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Pensions protests: lessons from around the world

Jessica Radford, campaigns and policy intern

Thousands have taken to the streets in protest at public sector pension changes. Demonstrations are taking place across the UK, including Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Exeter, York, Gateshead, Aberdeen and London. WDM joined the march in London alongside the Jubilee Debt Campaign and we were happy to see our supporters and allies in the crowd. People of all ages were present, ranging from primary, secondary and college students to podiatrists and midwives and, of course, teachers.

Cameron has described the walkouts as a ‘damp squib’ but with 300 000 public sector workers in Scotland on strike, 170 000 workers in Wales and an estimated 2 million altogether across the UK this shows the voice of the people coming out against the government and its policies which cannot be ignored. It shows that an economy that works to profit the elite minority can no longer be sustained. The economic crisis is being used as an excuse to put even more power in the hands of big corporations, forgetting about the hard workers in the public sector. Those who have already suffered because of the crisis are the ones who are now forced to pick up the bill through their pensions; people forced to work for longer and for lower pay.

It...

Help us ensure that climate action is funded in Scotland

Scotland has a world-leading climate change act with ambitious but achievable targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2020 and 2050. But these can only be achieved if public money finances our transition to a low carbon society.

In order to meet the first target, eight years from now, the next Scottish budget must properly fund action to cut Scotland’s carbon emissions.

As the next budget is being prepared, WDM Scotland is working with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland on a campaign to make sure that public funding for action on climate change is given priority.

msps and campaigners talking in Scottish parliament committee room

Picture: Stop Climate Chaos Scotland mass lobby of the Scottish Parliament

What we would like you to do

If you live in the following constituencies then your MSP is an important decision-maker in the budget process. We need your help.

Click on the link to your constituency to join this Stop Climate Chaos Scotland e-mail campaign:

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland letter-writing campaign

Introduction

The Scottish Climate Change Act came into being in 2009, and since then the Scottish Government has done a great deal to promote its world-leading legislation, which includes a 42% reduction in Scotland’s own emissions by 2020, and 80% by 2050. More recently, the Scottish Government has produced an action plan called the ‘Report on Proposals and Policies’ which sets out which policies will be needed for Scotland to be able to achieve these targets.

This next Scottish Budget must reflect Scotland’s climate change ambitions. The Scottish Government is currently putting together the 2012-13 budget as well as a four-year spending review. The Scottish Parliament will then scrutinise the Budget and it will be agreed in February 2012. But this autumn is the key time to influence it, while it’s still in its early stages.

Why it matters

Recently, in its advice to Scottish Ministers, the UK Climate Change Committee stated that: ‘Scottish emissions reduction targets can be met at manageable economic cost... and should be accepted given the costs and consequences of not acting’.

Action in Scotland to reduce our emissions is a vital part of a just response to climate change. Whilst rich countries are responsible for most of the emissions...

Two years on: would Arnie still back Scotland's action on climate change?

Jane Herbstritt, Scottish campaigns assistant.

In 2009, the Scottish government passed world-leading climate legislation when the Scottish parliament voted for climate change targets of 42% emissions reductions by 2020 and 80% by 2050. For a short time, Scotland made headlines, with praise for the achievement arriving from across the globe. Climate campaigners in Scotland, myself included, were especially pleased when the ‘Governator’ himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, then Governor of California gave the Act his thumbs-up, quoted as saying that ‘Scotland’s ambitious and comprehensive targets...sends a message to the world that we must act now and we must act swiftly’.

But, three years on, would Arnie be able to say anything positive about climate action by the Scottish government since the Act was passed? Are we as climate campaigners happy to use the same e-postcards in 2011 that we designed then, with pictures of Mr. Universe himself showing off his honed physique and proclaiming ‘Scotland’s climate change act has muscle!’?

During the Scottish parliamentary debate on the climate change bill, the opposition environment spokesperson at the time, Sarah...

Climate loan sharks

By Emma Rubach. This article originally appeared in The Big Issue

There’s been a lot in the press recently about the fact Britain’s aid budget is one of the few areas of public spending not facing cuts. Despite detractors wondering how we can spend money overseas when we don’t seem to have much to spend at home, the government has been vocally proud of its commitment to helping poor countries out of poverty and to reaching the Millennium Development Goals.
 

