{"id":13535,"date":"2017-09-25T16:42:40","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T15:42:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=13535"},"modified":"2017-09-25T16:51:49","modified_gmt":"2017-09-25T15:51:49","slug":"we-want-economy-that-works-for-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=13535","title":{"rendered":"An economy that works for us"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Neelam Verma today (Monday September 25) represented Unite speaking on the National Policy Forum Work, pensions and equality annual report.<\/p>\n

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She said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bOn Saturday I was able to speak to the fantastic Women\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Conference in the economic debate.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hardly believable that in 2017 the economy is still seen as the preserve of men \u00e2\u20ac\u201c making serious decisions about how our economy works \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the underlying structure that shapes our society \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is not a \u00e2\u20ac\u0098women\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s issue\u00e2\u20ac\u2122,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Verma.<\/p>\n

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Verma warned there is no more fundamental \u00e2\u20ac\u0098woman\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s issue\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 than what as a society we decide to spend money on \u00e2\u20ac\u201c what public services, what benefits, who has access to them, the jobs we create, the jobs we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t and the value that is placed on women\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe wages we earn, and those we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t because of discrimination, the freedom and opportunities we have through well-funded public services,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Verma.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFor those who still say the economy is the preserve of men they obviously haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come across our own Becky Long Bailey and Chi Onwurakh who formulated our industrial strategy,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

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Varma highlighted the contrast between the women in our shadow cabinet who want to strengthen equality, make in work poverty a thing of the past and liberate women from low pay and the Prime\u00c2\u00a0Minister Theresa May.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015b[May is] a woman who certainly does not champion other women,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Verma.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBecause of this government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actions, our incomes, our economic independence and our opportunities have been cut and curtailed. Too many of us are amongst the lowest paid in the country and in insecure work,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

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This Conservative government says that the employment figures are higher than ever but when those jobs are precarious, zero hours, in part-time work when women want to work more hours, when they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t pay the living wage, then it is a con trick.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWell we in Labour are not falling for it,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Verma.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not going to put up with low pay, we are going to ban zero-hour contracts and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to abolish employment tribunal fees,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

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She went on to say, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bJust imagine this \u00e2\u20ac\u201c instead of the spiteful political choice of austerity we are committed to\u00c2\u00a0fixing the shambolic\u00c2\u00a0Universal Credit,\u00c2\u00a0scrapping the dreaded bedroom tax and repealing the mean Personal Independent Payment regulations.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Labour wants to not only end the austerity attack on women but to reverse it and take us closer to equality.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe want an economy that works for us,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Verma.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bConference, we all know it is only a Labour government that can deliver these real gains for women. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why we are in permanent campaign mode to deliver victory at the\u00c2\u00a0next election which can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come a moment too soon. Thank you,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

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See Neelam’s speech below<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

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