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NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE

Why you should be there on 26 March

Since 11 May the Coalition Government has embarked on a wide-ranging and rapid programme of reform and cuts that threatens the very fabric of the public services we all rely on. Since coming to office, the Coalition has:

announced cuts of an average of 19% to Government departments on top of £6.2 billion of cuts to services in 2010/11. It is estimated that nearly 500,000 public sector jobs will be lost as a result of the cuts, with a resultant catastrophic impact on jobs in the private sector;
cut the local government settlement by 8.9%. The impact of the budget cuts are already being felt, with library and social care services among those under threat, and regeneration and renewal plans shelved;
frozen the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) and Primary Capital programmes, condemning thousands of children and teachers to learn and work in outdated buildings that are unfit for purpose. Thousands of jobs in the construction industry have also been lost as a result of the decision;
signalled major reforms to public sector pensions that will see employee contribution rates raised while accrual rates are slashed. This will mean that public servants will pay much more for a pension that will be worth much less in retirement;
introduced a new academies and free schools programme that threatens the fabric and ethos of a democratically accountable state education system;
slashed or axed dozens of programmes that were intended to support learning and tackle underachievement, including one-to-one tuition, extended services, diplomas and school sports partnerships;
placed the health and safety of millions of workers at risk with its drive to cut so-called ‘red-tape’ by deregulating health and safety legislation and reducing the duties on employers to protect their workforce;
hit public sector workers with a two-year pay freeze at a time when inflation is running at well over 3% and workers are facing up to a 50% increase in their pension contributions;
axed Social Partnership and the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), which were both delivering unprecedented pay and conditions of service gains for teachers, headteachers and support staff;
established a fair pay review that is likely to argue for greater deregulation on public sector salaries;
announced plans to publish details of teachers’ pay and conditions and sickness absence records as part of a drive to make schools more ‘accountable’ to parents;
failed to clamp down on the banking system that caused the current financial crisis. Astronomical bonuses are once again being awarded to bankers and an analysis by the TUC has revealed that UK banks will avoid paying £19 billion to the Exchequer on future profits by exploiting a tax loophole.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SERVICES BE THERE ON 26 MARCH