As Cameron and his millionaire cabal go on about creating "THE BIG SOCIETY" it is becoming abundantly clear what exactly that means. More volunteers doing the work that was paid work before and those who are still being paid will have to accept what is no more than expenses in place of wages. Wages will be continually pushed down and more and more work offered up to charity. It is what I call raw capitalism, capitalism with the gloves off. Below is just one example of what is going on across the country, but sadly it all seems to be taking place in isolated pockets with workers having to fight thousands of small battles across the country. Let's all realise, this is one big battle, this an attack on the living standards of the ordinary people of this country, so it should be one massive show of solidarity against this siphoning of all the wealth up to those over privileged parasites at the top.
SOLIDARITY.
NEWS From UNISON
Date:26 August 2011
Quarriers staff vote yes to strike action to oppose 20% pay cuts.
The men and women who care for some of Scotland’s most vulnerable adults anddistressed children have voted massively for strike action. UNISON members at Quarriers are determined to resist brutal pay cuts on staff which will see over 560 staff take a pay cut of 10% while others will lose as much as 23%. The postal ballot for strike action returned a 76% yes vote for strike action and aan even higher 85% result for action short of a strike. When the ballot result was announced UNISON repeated their ofer totake the ongoing dispute to Acas for arbitration, but Quarriers management have spurned the offer. In addition to pay cuts, which will see some members lose £400 a month. There are also proposed cuts to sick pay, increased pension contributions and other protections removed.
Stephen Brown, UNISON Quarriers branch Secretary said today, “The attacks Quarriers are making on our members are unprecedented. No one can cope with a 23% pay cut and for Quarriers to suggest that they will set up a Hardship Fund for their own staff funded out of their own pay cuts shows how much the organisation has lost touch with its values. William Quarrier set up Quarriers in the 1870s to help underprivileged children not to use wage cuts to drive staff into poverty”.
SOLIDARITY.
Speaking today Simon Macfarlane UNISON Regional Organiser said “ Our members want to be doing their jobs caring for people- not arguing with Quarriers management. But the proposed pay cuts will force people out of the job and impact on the work that they do with the people they care for.“ A 3 to 1 vote for strike action must surely send a message to Quarriers that their proposals are unacceptable. We call on Quarriers to get back round the table and to remove their threat to dismiss and reengage all their staff – let’s take this to ACAS and see if it can be resolved In recent weeks Quarriers have seemed to be more intent on attacking UNISON instead of negotiating. We call on these attacks to stop and for Quarriers to get down to the real work of trying to find a way forward.