Unfortunately, a recent report by campaign group World Development Movement (WDM) suggests that while we’re giving with one hand, we could be taking away with the other, thanks to the decision to offer climate adaption loans to poor countries through the World Bank. Much like the payday loan companies who target vulnerable people in need, desperate countries on the frontline of climate change will be offered cash to help adapt to the problems climate shifts create. The World Bank appears to be offering a kindly leg-up in a time of need – but as we cash strapped folk well know, all loans have to someday be paid back.
 

As WDM points out, it’s unfair to expect developing countries whose emissions could fit into a thimble to pay for...

Climate loan sharks


By Emma Rubach, collumist for The Big Issue

There’s been a lot in the press recently about the fact Britain’s aid budget is one of the few areas of public spending not facing cuts. Despite detractors wondering how we can spend money overseas when we don’t seem to have much to spend at home, the government has been vocally proud of its commitment to helping poor countries out of poverty and to reaching the Millennium Development Goals.

Unfortunately, a recent report by campaign group World Development Movement (WDM) suggests that while we’re giving with one hand, we could be taking away with the other, thanks to the decision to offer climate adaption loans to poor countries through the World Bank. Much like the payday loan companies who target vulnerable people in need, desperate countries on the frontline of climate change will be offered cash to help adapt to the problems climate shifts create. The World Bank appears to be offering a kindly leg-up in a time of need – but as we cash strapped folk well know, all loans have to someday be paid back.

As WDM points out, it’s unfair to expect developing countries whose emissions could fit into a thimble to pay for the damage rich countries have done to the atmosphere – a little like a rude...

Out of time: The case for replacing the IMF and World Bank

 

Vultures bill passes second reading, but Tories slow progress

Update from WDM ally Jubilee Debt Campaign:

Jubilee Debt Campaign has welcomed the successful passage of the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill at its second reading in Parliament today, but the charity has expressed disappointment that the Conservative Party prevented the bill from taking a further step towards becoming law, by insisting it goes through full committee stage.

All parties expressed support for the second reading of the bill, proposed by Andrew Gwynne MP and introduced by Sally Keeble MP this morning, which would effectively prevent vulture funds making huge profits out of the poorest countries in the world.

But while Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs expressed unequivocal support, Conservative Treasury spokesman David Gauke admitted to outstanding concerns and said his party would not support the measure being rushed through the House. Campaigners fear this may mean the bill does not become law before the General Election. On being pushed by Liberal Democrat MP Andrew Stunell, Mr Gauke failed to give a commitment to tackling the issue should the Conservative Party form a government.

Nick Dearden, Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign said:
“We are delighted that the vultures bill attracted cross-party support, and we understand...

Campaigners demand complete debt cancellation for Haiti

After Tuesday’s earthquake, which has left up to 50,000 people dead, WDM has joined the Jubilee Debt Campaign in calling for an urgent cancellation of all of Haiti's remaining debt.

"The poverty that already exists in Haiti will be even more devastating as a result of this emergency and it clearly requires high levels of aid to combat it. This should also come with wholesale debt cancellation and the need to need to ensure that aid is given in the form of genuine grants as opposed to traditional IMF-backed loans, which would undoubtedly worsen an already dire situation", said Julian Oram, Head of Policy at WDM.

We welcome the cancellation of two thirds ($1.2 billion) of Haiti’s debt in 2009, but condemn the fact that the country still has $641 million in debt on its books and in 2010 is projected to pay around $10million to International Financial Institutions.

We also think that the International Monetary Fund’s proposed offer of $100 million in new lending to Haiti is completely inappropriate. Even though lent at very concessional rates of interest, the proposal contradicts the IMF’s own policy recommendations that Haiti should not borrow more money because...

Debt campaign

The World Development Movement has an honourable and proud record in leading the way - fighting for debt relief and the reduction of poverty around the world

Gordon Brown September 1998.

Something criminal is being done to the world's poorest countries. The World Development Movement's (WDM) debt campaign revealed evidence that leaders of rich countries collude to give developing countries an unfair deal. They force policies such as trade liberalisation, investment deregulation and privatisation onto the poor, in return for minuscule debt relief.

Martin Powell and the Daleks

The debt campaign called for:

  • an end to the unjust International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank economic conditions attached to debt relief
  • the cancellation of all poor country debt under a fair, transparent and democratic process for obtaining debt relief

WDM debt campaign successes:

WDM has campaigned on debt for over 20 years. After Jubilee 2000 closed, most other agencies stopped debt campaigning. WDM however, decided more could be achieved, and so we became the most active group working on debt both individually and...

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Cycle London to Paris with WDM