Spread the Word and Tell a Pal With thanks to East Midlands Region and City of Edinburgh Branch

Challenges we face from the Coalition Government are fundamental:- Cuts and privatisation. Ideological opposition to public services Co-ordinated lobby to cut pay and pensions Concerted plans to undermine trade union rights and organisation. Explicit rolling back of the welfare state. Strategy designed to make changes irreversible Spread the word

Cuts driven by ideology not economics UNISON’s Key Messages Cuts driven by ideology not economics We all need public services – the economy needs public services – we can afford public services if everyone pays their fair share. The 1000 richest people are worth £330 billion pounds and their wealth has increased by 30% in the last year. £330bn is enough to clear the deficit - twice over. Spread the word

Nothing inevitable about cuts – they do not make economic sense UNISON’s Key Messages Nothing inevitable about cuts – they do not make economic sense Economy depends on healthy public sector – cuts risk a double dip recession For every £1 earned by public service worker 70p goes back into local economy Spread the word

UNISON’s Key Messages No private/public divide. Private sector depends on public sector contracts. For every 1 public sector job lost, at least 1 lost in private sector. Cuts hit the poorest far more than the rich – we are not ‘all in this together’ The poorest families will be hit by government cuts FIVE times worse than top earners. After war deficit at least three times (at peak 5 times) higher yet we built the NHS and the Welfare State Spread the word

Key Messages ukpublicspending.co.uk

What do the experts say? ALL of the G20 countries are dealing with the recession through investment – except Britain and Argentina Most mainstream economists argue for postponing cuts to deficit until a robust recovery begins Plan to return to surplus by 2015 is ‘pointless’ especially when it could cost a million jobs Spread the word

Economists who previously predicted the crash are saying the cuts will damage the economy…….. In 2008 Prof David Blanchflower said “something horrible” was going to happen with the economy. Of the Budget he says: “this unnecessary and dangerous budget will push the economy back into recession.” In October 2006 Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz said there would be a crash “ within 24 months.” Now he says : “we're now looking at a long, hard, slow recovery…. if everybody cuts back at the same time.” Nobel prize winner Paul Krugman (who also predicted the crash) recently said: “Spend now, while the economy remains depressed; save later, once it has recovered. How hard is that to understand?” Spread the word

There is an alternative – raise income Robin Hood Tax on the banks = £30bn Airline Duty = £3bn Tax Treatment of Pension contributions for the wealthy = £5bn Deal with tax avoidance = £33bn 25% of top companies pay no Corporation Tax at all but should be paying around £285m (Google £1.6bn = 0 – Arcadia Phillip Green £1.2bn = 0) A one off 20% tax on the richest 10% would give £800bn! (Greg Philo guardian.co.uk, Sunday 15 August 2010) And finally, when the economy picks up tax receipts will increase by well over £60bn The money is there – it’s just in the wrong hands! Spread the word

Key campaigning tasks - mythbusting:- Survey: Most members believe there is waste in public services Half believe huge cuts needed because of national debt It is likely many members believe pay restraint needed because of financial situation Spread the word

Key campaigning tasks – organising and recruiting:- While membership levels holding, density not good enough Lack of activists and lack of engagement/ involvement Diffuse campaigning ConDems winning the propaganda war? Spread the word

What can we do? Recruit Organise and Educate Involve Spread the word

Recruit Consider recruitment in everything we do Essential to increase membership and density Increases our influence and effectiveness Spread the word

Organise and educate Get key messages out to members and the general public Challenge the Condem myths Publicise UNISON’s alternative budget Respond to press and media distortions, especially in the local media Lobby elected members and MPs Build public service alliances at local level Spread the word

Involve Get members involved in campaigns/action Getting stewards involved – less time at meetings, more for organising Give them the tools and the support to take forward the key messages Build towards national days of action Spread the word