Holocaust Memorial Day - January 27th

The Holocaust
Nazi Germany murdered six million Jews in a systematic, state-sponsored campaign of persecution and extermination now known as the Holocaust. It persecuted, incarcerated and murdered millions of its own citizens, and those of the countries it invaded, on the basis of skin colour; disability; sexual orientation; ethnicity; religious belief or political affiliation.

In 1933, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, the Jewish population of Europe stood over nine million. The Nazi campaign to exclude and persecute Jews, and others, as “life unworthy of life” began. By war’s end, close to two out of every three Jews in Europe had been murdered in the Holocaust.

During the war years (1939-45), the Nazis created ghettos to isolate Jews and established concentration camps to imprison all people targeted on ethnic, racial or political grounds. Between 1942 and 1944 Nazi Germany deported millions of people from the territories it occupied to extermination camps to be murdered in gas chambers. At the largest killing centre, Auschwitz-Birkenau, transports of Jews arrived almost daily from across Europe.

Although Jews were the primary victims of Nazi racism, others targeted for death included tens of thousands of Roma (Gypsies) and at least 200,000 mentally or physically disabled people (source:www.ushmm.org). As Nazi tyranny spread across Europe, millions of people were persecuted and murdered. More than three million Soviet prisoners of war were murdered or died of starvation, disease or maltreatment. The Nazis killed tens of thousands of Polish intellectual and religious leaders; deported millions of Polish and persecuted and incarcerated homosexuals.

Millions of lives were lost, or changed, often beyond redemption. The consequences of this loss and persecution are felt today by Holocaust and genocide survivors, their children and grand-children, in the UK and around the world.

Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is commemorated on 27th January each year. This marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

HMD aims to commemorate, to educate and to prompt action in the UK. HMD commemorates the lives of those lost in the Holocaust; as a result of Nazi persecution and in more recent genocides. It educates about the Holocaust and it lessons for the present day. It prompts action in the UK highlighting the continuing dangers of racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination.

The tragedies of Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur show that the international community, and each of us as citizens, has not truly understood the lessons of the Holocaust.

Ultimately the aim of HMD is to motivate people individually and collectively, to ensure that the horrendous crimes, racism and victimisation committed during the Holocaust and more recent genocides are neither forgotten nor repeated, whether in Europe or elsewhere in the world.

HMD is distinct from Yom HaShoah, the Jewish day of remembrance for the Jewish victims of the Nazis, that falls in late April.

Holocaust Memorial Day events
Hundreds of events and activities are held to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in local communities and schools across the UK.). Every year, a different theme is announced for Holocaust Memorial Day. In 2011, the theme is Untold Stories.

Why Holocaust Memorial Day is relevant to each of us today
The Holocaust was a defining event of the twentieth century and is part of both our history and our contemporary life.

History:

• Refugees fled here from Nazi persecution.
• Britain was engaged in a war to defeat Nazi occupation and oppression.
• UK soldiers liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
• Survivors and refugees who rebuilt their lives here have made major contributions to present day UK society.
• Britain played a lead role in developing the international conventions protecting universal human rights after WW2.

Contemporary life
Nazi ideology was founded on racism, Anti-Semitism and discrimination, creating a fascist state that rejected human and civil rights. The evils of prejudice, discrimination and intolerance continue to exist in Britain. We have lessons to apply today, as individuals, communities and institutions within our society. Hate crimes and attacks against people because of race or ethnicity; sexuality; disability; or religion continue to take place. HMD acts as a reminder to all of us of our responsibility to protect the civil and human rights of all people in our society and around the world.

Massive support for campaign against cuts

PCS members have voted by a massive majority to back the union's campaign against cuts to public services, jobs, pay and pensions.

In a national ballot 90% rejected changes to the civil service redundancy scheme – and 96% supported the union's national campaign, ‘There is an alternative’.

More than 80,000 people voted in the ballot – a turnout of 32%.

PCS starts a legal challenge next week.

The union has called on the government to reopen negotiations to agree a new scheme that protects members’ rights.

Meetings will be organised in workplaces covered by the CSCS so members can discuss the next stage of the campaign.

Across the country PCS branches are taking part in anti-cuts campaigns and putting forward the argument that there is an alternative to austerity.

PCS members are urged to attend the trade union organised ‘March for the alternative’ on Saturday 26 March, with their friends and family.

Government plans attack on vulnerable workers

The following details have been supplied by the TUC

Sick workers and those wanting to seek redress for unfair dismissal are among those targeted in what has been dubbed the government's 'employers' charter'. Press reports suggest ministers, responding to pressure from the employer lobby, are intending to extend the period when employers can dismiss workers without being subject to a claim for unfair dismissal from one to two years.

The government is also understood to be considering introducing fees for workers taking claims to an employment tribunal and reducing the period when statutory sick pay is payable. TUC's Nicola Smith, writing in the union body's Touchstone blog, said if the sick pay changes are introduced 'this policy seems likely to be a Coalition own goal. While evidence shows that it will have no positive impact on employment rates, it does seem likely to lead to increased unemployment (as workers are required to leave jobs that they would currently have a greater chance of returning to) and a rise in social security expenditure.'

