YOUR UNION, YOUR VOTE - VOTE YES FOR A POLITICAL FUND
voice@work Issue no. 12
Feb/March 05
Winner of UNISON Scotland 2004 best newsletter competition Newsletter for UNISON Scotland’s Community & Voluntary Sector
LEARNING @ WO R K with UNISON find out more at THE G AT H E R I N G 16th Feb 2005 UNISON Scotland - the community & voluntary sector union
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around the workplace
UNISON’s membership shows continued growth is published by UNISON Scotland Community & Voluntary Sector Committee 14 West Campbell Street Glasgow G2 6RX 0870 7777 006 Fax: 0141-331-1203
NISON’s Community & Voluntary sector membership continues to grow. At the time of writing we have over 44,000 members like you employed in the third sector across the UK.
E-mail: voiceatwork @tiscali.co.uk
The latest mapping and analysis of community and voluntary sector membership and employers shows that during the year 2004 membership grew by 8% , with a 15% growth in stewards and 10% growth in workplace contacts. A trend opposite to the latest Labour Research data that shows workplaces with union stewards to be diminishing.
Editorial team: Ian & Robert Thanks to Ian, Gary, Matt, Paul, Mary, Peter and Iain for articles supplied. issue no. 12 Feb/March 05 Deadline for news this issue 29th Jan 2005 Design and Layout: Robert/Ian Printed by Highland Printers Ltd, The paper used for the printing of voice@work is made from pulp sourced from sustainable forests. The views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the UNISON Scottish Community & Voluntary Sector Committee or the Editorial Team.
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Membership continues to grow through organising campaigns and initiatives that seek to recruit stewards, workplace contacts and Health and Safety representatives thus strengthening and developing UNISON’s workplace structures.
Using these reports as a tool for developing organising and recruitment initiatives in this sector, both regionally and nationally, is proving to show continuing growth and are used to map and monitor trends in UNISON's membership and third sector organisations. In fact the membership in this sector has
grown by 46% since the implementation of the NEC’s report
One is a lonely number....
in UNISON’s third sector your one of 44,000 & growing!
“Organising in the Community and Voluntary Sector” in 2001. It is also noticeable that where the organising strategy adopted in this sector has been implemented for key target national employers there have been significant increases in membership, noteably Anchor Housing, 9.5% growth since December 2003; Barnardos, 19%; MACA , 17%; National Children's Homes, 13% and Quarriers Scotland nearly 10% growth in membership. As a UNISON member you can contribute to this success, by asking your colleagues to consider joining UNISON? Alternatively why not contact us to arrange a visit to your workplace? Contact: Robert Rae 0870 7777 006 Email: R.Rae@unison.co.uk
UNISON NEEDS YOU any UNISON memWe are seeking workplace bers working across contacts, shop stewards, the Community & health & safety reps and lifeVoluntary sector do not long learning advisors. have any representatives Learn about health & safety within their workplace. in the workplace, how to hanThe Scottish Community dle grievances, represent & Voluntary sector commitmembers in discplinaries, tee would like to change negotiate with your employthat, but to do so, requires er, organise your workplace you the member to get and more! Is this an health & safety issue? involved! Become a lifelong learning adviser and provide guidance and support I’m to busy. to colleagues on learning opportunities I don’t have enough time. within the workplace and the trade union. I couldn’t do a reps job. For example members can access lan I don’t have the skills. guage courses free of charge, or how to use a computer. Any of these statements sound familiar to If you require further information or you? would like to discuss getting more We have heard them all before as we are involved, please contact: sure you have. UNISON is your union, we Robert Rae 0870 7777 006 can offer training, support and access to email: R.Rae@unison.co.uk many and varied learning opportunities.
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around the workplace
YOUR UNION,YOUR VOICE, USE IT DON’T LOSE IT!
