Respect For the Unemployed & Benefit Claimants #TUC13 Trades Union Congress (TUC) Conference Motions on The Welfare State 37, 38 and 39 - Congress is proud of the role trade unions played in founding the welfare state as a social insurance from each according to their means, to each according to their needs. Congress notes, with concern, the clear rise in levels of deprivation since May 2010. New inequalities having a deleterious impact upon the lives of vulnerable people are increasingly obvious to all those working in the public and voluntary sectors. Services are becoming ever more fragmented, leading to wide variations in access across geographical areas of the UK. Vulnerable groups are experiencing increased poverty and lack of support as a direct result of government policy specifically designed to promote this same fragmentation of services to susceptible groups including children, the elderly and the disabled. Congress further notes several aspects of government policy that will lead to additional destruction of the security of vulnerable groups. Proposed moves such as the regionalisation of pay will lead to further attacks on the support for those groups in society that have the fewest defences of their own. Congress notes that around £30bn of welfare cuts have been announced by the government. Congress condemns the campaign of vilification by this government and right-wing tabloids to denigrate the welfare state and to demonise those without work or unable to work, and young people, migrants and the disabled. Congress is appalled that disability hate crime has soared to record levels. On behalf of these groups Congress calls for: * a reiteration of the principle of fair and equal pay and the maintenance of equity in pay for all workers in the public sector, wherever they work * a re-instatement of the services and resource snecessary to support vulnerable groups * a determined and robust opposition to the threats being posed to those in society who have the fewest defences. Congress re-iterates its commitment to the pursuance of equalities in society. Congress further notes that millions of people are barely surviving on poverty-level benefits or need tax credits to subsidise low wages. Congress believes we have a responsibility to support Unemployed Workers Centres which provide assistance for job searching and benefit advice. Congress condemns ‘#workfare’ policies that compel the unemployed to work for their benefits and calls on the government to make work experience schemes optional and paid. Boycott ALL Workfare Workhouses Boycott Workfare
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 22:50:18 +0000
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