THE GREEN PARTY TRADE UNION GROUP’S EMERGENCY MOTION ON FORD’S CLOSURE OF THE BRIDGEND ENGINE PLANT WAS PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY AT GREEN PARTY SPRING CONFERENCE
The Green Party regrets Ford’s decision to close its Bridgend
engine plant, announced on 6/6/2019. This threatens the workforce with
unemployment and potentially inflicts a devastating blow to the local economy.
We support the policy of Just Transition, so that when jobs are
lost in environmentally harmful industries, such as petrol vehicle engine
manufacture, workers are offered jobs in ecologically friendly industries with
appropriate retraining.
We don’t support petrol vehicle engine manufacturing, but we do support
workers’ rights to decent treatment.
Nationalising the retail arms of the big six energy firms would
significantly boost the UK’s bid to become carbon neutral by 2050, says
UNISON in a report published today (Monday).
Power to the People calls on a future government to bring
into public ownership the parts of British Gas (Centrica), SSE, E.ON,
EDF Energy, Npower (Innogy) and Scottish Power (Iberdrola) that sell
consumers energy.
This would instantly create a new ‘green army’ of workers dedicated
to helping businesses and the public become more energy efficient, cut
their bills and save the planet, says the report.
Power to the People says this vision could be achieved for between £6bn and £9bn, and the workforce created from the big six firms could:
help ensure security of energy supply and ‘keep the lights on’
keep energy costs affordable for consumers and businesses
ensure the UK meets its climate change targets and moves to a low-carbon economy
make UK homes and businesses more energy efficient
win over the public to achieve the net zero target by 2050 which the UK committed to last week.
The report compares the need for a rapid decarbonisation programme
with the successful conversion of millions of homes from town gas to
natural gas in the 1960s.
This huge logistical operation, which was achieved by a public
corporation with the national interest at heart, could happen again,
according to Power to the People.
Commenting on the report UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:
“The climate crisis is a fundamental threat to the future of the
planet, but the UK won’t get to net zero emissions on a hope and a
prayer. Proper action is required and quickly.
“Public ownership of the retail energy sector is affordable – it
could be done at a fraction of the cost of nationalising the energy
networks.
“It would also provide job security to thousands of workers currently
employed by the big six energy firms, help deliver the government’s
carbon neutral target, make us all more energy efficient and mean
cheaper bills for everyone.
“In an instant a green army of thousands of workers could begin
helping consumers reduce their energy consumption, bills and the
country’s emissions. Solar panels and greener hydrogen boilers could
soon become the norm.
“The inconvenient truth though is we must act now. The warning sirens
are sounding and piecemeal action isn’t enough. We’ll have sleepwalked
into an entirely preventable catastrophe If we fail to achieve net zero
by 2050.”
Power to the People highlights how the debate so far has focused on ownership of the UK’s energy networks – the wires, pipes and production.
But it argues, bringing the retail arm of the energy sector into
public ownership would enable the government to sign up millions of
homes and businesses to the necessary green conversion. It could also
start a decarbonisation programme immediately and at a lower cost than
many alternatives.
Join a Trade Union solidarity day with student climate strikes, Friday 24 May
The last few months and weeks have been amazing.
The global movement of school climate strikes and the inspiring actions of Extinction Rebellion have shifted the debate on climate change injecting a new urgency.
The first success of this growing movement has been to force the UK parliament to declare a ClimateEmergency.
Now we need the action to match the words.
Greta Thunberg has called for a general strike urging others join student striking for climate action.
Many trade unionists across the trade union movement have been inspired by the action taken in the last few months by young people determined to defend their future. Now, as Trade unionists, let’s stand in Solidarity and add our voice to the call for climate action.
