Louise Noustrapour & John Millington in Manchester
Wednesday September 15, 2010
The Morning Star
Bank of England governor Mervin King struggled to justify Con-Dem austerity measures in front of the TUC Congress as delegates protested with placards, T-shirts and even walkouts.
Delivering his much-anticipated speech amid a hive of media activity and visible shows of dissent from some delegates, Mr King insisted that savage cuts facing workers amounted to "a more gradual fiscal tightening than in some other counties."
The entire RMT transport union delegation walked out in protest as the governor took to the Congress rostrum.
Reps for teaching union UCU wore T-shirts emblazed with "Make the Bankers Pay" and were joined by several delegates waving "No CONDEM Cuts" placards.
Although Mr King insisted that he understood the anger of workers losing their jobs, he attempted to shift blame onto the former "Soviet empire" as it entered the world capitalist economy and emerging economies such as China for running up high trade deficits.
"Such massive imbalances were never likely to be sustainable," he declared.
Despite the unprecedented capitalist crisis Mr King added: "To my mind a market economy and its disciplines offer the best way of raising living standards."
He went on to claim that there was "no alternative" to the spending cuts, despite voices within the Establishment warning of a double-dip recession.
He ignored the TUC's alternative economic proposals for investment in productive industries to create jobs and stimulate the economy.
However he did appear to sympathise with demands for a crackdown on tax evasion by companies and wealthy individuals who cost the Treasury up to £160bn - more than enough to wipe out the deficit.
During a brief Q&A, PCS president Janice Godrich asked for Mr King's views on whether more should be done to close tax loopholes and pursue "criminals" engaged in tax evasion.
Mr King responded: "I hear your points and they seem persuasive."
He also admitted that the huge banking bailout was "unfair," but rejected the union movement's call for direct control of those banks to curb bonuses and divert profits back into the public purse.
Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke was left unimpressed by Mr King's speech, pointing out that the Congress had passed numerous resolutions for sustainable growth and job creation.
"If these cuts continue over the next five years, we will be in double-dip recession," he warned.
"We have to make sure that this crisis never happens again. The Bank of England has a duty and role to rein in excessive bonuses."
"I would like to have seen him say more about manufacturing as there is a lot more unemployment coming in the pipeline."
GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: "The truth is that he presided over the Bank of England and he never spoke out when he should have done.
"He failed us."
RMT general secretary Bob Crow, who boycotted the speech, said: "RMT delegates want to hear from the people suffering from this economic crisis, not waste time being lectured by the people who created it."
Left Economics Advisory Panel co-ordinator Andrew Fisher said of Mr King's pro-cut comments: "The only way to cut the deficit sustainably is to grow the economy - and that means investment in the public sector, not cuts.
"The £120 billion tax gap must now be a priority for the coalition government in place of devastating public sector cuts"
TUC supports push for 1m green jobs
Louise Nousratpour in Manchester
Wednesday September 15, 2010
The Morning Star
TUC Congress: TUC delegates have set out a working-class agenda to tackle the dual scourge of unemployment and climate change by investing in high-quality green jobs.
Congress threw its weight behind the One Million Green Jobs campaign already supported by a range of unions including the CWU, RMT, TSSA, NUT and UCU as well as the Vestas workers and several NGOs.
The campaign, launched last year, details how a million public-sector jobs can be created through investment in green manufacturing, energy-efficient house-building and a fully integrated public transport system.
By putting sustainability and the planet's health before profits Britain could grow its way out of the economic crisis without punishing the poor, delegates argued.
CWU delegate Tony Kearns said that the ambitious goals outlined in the campaign pamphlet were not a "flight of fancy" but could be achieved if Britain was serious about tackling rising unemployment and led the fight against climate change.
"These are jobs that actually need doing today - investing in alternative energy, building homes, reopening rail networks and developing safe cycle lanes," he told delegates in Manchester.
PCS delegate Adam Khalif said that his union planned to create a network of green branch reps to encourage activism among members.
"We must build on the magnificent Vestas workers' struggle and start a debate about how we can defend members' jobs and conditions while protecting the planet we live in," he urged.
"The fight for jobs is the same fight against climate change."
The government was accused of failing to address the pressing issue by delaying key decisions that would ensure "a secure and balanced" low-carbon economy for Britain.
Prospect delegate Sue Ferns, who moved the unanimously passed motion on climate change, said: "We can't simply rely on the market to cut CO2 emissions."
National Union of Mineworkers vice-president Nicky Wilson moved a motion on green coal.
He called for immediate plans to replace coal-fired power stations with new carbon capture and storage plants.
"It is a scandal that Britain, despite capability of being self-sufficient, imports 60 per cent of its coal consumption," he said.
"With the right technology and investment, Britain's coal can be the most efficient, productive and safe industry in the world - and the greenest."
