Budget Protest this Weds 20th October Bonn Square 5.30pm

On Tuesday 12th October, representatives from trades unions, campaigns and community groups representing thousands of people across Oxfordshire came together to express their opposition to cuts in public services, jobs, pay and pensions which they say will damage Oxfordshire's economy irreparably.

16 different organisations, representing people from all walks of life signed up to the following statement and agreed to form a united campaign, Oxfordshire Anti-Cuts Alliance, to build resistance to the cuts:

"We believe that the savage spending cuts proposed by the coalition government will wreck millions of people's lives. They will decimate public services, cut jobs, pay and pensions, and risk plunging the British economy into further difficulties.

"We believe there is an alternative. We could raise revenue through progressive taxation, plugging tax loopholes, cancelling Trident and adopting a green approach to public spending - investing in renewable energy and public transport to create a million jobs. We call on our elected representatives to oppose all cuts in jobs and public services."

The alliance has also called on people to join an Oxfordshire Day of Action Against Cuts on the 20th October when people from across the county will demonstrate their anger against the cuts at various events, including an evening rally in Bonn Square. The group will be running an information stall during the day on Cornmarket Street, central Oxford, which will provide analysis of the Comprehensive Spendng Review as it is released, showing the impact on local people.

From 5.30pm, people will gather together in Bonn Square to demonstrate opposition to the cuts and hear from various campaigns and trades unions working to oppose them.

Groups at the meeting included Right to Work, Peoples Charter and Save Our Services.

Right to Work Conference

A conference of resistance and solidarity
Saturday 30 January, Central Hall, Oldham Street, Manchester 11.30am-5pm

Fight for every job
Organise to stop the cuts
Defend services and pensions
Unite the public and private sectors
Demand a million green jobs
Jobs not bombs
Defend migrant workers – jobs for all

Speakers include:
Mark Serwotka (PCS), Sally Hunt (UCU), Tony Kearns (CWU), Jeremy Dear (NUJ), Jerry Hicks (Unite), Mark Smith (former Vestas worker), Paul Brandon (Unite bus worker), Nahella Ashraf (chair, Greater Manchester Stop the War), Dave Chapple (Chair National Shop Stewards Network), Clara Osagiede (RMT cleaners’ secretary), Kevin Courtney (NUT national executive, personal capacity), Dot Gibson (General Secretary, National Pensioners Convention) and speakers from the Fujitsu strike, Royal Mail dispute, Brighton bins dispute, BA cabin crew, Superdrug… and many more.

Supported by UCU nationally and over 55 union branches so far.

There’s a deep economic crisis – and the bosses and the politicians want us to pay for it. It’s bad now, and an avalanche of cuts is coming after the election. But there’s also a fightback, and we need more of that.
Whenever there’s resistance, then we need solidarity. Many working people rallied round the postal workers’ national fight. And many have also backed the Leeds bins workers, the BA workers, the Superdrug workers and other groups who have taken action. This conference is designed to bring together those networks of resistance and to make them stronger.

This is a brilliant chance to learn from one another and spread the lessons of the fightback.

It’s not just for trade unionists, and it won’t just be about workplace struggle. We are having speakers and workshops on issues like the war in Afghanistan, anti-racist battles, decent housing, and so on. We want students, unemployed workers, anti-war activists, pensioners, campaigners for green jobs, housing activists and anti-racist activists to come.

It won’t be a talking shop. We want to organise initiatives from the conference. For example, some people have suggested a day of action around welfare ‘reform’ or a coordinated push to unionise in specific areas, or action to defend and organise migrant workers.

We want to people to bring their own ideas to the conference and to go away with stronger organisation.

Workshops include:
How can we stop the jobs massacre?
Fighting privatisation, defending public services
Don’t let them rob our pensions!
Jobs not bombs
After Copenhagen, how can we win a million climate jobs?
“The lost generation”? – students and young workers fighting back
Against racism and the scapegoating of migrant workers
How can workers get a real political voice?
Defying the anti-union laws
The welfare reform agenda – fighting for our rights

http://sites.google.com/site/righttoworkconference/