In today’s Telegraph:

Public sector workers paid more, official figures show

 

but

The average private sector worker with a degree or similar qualification was paid 5.7 per cent better than their equivalent in the public sector.

In context:

Mr Frost added that the figures proved that public sector workers could afford to contribute more into their pensions.

The Treasury pointed out that all public-sector workers paid more than £21,000 were on a two-year pay freeze, while the Government was determined that workers would contribute 3.2 percentage points more to their pensions.

However, trades unions said the private sector needed to reform far more urgently than the public sector, and that the ONS report make clear that graduates were paid better in the private sector than in the public sector.

The average private sector worker with a degree or similar qualification was paid 5.7 per cent better than their equivalent in the public sector. But the bottom five per cent of earners were paid £6.77 an hour in the public sector, but just £5.80 an hour in the private sector.

Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: "What the figures show is that the public sector is fairer than the private sector. Public sector high fliers are paid six per cent less than those at the top of the private sector, while those in less skilled jobs on lower pay earn six per cent more in the public sector.

“The private sector needs to be more like the public sector, not as the right-wing apologists for inequality say, the other way round."

Ed Holmes at the Policy Exchange, a think thank, said: "I think the public sector is, as a whole, just paid too much. The low-skilled jobs at the bottom end are certainly overpaid. You could make an argument that the very highest paid civil servants, in terms of the responsibilities they have, are in fact underpaid.

"But if we are going to balance the books and get the deficit under control we need to tackle the pay discrepancy between the public and private sector."

The answer should be clear – Leave Teachers Pensions Alone!

Fair Pensions For All

It's a pity that Edward J Phillips in his letter, 'Unions had it easy in Labour's years' did not attend the 300 plus strike rally in Ipswich's town hall last Thursday. If he had attended he would have noted that all speakers from the NUT, ATL, PCS and UCU ( the 4 striking unions) decried the erosion of private sector pensions and that we have launched a campaign: 'Fair Pensions for all- a petition to the Prime Minister.' ( Sign it at: www.teachers.org.uk)
However, Mr Edwards is right to say that we are opposed to the government's plans to make us pay more. get less and work longer but we also want to see all workers in both the private and publc sector being able to retire in dignity with fair pensions for all.
Margaret Bulaitis
President Ipswich NUT Association
Chair of joint- union strike rally

The Strike Effect–Local Membership

Every month I receive list of new joiners.

The list for the dates between 14.4. - 30.6. 11 shows that we have increased by 28 members in the period leading up to the strike.

Our local association has increased by 128 members in the last two year period.

We’re growing because we’re a campaigning union and we work together.

Help Protect the NHS

Dear members,

July 5th is the 63rd birthday of the NHS, but as the government's controversial Health and Social Care Bill is making its way through Parliament, we're worried it could be the last birthday for our health service in a form that its founders would recognise.

The bill is currently with the House of Commons, but if they pass its next stages, it will then move to the House of Lords for review.

Please help us to let the Lords know we expect a lot of them

The involvement of the Peers marks an important step in the passage of the Bill and could be an opportunity to get the changes we need to stop or alter the Bill's measures which could break up and sell off parts of our health service.

Will you adopt a Peer for the NHS' birthday?

You can help raise concerns about the proposed changes to the NHS by writing to a member of the House of Lords. They aren't as used to indiviudal lobbying as MPs, so receiving personal contacts from members of the public should really get their attention.

Of course, one of the reasons they don't get much contact is that they don't have a direct group of consituents. We can help get around this, using this tool to adopt a Peer. We'll match you at random to a member of the House of Lords and help you to contact them, either directly with a posted birthday card for the NHS, or by email.

To get started, visit our campaign site now

Going To Work is a project of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)

An East London Strike Perspective

Dear colleagues,

We had a very good day in London yesterday, with police estimating that there were 20,000 on our demonstration - twice what we were expecting.
The march was predominantly NUT, very young, mainly female and crucially absolutely determined to defend our pensions.
We are sending this form to NUT reps to collect feedback on the day - feel free to use, just change the return address at the bottom otherwise I will get them all!
Best wishes,
Alex Kenny
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Alex Kenny
East London Teachers Association
Shadwell Centre
455 The Highway
London E1W 3HP

Fair Pensions For All– Sign the petition.

