Sunday, November 27, 2022

Hundreds take part in Belfast protest over soaring living costs

Hundreds of activists taking part in a protest in Belfast have demanded action on soaring living costs and rising energy prices.

By Cate McCurry, PA

The protest, organised by the Cost of Living Coalition Belfast, started at Custom House Square at around 1pm and made its way to Writers' Square, where a number of speeches took place.

Representatives from trade unions and community groups addressed the assembled crowd on Saturday.

A spokesman for the group said: "Stormont is in crisis and the Tory government is in tatters, but our communities won't idly wait for action on the cost-of-living crisis.

Protestors held a cost of living demonstration in Belfast on Saturday, demanding action on soaring living costs and rising energy prices

"Workers are striking for better pay and people are fighting back in the face of skyrocketing costs and bills.

"We won't wait for politicians to get their house in order while people struggle to heat their homes or put food on the table.

"We won't wait while those in power refuse to tackle the booming profits of the bosses and the super-rich."

The group added: "The Tory government has promised more misery for working-class people in the autumn budget, but we won't let the threat of more austerity go unchallenged."

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll also addressed the march.

"Chris Heaton-Harris will not implement these measures without a fight," the West Belfast MLA said.

"The Tories are launching a renewed attack on working class people, who have simply had enough.

"Today's demonstration was a significant step in building an opposition to this rotten Tory regime.

"Striking workers who spoke today are leading the fight for a better and fairer society. They'll be joined by many more in taking that fight directly to the Tories in time ahead."

Scots Teachers announce 16-day strike action

by Louise Wilson
25 November 2022
@louisewilso

Teachers take part in a rally at the Scottish Parliament | Credit: Alamy

Teachers are set to strike for 16 days in January and February over the continuing pay dispute.

The EIS, the largest teaching union in Scotland, said its members had been “forced into the escalation” of strike action.

It accused the Scottish Government and Cosla of showing “bad-faith” after earlier this week tabling a pay offer 30 minutes before the union’s committee was due to meet and giving the details to the press.

EIS members went on strike for the first time in four decades on Thursday after negotiations reached a stalemate.

The union is seeking a 10 per cent pay increase and claimed the offer on Wednesday was a “reheated five per cent offer”.

The Scottish Government said the offer represented a “a cumulative pay increase for the majority of teachers of 21.8 per cent since 2018”.

Teachers will strike in two local authority areas each day between Monday 16 January and Monday 6 February, starting with Glasgow and East Lothian.

Strike action which had already been confirmed for 10 and 11 January is still set to go ahead.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “We have been forced into the escalation of this action by the lack of willingness to negotiate properly and to pay teachers properly, by a government that says it wished to be judged on its record on education.

“The judgement of Scotland’s teachers on the matter of pay is clear, with the first programme of national strike action that we have engaged in for four decades.

“It is now for the Scottish Government and COSLA to resolve this dispute, and prevent further strike action, by coming back to the negotiating table with a substantially improved pay offer for all of Scotland’s teaching professionals.”

IT'S NEITHER

NHS Scotland strikes: Scottish Government makes 'best and final' pay deal

by Kirsteen Paterson
24 November 2022

Humza Yousaf

Health bosses have made a "best and final offer" to NHS staff in a bid to avoid strike action.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the deal - worth £515m in 2022-23 - underlines the Scottish Government's commitment to "supporting our fantastic NHS staff".

The offer is a Scottish record and is described by the Scottish Government as "the best in the UK".

The lowest paid staff are offered an 11.3 per cent uplift against an average for all staff of 7.5 per cent. A review into reducing the working week to 36 hours is included.

Yousaf said: "We are making this offer at a time of extraordinary financial challenges to the Scottish Government. We have made the best offer possible to get money into the pockets of hard-working staff and to avoid industrial action in what is already going to be an incredibly challenging winter."

The package includes a pay rise of 8.7 per cent to newly-qualified nurses (£2,205), with uplifts of between £2,450 and £2,751 for more experienced staff, backdated to April.

The Royal College of Nursing, Unite, GMB union and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have also backed strike action amidst pay disputes.

Ambulance staff in the Unite union has suspended work-to-rule action tomorrow and will put the deal to members in a ballot.

