TUC DELEGATES yesterday voted unanimously to defend the Welfare State, pensions, and state education.
They voted for Composite Motion 8: The Welfare State which instructs the General Council to ‘coordinate the development of a campaign to defend and rebuild the welfare state’.
Moving the motion PCS President Janis Godrich said: ‘The government tells us the Welfare State is unaffordable, but they have already found the money to cut the top rate of income tax and corporation tax.’
She said: ‘It was a 30 billion pound tax give-away, while carrying out £30 billion cuts in welfare.’
She went on to condemn: ‘The hundred million pounds paid to Atos, for Work Capability Assessments (WCA) solely to take people off Disability Allowance to put them on Workfare.’
She said that the BMA and MPs have called for the tests to be scrapped.’
She said: ‘We need to call for the Atos tests to be scrapped.’
She stressed ‘This motion is opposed to work fare.’
She added: ‘We need a policy of full employment with benefits that allow people to live in dignity.’
She attacked the government and the press for ‘calling unemployed people scroungers’.
She said: ‘We need to stand together to defend the Welfare State and a decent civilised society.’
Seconder, Nicolas Wilson of the NUM said: ‘The Work Capability Assessment is nothing more than a vehicle to enable governments to attack some of the most vulnerable members of society to save millions of pounds.’
He concluded: ‘The government tries to justify the new assessments as getting people off benefits and into work. At the same time they are closing Remploy.’
Lynn Ambler, the Association of Educational Psychologists said: ‘I’m proud to follow the delegate from the NUM.
‘In towns and villages of West Yorkshire, I see the effect on families from the mining industry.
‘The increase in poverty since 2010, is tangible.’
She said: ‘The Welfare Reform exacerbates the difference between the “haves and the have-nots”, this divide and rule policy must be met with trade union action.’
Delegates went on to pass Motion 40: Child Poverty which demands a plan to meet the 20 Child Poverty Targets.
Moving the motion Mary Bousted of the ATL slammed Education Secretary Gove, for attacking teachers with his argument ‘that teachers are not good enough to teach poor children’.
She said: ‘Using teachers and schools as a scapegoat, deflects from the government policies which make poverty worse.’
She said it was ‘shocking in 2012 that families are forced to save on food and take out crippling debts.’
Seconding the motion, Audrey Harry warned: ‘Unemployment and low pay are causing poverty. We need action now.’
There was a lively debate on Pensions.
Moving Composite 7 Pensions, Kevin Courtney of the NUT said: ‘The “68 is too late campaign’’ is not just about public sector workers, anyone under 36 will have to work until 68 to get their pension.
‘People under 20 will have to work until 70 or 72 years of age.’
‘These changes are not credible and are so wrong.
‘They could only be drawn up by a cabinet of millionaires.
‘People simply cannot work to those ages because of health and injuries or from being sacked by a boss before they get to age 68.’
He declared: ‘On October 20th we need a huge demonstration to assert the values of the 99 per cent.’
He added: ‘The NUT, NASUWT and ATL are still in disputes over pensions. We believe industrial action over pensions should not be over.’
Speaking in support, Alice Robinson of ATL said: ‘Work-related pensions are now connected to pension age. The crisis was not caused by working people but by the greed of bankers.’
The resolution called for an independent commission to examine the effects of a longer pension age in connection with social and health effects.
Chris Murphy of UCATT said: ‘The government attack on Public Sector Pensions is an attack on the whole working class. It does not just apply to the public, but also to the private sector.
‘It will affect manual workers most’
He added: ‘It will increase deaths in the construction industry. It’s all about saving money. How many workers will reach 68 to get their pension?’
He concluded: ‘We need dignity in retirement before it’s too late’.
Congress went on to move Emergency Motion 1: London Met University; calling for an amnesty for international students facing deportation and for not including international students in the immigration figures.
Mover, Mark Campbell London Met UCU said: ‘We are demanding an immediate amnesty for all international students so they can continue their studies at London Met.
‘We need to say loud and clear, International Students are welcome here’.
Emergency Motion 2 Legal Action in Respect of West Coast MainLine was also passed. Mover Simon Weller of ASLEF called for the renationalisation of the railways.
