“Working class people uniting together against the Assembly plans can however cut across sectarianism. Campaigns such as the “We Won’t Pay” campaign against water charges demonstrated that when working class people stand united, they can defeat attacks on living standards. If we allow sectarians and politicians to divide us then jobs and services will be lost in both communities. It is now essential that a united anti-cuts movement is built in workplaces and communities that will challenge all cuts.
Like most other Governmental bodies, the WELB have placed a moratorium on the recruitment of staff as a means to met the stringent efficiency gains agreed by the Stormont parties in their three-year Comprehensive Spending Review (May 2008- April 2011). The impact of this has been to place an ever greater burden on those staff remaining on to provide front-line services.
ACCORDING TO the headlines, Britain is on course to a green future based on renewable energy. The National Grid, which organises electricity distribution, has just produced a report claiming that 15% of the country’s energy will be generated by renewable sources by 2020. At the same time, the renewable sector is expanding currently by 25-30% per year internationally and some leading companies in wind energy have announced new investment recently in the UK. For example, GE, Siemens and Gamesa say they are going to invest £300 million in the next three to four years. So, should we stop worrying about global warming since everything seems to be moving in the right direction?
Young people have had enough of the Tories, Lib Dems and all the other right-wing parties who are lining up to carry out cuts, increase university tuition fees and cut the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). Tens of thousands of young people across Ireland and Britain have taken to the streets to fight cuts while greedy bankers continue to receive millions in bonuses.
For a one day school and college strike - for real jobs and training