Commenting on the suggested changes to the tribunal system, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The government should stand firm in the face of the intense employer lobbying seen in recent weeks and leave employment tribunals to continue holding rogue employers to account and delivering justice for all workers who have been discriminated against or treated unfairly.'

Government Bid to Undermine Injury Reporting

The following details have been supplied by the PCS HQ:

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is to consult on measures to dramatically reduce injury reporting requirements on firms. The move, agreed at the 15 December 2010 HSE board meeting, is in direct response to a recommendation in Lord Young's review of health and safety, which was accepted in its entirety by David Cameron's government. Tory peer Lord Young recommended that RIDDOR be amended 'by extending to seven days the period before an injury or accident needs to be reported.' HSE said: 'In line with commitments made in the government's formal response to the report - HSE will open a three month consultation in January 2011.' However, HSE chair Judith Hackitt said after the meeting the board had 'asked for some additional work to be done prior to the launch of the consultation in January.'

At an open meeting, board members had been highly critical of a paper drafted by HSE on the consultation. The paper's impact assessment on the 'policy objectives and the intended effects' of the proposals said they were: 'To improve the effectiveness of the reporting of workplace accidents by reducing unnecessary burdens on business while still maintaining standards of compliance which should help to contribute towards the overall effectiveness of Great Britain's occupational health and safety system.'

Hazards Campaign coordinator Hilda Palmer said equating improvements with deregulation was one of a number of 'mindbogglingly stupid' statements in the paper. 'HSE's role is not to blindly follow government deregulatory diktats to remove non-existent burdens on business,' she said. 'HSE's role should be to defend safety against damaging deregulatory proposals and to represent the interests of those who would face increased risks at work, not to try and find ways to circumvent basic legal protections required Europe-wide.' European laws stipulate all injuries requiring more than three days off work should be reported.

After the board meeting, HSE chair Judith Hackitt commented: 'Whilst there will be some obvious advantages in reducing the reporting requirements on business, there will be other factors which need to be taken into account.'

Union Anger as Coastguard Stations Slashed

The following details have been supplied by the PCS HQ:

Unions have expressed dismay at government plans to slash the number of 24-hour coastguard stations from 18 to three. Shipping minister Mike Penning said the major reorganisation of the Coastguard, announced in December, would improve services and cut costs. But RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: 'It's a shocking indictment on this ConDem government that plans to cut our coastguards could even be considered, let alone implemented, and shows that they are quite prepared to hack away at life or death services. These proposals must be fought tooth and nail every step of the way.' PCS, the union representing 750 members in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, also said the announcement that 10 of the UK's coastguard stations would close was a concern.

Jeremy Gautrey, PCS negotiations officer for MCA, said: 'We will be studying the detail of these proposals very carefully to ensure that lives would not be put at risk and that the ability of our members to provide an emergency service is not compromised.'

Shadow transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: 'There are real fears about the ability of such a reduced service to respond to incidents in good time and the loss of local knowledge can only hinder search and rescue operations.'

Under the government's plan, which is the subject of a consultation exercise, there will be three 24-hour operational centres - at Aberdeen, in the Southampton/Portsmouth area and at Dover. In addition, there will be five sub-centres open during daylight hours - at Swansea, Falmouth, Bridlington and at either Belfast or Liverpool and at either Stornoway or Shetland. An additional small centre on the Thames will not be affected by the proposals.

Civil Service Compensation Scheme

The following details have been supplied by the PCS HQ:

We are asking that all members vote “Yes and Yes” in the ongoing ballot on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, as part of the campaign to ensure that we defend members’ jobs, pay and pensions in the DWP/ CSA on the Fylde.

The CSCS is the scheme by which severances and redundancy payments are made to Civil Servants when there are job cuts. The former Government attempted to bring in changes to the CSCS and imposed changes to our accrued rights from 1st April 2010.

The change now threatened include the amount of compensation paid if someone is made compulsory redundant; reduces the amount of money that may be offered on any exit scheme (including compulsory redundancy on voluntary basis) and all the enhancements to any early retirement schemes, that may be offered in the future, would be ended.

The Branch believes that members should vote Yes to reject the Government’s cuts in the Civil Service Compensation Scheme and Yes to support PCS’s National Campaign to defend jobs, pensions, public services and the CSCS.

The ballot runs from 7th December 2010 to 14th January 2011. Details of meetings may be circulated in due course.

The Branch held a round of members meeting and pictured is the Branch Chair Martin Jones addressing one of the meetings.

Could members please ask write to their MPs about the threatened changes. A model letter is available from your Branch Secretary.

Preston Against Cuts Rally

15 January 2011 - 12 Noon

Preston Flag Market

TUC Myth Buster Campaign

Deep spending cuts are dangerous, unfair and unnecessary.

The TUC myth-buster sets out to expose some of the myths about government debt and the cuts, and arm campaigners with the facts. The document can be found here.