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Socio-Economic Rights in Recession: Threats & Action

Explore the impact of UK government cuts on equality & rights in the recession context, affecting women, children, low-paid workers, and more. Learn about consequences and possible actions to safeguard rights.

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Socio-Economic Rights in Recession: Threats & Action

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  1. Pamela Dooley Vice Chairperson ICTU NI Committee and UNISON Rights in Recession

  2. Context • Equality and Rights under greatest threat at time of recession • Commitments in Good Friday Agreement largely ignored by politicians • Draft budget constitutes a real threat to the socio economic rights of the people

  3. UK Government Cuts - NI • UK Emergency Budget June 2010 £8bn impact in tax rises and welfare cuts • Further UK cuts to Welfare benefits: £8bn becomes £16bn • UK Cuts to NI Block Grant: • £4bn • Impact - 75% women

  4. Who is under threat? • Women • Children • Everyone living in poverty • The low paid • Pensioners • Working class people in general

  5. The Right to Work

  6. The Right to Health and Social Care

  7. What we can expect • Restricted access to community care • Closures of beds • Hospital beds will get blocked • Waiting lists will extend, both for hospital and community services • Reduction in grants to the voluntary sector • No new patients on high cost drugs • Jobs will be lost – c.4,000 • A moratorium in employment • Cash control on necessary agency and locum spend leading to unplanned closure • New buildings currently in construction left unopened • Co payments and Greater contributions from service users.

  8. The Right to Education • Over 4 years £300m funding gap • Capital 30% shortfall ISSUES NOT ADDRESSED • Attainment Outcomes • Existing Inequalities • Real need

  9. Education: What we can expect DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION • Promise of some growth in Free Meals, Early Years BUT • School meals budget cut by 6% • School Budget Cut (2014-2015 - 15%) • LMS issue • Home to School Transport cut • Capacity Building (4.8m) cut • Job loss

  10. Education: What we can expect DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE ARTS AND LEISURE • Library Closures (x10) • 15-20% reduction opening hours (redundancies) • Recruitment freeze • Book Stock (0.29!)

  11. Education: What we can expect Department of Employment • Student loans • Education Maintenance Allowance Universities and Colleges • Major cuts in services and job

  12. Right to Housing • ‘Flat Cash’ • Little or no growth in public housing • Waiting list increase • Regeneration initiatives under threat

  13. Right to Social Security • Obscene cuts to the welfare benefits system • Introduction of charging for services • Universal Benefit a threat to individual rights

  14. Right to an Adequate Standard of Living • Pay Freezes • Pay Cuts • Attacks on agreed conditions • ‘Sweating’ the workforce • Attacking the benefits system

  15. On the Offensive • UK and NI governments side-stepping legal obligations on equality and human rights • Legal challenges in UK winning at operational level if not at Government level • Trades unions taking industrial action • Unions and communities mobilising, marching , lobbying and taking direct action • A sustained programme of strategic action on all front can bring about change

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