Manchester activists held a ’50 Day Countdown’ to step up the mobilisation for the March and Rally for an Alternative against the Tories who are set to come to Manchester for their annual conference in October.
‘The Tories are going to hold a Conference of greed, looting and violence. The greed of the bankers, the looting of our NHS – which they want to sell off to their mates in private health care companies – and the violence of bombing Libya will all be applauded by the Tories. We oppose all these things. At my union’s annual conference we unanimously agreed to support a demonstration outside the Tory conference.’ Rick Lighten, UNISON Communications Officer, Manchester Metropolitan University.
‘The cuts are having a massive effect on young people. We desperately need an alternative, They should reinstate the EMA, and bring back grants. My union is supporting the march for an alternative on 2nd October,’ Karen Evans UCU National Executive.
‘People have been rioting on the streets, but many disabled people can not even get outside their houses. They face massive cuts. There has already been suicides due to disabled people being pushed over the edge due to the stress of the the new assessment systems the Tories have introduced. We have been protesting against the ATOS company which is responsible. Disabled people and carers will be joining the march in October.’ Steve Graby, from the Disable Peoples Direct Action Network.
“The Tories trivialise Health and Safety laws, they talk of getting rid of ‘red tape’. But it is not too much regulation that is killing jobs, it is the Tories who are killing jobs. And it is the lack of regulation that is killing people. Deaths at work are up already in 2010/11 and that’s before the enforcement cuts start to bite. No death at work is acceptable. The attacks on Health and Safe is part of the wider war on the working class. These cuts kill. We did not vote to be killed at work. Health and safety trades union reps, all of us in the Hazards Campaign and our local networks, we all will be mobilising and joining the march.’ Hilda Palmer, Hazards Campaign, Manchester.’ Hilda Palmer, Hazards Unit, Manchester
‘The NUJ are against the cuts to all sections of society. The BBC is making cuts to our members jobs and attacking conditions. The Tories are attacking the license fee. They use the media in a political way – to demonise those who actively oppose the cuts. The mainstream media, the Murdoch press and other media baron, all have the same interest as the Tories. We support the march and we hope that everyone will join it.’ Kath Grant, secretary of Manchester NUJ.
Karl Koch is a member of the Unite union, now a former bin worker he said, ‘People like me are being forced out due to the cuts. With the £110 million taken from Manchester the feeling amongst council workers is of impending doom as the axe falls. Council services are in the process of disintegration. I hope it will be a momentous demonstration that will lead to these Tories being forced out.’
‘The release of final details of the arrangements for the March and Rally against the Tories have been delayed as Manchester Police had to postpone the planning meeting, due to be held last week, as a result of the riots in Manchester. We should now be meeting next week. The TUC are set to give full backing to the march and the Northwest TUC will be throwing deploying their resources for the march and rally,’ Mark Krantz, Manchester Right to Work.
‘This will be a March and Rally for an Alternative to the Tories economic and social agenda,’ explained Alan Manning, Secretary of the North West TUC.