	Dear colleague Thursday was an incredible day. Thousands of NUT members marched in towns and cities across England and Wales in protest at the Government's unjustified and unfair attack on our pensions. Many thousands of colleagues from the ATL and UCU joined us to defend our pensions, our profession and education. PCS members across the country also took action in their thousands. All the evidence shows that our pensions are affordable and sustainable. Our strike has given us the opportunity to win that ground in the public debate. Our position on pensions has the support of the overwhelming majority of the teaching profession. Statements on the day from NAHT and ASCL were supportive of the action by ATL and NUT. Support from the public Responses to the strike, for example on the BBC's Question Time on 30 June, show the strong support there is for us amongst the general public. We have shown that the argument about teachers' pensions has nothing to do with affordability. We have shown that making us pay more, work longer and get less is not economically necessary. We have shown that the costs of the Teachers' Pension Scheme are falling as planned. Fair pensions for all Yesterday the NUT launched with ATL, PCS and UCU a Fair Pensions for All petition, which urges the Prime Minister to ensure that all workers and pensioners have dignity and decent living standards in retirement. We believe that there need to be good pensions in both the private and public sectors. The state pension also needs to be addressed. To sign the petition, see our photo gallery of events across England and Wales and for a link to Question Time on 30 June visit www.teachers.org.uk Thank you for your support. CHRISTINE BLOWER NUT GENERAL SECRETARY
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From Lowestoft Against the Cuts: Regarding Suffolk’s Libraries

The following piece, headed Suffolk Libraries and Glasgow's Kiss of Death, was new in last weeks edition. A much more detailed examination of the sorry history of "Glasgow Life" can be found here:  http://www.variant.org.uk/41texts/rgn41.html
In fact, Glasgow Life is facing a loss of (only) 10% of its Council funding. Suffolk Libraries face a 30% cut.

Mark Bee's plan for a Community Interest Company to run Suffolk's libraries has already been tried and has failed in Scotland. These government promoted schemes are supposed to attract outside funding. In fact Glasgow Life, the Scottish company which was handed Glasgow's libraries, museums and sports facilities became a murky, unaccountable and failing company. Only three years after being formed Glasgow Life (then called Culture and Sport Glasgow) demanded wage cuts of up to 10% for some of its workers, wage freezes for the rest alongside cuts in holidays and overtime rates. It is now in the process of explaining why it has debts of £58m, how it will cope with further council cuts and what will happen to the 300 staff it is firing. Suffolk be warned.

From the FIRE BRIGADES UNION

 

FOR IMMEDIATE USE, 1 JULY 2011

PRIVATE FIRE ENGINE FIRM CLOSE TO COLLAPSE AS BRIGADE BOSSES REFUSE TO DISCLOSE CONTINGENCY PLANS

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has demanded that London Fire Brigade managers come clean and disclose what contingency plans are in place in the event that the private company which owns and maintains the capital’s fleet of fire engines goes out of business. The demand comes the day after it was revealed that AssetCo – which was handed the multi-million pounds 20-year contract in 2001 – has formally applied for an administration order.

The company, which in recent months has been hit by serious financial difficulties and has seen its share price plummet, admitted that it had made an application to enter administration during a hearing at the High Court yesterday to consider a winding-up petition from its bankers.

The union has raised questions about the impact on London’s fire cover in the event of an AssetCo collapse. Executive council member for London Ian Leahair said today: “Over recent months, we have witnessed AssetCo in meltdown, and this prompted us to seek assurances about what contingency plans were in place. Regrettably, brigade managers have obstinately refused to disclose this information, telling us at a recent meeting that they had ‘no desire’ to share details with us.

'There has been speculation of a takeover of AssetCo by foreign investors – some of whom may have potentially dubious links – meaning that London’s fire engines could fall into the hands of various businessmen halfway across the globe with legitimate questions as to their suitability for this role.

“There are huge implications for the safety of Londoners, and it is simply unacceptable for the London Fire Brigade to refuse to reveal how it will keep the capital safe if AssetCo goes to the wall. If there are no contingency plans, they should say so.

“The relationship with AssetCo has been a catastrophe for the brigade. We always said that selling off large chunks of an emergency service was dangerous folly, and we have been proved right.”

Contact: Ian Leahair (07854 998505) or Paul Embery (07854 998508

From the Suffolk Coalition for Public Services

SUFFOLK COALITION FOR PUBLIC SERVICES

BULLETIN 30^th JUNE

Congratulations to the hundreds that marched and rallied today in Ipswich in protest against the Government’s plans to cut Public Sector pensions, at the same time as increasing superannuation payments and working years.

The support from the public on the streets during the march was evident and despite the outright lies and distortions that have come in various ways from the three main political party leaders this week, my opinion is that locally and nationally, we won Round 1 handsomely on points.

Today also showed that the determination to oppose this Government has not diminished since that huge TUC demo in London on March 26^th. That day was the preliminary warm-up and confidence booster for the confrontations we are now facing.

I’ve no doubt that Cameron and gang are washing away the sour taste of today with the House of Commons £100 bottles of wine we were told about today, but they won’t get away that easily!

The next meeting of Suffolk Coalition FOR Public Services is next Tuesday 5^th July, 7.30 pm at the UNITE Offices in Grimwade Street, Ipswich.

Please let me know in advance if there is any subject/topic you wish to see on the Agenda.

In solidarity

Roger