Four Million people might strike over pensions, Britain heads towards its own ‘Arab Spring’ as Government tries to force workers to prop up rich

Dear All

There are two key themes running through Governments because of the financial crisis.

Cut public services and screw the workers.

Why should ordinary people pay for the losses of bankers?

We are told that the banks are too big to fail, so banks make money off of speculating on success and also on failure.

They sit there with our millions and billions in their pockets.

And Governments do nothing of note except prop them up.

We are heading towards a society where vast amounts of people will be required to effectively work for nothing.

In America, we see the number of people claiming for food stamps so they can eat dramatically rise.

In the Middle East, we see the Arab Spring which in part is about people not being about to survive because their economy is collapsing.

Greece and Ireland has seen people on the streets protesting about the mismanagement of their economies.

And the Greeks are having their version of the Arab Spring, which is going to get worse.

The problems have crossed into Britain with Union leaders yesterday threatening to bring millions of workers out on strike.

They are unhappy about being screwed over their pensions and the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition in Westminster who have announced plans to make most public- sector staff work until they are 66.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander says the changes would be “painful”.

So, we are in for not a winter of discontent but rather ‘four seasons of discontent’ in Britain.

The numbers could rise to four million in the autumn.

Lib Dem Danny Alexander warned staff industrial action would be a “colossal mistake”, describing his proposals as the best offer “for years to come”.

The offer is no offer.

Typically, he was backed by business group the CBI.


Under plans, many public-sector workers who could have expected to retire at 60 will now have to work until they are 66, bringing them into line with the state retirement age.

Certain occupations will be exempt, such as firefighters, police and the military.

The FDA union, which represents senior civil servants and managers, claimed the talks were “doomed to failure.”

I don’t however think Ministers were attempting to provoke a strike; they thought everyone would just roll over and accept it.

The FDA’s general secretary, Jonathan Baume, said:

“It is increasingly inevitable that there will be widespread industrial action across the public sector, which would be likely to include the FDA. The public should know that the blame for this will lie squarely at the door of the Treasury.”

The GMB union said it could be “impossible” for them to stay in the negotiations following Mr Alexander’s announcement.

Job centre staff, driving examiners and other workers across the UK will strike on June 30.

John Kelly, from Square One Financial Planning said:

“The UK cannot afford its changing population dynamics”.

I have been saying that there is a need for proper immigration control, that means capping, substantial flexibility in DWP for those seeking work and additional revenue streams (legalise drugs).

On top of that, the banking system has to move to a different model where the State runs banks in the sector as well.

And we have to allow banks to fail.

On a world level we have to have a world wide moratorium on banning trading on food commodities which is driving up prices.

In short, we have to reset the world financial markets; stop QE and dig in.

We need to hit rock bottom rather than trying to keep floating this corrupt system.

Tory Chancellor George Osborne must love this, lowering people's living standards so his rich banker pals keep getting richer.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University