Wednesday September 15, 2010
The Morning Star
TUC Congress: TUC delegates have set out a working-class agenda to tackle the dual scourge of unemployment and climate change by investing in high-quality green jobs.
Congress threw its weight behind the One Million Green Jobs campaign already supported by a range of unions including the CWU, RMT, TSSA, NUT and UCU as well as the Vestas workers and several NGOs.
The campaign, launched last year, details how a million public-sector jobs can be created through investment in green manufacturing, energy-efficient house-building and a fully integrated public transport system.
By putting sustainability and the planet's health before profits Britain could grow its way out of the economic crisis without punishing the poor, delegates argued.
CWU delegate Tony Kearns said that the ambitious goals outlined in the campaign pamphlet were not a "flight of fancy" but could be achieved if Britain was serious about tackling rising unemployment and led the fight against climate change.
"These are jobs that actually need doing today - investing in alternative energy, building homes, reopening rail networks and developing safe cycle lanes," he told delegates in Manchester.
PCS delegate Adam Khalif said that his union planned to create a network of green branch reps to encourage activism among members.
"We must build on the magnificent Vestas workers' struggle and start a debate about how we can defend members' jobs and conditions while protecting the planet we live in," he urged.
"The fight for jobs is the same fight against climate change."
The government was accused of failing to address the pressing issue by delaying key decisions that would ensure "a secure and balanced" low-carbon economy for Britain.
Prospect delegate Sue Ferns, who moved the unanimously passed motion on climate change, said: "We can't simply rely on the market to cut CO2 emissions."
National Union of Mineworkers vice-president Nicky Wilson moved a motion on green coal.
He called for immediate plans to replace coal-fired power stations with new carbon capture and storage plants.
"It is a scandal that Britain, despite capability of being self-sufficient, imports 60 per cent of its coal consumption," he said.
"With the right technology and investment, Britain's coal can be the most efficient, productive and safe industry in the world - and the greenest."
Teachers warn of 'apartheid'
Louise Nousratpour in Manchester
Wednesday September 15, 2010
The Morning Star
TUC Congress: Education Secretary Michael Gove's push for academies and so-called free schools will lead to "educational apartheid" and deepen class divisions, the TUC Congress has warned.
During a debate on education on Tuesday delegates declared unanimous opposition to the Tory's piece-meal privatisation of state schools.
National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower said the motion "spells out our opposition to the fragmentation and privatisation of our education service and our support for a state-funded and democratically accountable education service."
NASUWT delegate Paula Roe stressed that so-called free schools were "not free at all. They cost more and deliver less than state schools."
She warned that the plans would lead to "educational apartheid," adding that recent joint campaigns by unions, community activists and parents had shown "co-ordinated action can challenge the government."
The anti-academies campaign sabotaged Mr Gove's plan to get "thousands" of schools to reopen as academies following his hasty legislation to encourage head teachers to apply for the status.
Only 32 reopened as academies this year.
Other speakers warned that academies and free schools - which are publicly funded and privately run - drained already scarce funding from local schools and higher education colleges.
And Lawrence Hunt of Ucatt said thousands of construction jobs and vital apprenticeship opportunities had been lost due to Mr Gove's decision to scrap the previous Labour government's multimillion-pound school-building programme.
Unite delegate Dave Mathieson warned: "The severe attack on our comprehensive education system will reinforce class divisions and social segregation."
Wednesday September 15, 2010
The Morning Star
TUC Congress: Education Secretary Michael Gove's push for academies and so-called free schools will lead to "educational apartheid" and deepen class divisions, the TUC Congress has warned.
During a debate on education on Tuesday delegates declared unanimous opposition to the Tory's piece-meal privatisation of state schools.
National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower said the motion "spells out our opposition to the fragmentation and privatisation of our education service and our support for a state-funded and democratically accountable education service."
NASUWT delegate Paula Roe stressed that so-called free schools were "not free at all. They cost more and deliver less than state schools."
She warned that the plans would lead to "educational apartheid," adding that recent joint campaigns by unions, community activists and parents had shown "co-ordinated action can challenge the government."
The anti-academies campaign sabotaged Mr Gove's plan to get "thousands" of schools to reopen as academies following his hasty legislation to encourage head teachers to apply for the status.
Only 32 reopened as academies this year.
Other speakers warned that academies and free schools - which are publicly funded and privately run - drained already scarce funding from local schools and higher education colleges.
And Lawrence Hunt of Ucatt said thousands of construction jobs and vital apprenticeship opportunities had been lost due to Mr Gove's decision to scrap the previous Labour government's multimillion-pound school-building programme.
Unite delegate Dave Mathieson warned: "The severe attack on our comprehensive education system will reinforce class divisions and social segregation."
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