Let’s start by building solidarity with the school climate strike on May 24th Can you?- Can you bring your trade union banner on the Youth Strike 4 Climate protest on Friday 24 May @ 11am in Parliament Square in London? Can you get to local demonstrations across Britain?- Can you get a solidarity photo in your work place showing trade unions stand with students and tweet it using hashtags #GlobalStrike4Climate and #TradeUnions4Climate- Organise a trade union meeting on the day to discuss the Climate Emergency and what your union is doing to respond?- Pass a motion of solidarity in your union/branch- Share with us at CACC trade union Group and others ideas about what we can do to stand in solidarity with student climate strikers.
Let’s mobilise across the whole of the trade union movement- to put a million climate jobs and a national climate service to deliver a Green New Deal at the heart of the urgent action we need to tackle the climate emergency.
Hope you are able to join us in a Trade Union Solidarity day with student climate strikes on May 24th. Let me know what you are planning to do. In Solidarity
Suzanne Jeffery Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group
Locally-elected council members from across the country have backed
the campaign by the NEU’s Councillors Network, which is supported by
education fair funding campaign group f40, in expressing concern about
the desperate state of school funding in England and Wales.
They are urging Government to invest more money in schools in the
Spending Review this year to help meet the huge funding crisis across
education, which is resulting in growing budget deficits, cuts in
teaching staff, a reduction in some subject areas, and a poorer
education for children.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies states that schools have suffered a cut of 8 per cent per pupil since 2010. The Education Policy Institutehas said almost a third of all council-run secondary schools are now in deficit and, according to last year’s Kreston UK report, eight in ten academies are in deficit.
The NEU believes the situation cannot go on and there needs to be a
reversal of cuts to school budgets since 2010, and for the funding of
schools and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision
to be of a level that ensures all children and young people get the
education they deserve, regardless of where they live.
Campaign group f40, which started more than 20 years ago with the aim
of influencing significant change in the way government allocated
funding to local authorities and schools, threw its weight behind the
NEU’s letter to Damian Hinds.
Cllr Jumbo Chan, Brent, NEU Councillors Network Convenor, said:
“This letter represents the next step in trying to lobby the
government to urgently stop the hugely damaging cuts to school funding.
“Last autumn, the NEU Councillors Network persuaded a majority of
councils in London to pass motions opposing the school cuts. It is now
clear that many individual councillors from all over the country also
feel strongly about this very important issue. The government must heed
the calls of locally-elected representatives who can see first-hand the
havoc school cuts – compounded by biting cuts to precious local
government funding – are wreaking on many young people.”
Cllr James McInnes, f40 Chairman and cabinet member for children and schools in Devon, said:
“The f40 campaign for fair funding has given its full support to the
NEU’s letter to Damian Hinds and is pleased it’s been so well supported
by councillors from across the country. It’s clear that elected
representatives are unhappy with the government’s handling of school
funding and are demanding an increase in budgets, as well as adjustments
to the way funding is allocated.”
Cllr Maggie Browning, Southwark, NEU Councillors Network Convenor, said:
“The cuts to school budgets have reached epidemic levels in England
and Wales. Increasingly, tighter funds mean schools across the country
are narrowing their curriculum and cutting subjects like drama and art,
which is a travesty.
“Schools are also struggling to provide adequate support for students
with Special Educational Needs and some are even closing early or
starting late to save money. Teachers’ workloads have become
unsustainable as they are asked to do more and more with less, including
larger class sizes and fuller timetables with less support.
“This is fuelling the recruitment and retention crisis across the
country, with one in three teachers leaving in the first five years of
joining the profession. This is a complete waste of talent and is deeply
disruptive to the learning of students. The Spending Review is a vital
opportunity for Damian Hinds to commit to a full reversal of the cuts to
school budgets and a significant increase in per pupil funding,
particularly for SEND.”
Letter from NEU Councillors Network reads:
Dear Damian Hinds MP,
As councillors, we are writing to express our grave concerns over the Government’s ongoing cuts to school funding.