VOTE YESVOTE YESVOTE YES hortly after 9 February you will receive a ballot paper, this is a ballot paper asking you if you are in favour of retaining UNISON's unique Political Fund. Every 10 years UNISON is legally bound to do this and the Committee is strongly urging you to vote YES in this ballot. Unique campaigning fund UNISON's Political Fund is unique in the British Trade Union movement, and is the resource behind many successful and very public campaigns on behalf of UNISON members. Scottish Secretary Matt Smith says "The Political Fund gives UNISON a voice. It allows us to speak up for UNISON members during election campaigns and in the political discussions when decisions are being made. In Scotland it has allowed us to fight against a centralised correctional agency and for better protection for members at risk from violent attack. It has continually resourced work exposing the economic madness that is PFI and allowed us to campaign to stop the evil of racism." Not about affiliation You may think that this is all about Labour Party affiliation, but UNISON's unique arrangement makes sure that this isn't the case. Mike Kirby, UNISON's Scottish Convenor, explains. "UNISON's political fund has two sections that give every member a choice. Members can pay into either the General Fund or to Labour Link - or indeed into neither or both." He said "To continue giving members that choice, members should vote YES." In a union whose members mainly work for public services, and whose job, pay and pensions are subject to political decisions every day, a no vote would fatally undermine the ability of UNISON to fight for you on issues like defending decent pensions.
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Quarriers Branch AGM his years AGM will be held on Wednesday the 23rd February at 6pm in UNISON House 14 West Campbell Street. I would encourage all members to attend this meeting as this is the most important meeting of the year for the branch, and the best opportunity for you to meet other members, stewards and Matt McLaughlin our new regional officer for The Scottish Voluntary Sector.
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Come along and have your say on what you want from UNISON in the future. I would encourage everyone who thinks they might like to become a steward/saftey rep to come along and see what training and support we have to offer. We now have a buddy/mentoring scheme in place so that old and new stewards have a named link for informal advice. As I hope to remain branch secretary I would also like to be on hand for advice and support. I would like to thank all the stewards for all their hard work this year and a special thanks to Angus Ross who is retiring from Quarriers, and to Betty who has moved to a new job. I would also like to thank John Gallagher who has been our Regional Officer for the last five years, he has been a tremendous help to the branch. I hope to see as many of you on the night as one is a lonely number. Gary Marshall, Branch Secretary
Vote Yes yourself and get your colleagues to do the same.
Learning @ Work
Ballot arrangements
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Ballot papers will be despatched from 9 - 11 Feb. They will be posted to your home address. All members should get one.
If you haven't received yours by 21 Feb, phone UNISON direct on 0845 355 0845 (06.00-24.00 Mon-Fri; 09.00 - 16.00 Sat). They must be sent back in the pre-paid envelope. They must reach the independent scrutineer by 11 March.
Not a member, why not join UNISON? AND BECOME PART OF OUR OF OUR FASTEST GROWING SECTOR,TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
UNISONDirect 0845 3550845 Monday to Friday it is available from 9am until midnight and on Saturday 9am to 4pm.
NISON Scotland will be launching a further phase of Learning@ Work development and activity within the Community & Voluntary sector at our seminar on Wednesday 16th February 2005 at The Gathering?????????? The seminar will provide the opportunity to hear our plans and influence developments.
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organising for health & safety
Average unpaid overtime was worth £4,650 in 2004 K employees did unpaid overtime worth £23 billion in 2004, according to TUC - a mindblowing £4,650 worth per worker.
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If they had done all their unpaid overtime at the beginning of the year, they would have worked for free until Friday 25 February.
The TUC has designated Friday 25 February 2005 ‘Work Your Proper Hours Day’, the day once a year the TUC urges employees to only work their contracted hours. 'We’re not saying that we should turn into a nation of clock-watchers,' said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. 'Most people do not mind putting in some extra time when there’s a crisis or an unexpected rush. But too many workplaces have come to depend on very long hours. They get taken for granted and staff have to do even more if there is an unexpected rush.' He added: 'Worst of all is that many long hours workplaces are inefficient and unproductive. People are putting in long hours to make up for poor organisation and planning in the workplace.'
Employers condemned for rising work injuries NISON won a record £37,388,262 in 2004, in compensation for members injured at work.The total, £3m more than the previous year, included compensation payments of £2.6m in Scotland, £3.34m in Wales and £832,000 in Northern Ireland. Work-related injuries commonly include broken bones, cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, asthma or allergies caused by prolonged exposure to harsh chemicals, RSI and stress-related problems. "This £37m compensation represents an awful lot of pain, injury and suffering for a lot of our members," This £37m said UNISON general secretary, Dave Prentis. compensation "Ask any one of them to choose between the compenrepresents an sation or their health, each would choose not to have awful lot of been injured in the first place." The majority of these injuries were preventable, pain, injury and Prentis said. "Employers know this, but many refuse to suffering for act to prevent them, or they find it cheaper to pay out a lot of our compensation to anyone injured, rather than improve members. safety at work. "Employers must take seriously their responsibilities Dave Prentis for the health, safety and welfare of their staff," he urged. "They should examine in their workplaces why these injuries happen, and take steps to prevent repeats."
