Backing the General Council, GMB and Community motion, UNISON's Brenda Aitchison quoted actor Ricky Tomlinson's speech to UNISON Conference last year: "People talk about booms and busts but it only ever booms among the money men... the working classes never experience boom and bust. they have bust, bust and more bust."
Brenda slammed zero hours contracts and poverty wages. "In UNISON 78% of our members are women and austerity has had a hugely disprorprionate effect on them. Local government workers have seen pay cuts of 13% in real terms and thousands of job losses.
"We are all doing more for less. Our campaign 'Worth It' highlights how important fair pay and public services are", she told delegates.
And she raised a laugh with her comments on "George - eyes down for a full house - Osborne, cutting tax on bingo and beer. We have had enough of casino/bingo economics. we're calling 'house' on that game. We need fair employment and reduced economic inequality now", said Brenda.
The motion called on government and local government to set higher ethical standards in procurement and new measures to extend economic democracy, including laws on the ownership and control of pension and insurance funds and resources for unions to develop alternative plans when faced with sell-offs and asset stripping.
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