Holyrood provides comprehensive coverage of Scottish politics, offering award-winning reporting and analysis

by Louise Wilson
Scottish Government accused of running ‘two-tier’ health system

MENOPAUSE IS NOT SICK TIME
Managers should record menopause-related absences, new NHS England guidance says

UNIONS SHOULD MAKE IT PAID TIME OFF ALONG WITH MENSTURAL TIME OFF

by Beth Gault
25 November 2022

New guidance to help managers support staff through the menopause recommends that they record menopause-related absences.

The NHS England document also includes a checklist for practices to work through to assess if they are ‘menopause friendly’.

Supporting our NHS people through menopause: guidance for line managers and colleagues, said that practices should record menopause-related absences so they can better understand the impact it is having on staff.

However, it added that those NHS organisations not using electronic staff records, including in primary care, would need to take a ‘bespoke approach’ to determine how exactly to capture this staff absence data.

The guidance said: ‘By recording menopause-related absences accurately, organisations can gain a better understanding of the impact menopause is having on their colleagues and put in place the necessary support. It is recommended that each practice includes the recording of menopause-related absence when reviewing practice-based sickness levels.’

Practices can also use the guidance to assess how ‘menopause friendly’ they are.

It includes questions such as: is there a menopause guidance document in place?, is there the right training and support available?, and are workplace facilities menopause friendly?

Line managers are urged to foster an open and inclusive culture where staff feel they can talk about issues related to menopause. They can do this by:Normalising asking for help

Increasing their own and their team’s knowledge and awareness of the menopause and access training on how to have wellbeing conversations with staff

Linking to local occupational health and wellbeing services, employee assistance programmes, organisational health and wellbeing champions

Sharing details of wellbeing support available with staff

Encouraging attendance at organisational menopause support groups and networks

Considering flexible working to help staff cope with symptoms.

Managers were also reminded to be aware of transgender, non-binary and intersex staff who may experience the menopause.

‘It is important to acknowledge some trans, non-binary and intersex staff may not wish to disclose their menopausal symptoms as this may mean disclosing their trans or intersex status,’ it said.

‘It can therefore be particularly difficult for these employees to access support and/or ask for adjustments. Within each of these groups, people’s needs will be different and so it is crucial to listen to people on an individual basis and allow them to take the lead on their conversations and required adjustments.’

The BMA has welcomed the guidance, calling on employers to put it into action to ensure staff are supported and to ‘stop the stigma around a normal physiological process’.

It said its own research has found that a significant number of women senior doctors have reduced their hours, left management roles, or intend to leave medicine altogether because of the barriers they faced when going through the menopause.

Dr Latifa Patel, BMA representative body chair, said: ‘We have always emphasised that simple steps can be taken by employers to help retain women experiencing the menopause and ensure less lost working days because of menopausal symptoms – tangible actions such as better access to flexible working patterns, access to appropriate facilities and occupational health services, and provision of wellbeing support.’

She added: ‘At a time when the NHS is experiencing widespread and significant workforce shortages it has never been more important that we support all staff to reach their potential so that they can continue to offer their best to patients.’

The guidance comes after MPs were told that menopause should be included in the QOF framework to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Read the NHS England guidance in full here.

Riots break out in Belgium, Netherlands after Morocco’s World Cup win

Raf Casert, Associated Press

Nov 27, 2022

BRUSSELS (AP) — Riots broke out in several Belgian and Dutch cities after Morocco’s 2-0 upset win over Belgium at the World Cup Sunday.

Police detained about a dozen people after they deployed water cannons and fire tear gas to disperse crowds in Brussels and eight more in the Northern city of Antwerp. Two police officials were injured in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam. By late evening Sunday, an uneasy calm had returned to most of the cities involved.

READ MORE: Morocco beats Belgium 2-0, pulling off another World Cup upset

Dozens of rioters overturned and torched cars, set electric scooters on fire and pelted cars with bricks. Police moved in after one person suffered facial injuries, said Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere.

Brussels mayor Philippe Close urged people to stay away from the city center and said authorities were doing their utmost to keep order in the streets. Even subway and tram traffic had to be interrupted on police orders.

“Those are not fans, they are rioters. Moroccan fans are there to celebrate,” Close said. There were also disturbances in the city of Antwerp and Liege.

“Sad to see how a few individuals abuse a situation to run amok,” said Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden.

