Unison has condemned a proposed 'reconfiguration' of the council's child protection service. They propose the closure of the children's services hospital social work team, the reduction of front-line child protection workers from 59 to 47, the closure of four children in need centres and the abolition of the current career progression scheme, with a detrimental impact on pay.

Unison branch secretary Onay Kasab said:

"No doubt, Greenwich council will say that this is not about cuts, this is budget driven. The proposals fly in the face of recent events. For example the proposal to abolish the hospital team will mean less joined-up working between agencies.

The Laming report following the Climbié tragedy highlighted the need for health and social care services to work together.

The council do need to be clear. If these proposals are rushed through, then Greenwich Unison will take action. We have no intention, and I am sure that residents will agree, of sitting by while cuts to services put children in greater danger".

Salford university cuts

The University of Salford wants to make £7 million-worth of "savings". Staff face redundancies and cuts, deepening the problems they'll already have from the economic recession.

About 100 teachers and students rallied on 28 November and a meeting on 3 December launched the SUDE (Salford University Defending Education) campaign. The next plan is for a day of action in late January.

Dave Brooke, Salford University Socialist Students

St Helens bakery

Sixty jobs have been lost at the famous St Helens bakers Pimbletts after it went into administration on 5 December and was sold to the much larger bakery chain Waterfields.

St Helens is like many post coal-mining towns in Britain that have found it very difficult to overcome the decline of major industry.

Pilkington Glass, one of the biggest glass manufacturers in the country, now employs less than 1,000 people in the town.

It was sold off to a large Japanese glass manufacturer in early 2006.

There are few jobs available in the town and the job losses at Pimbletts will further damage the local economy at a time of global financial crisis.

Tony Pentin, Merseyside

Protests needed

The Socialist has reported how two Unite shop stewards working for IMI Scott in Manchester have been made redundant in a process designed to break the union. They are appealing for support for their campaign for reinstatement.

Email protests to the operations director at IMI demanding the reinstatement of the shop stewards and the other two workers made redundant: nigel.mathews@imiscott.co.uk
Please copy protests and send messages of support to the campaign c/o Trevor: trevor.prior@yahoo.com

In this issue

Stop job cuts