United_Digital1_8:Activist issue 7 12/06/2009 13:25 Page 30
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united digital letters
Irresponsible profits
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STAR LETTER I've just sent a letter of complaint to Clear Channel – a
company that has outdoors advertisements all over
Europe’s poorest pensioners Britain. They're financially profiting from the BNP by
In your last issue, Unite pensions’ officer Bryan Freake drew selling them adverts space on their billboards across
attention to the meagre state pension. the country.
As of April 6 this now stands at £95.25 per week and when Clear Channel proudly displays a statement about
compared with the g
✩
overnment’s own poverty level figure, corporate responsibility on their website – but their
currently £165 per week, then it is clear how inadequate the actions show that they have not lived up to those words.
basic state pension is.
I have written to them to tell get the advertisements
With company pensions rapidly shifting the risk element of pulled. You might like to as well. To send a letter see
pensions onto the employees and the government’s proposed http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/integrity
person pension in 2012 for the nine million workers without
any additional pension cover, having the same risk, it is Paul Meszaros by email
essential the union campaigns hard for the basic state pension
to be above the poverty level.
✩
If working people do not have an adequate base on which to
build for their future retirement, they will remain the poorest
WHAT’S GOT
pensioners in Europe.
YOUR GOAT?
David Jones
✩
, chair East Midlands retired members
Send your thoughts on anything
Unite-related to The Editor, United
digital, Unite, 35 King Street,
London, WC2E 8JG or email
letters@unitetheunion.com
MPs’ rewards
We’ll send the star letter writer a £25
If those that create pain felt that pain they would soon learn
prize voucher.
to avoid it where possible. The people responsible for the
greatest amount of pain in our society are politicians.
‘Green collar’ jobs
The reason they don’t feel the pain they create is simple.
The last issue of United featured a totally one-sided piece
They have been allowed to insulate themselves from the
The publication of
concerning the union’s apparent wholehearted support
effect of their decisions. Not only have they set up their
any letter does not
imply the union
for building of the third runway at Heathrow.
own self serving committees to overpay themselves, but
supports the views
they also give themselves expenses that are denied to
of individual
Several members were quoted, all giving their
those that pay their salaries.
members. We
reserve the right to
enthusiastic endorsement, not one giving any hint of
edit or shorten
criticism. Indeed, one of the main current campaigns of
In effect the inmates have been allowed to set up the
letters.
our union is called Backing Heathrow – backing Britain.
rewards and conditions under which they wallow.
Something not allowed to those that pay their wages, nor
It is important that readers are aware that many
of course should it be.
members are actually opposed to the further expansion
of air travel. The building of the third runway makes a
The solution is easy and would make for a much better
Not happy with
complete mockery of the government’s targets for
and fairer society. If it had already been in place I’m sure
reducing carbon emissions, and playing any leading role in
it would have prevented us from the worst of this
something
the world regarding combating the disastrous effects of
present credit crunch disaster.
you’ve read in
climate change.
MPs would simply be rewarded on average to the same
United digital?
Instead of the short-sighted and Britain-centred
level as those they claim to represent. This simple act
Something in
approach above, we as a union should demand that the
would ensure that they would feel the same pain that the
the news got massive investment, and associated jobs, promised by the
electorate felt.
your goat? Got a
government is directed instead to environment–friendly
projects, such as in renewable energy.
No expenses should ever be received by them unless
strong point of
they were first given to those that pay their wages. All
In a time of economic recession, the creation of
expenses accounted for to the penny and open for public
view? Get on
hundreds of thousands of ‘green collar’ jobs has never
scrutiny. This would ensure that even bath plugs and blue
your soapbox
made more sense.
movies get paid for out of their own pockets.
and let us know!
Pete Ashley, by email
Roger Vaughn, Newport, Gwent
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