Activists planning autumn strikes and mass protests

Taken from This is Plymouth

ACTIVISTS in Plymouth are planning further strikes and mass protests against cuts to jobs and public services.

Around 40 trade union figures and campaigners met to discuss their autumn action plan over the weekend.

They are to stage dozens of events in coming months, including marches, rallies, "flash mobs" and festivals.

Unionists urged the city's public sectors workers to support a national day of action, due to be held across the country on November 8.

The latest call to arms follows mass action at the end of June, which saw thousands of people support striking teachers and civil servants in Plymouth.

Plymouth Fightback Against the Cuts held the latest conference at the Quaker House, Mutley Plain, on Saturday.

Tony Staunton, Plymouth Trades Union Council secretary, said: "Working class people are facing very hard times.

"We need huge investment in jobs and protection for the unemployed, our older folk and our young people. Instead we are seeing the rich get richer while they smash our services, our livelihoods and our children's futures.

"Unions are planning for larger strike action in November, with teachers, civil servants, fire fighters and health workers planning action to protect services and jobs.

"We want to involve local people, those who use and need public services, to get involved and join us in demonstrations, petitioning and protests."

Trade union representatives, campaigners from the Direct Action organisations, UKUncut and Disabled People Against the Cuts and the Devon Pensioners Association were among those at the meeting.

They are planning 40 different actions in coming months. The full list will be announced at a public launch event at the city centre Voodoo Lounge on August 24.

Mr Staunton said: "We are seeing oil companies, supermarket chains and banks make record profits of billions of pounds a year, while petrol, food and inflation keeps rising for ordinary people." Tony Staunton believes there is terrible social injustice taking place. "The fact is there is a huge amount of money in this country, but the super-rich and big companies are cashing-in on the idea of the so-called 'age of austerity' and bleeding ordinary workers dry."

The latest action comes after news that thousands of public sector workers in Plymouth face having to pay out more for their pensions.

Under the changes, nurses and classroom teachers earning £25,700 will pay an extra £10 a month for their pension in 2012/13, an NHS consultant on £130,000 will pay an extra £152 a month, while civil servants will see their contributions rise by between £20 and £140 a month.

The Government has said increasing employee contributions is unfortunate but necessary, given the state of the nation's finances. But union leaders condemned it as an extra tax on workers.