Our excellent state-funded schools have lost out in billions of
pounds in funding since 2015. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has
equated this to an 8 per cent real cut per pupil in real terms, since
2010. The funding crisis has become so overwhelming that according to
the Education Policy Institute, almost a third of all council-run
secondary schools are now in deficit, and eight in ten academies are in
deficit according to last year’s Kreston UK report.
Many schools are now desperately overwhelmed, as more and more
students are competing for fewer and fewer resources. Compounded by
biting cuts to local council services, in addition to the teacher
recruitment and retention crisis, the current settlement is not tenable.
We demand that the Government address this funding crisis in its Spending Review by:
• Reversing the cuts to school funding since 2010.
• Giving our schools the funding they need.
• Funding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision properly.
Our children only have one chance to go through the school system. By
cutting funding to schools, the Government is failing them. It must
change course urgently, and give our schools, education professionals
and students the proper funding they need.
From Barnet Alliances for Public Services (BAPS) and Kick Out Capita who have campaigned vociferously for out-sources services in the Tory Flagship London Borough of Barnet to be brought back in-house. This is a landmark decision and perhaps a warning to other boroughs.
Monday 1 April is officially
the first day back into Council employment for former Capita Finance and
Human Resources staff.
This will mean Phase One of
the Capita review has been completed.
After years of campaigning,
BAPS and the #KickOutCapita campaign invite you:
Join us to welcome back the workers
who return in-house
There will be cake and
Welcome notices, feel free to bring your own placards. All welcome!
However, we also want to
send a very clear message to Barnet Council that we want to see the swift
return of all the former Council services, currently provided by Capita, back
in-house ASAP.
At the moment councillors
are considering bringing back the services in phases over 18 months:
Phase Two: Highways &
regeneration (scheduled to be discussed in Policy & Resource committee in
June 2019)
Phase Three : Estates, Social Care
Direct, Safety, Health and Wellbeing, Strategic planning, Procurement,
Insight, Cemetery and Crematorium, Revenues and benefits
Phase Four: Customer services,
Information Services (IT), Planning (development management and enforcement),
Regulatory services, Transactional HR services (including Payroll and
Pensions Administration), Any other remaining services.
But
we think that the proposed time scale is dragging the process far too long.
Other councils like Southampton, Blackburn and Darwen, Sheffield and Birmingham
all in-sourced the services within a much shorter time.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s campaigning video
Amidst the distraction of the Brexit farrago a statement was slipped out in the House of Commons last Tuesday of great significance for everyone campaigning to save the NHS and against austerity cuts to public services. The Secretary of State announced the decision with many a swipe at the local MPs
A key factor in the campaign was how Hammersmith and Fulham Council got behind the local community and hopsital campaigners and devoted resources to savinf their local hospital A&E. Unfortunately the Shaping the Healthier Future plans that led to the closure of the A&E at Central Middlesex Hospital, although well fought.,were implemented and the A&E is still missed today, particularly by residents in the Park Royal, Harlesden and Stonebridge areas.
Save our Hospitals Hammersmith and Fulham said:
The Secretary of Health Matt Hancock announced on March 26th that the closure plans for both Charing Cross and Ealing hospitals contained in the cuts & closures plan known as Shaping A Healthier Future have been withdrawn. We’ve won. It’s not been easy taking on a well funded posse of spin doctors, management consultants and political ideologues but many thousands of people have done just that and after a 7 year fight we’ve stopped a closure plan that was downright dangerous. Everyone has done their bit whether that’s signing petitions, challenging bureaucrats in meetings, running street stalls, demonstrating, fundraising or delivering & displaying posters. We should feel really proud of ourselves and celebrate our collective achievement.
Of course there are still huge problems: The £30m primary & community cuts planned for H&F, the state of disrepair in our hospitals, on going understaffing & under resourcing coupled with the threat of privatisation by the likes of Babylon and Virgin. Some may have seen the laughable attempts of local conservative MPs and councillors to claim responsibility for a victory they have consistently done their best to sabotage It’s also true that the government could change it’s mind and come back with new closure plans in the future.
