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REGIONAL PAY
COULD COST MPs THEIR SEATS
UNISON is warning Coalition MPs in the North
West that supporting regional pay in the public sector could cost
them their seat at the next election. The union is targeting local
MPs across the North West region, where their majority is small
enough to be wiped out by a voting backlash from public sector
workers. The union is urging local MPs to put pressure on the
Government to ditch the idea of local pay bargaining and to vote
against any proposals that may arise in the Commons.
UNISON is highlighting the inherent unfairness of localised pay,
which it believes is simply being used by Government as a way of
driving down public sector wages further. The union is arguing that
introducing localised pay will increase staff turnover lead to
burgeoning bureaucracy and increased costs, hit local economies and
families as well as leading to key staff shortages.
UNISON Chief, Dave Prentis, said:- “Public sector workers in
the North West are being hit from all sides by this Government. They
have had their pay frozen, jobs and services are being axed and now
they are being threatened with losing more pay, when many are
struggling just to make ends meet.
The only reason the Government is considering introducing regional
pay to the area is to drive down wages. The impact would be
extremely damaging for recruitment and retention, as well as
depressing economies in poorer and rural areas of the North West
even further.
Supporting Government moves to force regional pay onto the public
sector could also prove extremely damaging for local coalition MPs.
In almost 100 constituencies nationwide the backlash from public
sector workers could wipe out their majority, their seat in the
House and sweep the Tories and Lib Dems from power.
The arguments against regional pay are compelling. The sheer time,
cost and burgeoning bureaucracy, should be enough to persuade
Government that it is a bad idea. However, it would also lead to
shortages of key staff in areas where pay was lower as well as
increasing staff turnover.”
10 top arguments against local pay:-
►
The creation of a complex, competitive and wasteful system of local
bargaining will inevitably lead to greater conflict.
► Uncertainty around wages and pay
can create recruitment and retention issues for the public sector.
► The internal market created by
local bargaining/pay determination will vastly increase staff
turnover.
► Local and regional pay increases
the chances of mistakes and omissions re equal pay legislation.
► Withdrawing spending power in
regions and poorer parts of the country will depress the local
economy further.
► Skilled public sector workers
working in economically disadvantaged areas might be tempted to move
in search of higher wages causing a brain drain and skills
shortages.
► The high cost of living in London
and the South East is already dealt with through weighting.
► Living in poorer rural areas can
be more expensive because of higher costs of travel and petrol, food
etc.
► Local pay bargaining has been
largely discredited in the private sector. Official data shows there is very
little variation in the cost of living between different UK
countries and English regions.
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SOUTHPORT FAMILY
IN DESPERATE PLEA FOR HELP
UK charity The Lucie
Blackman Trust is raising funds for a Southport family who urgently
need to fly their seriously ill daughter back to the UK for
treatment.
Christine Stott is an 11 year old girl living with her family in
Madagascar, but has been seriously ill in hospital for more than a
month with Meningitis and Malaria. Christine’s family feel she needs
to return to the UK for treatment, but they have no financial means
beyond paying for food, and have asked for Missing Abroad’s help
with a fundraising campaign to cover flight tickets to the UK.
Christine’s father is stricken with fear because several people died
recently in the province where they live with the same symptoms that
Christine has. Christine’s father says some treatment is available
in Madagascar but does not feel it is reliable, which is why he
would like to take her back to the UK for treatment. Once in the UK
Christine would be able to stay with her grandmother, so would not
need to worry about food, accommodation and cost of treatment.
The family have spent the little money do they have on injections
that Christine has to have every day. They have explored all
possibilities with their family but unfortunately they are not in a
position to offer financial help beyond money for food.
Missing Abroad, a programme set up by the Lucie Blackman Trust to
support families suffering disasters overseas, has stepped in to
help bring Christine home. The charity is able to secure reduced
price flights, but still needs to raise £3,000 to make sure
Christine can get back to Southport soon and receive the treatment
she desperately needs.
Can you help? Donations can be made online via the secure Just
Giving
website,
or by cheque to Missing Abroad Christine Appeal, 17 Union Road, Ryde,
Isle of Wight, PO33 2ER. Cheques should be payable to ‘Missing
Abroad’. Every single penny helps.
Tarzan Official Worldwide Launch
Update!
THE Official Worldwide Launch of the all new
TARZAN, by local author Andy Briggs, with the support of Formby
Books, VAMPhire.com and Faber and Faber Ltd on 5 July 2012. The book
is backed by Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. who has allowed Andy to do
this official re-boot of the classic series. As 2012 marks the 100th
anniversary of publication of "Tarzan of the Apes", by
Edgar Rice Burroughs, this is a major book launch and fantastic that
it on Merseyside! Tarzan, if you did not know was a mythical king of
the jungle and many see him as the first real model of an
eco-warrior or environmentalist, even thought that was not Edgar’s
intentions, as far as we know. The new Tarzan book is the second in the new, official Tarzan series, and the
they are the only ones to be officially ever be written by
anyone other than Edgar Rice Burroughs. The book, "Tarzan -
The Jungle Warrior", is an amazing read and is true to the
original ideas behind the iconic Tarzan, yet in a very modern world.
Also, all sales of the book will have 10p going to the Year of the
Ape campaign run by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
Tickets are Free for all! But please let us know if you wish to
attend, so that we have room for all who come!
Ticket Hotline:- 01704 830 130 or 01704 513 569.
Ticket Outlets:- Formby Books and Southport Reporter. Also
Jane and Tarzan still wanted, click
here
for info. |