Police in the neighboring Netherlands said violence erupted in the port city of Rotterdam, with riot officers attempting to break up a group of 500 soccer supporters who pelted police with fireworks and glass. Media reported unrest in the capital Amsterdam and The Hague.

Morocco’s victory was a major upset at the World Cup and was enthusiastically celebrated by fans with Moroccan immigrant roots in many Belgian and Dutch cities.

Why anti-poverty researchers bristle at holiday appeals for food bank donations

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Campaigns for food bank donations are a staple of the holiday season, but some Canadian food insecurity researchers say the appeals can be tough to swallow.

Josh Smee, the executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador-based non-profit Food First N.L., says he tends to feel conflicted during the holidays when calls ramp up to donate to local food banks, often accompanied by messaging about ending hunger.

Hunger is an income issue, he said, adding people don't have enough food because they don't have money to buy it.

Smee said donating to food banks won't put more money in the pockets of people who rely on them for meals, but systemic change — such as increasing minimum wages and income support levels — will.

"The reality of it is that we've built a system where private charity is filling in for where the social safety net should be," Smee said in a recent interview. "Right now it is absolutely imperative that people donate when they can. But I think that when folks make those donations, they should also be reaching out to decision makers to let them know that it's not acceptable that these circumstances exist."

Research from Proof, a national food insecurity working group based at the University of Toronto, shows nearly 16 per cent of households across Canadian provinces adjusted their diets or simply went without in 2021 because there wasn't enough food on hand.

In the same sample, researchers found about 63 per cent of households receiving social assistance or income support last year were food insecure. The same was true of nearly 14 per cent of surveyed households where income came from wages or salaries, the group's research said.

Related video: Food banks struggle with fewer donations
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Meanwhile, annual social assistance rates for a single person in 2021, including tax breaks, ranged from $7,499 in New Brunswick to $13,838 in Prince Edward Island, according to a report released last week by Toronto-based anti-poverty think tank Maytree.

Smee said he wants to see provincial governments index social assistance rates to inflation and raise minimum wages. He's also part of an effort to encourage the Newfoundland and Labrador government to implement a basic income program.

"Poverty is just so expensive," Smee said. "Effectively, what we're all doing as individual taxpayers ... is we're subsidizing keeping income support rates low and keeping wages low. Because those folks are then reaching out for either state supports or charity."

Lynn McIntyre, emeritus professor of community health at the University of Calgary's medical school, said she feels despair every year as people are urged to donate to local food banks.

"I think I've gone past despair, but I still haven't reached resignation," said McIntyre, who is part of the Proof research group. "I'm very, very disappointed that we continue to think that this problem that is related to inadequate income can be solved by food."

Food banks first opened in Canada in the early 1980s and were supposed to be a temporary support amid a growing recession, McIntyre said. She said continued government investment into food banks signals that those in power aren't prepared to tackle the root causes of hunger, which include inadequate incomes.

She said she was pleased to hear Smee's organization held a conference Saturday in St. John's, N.L., called "Rethinking Food Charity." The event was aimed at helping non-profits like food banks be more involved in advocating for systemic change.

"I do think that that's really what needs to be said. Don't just drop a can and then say, 'But I I really believe in basic income' or 'I believe in poverty reduction initiatives.' I think we have to absolutely stop these responses and beef up our current system."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2022.

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press

Letter: The uber-rich should help pay for climate action

Reader Letters •Leader Post

Delegates arrive at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Nov. 7, 2022.© Provided by Leader Post

The recent COP27 meeting established a loss and damage fund to compensate developing countries for horrendous impacts of climate change. This is being touted as the only major “breakthrough” of the conference.

The original idea was first proposed more than 30 years ago and a commitment of at least $100 billion per year was agreed to at the 21st COP in Paris in 2015. Unfortunately, the current agreement still does not include anything about who will pay or when; this might possibly be done by next year’s COP.

Meanwhile the 10 richest people in the world increased their wealth from $700 billion to $1.5 trillion during the first two years of Covid while the vast majority of people suffered financially, physically and mentally. The United States, which has consistently blocked this agreement, currently has 975 billionaires with a collective wealth of $4.45 trillion. Is there something wrong here? Perhaps these billionaires might consider picking up the tab as it would represent less than 2.5 per cent of their wealth.

Lynn Oliphant, Saskatoon

Cabinet minister rejects national misogyny and racism inquiry

Image caption,
A report into London Fire Brigade found it was "institutionally misogynist and racist"

A national inquiry into institutional misogyny and racism in the workplace has been rejected by the government.

