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| Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union) addresses the meeting at Lancaster Town Hall. |
Around 150 people filled Lancaster Town Hall on the Evening of Thursday 23rd Feb 2011, to hear a series of inspiring speakers and discuss the way forward and future actions for the campaign. First to speak was Trade Union leader Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union. Crow castigated the governments cuts, arguing the Con-Dem coalition was being soft on the billionaire elites and tax-dodgers, who owe the country hundreds of billions in tax cheats. These rich elites should be made to pay for the crisis - rather than hurting the poor and vulnerable. Gina Dowding spoke for the Green Party outlining her vision of an alternative to cuts. Chris Bambery, national secretary of the Right To Work Campaign gave a rousing speech, which drew rounds of applause in its call for determined resistance to defend the welfare state. He also agreed with the other speakers that society should make the rich pay for the crisis that was after all caused by their crazy financial system.
Next came speakers from the audience. These included an activist from the campaign to defend local respite care centres from the cuts, who spoke movingly of the need for respite centres to ease the lives of those caring for family members with a severe disability. Another campaign group speaking from the floor was the new 'keep the NHS public' group, who are resisting the Con-Dem plans which threaten to privatise and destroy the NHS. Other campaigners from 'women against the cuts' spoke out against how the cuts will affect working class women, who make up the majority of public service workers - and users - and who also shoulder the burden of care work domestically when services are cut. Students and local workers also spoke about their campaigns.
The meeting agreed on several future actions, including next weeks candle lit vigil to save the respite centres and transport to this months major Trade Union led demo in London on March 26th.
Next came speakers from the audience. These included an activist from the campaign to defend local respite care centres from the cuts, who spoke movingly of the need for respite centres to ease the lives of those caring for family members with a severe disability. Another campaign group speaking from the floor was the new 'keep the NHS public' group, who are resisting the Con-Dem plans which threaten to privatise and destroy the NHS. Other campaigners from 'women against the cuts' spoke out against how the cuts will affect working class women, who make up the majority of public service workers - and users - and who also shoulder the burden of care work domestically when services are cut. Students and local workers also spoke about their campaigns.
The meeting agreed on several future actions, including next weeks candle lit vigil to save the respite centres and transport to this months major Trade Union led demo in London on March 26th.
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ReplyDeleteDay Care Centres