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Benefit cut plan to push sick back to work he government is set to cut incapacity benefit in a move aimed at getting claimants back into work. The prime minister wants to cut the £7 billion a year welfare budget and put pressure on claimants to find employment. The move, which is expected to be announcing in days, comes in the month a TUC report, 'Sicknote Britain?', (see opposite page) revealed the numbers on incapacity benefit is already dropping dramatically and which presented evidence that more support and not more pressure was the best way to encourage this trend. The controversial government move will be
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revealed in the Department of Work and Pensions' five-year plan. It will include proposals to pay new claimants incapacity benefit at £56 a week, the same as Job Seekers Allowance. The changes would be closely tied to an extension of the 'pathways to work' scheme, which will be rolled out to a third of all claimants in less than two years. Claimants actively seeking work or on special programmes would get an extra £20 a week as a premium. There will be more personal advisers to help claimants look for a job as the special programme of interviews and training is stepped up.
GIVE US YOUR NEWS AND VIEWS ‘Voice@work’ is your newsletter. To make it more representative of members, we need your input! Why not write a letter, an article or give us your views of any issues that you feel we should be addressing, alternatively have we printed something that you disagree with? Get in touch!
Long hours are linked to higher heart disease, depression and sickness rates and to an increase in the number of accidents. Source: Risks issue no 189 - 08 January 2005
Email: voiceatwork@tiscali.co.uk 0870 7777 006
organising for health & safety
New rights to safety information take effect he Freedom of Information Act has come into full effect and gives individuals a statutory right to see a massive amount of information held by government departments and thousands of public bodies, including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Commission (HSC). Information on a company’s safety record, for example, should be made available on request. A new HSE freedom of information (FOI) website 'will provide the means for the public both to access information as it becomes available and request information not already published,' says HSE. Full text of HSE internal operation guidance documents is now available. HSE says most enquiries will be answered without charge, however more complex enquiries can attract charges running to hundreds of pounds. The website also highlights a series of exclusions, including information that might prejudice enforcement action or that would be a 'breach of genuine commercial confidence.' Campaign for Freedom of Information director, Maurice Frankel, said 'the new rights will help people ensure that they are being treated fairly, learn whether they are exposed to hazards, check that public authorities are doing their job and give people a better chance of influencing decisions before they are taken.' Further information: www.cfoi.org.uk www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/FOI
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Source: Risks issue no 189 - 08 January 2005
Dyslexia in the workplace yslexia affects up to 2.9 million workers in the UK, but many employers are not doing enough to assist affected workers, says a TUC report. ‘Dyslexia in the workplace’ warns that managers who do not appreciate the link between dyslexia and common performance problems can often judge dyslexic employees unfairly. The TUC report offers advice on how working practices can be changed to maximise the potential of employees with dyslexia.
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Examples in the report include the case of Paul, a trainee train driver for a national railway company. Following an assessment that showed him to be dyslexic, the company agreed to consider reasonable adjustments and engaged a specialist trainer for advice. Despite initial misgivings from some managers, Paul succeeded in passing the rigorous operational and health and safety requirements of the post first time, and is now a successful main line train driver.
Report dispels the myth of sicknote Britain TUC report shatters the myth that UK workers - particularly in the public sector - are always taking 'sickies', that stress is not a serious illness and that the solution to 'sicknote Britain' is a drastic cutback on the numbers of people in receipt of Incapacity Benefit. Sicknote Britain?' shows that Britain is not a nation of malingerers and reveals that British workers are less likely to take short term time off sick than workers in any European country except Denmark. It adds that only Austria, Germany and Ireland lose less working time due to long term absence. And contrary to the common perception, public sector employees are off sick less than private sector workers. The report adds that the majority of employers accept that most staff time taken off ill from work is because of genuine sickness. A bigger problem is the high number of workers (75 per cent) who confess to having struggled into work when they were too ill to do so. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Sicknote Britain is an urban myth.We take less time off than most other countries, and public sector staff are less likely to take time off for a short term illness.' He added: 'Rather than spiralling out of control, as some would have us believe, the number of Incapacity Benefit claimants is actually on the decrease.'
