News digest 30 November 2011
It’s all out as the biggest day of action
since the 1926 general strike and public sector workers have even
more reason to challenge the government after chancellor George
Osborne raised the threat of breaking national pay scales for
public servants. Millions are mobilising to challenge the changes
as the country comes out in support. Elsewhere construction workers
are to take action while in aviation American Airlines files for
bankruptcy protection and in finance more jobs go at RBS, while
there’s a sticky mess on the M1…
Osborne’s bad medicine –
Chancellor George Osborne delivered his Autumn statement unveiling
a two year pay cap for public sector workers and lower UK growth
forecasts as well as the threat of abolishing national pay deals
for public sector workers. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey
condemned the plans: ”George Osborne is scrabbling
around to put together a semblance of a programme to inject
much-needed demand and spending power into the beleaguered
economy that has been brought to its knees by his hard line
austerity measures.” After dangling a few treats by
scrapping the 3p fuel duty rise, providing free childcare places
for 260,000 two-year-olds, 35 new infrastructure projects and a
(miniscule) rise in the bank levy Osborne showed he had public
sector workers in his sights. After a two year pay freeze public
sector workers will then see pay rises capped at one per cent for a
further two years, the chancellor said working tax credits will be
frozen and the rise in the pension age to 67 has been brought
forward by eight years. Even worse OBR forecasts show real
disposable incomes will shrink until 2013 showing that the UK is
now seeing the longest and worst slump in living standards since
the 1930s. Growth in 2011 should be a paltry 0.9 per cent and dip
to 0.7 per cent in 2012, unemployment is expected to soar and
hidden away in the figures the number of public sector job losses
jumps by 300,000 to total 710,000. Time to challenge Con-Dem
Britain… (BBC summary of
main details, Mirror
p1/4-5, Sun p1/6-7, Express p1/6-7/67-70, Mail p4-9, Times p6-10, Indie p1-6, Guardian p4-13, Telegraph p1/4-9/b1-5, FT p1-9, Morning Star p1-3)
All out for public sector
pensions – The unjustified attack by the government on
public sector pensions sees action across the country today as
Unite members join with Unison, PCS, GMB, UCU, NUT and many more as
a total of 24 unions mobilise against the changes which will see
workers pay more, work longer and end up with less when they
retire. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said:
“The action today has been a brilliant display of
courage and concern by public servants who are being demonised by a
government that has lost its moral compass.” Len has
been touring picket lines (and TV studios) and will join the London
rally at Victoria Embankment this afternoon while assistant general
secretaries Tony Burke, Gail Cartmail and Diana Holland will speak
in Brighton, Southampton and Bristol respectively. A live update is
on the Unite
home page all day and anyone taking action is encouraged to
text updates to 86888 for free or email
pictures and videos to n30@uniteyou.org (Mirror p6-7, Sun p12-13, Express p2, Mail p1/10, Indie p6-7, Guardian p4, Telegraph p, FT p8, Morning Star p3, Unite
release).
Construction workers vote for
action - Electricians, plumbers and heating and
ventilating engineers voted by 81 per cent in favour of strike
action at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services in a dispute over the
termination of long-held agreements and the de-skilling of craft
workers. Unite national officer Bernard McAulay said:
“This is a resounding result … Unite calls on Balfour
Beatty to immediately engage in discussion with the union to find a
sensible solution to this dispute.” (Telegraph b9, Unite
release).
Contingency planning for
eurozone – From building to breaking up and the FT (p1) leads with news of contingency
planning for a possible break up of the eurozone while the Guardian (p27) reports that the EU
is to approach the IMF for a loan to deal with the eurozone debt
crisis.
UK embassy attacked –
Militants chanting “Death to England”
broke into the UK’s embassy in Tehran yesterday, the government has
threatened ‘serious consequences’ for the Iranian government
(Mirror p8, Sun p8, Express p11, Mail p12, Times p4-5, Indie p8, Guardian p2-3, Telegraph p18-19, FT p13).
Inquiry attacked – The
Leveson inquiry features in the Mail (p18) for the first time as
it reports Master of the Rolls Lord Neuberger has challenged the
role of the inquiry saying the press should be regulated by
parliament not the judiciary. Most of the papers report on evidence
from an ex News of the World reporter, Paul McMullan, who said
there was a Coulson culture that created the environment for the
hacking (Mirror p29,
Times p3, Indie p10, Guardian p16-17, Telegraph p14).
James Murdoch reappointed –
Son of magnate re-elected as chairman of Sky despite a protest vote
by big City institutions (Sun p4, Express p5/77, Times p45, Indie p10, Guardian p18).
Facebook float nears – From
old media to new media and an investor prospectus is due to be
published as a precursor of the move towards $100 billion float
(Times p42, Indie p57, Guardian p27, FT p29).
Gatwick growth beats rivals –
The FT (p24) reports expansion by
easyJet and BA has helped boost passenger numbers at Gatwick
airport by 3.3 per cent, Heathrow advanced by just 1.5 per
cent.
AA files for bankruptcy
protection – American Airlines, the world’s fourth
biggest, filed for Chapter 11 protection to help deal with its £19
billion in debts (Sun p56,
Express p77, Mail p71, Times p41, Indie p55, Telegraph b9, FT p23/28).
440 more axed at RBS – Bank
uses Autumn statement as cover for more job losses (Mirror p52, Sun p56, Mail p71, Unite
release).
BAE under fire – Company
harshly criticised for dragging its heels over a £29.5 million
compensation payment to the people of Tanzania (Times p44, Telegraph b9).
Marmite causes jam – And
finally the Mirror (p15)
reports that last Monday drivers were stuck as a motorway blackspot
was jammed by a lorry load of leaking Marmite after the vehicle
clipped a camper van on the M1. While a call out to bring toast hit
twitter the Mirror reports that one wag tweeted: “Has
it shut the yeast-bound carriageway?” Yes really…
Edited by Mik Sabiers
Subscribe to this post's comments using
RSS
Comments