The inquiry was called for by the authors of a damning report into London Fire Brigade's workplace culture.

It found "dangerous levels of prejudice against women" while those from minority backgrounds were "frequently the target of racist abuse".

Nazir Afzal, who led the report, said it was a national issue and called for a wider inquiry.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) report, which was based on the experiences of hundreds of staff members, made 23 recommendations.

It listed a number of instances of abuse and poor behaviour at almost all levels of the brigade including:

Multiple cases of bullying "and the targeting of ethnic minorities and women", with some complaints not investigated
A black firefighter had a noose put by his locker
Women "sexually taunted", including one who received video calls from a man exposing his genitalia
Men "huddled around a screen watching porn" at some fire stations
A Muslim firefighter, bullied because of his faith, had bacon put in his sandwich by colleagues

Mr Afzal said that since the report was published, he had been contacted by staff from other organisations, including the BBC, NHS, the armed forces and police forces, who said they were experiencing similar issues.

Mr Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor, said: "We're not talking about a tiny outbreak here, a tiny outbreak there.

"This is a national pandemic issue, which requires a national pandemic-type response."

Image caption,
Cabinet minister Mark Harper said the report's findings were "absolutely appalling"

But Transport Secretary Mark Harper dismissed this, telling Sky's Sophie Ridge on Sunday programme: "I don't think you want every organisation in the entire country, when there hasn't been a specific event, to be setting up inquiries all over the place.

"But I do think all leaders of organisations should look at that report and think whether it could happen in their organisation.

"If they think it could, then they should think about what they need to do about making sure it couldn't."

The LFB review was established in response to the death of firefighter Jaden Francois-Esprit, who took his own life in August 2020.

Speaking about the findings, Mr Harper said: "Frankly they were absolutely appalling. I worked in business before I was in politics and that behaviour just wouldn't be acceptable in any workplace.

"That inquiry was triggered by a specific case, of the tragic suicide of someone who took their own life as a result of bullying,

"I don't know any similar examples of elsewhere."

What is diphtheria and how many people are vaccinated against it after disease linked to Manston migrant death

Diphtheria is a serious illness and sometimes fatal, especially in children, if it’s not treated quickly

By Brendan McFadden

Freelance reporter and late editor

November 27, 2022

The Government admitted on Saturday that a PCR test on the man who died after being held at the centre for a week indicates that “diphtheria may be the cause of the illness”.

UK Health Security Agency officials are expected to confirm on Monday the number of infections has risen to about 50, The Sunday Times reports – though ministers have denied that the virus is spreading as a result of squalid conditions at the controversial processing centre.

Asylum seekers cannot be legally held at Manston for more than 24 hours – but new arrivals have been left waiting there for days on end amid a scramble to find suitable accommodation.

There are also concerns the disease could spread to the wider UK population as asylum seekers were moved from the Kent facility to hotels around the country.

But what is diphtheria, is there a risk of an increase in cases across the nation, and how many people are vaccinated against it? Here’s what you need to know about the disease.

What is diphtheria?

Diphtheria is a contagious airborne infection, which can lead to difficulty breathing, heart rhythm problems, and even death.

It mainly affects the nose and throat, and sometimes the skin – and is spread by coughs and sneezes, or through close contact with someone who is infected.

The disease can also be spread by sharing items, such as cups, cutlery, clothing or bedding, with an infected person.

The disease, caused by strains of bacteria called corynebacterium, thrives in areas of poor sanitation.

Diphtheria is a serious illness and sometimes fatal, especially in children, if it’s not treated quickly.

What are the symptoms of diphtheria?

Symptoms typically start two to five days after a person contracts the infection.

They include:

A thick, grey-white coating on the back of your throat, nose and tongue
A high temperature
A sore throat
Swollen glands in your neck
Difficulty breathing and swallowing
Cutaneous diphtheria is an infection of the skin and symptoms include pus-filled blisters and large ulcers.

Who is vaccinated against it?

Vaccination against diphtheria is offered in the UK through a routine childhood vaccination schedule.

A six-in-one childhood jab is given to babies in the UK. It is also given to youngsters aged 3 years 4 months as part of a 4-in-one pre-school jab. And youngsters aged 14 years receive it as part of a 3-in-1 teenage booster.

