We becoming easier to sack

Making it easier to sack us took a step closer last night when the House of Commons approved the Second Reading of the Superannuation Bill. The Bill caps payments at 12months pay in cases of compulsory redundancy and 15 months in cases of voluntary redundancy. The Bill now passes to discussion in committee before it returns to the Commons for its third and final reading. If the Speaker of the House accepts the proposal from the Con-Dems that the Bill should be treated as a Money Bill, it can become law without going for debate in the House of Lords.

If you thought that redundancy could never happen to you, it is time to think again. We are all at risk, regardless of the years we have been in the civil service. The con-dems intend to cut thousands of civil service jobs and this Bill gives them the instrument to do it.

We are beginning the fight of our lives to protect jobs and services. We and other public sector workers didn't create the financial crisis, the banks did and they are being shielded by their friends in the con-dems whilst we pay for their follies; follies they are still getting paid massive bonuses for. There is an alternative to public sector cuts as detailed on the PCS website at the link below

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/index.cfm

The Tories are using the state of the countries finances as an excuse for seemingly making their traditional ideology of everything public is bad and everything private is good more palatable; they are still under the influence of Margaret Thatcher whose policies during the 1980's were disastrous. The Lib-Dems hungry for some power have unfortunately become little more than their poodles.

Now is the time to get active and stand up to this government, who have no real mandate and who are weak not strong. You can begin to do this by attending the Leicestershire Against the Cuts rally on Tuesday 28 September at the Y, East Street, Leicester from 19:30 to 21:30. We were instrumental in creating Leicestershire Against the Cuts and it is growing fast. Our National President, Janice Godrich, will be the keynote speaker and the platform will include national figures from other unions.

We hope to see you there to make a successful show of defiance to what the con-dems propose.