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The Brits Organise
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In just a few days’ time tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of people will descend on London for the TUC March for the Alternative.
Over 700 coaches and a fleet of charter trains will bring people to London from across Britain, and there appears to be little doubt that this will be the largest demonstration organised by the trade union movement in a generation.
The size of Saturday’s march and rally will reflect the scale of the damage inflicted on communities and individuals by the government’s programme of vicious cuts and so-called “reforms.”
Already some 226,000 council workers have lost their jobs or have been given notice of potential redundancy - this before the real impact of the government’s decision to slash nearly 30 per cent from local authority budgets is felt.
The False Economy website has estimated that more than 50,000 jobs will go in the NHS, despite government claims that health spending is protected.
Each of these job losses means poorer services for the public and increased pressures on the staff who remain. Little wonder that a recent survey found that three-quarters of public-sector workers felt morale in their workplace was average or poor.
The government’s cuts and top-down reforms have left staff demoralised, insecure and under more pressure than ever.
Beneath the statistics, cuts in public services and benefits are exacting a dreadful individual cost.
False Economy features dozens of testimonies setting out the human cost of the government’s reckless approach to deficit reduction.
One such example is “WS” from the West Midlands.
Her severely disabled daughter attends a residential school and cuts mean that she will lose her mobility allowance, a much needed lifeline which allows her a degree of independence and to learn essential social skills.
Another example is the Grange Day Centre in Shropshire, which provides support for physically disabled adults.
The only centre of its kind in the county, the Grange will close at the end of the year, despite a vigorous campaign by users and the local community.
These stories are by no means unique, which is why Saturday’s event is so important.
Read the rest here
Some of the links
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