BLACK ACTIVISTS RISING AGAINST CUTS
(BARAC UK)
PRESS RELEASE
Public Sector Pensions Strike 30/11/11
Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) believes that all workers, whether they are public sector or the private sector should receive a good pension.
That is why it fully supports the Fair Pensions For All Campaign and the planned industrial action on November 30th. We recognise that Black Workers, especially women are highly concentrated in the public sector and so will be disproportionately impacted by the Governments plans which include severe cuts. All around the country we are hearing about black workers losing their jobs, which leads to a break in their pensionable service and access to a decent pension on retirement.
Most public sector pensions in payment are less than £5,600 a year (£3000) in Local Government. The Hutton Report commissioned by the Government itself rejects the notion that public sector pensions are gold plated.
Our pensions are affordable. Reports from the National Audit Office and the House of Commons Public Accounts Communities show that the cost of public sector pensions is falling as planned.
It is wrong to make public sector workers pay an unfair contribution of £3BN a year to reduce a deficit they did not cause. Especially since this Government cancelled the Banker’s bonus tax that raised almost the same amount.
Zita Holbourne, Co-founder/Joint Chair of BARAC said:
'Public sector cuts will hit black women the hardest with a double impact on them. Black women, who already face lower pay, are situated in the lowest grades and experience race and gender discrimination in recruitment, promotion, progression and appraisal should not have to bear the brunt of public sector cuts and suffer poverty and deprivation because of an economic situation they did not create’.
'Public sector cuts will hit black women the hardest with a double impact on them. Black women, who already face lower pay, are situated in the lowest grades and experience race and gender discrimination in recruitment, promotion, progression and appraisal should not have to bear the brunt of public sector cuts and suffer poverty and deprivation because of an economic situation they did not create’.
Betty Joseph, BARAC said : ‘Ethnic minority workers are facing increased bullying and discrimination in their work places which must be challenged’.
Lee Jasper, Co-founder/Joint Chair of BARAC said: ‘Black workers are being knocked for six by the Governments pension cuts. We suffer institutional racism, higher rates of redundancies and much higher rates of adult and youth unemployment. That’s why we are fully supporting strike action and we call on Trade Unions to launch a spring offensive of strikes’.
For further info please contact;
BARAC National / London
Lee Jasper 07984181797
Email: barac.info@gmail.com
BARAC Manchester
Colette Williams 07984359894
Maurice Shaw 07765852595
BARAC Birmingham
Maxie Hayles 07956141554
BARAC Scotland
Graham Campbell 07758253823
BARAC Huddersfield
Carol Alexis 07958577813
Twitter: BARAC UK
Facebook: ‘black activists rising against cuts’
About BARAC: We are a national campaign group set up to respond to the disproportionate impact of government cuts on black workers, services users and communities. The four main objectives of the campaign are: To campaign and defend jobs and services. To highlight the disproportionate and adverse impact of reduction in public spending on black communities, provide a campaigning platform to fight against cuts. To work in partnership/build alliances with others facing similar attacks.
Ends
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