Brighton Stop the Cuts Coalition is building a united fight back against the cuts agenda with a wave of protests, lobbies and demonstrations which have been taking place over the last few days.
Organised by trade union branches affiliated to Brighton trades council - representing over 10,000 workers in the city - alongside community campaigners and political activists, the Brighton Stop the Cuts Coalition is a force that has the potental to grow and link up with others to stop all of these unjustified cuts to jobs and public services.
On Wednesday October 20, Con-Dem chancellor George Osborne announced the harshest cuts to public services and jobs ever made. The budget deficit created by bailing out the greed of the city and bankers is being used as an exuse by capitalists and the rich to secure ever more massive profits at the expense of our society's poorest and lowest paid by attacking the progressive achievements made by generations of trade unionists and working class campaigners.
Already we have heard plans to increase VAT to 20% which will have a disproportionate impact on those on low incomes who spend the majority of their poverty wages on basics such as food, water, warmth and shelter. Last week a shocking cut of 80% to university teaching budgets was announced which will destroy our children's future education hopes along with the loss of thousands of jobs affecting millions of families. And these attacks are just two of many more that are threatened.
At a rally in Wales on Saturday to defend passport services and workers' jobs, PCS union national vice president John McInally received the loudest applause when he said: "The people who want to cut our jobs and services, destroy our communities and attack our families are barbarians. And as far as we're concerned, we will organise in our workplaces, we will organise in our communities, we will stick together and we will defeat you."
Locally, the Tory-run council continue to plan cuts to our Connexions youth support services, SureStart help, housing budgets and the closure of Bright Start Nursery. And these cuts will be just the start after today's "comprehensive spending review" with the results being passed on to local councils to impliment.
Thousands of jobs and hundreds of public services used by everyone are at risk, but we will not take these unjustified attacks lying down. In Brighton and Hove your local trades council has been at the forefront in organising trade union branches from all unions in the Brighton Stop the Cuts Coalition and small victories are already being won with united pressure on the city's councillors.
On Saturday Oct 30 a Brighton March Against Cuts demonstration is assembling on The Level at 12 noon which will march through the city as a protest against these unjustified cuts.
Come along, spread the word and take part in these important events to help save your public services. Make the rich pay for their crisis. They caused it, not us!
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