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Source: Risks issue no 189 - 08 January 2005
Source: Risks issue no 189 - 08 January 2005
A letter Dear Voice@work, I would like to voice my opinion regarding the H.N.C. Qualification in Social Care. I am informed by my employer that the qualification is no longer recognised to take me and other employee's through the qualification bar to gain a higher salary. I feel there has been an injustice put upon myself and others who have gained this qualification that we were advised to undertake and many of us have paid our own fee's to further our career prospects. What a let down by the further education system and employers who have employed
us with the HNC in Socail Care written in their Job Specification. I feel all those who have gained this award are being discriminated against and disregarded and being less valued for the commitment that they have given to achieve the knowledge and skills to progresss with their career. I would appreciate feedback from any other people who feel strongly about these decisions that have been made. yours sincerely a member
Editor’s note: The position is that anyone working in frontline social work jobs regardless of their employer have to be registered under the social work registration act and UNISON has no control over that. The registratioin is qualification based, the same as nurses with their registration. Branches have started to negotiate locally on behalf of these members and some have been sucessful in getting and extra pooint on the pay scales. This would seem to be the answer - to get your local branch to negotiate on behalf of this group of frontline staff who now have a qualification.
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the regulars
Law at Work New guidance on sex & racial harrassment
by UNISON’s Legal Officer, Peter Hunter
t was never widely known, but for almost thirsty years there was no specific reference to harassment in either the race or sex discrimination acts. A glance back to episodes of "Mind Your Language" and similar 'comedies' might give the impression that the harm caused by harassment was overlooked the 1970's The absence of any reference to harassment didn't stop people taking cases on the basis that it was a detriment linked to gender or race, but the absence of guidance on the meaning of 'harassment' was always a problem. The position was addressed in 2003 with European driven guidance on the meaning of the term. In late 2004 this approach was extended to disability. So what is the law? The new definition for racial harassment is as follows: A person subjects another to harassment where, on grounds of race or ethnic or national origins, he engages in unwanted conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating that other person's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for him.
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RantsTam&Cowan at the launch Rhymes by UNISON CILIG member Iain Smith Romeo's Game The ultimate charmer was out on the pull and this boy had no sense of shame for he thought he could get any girl that he liked it was all part of Romeo's game Now he wasn't good looking and if truth be told the boy had a crap turn of phrase but I'd seen him in movies he looked like E T and his waistline had seen better days Though this didn't deter him from playing the field for he knew he was destined to score every time he went clubbing or out on the town and the girls would be begging for more There was no girl in Scotland immune to his charms he was sex with a capital S for he could get anyone he so desired for he thought that his name spelled success Then he boasted that my girl would fall for his lines which he'd try at the dancing tomorrow I told him go on you don't have a hope and you'll drown in your own tears of sorrow So I thought up a plan which would give him a shock for I'd put all his claims to the test
Conduct shall be regarded as harassment if it should reasonably be considered as having that effect. The position for gender and disability is very similar. So, how does this help? First, the motive of the harasser is irrelevant. If the motive is to harass, that is unlawful. But if the effect of someone's conduct is harassment it is unlawful regardless of the motive or purpose. This clarity is essential for dealing with cases where harssers claim they were unaware of the effect of the effect of their behaviour or, that they were only joking. The next important point is the breadth of the definition of harassment. Harassment is the environment experienced by the victim, not the conduct of the harasser. This is important, for example, in the display of pornography or other degrading images. What matters is not the single act of displaying an image, but the enduring atmosphere or environment that is created by the harasser. The tricky part still comes with the 'reasonable' person's assessment of the effect of the environment to which the victim is exposed. In a judicial system that accepts workplace stress as the mitigating factor in the defence of a man who killed his wife there can be no doubt that the legal notions of reasonableness are gender-biased. If you are unsure, all complaints of harassment should be refered to your Branch.