So we’ll have to keep campaigning – we’ve proven today that campaigning works. But for now let’s just celebrate a victory won by lots of different people (including you) working together to Save Charing Cross Hospital.
Kind Regards AD(SOH chair)
Ealing Save Our NHS said:
Finally, the Government has admitted the horrible ‘Shaping a Healthier Future Plan’ (SAHF) is not workable!
Former NHS England chief executive Sir David Nicholson had called these plans “the most significant reconfiguration project in the country”. But since they first announced SAHF plans to cut nine major hospitals in North West London down to five, Ealing Save Our NHS has been campaigning against it side by side with many others including Save Our Hospitals Charing Cross and the Councils in Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham. SAHF spent tens of millions of pounds of NHS cash on management consultants. All for nothing. Now Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, has announced the Department of Health no longer supports it. Ealing Save Our NHS has distributed a quarter of a million leaflets, held protests, attended carnivals, organised parties, lobbies, petitions, car convoys and much more to spell out the truth. On the other side huge amounts of NHS money was spent on public relations staff and glossy leaflets to pretend that our health would mysteriously be improved if they closed A&E’s and hundreds of beds. It didn’t work.
So what will happen now? Ealing Save Our NHS will keep on campaigning. This disastrous SAHF plan has seen the closure of two local A&Es, Central Middlesex and Hammersmith, as well as the closure of Ealing A&E to children. As a direct consequence, waiting times for Type 1 urgent A&E visits increased greatly. Ealing Hospital’s excellent maternity department was also closed, forcing Ealing mothers to travel long distances and negatively effecting continuity of care for many.
But health bosses appear to have learned nothing and continue to defend the indefensible. Mark Easton, the head of the North West London Clinical Commissioning Groups, in announcing the death of SAHF has just made the mind-boggling claim that maternity care and emergency paediatric care have improved. This is certainly not the view of local parents whose local services have closed. Ealing Hospital remains seriously underfunded and in crisis. But at least there is a ray of sunshine, the horrible plan underlying all these cuts has gone and we can focus on calling for proper funding and restoration of local health services. Dr Tony O’Sullivan, Co-Chair of Keep Our NHS Public added,
This is a very important victory for the people of Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham. Campaigners must be proud of themselves for standing up for the NHS and their local communities for 7 long years – with integrity, skill and huge impact. Elections unseated the council backing closure of Charing Cross and the Ealing MP backing government attacks on the local NHS and public services. Campaigners won the local councils to their side and refused to give in to the irresponsible plans of ‘Shaping A Healthier Future’ in North West London. Well done and thank you. The battles are not over. We are with you in your fight to restore the damage done and win back maternity and children’s services in Ealing Hospital.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council said:
We did it together! The government has finally been forced to retreat on closing Charing Cross Hospital.
Thanks to Save Our Hospitals campaigners, Michael Mansfield QC (who ran the independent commission that provided such unchallengable evidence against the plans) and to the many, many residents who have fought with us so hard and for so long.
Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Cowan says: “This is a huge validation of Michael Mansfield QC’s findings and a huge victory for the Save Our Hospitals campaign. Thank you to all the residents who worked with us to save Charing Cross Hospital.”
Statement from North West London CCG (26 March 2019): “We will not be taking forward the plans as set out in SaHF for changes to Ealing and Charing Cross hospitals.”
What was planned?
We’ve won the battle to save Charing Cross Hospital from proposals to demolish most of it and replace its A&E with an urgent care clinic – leaving just 13 per cent the size of the original hospital.
· We joined forces with local residents and with Ealing Council, who have been fighting the closure of Ealing Hospital · We commissioned a public inquiry led by Michael Mansfield QC that has provided a strong evidence base for why the proposals are wrong. Read the full report here. · We’ve refused to sign the ‘North West London STP’ – because it restates the plan to reduce acute services from nine major hospitals to five. · We commissioned a review of the NHS proposals and the STP – Read the review (pdf 4MB). · We’ve held scrutiny meetings to publicly quiz NHS managers on their plans · We’ve invited local people to public meetings, rallies and demonstrations · We’ve presented petitions and published individual residents’ own experiences and stories · We’ve kept local people updated on the campaign through letters, leaflets, posters and social media.
