News digest 23 February 2011
The digest begins with the real scale of
the attack on the NHS, 50,000 jobs have already been identified for
cuts despite a government pledge to protect the front line, and the
cuts don’t stop there, cops are under the cosh, Tory councils are
complaining about front loading, there’s anger in Manchester, while
bankers are called on to pay their fair share. Osborne gets a
windfall before the unemployed are told to get on their bikes as
the high street starts to struggle and while BAA reduces its losses
BA is once again back in the headlines as a fourth ballot over
action is called…
NHS efficiency savings equals
cuts – In stark contrast to the pre-election pledge to
protect the NHS the Con-Dem coalition’s actions will see 50,000
health workers face the chop as health trusts across the country
are forced to cut front line staff to meet the so-called demand for
efficiency savings. Following freedom of information requests the
data from False Economy – a TUC funded website – shows 24,000
hospital posts will go in England alone, 10,000 in PCTs and 6,000
from mental health trusts. The roles include doctors, nurses and
dentists as well as admin staff. Unite assistant general secretary
Jennie Bremner said: "The False Economy website paints
a bleak but accurate picture of massive job losses … David Cameron
deceitfully pledged to cut the deficit not the NHS. The electorate
did not vote for massive job losses in the NHS or privatisation.
The Health and Social Care bill is the death knell for the NHS as
we know it.” (Mirror p11, Sun p2, Express p18, Mail p4, Times p16, Indie p19, Guardian p1, Telegraph p1, FT p3, Morning Star p1, Unite
release)
Cops cut – Home affairs
select committee calls on government to come clean over front line
job losses in the police as fears over front loading the cuts could
impact the ability to police next year’s London Olympics (Sun p2, FT p2).
Floodgates opened – Homes and
businesses will face more floods as a result of cuts by British
Waterways. Unite’s national officer for docks and waterways, Julia
Long, said that staff were seriously concerned over suggestions the
long-term unemployed will be forced into replacing current staff on
just £1 an hour under the coalition’s 'Workfare UK' project
(Morning Star p5,
Unite
release).
Abolish free bus passes –
Right wing think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs says cuts
should also hit pensioners as the young are being
disproportionately hit. The body calls for an end to free bus
passes and TV licences for the elderly (Express p2, Mail p26, Times p37, Telegraph b3).
Tory councils against the
cuts – And a string of Tory councils have now complained
about the cuts they are being forced to implement claiming that the
distribution of cuts is unfair. Leaders of North Yorkshire,
Blackpool, Kent and Derbyshire have all complained to communities
secretary Pickles (Times p16).
Rochdale demo – And council
workers in Rochdale will demonstrate at 17:00 as Rochdale borough
council meets to discuss a budget that could see up to 750 jobs
axed (Unite
release).
Manchester ballot
demonstrates ‘anger’ over threat of job cuts - Over 80 per
cent of Unite members at Manchester council who voted in a
consultative ballot were in favour of some form of industrial
action. Unite national officer for local authorities, Peter
Allenson, said: ”The result demonstrates real anger at
the scale of what the council is proposing which will severely
damage services to the local people.” (Mirror p7, Morning Star p4, Unite
release)
Make the banks pay – Finally
someone focuses on the real issue as the Mail (p71) reports that the chief
executives of some of the UK’s leading charities have written to
the government calling on banks to pay their fair share. Osborne’s
extra levy of £800 million represented just one week’s earnings for
the big 5 banks, surely they can afford a little more?
New Virgin HQ – Group plans
to create 300 more jobs in Edinburgh as part of its expanding
banking division (Express
p67, Times p41).
Osborne’s windfall – Even as
the NHS, local councils and the police face unprecedented cuts
Osborne was given a boost yesterday when the government tax take
for January came in ahead of forecasts. January saw the government
rake in £3.7 billion gaining from the rise in VAT and corporate
profits. Osborne is expected to build a war chest ahead of the
March budget with petrol price cuts possibly on the agenda
(Express p2, Mail p4, Indie p30, Guardian p27, FT p2).
Petrol pumps rise – Trouble
in the Middle East has seen the price of oil continue to rise with
a few of the papers focusing on the damage the rising oil price
could do to the global economy (Express p1, Indie p3, Guardian p24, Telegraph b1, FT p1).
More money for road repairs –
But the government does seem to pull cash out of the bag as
transport secretary Philip Hammond announced a further £100 million
to fix potholes caused by the harsh winter weather (Mirror p24, Sun p17, Mail p25, Telegraph p9).
On your bike – And road
repairs are apt as Norman Tebbit praises young Poles for getting on
their bikes to find work in an echo of his call 30 years ago
(Telegraph p5).
New Mini – But if you haven’t
got the energy to cycle to work you could take the new Mini
Rocketman which will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show next week
(Sun p20, Mail p37).
Asda bonus but
worries ahead – And retailer reports higher than expected
sales last year so UK workers will share a £27 million bonus pot
which will see workers gain an average £350. The company is however
forecasting a tough 2011 (Mirror p40, Sun p50, Express p67, Times p34, Indie p29, Telegraph b1, FT p16).
Sharp drop in high street
sales – But the Times (p3) says tough times may
just be around the corner as retailers have warned the government
that consumers have drastically cut back spending as a result of
the government’s austerity agenda.
Coffee and chocolate prices to
soar – Global shortages expected to push price of office
staple to new highs as supplies are squeezed (FT p15).
BAA cuts losses – No soaring
for the Airport operator although it cuts its overall losses to
£317 million for 2010; down from £822 million in 2009. Revenues
rose by 4.9 per cent to £2.07 billion even as the operator was hit
by the ash cloud, Christmas snow and the BA strikes (Mirror p40, Sun p50, Express p66, Mail p73, Times p38, Indie p30, Guardian p26, Telegraph b8, FT p18).
BA crew balloted – And
finally a new ballot of cabin crew at British Airways will shortly
get underway. This will be the fourth ballot of the same workforce
at the airline in a two year period. Unite general secretary Len
McCluskey said: "If BA's management believes that it
can secure industrial harmony by these methods it is living in a
fools’ paradise. Only negotiation, not litigation or intimidation,
can start to heal the wounds caused by this dispute ... BA
management needs to understand that it will never break the spirit
of cabin crew, and that customer uncertainty and confusion will
continue until it starts listening to its staff."
(Sun p2, Times p39, Indie p34, Telegraph p2).
Edited by Mik Sabiers
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