by hitting the town for a night with the girls and wearing a black velvet dress When they heard of my scheme to end Romeo's dream they supported me all of the way for they taught me the rules about how to look cool when being a woman at play And when the night came they were right by my side to help me get dressed and prepared they said I that I could pull Tom Cruise and make up tips were shared As I looked in the mirror and straightened my wig which was blonde in the style of Monroe the girls called me Tracy and said I looked great for tonight I'd be star of the show As we went to a bar in the centre of town I spotted some guys that I knew I honestly thought I'd be crucified now for this was a nightmare come true Or so I believed till they headed my way and they said that I suited my dress for the girls had informed them about what was going on and my game plan to silence that pest So we went to the dancing and turned on the style we were young free available girls as we moved to the music of Abba and Steps I believed I was queen of the world I was playing the part to perfection by now
for I'd learned all my well rehearsed lines then as if right on cue I spied you know who it was only a matter of time For he made the first move as I went to the bar and he asked if I wanted to dance but I gave him a look which said don't make me puke your a numptie you don't stand a chance But five minutes later he was back on the case saying he never takes no for an answer but I kept my composure and told him get lost for I had to get rid of this chancer But the guy wouldn't leave and I couldn't believe how stupid he actually was and whatever I tried he would still hang around and refuse to accept that he'd lost So then I decided that I'd play my ace which would soon put an end to his boasting as I took off my wig and I lifted my knee for his nuts got a serious roasting Then I went to the toilet and did a quick change re- appearing in t- shirt and jeans and before very long they were playing my song I was back with the girl of my dreams For the love superstar had went one step too far and he couldn't live up to his claims but I'd made lots of mates as I helped seal his fate for my stunt ended Romeo's game Š Iain Smith
Inter national news
Celebrate International Woman's Day - 8th March n March 8th 1857, in the Lower East Side of New York city, thousands of women garment workers demonstrated in the streets against their intolerable working conditions, starvation wages and 12- hour working day.
8th to declare a strike to protest against working conditions, hunger and the long queues to buy bread. Other workers demonstrated in solidarity with the women, and the women’s protest grew into the general strike which precipitated the October Revolution.
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As the demonstrators headed towards the wealthy areas of New York, the police charged it, trampling several women under their horse’s’ hooves and arresting others. Three years later, the women won the right to organise trade unions in the garment workers. Fifty-one years later, on March 8th 1908, history repeated itself. The women garment workers in New York once again rose up to protest against their working conditions. A fire in a garment factory had killed 146 workers and it was this that brought the women onto the streets again. Thousands of women textile workers also joined the strikes and demonstrations. Two new demands
were added to those of 1857 - an end to child labour and the right to vote. On March 8th 1910, at the congress of the Second International in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin, one of the leaders of the German Socialist Party, proposed that March 8th , every year, be proclaimed International Women’s Day to commemorate the struggle of the women garment workers. In 1917, in Russia, women textile workers at Petrograd chose March
Make POVERTY History continued from back page And to avoid another debt crisis hard on the heels of the first, poor countries need to be given more grants, rather than seeing their debt burden piled even higher with yet more loans. More and better aid Donors must now deliver at least $50 billion more in aid and set a binding timetable for spending 0.7% of national income on aid. Aid must also be made to work more effectively for poor people. Poverty will not be eradicated without an immediate and major increase in international aid. Rich countries have promised to provide the extra money needed to meet internationally agreed poverty reduction targets. This amounts to at least $50 billion per year, according to official estimates, and must be delivered now. Rich countries have also promised to provide 0.7% of their national income in aid and they
must now make good on their commitment by setting a binding timetable to reach this target. However, without far-reaching changes in how aid is delivered, it won't achieve maximum benefits. Two key areas of reform are needed. First, aid needs to focus better on poor people's needs. This means more aid being spent on areas such as basic healthcare and education. Aid should no longer be tied to goods and services from the donor, so ensuring that more money is spent in the poorest countries. And the World Bank and the IMF must become fully democratic in order for poor people's concerns to be heard.
The rise of the women’s movement internationally gave the celebration of International Women’s Day a new dimension and now the day is an annual opportunity for women to declare their solidarity in women’s struggle against oppression in all it’s forms. UNISON campaigns in the workplace and in the community, for a better and safe home and working environment for all.
