VICIOUS attacks on workers, especially immigrant workers, were at the centre of the Tory-LibDem Coalition’s Queen’s Speech delivered at the State Opening of Parliament yesterday.
The Queen outlining the extremist agenda said: ‘My government’ will introduce an immigration bill which will ‘ensure that this country attracts people who will contribute and deter those who will not’.
grant workers’ access to driving licences and require private landlords to check on tenants’ immigration status.
It will enable the government to deport non-British citizens convicted of criminal offences more easily, as well as people deemed to be in the UK ‘illegally’.
Businesses caught employing ‘illegal’ foreign labour will face bigger fines, migrants’ access to the NHS will be restricted and temporary visitors will have to ‘make a contribution’ to costs.
The Queen also said ‘my government . . . will support the growth of the private sector’ and ‘continue to reform the benefit system, helping to move from welfare to work’.
She warned there would be a new National Curriculum and ‘greater flexibility in pay for teachers’.
Other reactionary measures announced include the introduction of Ofsted-style ratings for hospitals and care homes and a new chief inspector of hospitals given more powers.
Unison General Secretary, Dave Prentis, responded: ‘There is little comfort in this programme for the young, the unemployed, the working poor, the sick, the vulnerable or the millions who have seen their living standards fall drastically since this coalition government came to power.
‘It’s a typical Tory tactic to distract attention from the real problems we face by fostering a “blame immigrants” culture, instead of tackling the huge divide between the rich and the poor.’
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: ‘The government proposals on reforms to the National Curriculum, examinations and the deregulation of teachers’ pay are ill thought out and plain wrong.’
She continued: ‘Plans to deregulate teachers’ pay will create unnecessary work for individual schools and head teachers.
‘The NUT is determined to act with others to expose the need for changes to the curriculum and for a fair, coherent national pay policy.’
Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said: ‘This was an empty Queen’s Speech. There is nothing here to support the economy, create jobs or to boost housing. It was short, but definitely not sweet.
‘The Queen’s Speech is more about trying to head-off UKIP and quell a backbench revolt than deliver a legislative programme to get Britain back on track.’
Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: ‘With its policies causing untold damage to our economy and our communities it is shameful of the government to try to stoke up even more fear and suspicion of migrants.
‘This is not so much “dog whistle” politics, more a shrill and desperate cry to satisfy the extremes of the Tory party.’
Thousands of PCS members were on one-hour strike against the Tory-LibDem government’s attacks on their pay and conditions during the Queen’s Speech yesterday.
On the picket line outside the Equality and Human Rights Commission at Fleetbank House in Salisbury Square, PCS member Andy Sands told News Line: ‘We want our conditions and pay to be maintained.
‘The government stopped speaking to the union and is trying to impose worse terms and conditions.
‘They want every individual department to negotiate its own terms and conditions. It’s divide and rule. There is no national bargaining going on at this time.’
Finola Kelly, PCS Vice Chair at the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: ‘This is an anti-union government. I can’t understand why the union has not taken the government to court for breaking the UN Convention on Human Rights.
‘The TUC have been discussing the need for a General Strike. PCS has no choice but to fight these conditions, and other unions need to join in.’