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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9968370/Unions-consider-first-general-strike-since-1926.html

 

Unions consider first general strike since 1926

 

Unions are looking at calling the first general strike since 1926, which could lead to six million workers out on the picket line.

 

Unite, Britain's biggest union, is understood to be leading calls for a super-strike in protest against the Government cuts.

 

A document drawn up by the union described a general strike as "desirable", according to the Financial Times.

 

The newspaper reported that Unite believes: “It would be a landmark in our movement’s recovery of its morale, strength and capacity to play a leading part in a society crying out for credible and honourable leadership."

However, other less radical unions would be likely to oppose the idea.

The idea of a general strike was proposed at the Trade Unions Congress last year by the Prison Officers Association.

 

Unite, Unison and the GMB all backed a motion to consider the "practicalities" of a general strike.

 

A general strike would cause more upheaval than protests against the Coalition so far as it would encompass both the public and private sector

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My maths isn't great but in truth, aren't they getting more than £53 per week to live on?

 

Say one person living in a 1 bed council flat - full amount of rent paid via housing benefit, say £50 a week.

 

And wouldn't they also qualify for full council tax assistance at say £100 per month?

 

So unless you're saying they won't get their rent and council tax paid, one person in a 1 bed council flat would be getting more than £53 a week to live on. I'm not saying it's a mega huge sum, I'm not expressing an opinion as to whether or not it is adequate, just actually trying to ascertain how much per week they would receive - because that puts a more accurate amount out there, doesn't it? Or does it?

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My maths isn't great but in truth, aren't they getting more than £53 per week to live on?

 

Say one person living in a 1 bed council flat - full amount of rent paid via housing benefit, say £50 a week.

 

And wouldn't they also qualify for full council tax assistance at say £100 per month?

 

So unless you're saying they won't get their rent and council tax paid, one person in a 1 bed council flat would be getting more than £53 a week to live on. I'm not saying it's a mega huge sum, I'm not expressing an opinion as to whether or not it is adequate, just actually trying to ascertain how much per week they would receive - because that puts a more accurate amount out there, doesn't it? Or does it?

 

If someone is earning £53/week, then they would be eligible for housing and council tax benefit, though I doubt it would cover the full amount. But even if it did, then you would still struggle.

 

I've had a summer job over the last couple of years so I was claiming jobseekers during the winter. This was around £65/week plus council tax* and housing benefit. I live in a council bedsit** so my electricity bill is quite low as I only have to heat the one room. Even so, in the depths of winter I was really struggling to pay for electric as well as food. (There was a couple of times I went for 24 hours or so with no power, cooking and making tea on a camping stove and using a couple of led torches for lighting, when my electric ran out a day before my next dole cheque came through.)

 

Luckily I didn't have any large unexpected expenses such as a fridge/freezer or cooker failure but if I had, I would have been buggered, as I did not have a penny left over at the end of the week. It was tough.

 

I have a year round job now (unfortunately not full time yet), so things are a little easier, but by no means comfortable.

 

 

*It should be noted that council tax benefit does not cover the water part of the charge, so even if you qualify for full benefit, you still get a bill.

 

**Bedroom tax? I don't have a bedroom! Where's my rebate? :wink:

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if they were living in a 1 bed flat. no one is going to get 100% council tax anymore. they are expected to pay 20%.

 

latest plan is to make part time workers attend the jobcentre. failing to get extra hours will result in sanctions.

 

and dont think that will be the end of it.

 

how the lib dems can sleep with what they are supporting really turns my stomach.

 

unlink you know what its like to be poor. im surprised that you think these cuts are fair. at the same time the rich get a 10% cut in there taxes.

 

even maggie the milk snatcher refused to go so far.

 

the first target were the unemployed then the sick then the low paid are next.

 

When the Nazis came for the communists,

I remained silent;

I was not a communist.

 

When they locked up the social democrats,

I remained silent;

I was not a social democrat.

 

When they came for the trade unionists,

I did not speak out;

I was not a trade unionist.

 

When they came for the Jews,

I remained silent;

I wasn't a Jew.

 

When they came for me,

there was no one left to speak out.

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if they were living in a 1 bed flat. no one is going to get 100% council tax anymore. they are expected to pay 20%.

 

latest plan is to make part time workers attend the jobcentre. failing to get extra hours will result in sanctions.

 

and dont think that will be the end of it.

 

how the lib dems can sleep with what they are supporting really turns my stomach.

 

unlink you know what its like to be poor. im surprised that you think these cuts are fair. at the same time the rich get a 10% cut in there taxes.

 

even maggie the milk snatcher refused to go so far.

 

the first target were the unemployed then the sick then the low paid are next.

 

When the Nazis came for the communists,

I remained silent;

I was not a communist.

 

When they locked up the social democrats,

I remained silent;

I was not a social democrat.

 

When they came for the trade unionists,

I did not speak out;

I was not a trade unionist.

 

When they came for the Jews,

I remained silent;

I wasn't a Jew.

 

When they came for me,

there was no one left to speak out.

 

No one is suggesting any alternatives though, are they? I remember reading the proposed budget by a treasury minister just before Labour lost power (It was written by my old MP for Newham, S Timms) and they proposed draconian cuts, especially to housing benefit ... but people don't appear to have been aware of it because many didn't read it. And if you look at a couple of my other posts, Paulb, you'll see that I have commented on the bedroom tax; you might also care to note what I actually said in my OP to which you responded.

 

Yes, I know what it is like to be poor. I remember living on £39 a week plus rent paid when I first had my son. Likewise, I also remember the days when job centres put you forward for any job - if you were claiming benefits and were say an unemployed mechanic but the only jobs going were say of kitchen porters, they did say "Tough, you want your benefits, you can apply for this job" (or words to that effect) and you did get your benefits stopped. Back then it was the days of B1 for unemployment benefit (I think) and B1C for social security, or something like that. Woe betide you if you were late signing on or missed it. You had to take any job they threw at you; I remember one guy being gobsmacked (no family commitments) that he had to attend an interview miles away at Minehead Butlins.

 

I don't like computer-aided assessments; never have. But whether you like it or not and whatever excuses you come up with re blaming the rich, the banks, whatever - we can't carry on the way we are doing. You want more money for pensioners? You want more money for the disabled? You want more well paid jobs? You want decent training? We want a lot of things but we see jobs go abroad and yet people protest against sweat shops in India but continue to buy cheap goods from the likes of Primark, and continue to buy foreign cars, washing machines, etc.

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