Marching for a Future That Works
Live
updates on twitter: Glasgow, London, Belfast |
rockahn.net
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"On
the morning of Saturday 20 October,
trade unionists and community activists
from across Scotland will gather
for the march through Glasgow to
play our part in telling governments
that enough is enough!" |
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UNISON branches and communities across Scotland
are gearing up for a massive STUC demonstration in
Glasgow
on 20 October to demand ‘a future that works’ as
opposed to disastrous cuts and austerity policies.
Sister events are also being held in London and Belfast
and UNISON leaders from all services are urging stewards
to pull out the stops and build for the day. The event
will start in George Square and march to Glasgow Green.
Branches across the country have been planning and
making transport arrangements, often in partnership
with other unions, communities and users of public
services, to ensure a turnout that cannot be ignored.
The
need to build that broad coalition was underlined by
UNISON Scotland Convener Lilian Macer: “Our members
know that attacks on services, pay, jobs and pensions,
whether from Westminster, Holyrood or
individual public authorities, can and should be resisted
by communities and trade unionists working and campaigning
together.
“Our members will be out on October 20, as will
people from the communities we serve”, she said.
Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish Secretary, explained why
the event is so important: “The Coalition Government may be in crisis but they are still refusing
to change course from their dangerous and damaging programme of cuts and austerity.
That
damage is being directly translated into the Scottish Government’s budget
decisions, affecting every service our members provide.
“On the morning of Saturday 20 October, trade
unionists and community activists from across Scotland
will gather for the march through Glasgow to
play our part
in telling governments that enough is enough.”
Tom Waterson, Health Chair, pointed to staff cuts,
pay cuts and pensions threats in the NHS making it “easy
to see why we will be backing the 20 October demo.”
Local
Government Chair Stephanie Herd and UNISON Scotland
Depute Convener Stephen Smellie tell of the huge
attacks on local councils and the need
to make the
fight against the pay freeze part of the October 20 agenda.
Karen Dawson,
Vice Chair of FE, tells of the effects of a 30% funding
cut in colleges in an article that also covers cuts in HE, Police and
the Community
and Voluntary Sector, underlining why we all need to be there on 20
October.
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