26 March - We Are The Big Society

Lobby Reading Council - Tuesday 22 Feb

On Tuesday 22 February 2011 Reading Borough Council will be meeting to rubber stamp it's cuts for the year ahead.

It is important that we tell them how we feel, so get everyone you can - trade unionists, family, friends, volunteers and any one else - to join us outside and around the Civic Offices.

The meeting starts at 6.30pm, but many councillors will arive early and try to sneek in - so we need to be there early too!

Rolling Day Of Action In Reading: Saturday 15 Jan 2011

In response to the call from SERTUC to organise local action on Saturday 15 January 2011 Reading Trades Union Council with Save Our Services Reading is calling for support for a rolling day of action:

Meet at Royal Berks Hospital (London Street entrance) at 11.00am, to protest against the cuts and exporting of jobs ...

Thereafter, make our way to Market Place (some of you will know it as the Butter Market) to leaflet the public about the debt owed to us by the bailed out banks (LloydsTSB, NatWest) ...

Then through Broad Street and the tax dodgers (Top Shop, Vodafone, etc)

Then to Reading Borough Council Civic Offices to protest the cutting of council services at 1pm.

MORE DETAILS ...

Welcome to the 'Save Our Services' movement against public service cuts in Reading.

To post to this group, send email to sosreading@googlegroups.com

Ask others to join by sending an email to
sosreading+subscribe@googlegroups.com

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to
sosreading+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

Join the Facebook Group by searching for 'Reading Anti-Cuts Coalition'.

They say cut back? We say FIGHT BACK!

SERTUC Action Against The Cuts: Saturday 15 Jan 2011

The SERTUC Executive Committee is calling for your active support for street level action in every community on Saturday 15 January – organised by you!

The challenge is to counter the government’s lies about

• the economy has never been in such a state
• spending on public service are the cause of this
• deep cuts to public services are essential
• these are difficult decisions – but they are fair

Millions of media pounds and constant political repetition has given the public a diet of lies and half truths – so the Executive Committee believes we have to use our considerable human resources (our members and our commitment) to talk to our communities and win an understanding about the depth of the government’s political attack on working people.

What can you do?

The invitation is to all affiliates, trade union branches and trades councils: make your voice heard locally on Saturday 15 January

Can you organise a street meeting, workplace activity, a street stall, a demonstration, a media-worthy stunt, community leafleting, press release, street theatre – or any kind of event that will attract people to talk to you, that will attract local media coverage, and that will ensure that our neighbours understand that cuts are not the answer – and, we can make a difference.

Can you involve and work with local organisations – whether organisations campaigning on a specific issue such as a library closure, or broader groups such as Pensioners’ organisations or Tenants’ Associations?

Witney: Sunday 9 January 2011

Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts

http://www.facebook.com/l/7688dgtErKDvAd3ck6UQUpD_HuQ;www.demo2010.org

NUS and UCU are jointly organising a national demonstration – 'Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts' - to take place on Wednesday 10 November 2010.

Ordinary people will be forced out of university education under plans revealed by ministers today to make students pay £9,000 a year in tuition fees.

Universities Minister David Willetts announced proposals to raise the tuition fee cap to £6,000 a year with institutions able to charge up to £9,000 in "exceptional circumstances" from 2012.

Students currently pay £3,290 a year in tuition fees and the proposals would mean graduate debt effectively doubling or trebling.

Mr Willetts was responding to former BP boss Lord Browne's review published last month which called for the cap on tuition fees to be lifted.

National Union of Students president Aaron Porter swiftly slammed the "dangerous" plans for saddling a generation with huge debts before they have even found work.

He joined Labour leader Ed Miliband in hitting out at Liberal Democrats who gave pre-election "cast-iron guarantees" to oppose any increases in tuition fees.

An NUS report also warned that the plans would put off as many as 80 per cent of students from going to university altogether.

Massive cuts to the teaching budget announced in last month's spending review will mean the majority of universities' teaching money will come through fees.

University College Union general secretary Sally Hunt said: "The extra fees being forced on students and their families is money universities are being denied by government.

"It's a simple case of robbing the public to plug a government funding gap."

Under the proposals students will start repaying their loans at 9 per cent of their income at a real rate of interest when they earn £21,000 - up from the current £15,000 threshold - with outstanding loans written off after 30 years.

Mr Willetts also confirmed that students wanting to pay off their loans early would be hit by a financial penalty as the government is "committed to the progressive nature of the repayment system."

And he added that institutions charging over £6,000 would be required to offer outreach activities and financial support to attract poorer pupils, although unions believe these measures are merely an attempt to stave off Lib Dem rebellion.

Teaching union ATL spokeswoman Carly Prout dismissed government claims that its decision supports students from lower economic backgrounds.

"It is clear that by increasing fees more students will be cut off from higher education," she stressed.

National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower added that the plans were "not a level playing field by any stretch of the imagination" and will hit the poorest hardest.

The announcement comes as Universities Scotland director Alastair Sim called on Holyrood to make Scottish students pay a contribution towards the cost of their degrees after graduating to address looming spending cuts.

A national demonstration against education funding cuts will hit London streets next Wednesday 10 November 2010.

Meeting this Thursday, 26 October