“There are real issues of deprivation in the Holylands area, such as growing unemployment but especially so in the extremely poor housing people are expected to live in. Slum landlords are responsible for massive overcrowding, which can cause resentment. These conditions are being exploited by racists to whip up hatred against ethnic minorities. The entire community needs to stand firmly against any attempt to whip up racist division and demand jobs and proper housing for all in South Belfast.
Up to 200 jobs are to be cut at Belfast Metropolitan College (BMC), representing 20% of the workforce. Cuts at BMC have already led to the closure of courses for young people who need qualifications, and now these job losses will lead to even less places for people to study and gain an education – that is if they are not resisted.
Responding to the news of Bank of Scotland (Ireland)'s decision to close its Halifax outlets with the resulting loss of 750 jobs Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins commented.
The Stop the Cuts Campaign today submitted it's "rejection of the Assembly Executive's Draft Budget" in a hard-hitting statement which accused the political parties in the Executive of taking "a political decision to stand together with the Tory/Lib Dem coalition government in implementing savage cuts against ordinary people."
The submission continued "Those who claim to oppose cuts to public services must refuse to implement cuts and oppose this Draft Budget. The fight to secure necessary funding for public services must be carried out by organising ordinary people, public sector and private sector workers, alongside the trade union movement to actively resist the cuts and link up with the millions of people across Britain who oppose the cuts, including initially a one day public sector strike."
The Stop the Cuts Campaign, which is backed by the Fire Brigades Union, the teachers union INTO and union branches argued "Big business and rich individuals are allowed to get away with avoiding and evading approximately £120billion in taxes every year. An extra £4.7billion could be raised immediately by introducing a 50% tax rate on incomes over £100,000. The scrapping of privatisation schemes such as Public Private Partnerships and Private Finance Initiative in the health service alone would save £20billion a year."
Council workers need a fighting union
Roger Bannister is a member of the Unison union's national executive, and campaigning to stand for election as Unison general secretary. Roger says the union must fight the cuts in Birmingham, which are being repeated by councils, health authorities and the education sector nationwide:
"THE PROPOSED culling of jobs, conditions, pay and public services has begun. Dave Prentis, Unison's present general secretary, attacks the Tories who run Birmingham council but Labour councils will make similar cuts. Will he attack them? Why can't the Labour government bail out our public services as they did with the banks?
