Fishponds Against The Cuts – ‘Save The NHS’ Meeting

Fishponds Against The Cuts – ‘Save The NHS’ Meeting

Cross Keys Pub, 627 Fishponds Road, BS16 3BA 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

7:30pm

The government's Health & Social Care Bill has been passed but this doesn't mean that the fight to save the NHS is over – it's just starting. People up and down the country will resist these changes.

The new act will fragment the NHS. Private companies will take over services and make a profit from them. The result will be a system like the USA where many people have no health care and private health companies make vast profits.

The changes are costing billions of pounds at a time when the government is also cutting the NHS budget. We will end up with a worse service and have to pay to use it. Only the private health companies will benefit.

The NHS is should be about co-operation not competition and privatisation. NHS workers and users of the service all recognise the threat these changes make. Together we can prevent them being implemented.

Come along and hear more about the facts on the threats to the NHS and how they can be stopped. All welcome.

Flyer here: http://www.bristolanticutsalliance.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/flyer120505fishponds.pdf

BRISTOL ANTI-CUTS ALLIANCE MAY DAY DEMONSTRATION & RALLY - SAVE THE NHS! SATURDAY 5TH MAY. More details here: http://www.facebook.com/events/397400083617115/

Tunisia: Open letter from Paul Murphy MEP to the President of Tunisian Republic

From: http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/5695
To: Moncef Marzouki, President of the Tunisian Republic

Dear Mr Marzouki,

I have been following the situation in Tunisia very closely, especially after I had the opportunity to visit Tunisia on a delegation from the European Parliament in May of last year. Since then I have kept close contact with many of the trade unionists, human rights campaigners and youth activists I had met.

It is with dismay that I heard reports on the conditions the opposition movement have faced in recent days. I want to express my opposition at the brutal repression your government has wielded against peaceful protesters last Monday while they were commemorating the anniversary of ‘Martyrs’ Day’. I also heard reports of passers-by being attacked for just being in the vicinity of the march.

Masked police officers and government supporters attacked people using tear gas, batons and electric batons. They particularly focussed on well known activists and left wing supporters, these horrific scenes remind me of the darkest days under Ben Ali. As a result of these attacks many people needed to be hospitalised and an unknown number of people are being held in custody.






This is not the only example of the repression used by your government; a demonstration that took place last Saturday, organised by the ’Union of Unemployed Graduates’ met a similar fate.

This situation is in sharp contrast to the hopes and aspirations of the mass of people who rose up and overthrew the Ben Ali dictatorship. Having been yourself the President of the Tunisian League of Human Rights between 1989 and 1994, and an opponent to Ben Ali’s dictatorship, it is particularly disgraceful from your part to imply that both parties are equally to blame for what happened. I urge your government and its security forces and supporters to fully respect the people’s basic democratic right to freedom of speech and assembly and to cancel the state of emergency.

All protesters arrested in the last few days must be immediately released without charge. It is also crucial that there is an independent investigation into these events by representatives of trade unions, the UDC and other popular organisations.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Murphy

Member of the European Parliament.

PCS says 'shocking' tax avoidance shows cuts are unnecessary

Commenting on reports chancellor George Osborne was "shocked" by levels of tax avoidance by millionaires, Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said:

"The only shocking thing is that someone who was shadow chancellor for five years before becoming chancellor apparently did not realise that our public finances are deprived of tens of billions of pounds every year through tax avoidance and evasion by the super-rich.

"Mr Osborne should spend less time courting the very wealthy and agreeing to cut their taxes even further and more time talking to his own staff in HM Revenue and Customs who have been warning about this for years.

"But now he has seen the light, he must accept his government's cuts are not only damaging they are entirely unnecessary."

From PCS press release, 9.4.12

BADACA: SAVE THE NHS Demo & Rally Saturday 5th May

Bristol & District Anti-Cuts Alliance 

SAVE THE NHS 

Demonstration & Rally 

Saturday 5th May 

Assemble 11am College Green 

The government's Health & Social Care Bill has been passed. This doesn't mean that the fight to save the NHS is over – it's just starting. People up and down the country will resist these changes. 

The new act will fragment the NHS. Private companies will take over services and make a profit from them. The result will be a system like the USA where many people have no health care and private health companies make vast profits.

The changes are costing billions of pounds at a time when the government is also cutting the NHS budget. We will end up with a worse service and have to pay to use it. Only the private health companies will benefit.

The NHS is should be about co-operation not competition and privatisation. NHS workers and users of the service all recognise the threat these changes make. Together we can prevent them being implemented.

This demonstration is one of several events in the city marking May Day – international workers' day.

For more information contact admin@bristolanticutsalliance.org.uk

Website www.bristolanticutsalliance.org.uk

Facebook www.facebook.com/BristolAntiCuts

Video: Paul Murphy MEP on ACTA

Remploy - Not for sale!

Unite the Union campaign against closure of Remploy sites 

Since 1946 Remploy has supported thousands of disabled people return to work, from ex-service personnel to people born with complex disabilities.

On 7 March 2012 the coalition government announced plans to close 36 of the 54 remaining Remploy sites with compulsory redundancies for 1,752 people. This decision comes just a few days after the government passed the welfare bill, which is to help people in to work. Instead of a commitment to help the most vulnerable people in society, the government is making life worse for them.

Remploy provides real jobs for many hundreds of disabled workers, giving them the confidence and dignity to be active and contributing citizens. Closing the factories will cause real hardship and push many to the back of the dole queue.

The government wants to sell off its Remploy factories. Join Unite in saying save our Remploy.

Sign our petition now to save Remploy factories

National Demonstration – Friday 20 April 2012

Lobby the DWP in Sheffield - The campaign to save Remploy factories continues
Assemble 12.30 for a 1pm start outside the Department of Work and Pensions office in Sheffield (Steel City House) at the junction of West Street, Church Street and Tripit Lane.

Rally and March to the Town Hall

Speakers to be announced

All Welcome bring your banners

USA: One year after the battle of Wisconsin

New booklet produced Socialist Alternative (CWI supporters in the US)

Before the Occupy movement challenged the ideas of the capitalist establishment in the US, contributing to the worldwide movement of the Enraged and Indignados, 2011 started with the uprising of the workers’ movement in Wisconsin: In February and March hundreds of thousands of workers and young people rose up against the attempt to strip public sector workers of their collective bargaining rights. Despite ending in defeat, it potentially marked the beginning of the end of a period of general setbacks for the US workers’ movement.

Socialist Alternative (CWI supporters in the US) published a balance sheet to outline the strength and challenges of this movement:

The Battle of Wisconsin - History and lessons from the working-class revolt of 2011, by George Martin Fell Brown