The current much-loved Charing Cross Hospital was to be replaced with an urgent care centre, diagnostics and out-patients only.
The NHS plan included: · Demolishing the current Charing Cross Hospital and selling off most the site · Replacing the current Charing Cross Hospital with a series of clinics on a site no more than 13 per cent the size of the current hospital · Replacing the current A&E with an urgent care clinic · Losing more than 300 and possibly all the acute care beds · The detail on the proposals is in the NHS Case for Change.
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED FROM THE GREEN PARTY TRADE UNION GROUP
The Green Party Trade Union Group welcomes the formation of the Trade Union Clean Air Network . This is its Charter:
Trade unions need a response to the public health emergency and also the occupational health emergency of air pollution. Over 40,000 people die each year in the UK where the outdoor air that they breathe is a major contributory factor. Thousands of people will also die because of occupational diseases caused by air pollution at work. Pollution arising from work and travel to work are health issues for which employers take little responsibility. There is hardly any recognition of this in national and local authority strategies. This is an issue for workers and their families at all stages from before birth to old age and particularly damaging the growth and development of babies and children. This charter provides a framework for unions to campaign for the health and environmental concerns of workers. We call on the Government to:
1. Introduce a New Clean Air Act that enshrines the right to breathe clean air. It must set stringent legal limits for ambient air quality, which reflect WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines. There should be recognition that air pollution is an occupational health issue. Employers must be required to make Environmental Impact Assessments on the pollution related to their work activities. They should have a duty to present strategies for minimising and eradicating pollutants within the workplace and in the wider community.
2. Update Health and Safety Law – The COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations and related guidance should be amended to reflect new research on indoor and outdoor air pollution. This includes amending Workplace Exposure Limits to place duties on employers to monitor and adopt control measures for diesel and other toxic vehicle emissions not currently covered by HSE (Health and Safety Executive) EH40.
3. Ensure effective enforcement – Strict enforcement by relevant agencies of the occupational and environmental legislation with the power to hold public bodies and employers to account. Representatives of the trade union movement must have seats on the relevant agencies.
4. Involve the workforce – Air quality measures for indoor and outdoor occupational air pollution must be subject to the consultation requirements of the SRSC (Safety Reps and Safety Committees) Regulations. Measures should cover both employees and others, and especially the needs of vulnerable occupants of buildings, including in particular children and young people. Employers should be required to raise awareness and support workforce training on risks and control measures. Workers may need access to independent advice on exposure levels and health effects. 5. Protect jobs – Government and employer clean air strategies will have implications for jobs and employment. The application of Just Transition principles, including consultation and negotiation with appropriate and industry unions, must include full equality impact assessments, to ensure positive and fair outcomes for all workers.
6. Rapidly expand clean and inexpensive public transport systems alongside investment in active transport to increase levels of cycling and walking – Cleaning up air in the UK will require significant public expenditure. Government should drive the policies to ensure that those least able to afford it are not expected to pick up the bill, and to subsidise measures for less polluting forms of energy and transport. Including affordable public transport. This will encourage more integrated and more active forms of transport. For more information contact: gjacoms@gmail.com or janet@gmhazards.org.uk
Join us in Scarborough this June to recharge your political batteries
after the local elections! Conference is a great opportunity to meet
other like-minded members from across the UK, learn more about our
policies, take part in our activist training sessions, take part in
debates, network and socialise…
And all this in the beautiful setting of the Victorian Spa on Scarborough’s South Bay Beach.
Over the four days there will be policy making and discussion groups,
topical fringes and panel debates, social sessions such as walks and
music, an exhibition, and of course we will be discussing the outcome of
the Holistic Review which will decide the future governance of the
party.
