PCS weekly news digest 20 July

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20 July 2012

This weekly news digest is a summary of news, campaign articles, media releases and reports from the past week

20 July

UK worker strikes may disrupt the Olympics – Boston Globe

Athletes and sports fans attending the 2012 Olympic Games may face disrupted journeys after UK immigration and rail workers announced separate strikes, reported the Boston Globe.

Spanish take to streets in protest as MPs pass €65bn austerity package – hereisthecity.com

Protesters took to the streets of 80 Spanish cities on Thursday night after prime minister Mariano Rajoy's People's party (PP) pushed a €65bn (£51bn) austerity package through parliament and the country paid record prices to borrow money from sceptical markets, reported the hereisthecity website.

19 July

Home Office to strike on eve of Olympics – PCS

Members across the Home Office will strike on Thursday 26 July in a long-running dispute over job cuts, pay and privatisation.

Is the tide turning on public sector outsourcing? – Touchstone blog

The G4S Olympic security shambles is such a spectacular outsourcing disaster that it is leading to a period of soul searching in political and media circles about the nature of privatization, says TUC policy officer Matt Dykes on a Touchstone blog post.

Olympic strike: Serwotka says action is “last resort” – BBC News

The leader of a union representing thousands of Home Office staff, has defended plans to call a strike next Thursday - on the eve of the Olympics, reported the BBC.

18 July

Millions ‘failing to save enough for retirement’ as pensions drop – Daily Telegraph

The number of people in workplace pension schemes is as a record low, as experts warn millions of workers are failing to put away enough money for retirement, reported the Daily Telegraph.

Serco becomes latest firm to face music – Morning Star

Octopus-like outsourcing firm Serco became the latest profiteering outfit caught out failing to deliver on its promises, reported the Morning Star.

17 July

Long-term unemployment at crisis levels, warns TUC – Union-News

Long-term unemployment is at crisis levels and getting worse, even as the rest of the labour market improves, the TUC warned.

State gripped by biggest wave of outsourcing since 1980s – Financial Times

For the past 60 years, Britons have enjoyed cradle-to-grave public services, provided by the state. Nowadays, they are more likely to be supplied by the private sector, reported the Financial Times.

16 July

Welfare to work scheme co-ordinating firm goes bankrupt – Guardian

Jobless support company Eco Actif closes after being denied loans by banks which said social policy was a risky investment, reported the Guardian.

Why being green does not mean being poor – Red Pepper

Climate Justice Collective’s Alex Granger writing for Red Pepper magazine dispels the myth that investment in renewables is behind rising energy costs.

15 July

New security fears as Heathrow checks miss terror suspects – Observer

Terror suspects on the Home Office watch list are entering the UK in the run-up to the Olympics without the necessary security checks, according to frontline officials at Heathrow, reported the Observer.

Jeremy Hunt defends under-fire security giant G4S – Independent on Sunday

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt defended beleaguered security giant G4S, insisting it was “completely normal” for contractors on projects like the London Olympics to fail to meet their commitments, reported the Independent on Sunday.

14 July

Lazard to lead NHS sale – Sky News

The NHS's principal blood supplier may be privatised which could raise tens of millions of pounds for the taxpayer, reported Sky News.

Social housing decline – why has it happened? – False Economy

In 30 years, social housing has gone from being three times the size of the private rental sector, a blog on the False Economy website considers why.

Public and Commercial Services Union