‘GET UP STAND UP, STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS!’ Second, aid should support poor countries and communities' own plans and paths out of poverty. Aid should therefore no longer be conditional on recipients promising economic change like privatising or deregulating their services, cutting health and education spending, or opening up their markets: these are unfair practices that have never been proven to reduce poverty. And aid needs to be made predictable, so that poor countries can plan effectively and take control of their own budgets in the fight against poverty.
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY is a unique UK alliance of charities, trade unions, campaigning groups and celebrities who are mobilising around key opportunities in 2005 to drive forward the struggle against poverty and injustice. For further information on the campaign: www.makepovertyhistory.org You can purchase white bands to show your support for the campaign from Oxfam shops across the country.
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International news
Make POVERTY History If you watched the Vicar of Dibley special on New Year’s Day, or saw the 600 female vicars delivering their message to Tony Blair last month, you will know that 2005 is set to be the year of the White Band. By wearing it you’ll be part of Make Poverty History, a unique worldwide effort to end extreme poverty – for good. oday, the gap between the world's rich and poor is wider than ever. Global injustices such as poverty, AIDS, malnutrition, conflict and illiteracy remain rife.
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national decision makers to rise to the challenge of 2005. We are calling for urgent and meaningful policy change on three critical and inextricably linked areas: trade, debt and aid.
environmental protection come a poor second to the goal of 'eliminating trade barriers'.
We need trade justice not free trade. This means the EU singlehandedly putting an end to its damaging agricultural export subsidies now; it means ensuring poor countries can feed their
Despite the promises of world leaders, at our present sluggish rate of progress the world will fail dismally to reach internationally agreed targets to halve global poverty by 2015.
Rich countries and the institutions they control must act now to cancel all the unpayable debts of the poorest countries. They should not do this by depriving poor countries of new aid, but by digging into their pockets and providing new money.
World poverty is sustained not by chance or nature, but by a combination of factors: injustice in global trade; the huge burden of debt; insufficient and ineffective aid. Each of these is exacerbated by inappropriate economic policies imposed by rich countries.
The task of calculating how much debt should be cancelled must no longer be left to creditors concerned mainly with minimising their own costs. Instead, we need a fair and transparent international process to make sure that human needs take priority over debt repayments.
But it doesn't have to be this way. These factors are determined by human decisions. 2005 offers an exceptional series of opportunities for the UK to take a lead internationally, to start turning things around. Next year, as the UK hosts the annual G8 gathering of powerful world leaders and heads up the European Union (EU), the UK Government will be a particularly influential player on the world stage.
We need to stop the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) forcing poor countries to open their markets to trade with rich countries, which has proved so disastrous over the past 20 years; the EU must drop its demand that former European colonies open their markets and give more rights to big companies; we need to regulate companies - making them accountable for their social and environmental impact both here and abroad; and we must ensure that
International institutions like the IMF and World Bank must stop asking poor countries to jump through hoops in order to qualify for debt relief. Poor countries should no longer have to privatise basic services or liberalise economies as a condition for getting the debt relief they so desperately need. Continued on page 7
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The rules of international trade are stacked in favour of the most powerful countries and their businesses. On the one hand these rules allow rich countries to pay their farmers and companies subsidies to export food destroying the livelihoods of poor farmers. On the other, poverty eradication, human rights and
people by protecting their own farmers and staple crops; it means ensuring governments can effectively regulate water companies by keeping water out of world trade rules; and it means ensuring trade rules do not undermine core labour standards.
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MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY urges the government and inter-
Trade justice Fight for rules that ensure governments, particularly in poor countries, can choose the best solutions to end poverty and protect the environment. These will not always be free trade policies. End export subsidies that damage the livelihoods of poor rural communities around the world. Make laws that stop big business profiting at the expense of people and the environment.
If undeliverable return to: UNISON Scotland, FREEPOST NW486, 14 West Campbell St, G2 6BR
A sea change is needed. By mobilising popular support across a unique string of events and actions, we will press our own government to compel rich countries to fulfil their obligations and promises to help eradicate poverty, and to rethink some long-held assumptions.
countries are able to regulate foreign investment in a way that best suits their own needs. Drop the debt The unpayable debts of the world's poorest countries should be cancelled in full, by fair and transparent means. Despite grand statements from world leaders, the debt crisis is far from over. Rich countries have not delivered on the promise they made more than six years ago to cancel unpayable poor country debts. As a result, many countries still have to spend more on debt repayments than on meeting the needs of their people.