Bookings are now open! Can’t commit to four days? No
problem – you can book for single days or all four days. Members and
supporters alike are welcome. View the fees.
Join the conference facebook event to get the latest updates and connect with others who are going. Or join the conversation on twitter #gpconf
Today I am feeling hopeful. A Green New Deal would tackle both climate breakdown and the shameful levels of inequality and underinvestment that helped drive the Brexit vote.
It would unleash unprecedented levels of investment in bold climate action over the next ten years, transforming the economy while creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
That’s why today I’ve put forward a Green New Deal Bill in Parliament.
We are in the midst of a climate emergency and at the same time need to repair and restore a divided country, creating opportunity and hope for millions of people who have been let down by the status quo. That’s what a Green New Deal can deliver.
We can have cleaner air, warmer homes and greener communities. We can have good, well paying jobs. We can limit climate catastrophe – and we can redefine prosperity. All of these things are possible, it just takes political will.
It’s an idea not just limited to the UK. It’s a proposal Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has recently reinvigorated in the US, too.
I’m so excited about this. Ten years ago, I was part of the group which came up with the Green New Deal.
As a member of the Green Party, you’ve help keep this idea alive for a decade. Thank you. Now it is time to make it a reality.
The NEU, the largest teachers’ union has been in the forefront of union action on climate change.
Support is building for the following motion which has been updated to include reference to the current school students’ strikes.
NEU and UCU members and school student strikers call for ‘Climate Truth’ to be taught
Conference recognises that the latest
UN climate report shows that:
1. Without more rapid action, there will be at least a 3 degrees
temperature rise by 2100;
2. 1 degree rise above pre-industrial levels has already led to increasing
fires, hurricanes, floods and droughts;
3. The transition to a zero-carbon society to keep below a 1.5
degree increase is the most urgent problem facing humanity and is technically
feasible; and
4. The obstacles are entirely political.
Conference believes that:
i. The consequences of a failure to act – or an unjust
transition, whereby those with wealth and power dump the costs downwards – will
be severe for our members, our communities, the children we teach and – in the
worst case – could threaten our survival;
ii. We have to help lead a Just Transition; shifting energy
production, transport, housing and agriculture onto a sustainable basis within
the lifetimes of the children currently in our schools; with workers and
communities most directly affected not dumped into destitution like the miners,
but re-skilled to carry the transition out;
iii. This needs immediate Government investment for a
qualitative shift within 12 years, including a significant shift in the focus
and aims of Education;
iv. The current Government’s market solutions are failing,
leading to the UK missing its targets; and
v. The Labour Green Transformation Plan grasps the scale and
speed of the transition required but this must be integrated into every level
of the proposed National Education Service (NES).
Conference instructs the Executive to approach NUS, UCU, other
education unions and interested parties to:
a. Lobby Government to press them on plans to carry out their
obligation under the Paris Agreement to educate the public about the scale
of climate change and the measures needed to deal with it – including
through school’s curricula – and a recognition that for every school to be zero
carbon by 2030;
b. Make Just Transition a key narrative in our discussions about
the NES; and
c. Hold an Education for a Just Transition conference in the
Autumn.
Amendment
Add to point iii) as required by Article 12 of
the Paris Agreement.
Add new point vi) That the inadequacy of
government action in the face of the urgency of the crisis has led to a rapidly
growing global school students movement rightly taking the lead in demanding
that their politicians urgently take the action needed to tackle the climate
crisis and that our education system reflects this priority.
Add new point vi) As a generation without a
voice in elections, but one which the climate crisis will impact the greatest,
we commend their willingness to engage in political debate to ensure their
voice is heard.
Add after “interested parties” – including the
school students movement.
Add new point d) Welcome the statement by
Education International stating that “education unions stand with the
students”, to disseminate this statement widely and propose that EI promotes an
international campaign to implement Article 12.
Add at end
Conference agrees that the National Education
Union affiliates to the Campaign Against Climate Change.
