News digest 6 June 2011
The digest kicks off with a call for
contributions for the Southampton city council workers, Unilever
staff are next to stage a walkout, and National Grid may follow,
but Vince Cable issues a veiled threat over strike action even as
up to 40,000 jobs may be cut at the Royal Mail. Cameron’s big
society has been hit by a collapse in charities, but George does
not want to think about a plan B. Hague backs the Libyan rebels,
while Labour backs Ed Miliband and there’s a possible warning from
Red Tories for those flirting with Blue Labour...
SupportSouthampton’s
staff – As Southampton council leader Royston Smith shows
his contempt for the workforce by jetting off on a holiday rather
than trying to sort out a deal the workers continue their campaign
to defend their jobs and terms and conditions. Help
Southampton workers save their jobs - Unite members at Southampton
city council will be sacked on 11 July unless they sign inferior
contracts. Help them defend their jobs. Any contributions, however
small, can help: TGWU 2/8 Strike Fund, Unity Trust Bank, Ac No:
20185358, Sort Code: 08-60-01. (Daily
Echo)
Unilever staff to stage
walkout - Workers at Unilever's Warrington plant are to
stage a walkout tomorrow in protest over proposed changes to their
pension scheme which could deprive 5,000 employees of a final
salary pension (Manchester
Evening News,
Business News, Unite
release).
National Grid dispute could lead to
general strike – After 16 weeks of overtime bans the
Times (p39) reports
that thousands of workers at National Grid – represented by Unite,
Prospect and the GMB – end voting this week on a below-inflation
pay offer which could lead to strike action at the gas and
electricity giant.
Vince’s veiled threat –
Business secretary Vince Cable’s speech to today’s GMB conference
is trailed in many papers. Cable outlines that he sees no reason to
change the UK’s current labour laws, but then issues a threat that
if unions embark on strike action that causes ‘serious damage’ the
pressure to act will rise; he seems to dwell on conflict rather
than the cause and forgets that UK laws are already the most
restrictive in Europe (Mirror p31, Sun p2, Mail p2, Times p5, Indie p2, Guardian p4, Telegraph p4).
Mail sale means job cuts –
And as the government gears up for the sale of the Royal Mail
reports say that one in four workers – 40,000 people - could face
the sack as the company is ‘modernised’ to make way for
privatisation, that sounds like ‘serious damage’ to me, is Cable
going to restrict the rights of the managers? No, its his
department doing the privatisation (Mirror p19, Times p39, Indie p32, Guardian p4, FT p2).
Care home crisis coming –
Experts have discovered a £20 billion black hole in the budget to
pay for care for the elderly in the future as the ageing population
combined with longer lifetimes will see the care bill treble from
its current £11.3 billion annual cost (Mirror p16-17, Mail p20).
Southern Cross sells homes -
Up to 200 care homes up for sale as the company tries to avoid
bankruptcy (Sun p44,
Mail p20, Times p345, Indie p35, Guardian p20, Telegraph b1).
Lansley to fight for NHS
reforms – The Indie (p15) reports that health
secretary Andrew Lansley is to return to the political front line
to fight for his ‘reforms’ although the Telegraph (p1) says that Cameron
is commit with a personal pledge to five ‘guarantees’ for the NHS
including to keep waiting lists low (they are rising), maintain
spending (but not in real terms), not to privatise the NHS (what
else is the bill for)…
Charities collapse – And
Cameron’s big society seems to be going into reverse as the
Guardian (p2) reports that
the number of UK charities has declined by 1,600 in the first year
of the Con-Dem coalition.
Time for plan B – Even though
the EEF says manufacturing could contribute to greater growth
Osborne is again under pressure as shadow chancellor Ed Balls and
more than 50 experts call on the government to admit its strategy
for growth is not working; Osborne insists he is right, but do the
figures stack up? (Mirror
p10, Sun p2, Express p2/44, Mail p2, Times p5, Indie p2, Guardian p4/21, Telegraph p4, FT p2 , Morning Star p1)
Bad beansprouts – From plan B
to beansprouts as the cause of the E. coli outbreak is not a
cucumber conundrum but has been identified as beansprouts from
Lübeck (Mirror p11, Sun p6, Express p4, Mail p6, Times p3, Indie p2, Guardian p1/19, Telegraph p2).
No honour at Heineken – And
the Times (p31) reports
another pensions’ row is on the cards as Heineken has been accused
of reneging on a promise on the main pension plan for Scottish
& Newcastle workers. The Dutch company bought S&N in 2008
and promised to continue discretionary annual pension increases in
line with RPI, it has now reneged on that deal even though the
company made profits of £2.1 billion last year.
Asda considers bid for
Iceland – Britain’s second biggest grocer has hired Lazard
to advise on a possible offer for frozen food specialist Iceland
(Indie p32, Morning Star p5).
Airbus warns of trade war –
And the Guardian (p21) and
FT (p1) report that Tom Enders -
Airbus chief executive- has warned Brussels it faces a trade
war with China and other powerful countries over Europe’s plan to
make international airlines pay for their carbon emissions.
Hague praises rebels –
Foreign secretary William Hague nails his mast fully to the Libyan
opposition as he visits Benghazi rebels hours after helicopters
pound the country. As the conflict drags on the government is
accused of mission creep amid calls for a fresh vote in the House
of Commons (Mirror p20,
Sun p7, Express p15, Mail p12, Times p6, Indie p6, Guardian p7, Telegraph p, FT p6, Morning Star p3).
Bye bye Clegg? – And talking
of the House of Commons the latest details on the boundary changes
which will see the number of constituencies cut by 50 to 600 looks
like it will hit the Lib Dems hard as up to a quarter of Lib Dem
seats could go, Clegg’s anti-Midas touch strikes again (Mirror p22, Guardian p1).
We’re backing Ed – And the
Telegraph (p4) reports
that Ed Balls and Harriet Harman have been forced to defend Ed
Miliband’s leadership as Labour retains a low profile (Miliband has
just got married after all), while the FT (p3) focuses on the fact that donations
to Labour have fallen to just a tenth of the party’s pre-election
average while there are concerns in the City that Miliband has not
been active enough in business circles, does Miliband need a new
approach?
Do Red Tories lead the way for Blue
Labour? – The Indie (v12-13) has a double
page spread on what ‘Blue Labour’ really is, but if Miliband’s
interest is piqued the Mirror (p34) has a stark warning as
the so called ‘Red Tory’ think tank Respublica has hit money
troubles. Respublica has also been forced to cuts jobs, and those
remaining were locked out of their offices last week as the rent
had not been paid, red and blue don’t mix…
Edited by Mik
Sabiers
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