The vaccines protect the majority of people for approximately 10 years.

Booster jabs are offered on the NHS and the health service recommends having one if people are travelling to an area where diphtheria is considered to be high risk.

In the period 2020/2021, uptake of the UK’s childhood vaccination schedule was more than 90 per cent for all UK countries, according to independent health think tank Nuffield Trust.

But uptake is lower in other parts of the world – meaning migrants in the UK could be more vulnerable.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), during 2021, about 81 per cent of infants worldwide (105 million infants) received 3 doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccine.

Is there a risk of the disease spreading?

The NHS maintains that there is little risk of diphtheria spreading among the general population. Cases are rare in the UK and the disease can be treated easily with antibiotics and other medicines.

Diphtheria is a very rare infection in England due to the success of the routine immunisation programme that was introduced in 1942, when the average annual number of cases was about 60,000 with 4,000 deaths.

Dr Trish Mannes, of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “The risk of diphtheria to the wider public remains very low, due to high uptake of the diphtheria vaccine and because the infection is typically passed on through close prolonged contact.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper claimed people at the Manston migrant processing centre had diphtheria before they arrived in the UK and insisted there is “extremely low risk to the wider community”.

He told Sky News: “On the diphtheria issue, there’s extremely low risk to the wider community, that’s a disease… the vaccination is in the standard childhood vaccination.

“We take the welfare of people in our care very seriously. My understanding is those cases were people who had that disease before they came to the United Kingdom.”

Pay rises matching inflation are unaffordable, minister warns as strikes loom

WHITE COLLAR, BLUE COLLAR, PINK COLLAR

WE ARE ALL PROLETARIANS NOW

Sunday 27 November 2022

Rail workers on strike

Public sector pay rises in line with soaring inflation are “unaffordable”, Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said, raising the chances of a winter of strikes going ahead.

The Cabinet minister said on Sunday there “simply isn’t the money” to meet the demands of workers preparing to take industrial action, but hinted at progress in talks over rail strikes.

Mr Harper indicated a change in the mandate for negotiations and said pay rises could come if rail workers accept reforms, after holding “positive” talks with Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch.

The Transport Secretary said 'we simply can’t afford some of the huge pay rises'

Nurses are set to stage their first-ever UK-wide strike action next month, as they join transport and postal workers on the picket lines in disputes over pay and conditions.

Mr Harper told ITV News the country is facing a huge economic challenge "made in Russia" and insisted public sector workers have been offered pay rises that the government thinks are affordable.

"We simply can’t afford some of the huge pay rises that we’ve seen that’s been demanded," he said.

When are the upcoming rail strikes and which routes will be affected?

When are all the strikes set to be held across the country?

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said inflation-busting pay deals are unaffordable

Credit: PA

He told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that rail bosses “will have the ability to reach a deal”, when pressed about whether they have the mandate to properly negotiate with the RMT.

“But we have to be able to have that reform package negotiated, because it’s only that that throws up the savings,” Mr Harper said.

“I do not have a bottomless pit of taxpayers’ money to throw at this problem.”

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We have been clear we want to do a deal with the RMT which delivers the long overdue reforms the railway needs to improve services and unlocks the funds for an affordable pay rise.

“With time running out to avert the widespread Christmas disruption which would result from further industrial action, we need the RMT to call off the strikes and work with us to reach a fair deal for our people, our passengers and for the taxpayer.”

Those hoping the strikes will be called off by Christmas, including TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady, welcomed a “change in tone” from the Government.

Former Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry said he has “real hope” for a settlement as he criticised Mr Harper’s predecessor as transport secretary, Grant Shapps, for making a “big mistake” by taking a “not me guv” approach to talks.

Public sector workers like many in the private sector are calling for significant raises so they do not face real-terms cuts, as inflation soars past 11%.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has agreed to increase state pensions and benefits payments in line with inflation, but has said nurses’ demand for a 19% hike is “unaffordable”.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will walk out on December 15 and 20 if the dispute is not resolved.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has urged the nursing union to “come back to the table” for talks, but he is declining to discuss pay, instead wanting to talk about conditions such as pension arrangements, holidays, rosters and the availability of free coffee.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen however said it is “negotiations or nothing”. Writing to Mr Barclay over the weekend, she said: “If the negotiation table is empty, we can see you are not serious about progress.”

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment