Unser Land ist in keiner guten Verfassung. Seit Jahren wird an den Wünschen der Mehrheit vorbei regiert. Statt Leistung zu belohnen, wurde von den Fleißigen zu den oberen Zehntausend umverteilt. Statt in einen kompetenten Staat und gute öffentliche Dienste zu investieren, haben Politiker die Wünsche einflussreicher Lobbys bedient und dadurch die öffentlichen Kassen geleert. Statt Freiheit und Meinungsvielfalt zu achten, macht sich ein autoritärer Politikstil breit, der den Bürgern vorschreiben will, wie sie zu leben, zu heizen, zu denken und zu sprechen haben. Die Regierung wirkt planlos, kurzsichtig und in vielen Fragen schlicht inkompetent. Ohne einen politischen Neuanfang stehen unsere Industrie und unser Mittelstand auf dem Spiel.
Archiv: Lebenshaltungskosten / living costs
Notenbank-Konferenz in USA – Inflation: EZB setzt auf straffe Zinspolitik
Der Kampf gegen die hohe Inflation ist nach den Worten der Präsidentin der Europäischen Zentralbank (EZB), Christine Lagarde, noch nicht gewonnen. Das bedeute, dass die EZB so lange an einer strikten Geldpolitik festhalten müsse, bis eine mittelfristige Teuerungsrate von zwei Prozent erreicht werde, sagte Lagarde am Freitag auf der Notenbank-Konferenz in Jackson Hole in den USA.
Bank-of-England-Vize: Wohl „einige Zeit“ weiter hohe Zinsen
Die Folgen des Preisanstiegs würden wahrscheinlich nicht so schnell verschwinden, wie sie entstanden seien, sagte der Vizegouverneur der Bank of England (BoE), Ben Broadbent, laut Redetext gestern auf dem Treffen von Zentralbankern und Ökonominnen in Jackson Hole im US-Staat Wyoming.
„Vor diesem Hintergrund könnte die Geldpolitik noch einige Zeit restriktiv bleiben.“
Bank of England warns UK rates need to remain high for some time
(Sat 26-08-2023)
“It’s unlikely that these second-round effects will unwind as rapidly as they emerged,” Broadbent said at the Federal Reserve’s annual gathering of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “As such, monetary policy may well have to remain in restrictive territory for some time yet.”
The BOE has raised rates 14 times in a row to 5.25%, the highest level in almost 16 years, to tame inflation.
Dollar steady as Fed‘s Powell says higher rates may be needed
(August 25, 2023)
Powell, in a speech at an economic summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, said policymakers would „proceed carefully as we decide whether to tighten further,“ but also made clear that the central bank has not yet concluded that its benchmark interest rate is high enough to be sure that inflation returns to the 2% target.
Selby and Ainsty by-election results: Keir Mather’s historic Labour win unpacked
The Labour Party candidate Keir Mather has won a record victory over the Conservatives in the Selby and Ainsty by-election, in the highest majority the party has ever overturned in by-election history.
It marks the first time Labour has ever won the seat, with a majority of 4,161 on a 41.9% turnout. One party source said that if Labour won seats requiring a similar swing at a general election, it would win more seats than in 1997.
In Mather’s victory speech, he said he had seen so much “hardship” in the constituency during his campaign, with voters highlighting the cost-of-living squeeze, and pledged to ensure change.
Kenya Proposes Additional Taxes Amid Protests Over High Living Cost
New excise and value-added taxes are among the proposals that will be included in a supplementary budget to be tabled in parliament for approval, according to a report published on International Monetary Fund’s website following a review of the East African nation’s finances.
Kenya Kwanza defends police on alleged brutality in demos
„We want to ask ICC to be alert because what is happening are acts of criminality,“ he said.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Wathangwa asked the President to lock the country and deal with the opposition if that is what it will take to restore peace and order in the country.
„If it takes three, four or five days to lock down this country and deal with these people, let it be,“ he said.
Kenya police are told not to report deaths during protests. A watchdog says they killed 6 this week
Police in Kenya say they have been ordered not to report deaths during a crackdown on protests over tax increases amid the rising cost of living, but an independent watchdog said Thursday that police shot dead at least six people this week and 27 in previous weeks.
It wasn’t clear who issued the unusual order.
Painful cost of living hikes spark violent protests across Kenya
Kenyans are preparing for tough times after lawmakers approved tax increases that are unpopular even with supporters of the president, who once vowed to reduce the cost of living. William Ruto’s election win was attributed to his appeal to voters as a fellow “hustler” who rose from a humble background to senior roles in government, including as Jomo Kenyatta’s vice president. (…)
Kenya’s High Court suspended the tax hike pending a legal challenge, but the government raised gas prices anyway.
Suppose we have an interest rate / inflation spiral now, and it’s been created by the Bank of England?
I suspect the Bank to deny this, but they have already admitted their models of inflation based on their own understandings of the issue do not work, so little weight should be given to that.
Instead it‘s time to cut rates and remove the only excuse businesses have to increase prices because interest rates are the only cost expected to remain high, and excessively so, from now into the future.
Bank of England raises UK interest rates to 4.5%
(11 May 2023)
The Bank of England has raised interest rates by a quarter of a point to 4.5% as it forecast inflation would stay higher for longer than previously expected and the economy would perform more strongly.
Supermarkets ‚to be urged to cap price on some foods‘
The scheme would aim to get retailers charging the lowest possible amount for some basic products like milk and bread, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
A Number 10 source said the plans are at „drawing board stage“ and would not involve government-imposed price controls.
Montag, 27. März: Megastreiktag – ver.di und EVG rufen gemeinsam zu Verkehrs- und Infrastrukturstreiks auf
Das hat es in dieser Form noch nie gegeben: Aus Protest gegen unzureichende Angebote in den Tarifauseinandersetzungen für die rund 2,5 Millionen Beschäftigten von Bund und Kommunen und für die Beschäftigten von Gesellschaften der Deutschen Bahn AG legen die Mitglieder der DGB-Mobilitätsgewerkschaften ver.di und EVG am kommenden Montag (27. März) gemeinsam die Arbeit nieder. Es wird bundesweit zu erheblichen Einschränkungen in der Verkehrsinfrastruktur kommen.
Passport Office strike: How will five-week walkout affect your travel plans?
(Friday 17 March 2023)
In a “significant escalation” of a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union says more than 1,000 members will walk out at all seven offices in England, Wales and Scotland from 3 April to 5 May. Staff at the Passport Office in Belfast may join the strike later.
The union says the walkout will have a “significant impact” on the delivery of passports as the summer approaches.
Bid to end teacher strikes as government and education unions agree to hold ‚intensive talks‘ on pay and workload
(Friday 17 March 2023)
The news follows the breakthrough in the NHS dispute on Thursday, with union leaders representing thousands of nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers agreeing to suspend further strikes while ballots are held on a new pay offer.
Junior doctors in England agree to pay talks after three-day strike
(17 Mar 2023)
On Friday night the Department of Health and Social Care said the British Medical Association had agreed to enter negotiations on the same terms as unions representing nurses, ambulance staff and other NHS workers in talks that concluded this week.
Government FINALLY reaches pay deal with NHS unions after months of strikes
(16 Mar 2023)
After three months of strikes, the Government has offered a one off bonus this year of 2.5% for the best paid and 8.2% for the worst paid.
The offer, recommended by most of the main NHS unions, comes on top of the 4% increase already implemented for 2022/23.
This award had come with inflation at over 10% and had sparked the strikes.
Unites States announces additional emergency assistance worth 300 million dollars for Moldova
(25.02.2023)
The financing will include a directly budgetary support of 80 million dollars, through which the quite high prices for electric energy of this winter will be compensated. Also, 135 million dollars will be used for backing projects on electric energy’s generation, for Moldova to diversify the sources of getting electricity. Another 85 million will be provided to Moldova to enhance the capacity of supply with energy from alternative sources and get energy independence from Russia.
The contract for the supply of Pridnestrovian electricity to Moldova has been extended
Today, Moldavskaya GRES extended the contract for the supply of electricity to Moldova for another month.
2022–2023 Moldovan protests
On 18 September 2022, protests in Moldova began in the capital city of Chișinău, demanding the resignation of the country‘s pro-Western government,[35][36] amid an energy crisis causing rising natural gas prices and inflation, caused in part by the war in Ukraine.
Moldova: Anti-government protest stirs fears of more unrest
It is the second anti-government rally held in Chisinau in two weeks and comes amid growing concerns of attempts to destabilize Moldova, Ukraine’s neighbor.
On Feb. 13, President Sandu outlined what she claimed was an alleged plot by Moscow to overthrow the government in order to put the nation “at the disposal of Russia,” and to derail it from its course to one day join the 27-nation E.U. Russia strongly rejected her claims.
Moldova, Rival Transnistria Warn Security Risk Intensifies Over Ukraine War
Fears of unrest have mounted in recent weeks as Moldova faced a series of overlapping issues, including soaring energy costs brought on by Western sanctions against Russia, whispers of an alleged Kremlin plot to destabilize the government of President Maia Sandu, and ongoing street protests against Sandu‘s administration.
Today is the biggest day of strike action in the history of the NHS. My question to those in positions of leadership: what side of history do you want to be on?
(06.02.2023)
Donate to support striking workers
As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
NHS Strikes: Nottingham NHS staff say ‘enough is enough after 10 years of below-inflation pay’
Nottingham NHS staff taking part in the biggest strike in the history of the service say they are suffering a ‘huge’ impact on their mental health because of their jobs.
Hundreds of nurses, healthcare assistants and clinicians took to picket lines across Nottinghamshire alongside paramedics, technicians, call handlers and other staff working for East Midlands Ambulance Service.
Upcoming strikes in Edinburgh as firefighters and teaching staff take industrial action
Here are the main public service strikes planned for the coming months, and the dates that these unions will be staging industrial action across Edinburgh.
Workers stage largest strike in history of Britain‘s health service
Nurses and ambulance workers have been striking separately since late last year but Monday‘s walkout involving both, largely in England, is the biggest in the 75-year history of the NHS.
Nurses will also walk out on Tuesday, ambulance staff on Friday, and physiotherapists Thursday, making the week probably the most disruptive in NHS history, its Medical Director Stephen Powis said.
The workforce crisis in the NHS means ambulances are being used as mini hospitals. The public deserve a better service than that, and our members want to deliver it. Time for the government to get serious and make these workers an offer.
GMB union to consider up to six more ambulance strike dates after failed talks with health secretary
A meeting held this morning with Health Secretary Stephen Barclay was described as „constructive“ by one doctors‘ union leader. But Professor Philip Banfield, chair of council at the British Medical Association (BMA), said there was no mention of one-off payments for NHS staff.
NHS facing more walkouts as ambulance staff strike
„People can‘t get appointments anymore so they put off going to the doctor and when it gets worse they come to us,“ he says.
He and colleagues are also struggling with the cost of living, Mr Mistry say.
„I‘m now having to think about how much heating I have on in the house – I have it on for two hours a day now.“
YouGov / Eurotrack Survey Results
(13.10.2022)
Country
GB
France
Germany
Denmark
Sweden
Spain
Italy
New cost of living tracker reveals extent of crisis in Western Europe
(13.10.2022)
While different governments have taken very different approaches to the rising cost of living, it seems that none of these approaches have quite had the desired impact yet – a majority of adults polled across all seven countries say that they have already had to make cuts to their usual spending as a result of the rising cost of living. I
Vor Herbstlohnrunde: 32.000 bei ÖGB-Demos gegen Teuerung
Der ÖGB bekam unmittelbar vor Beginn der Demos auch Unterstützung von höchster politischer Stelle. Bundespräsident Alexander Van der Bellen teilte via Twitter mit, dass er die Anliegen der Kundgebungen unteAuf Bannern und Transparenten hieß es etwa „Kostenexplosion stoppen“ und „Keine Profite mit Hungersmiete“. Auf einem Banner des Pensionistenverbands, der sich den Demos anschloss, hieß es: „Wir wollen keine Millionen, wir wollen essen, heizen, wohnen“.rstütze.
Bundeskabinett Erhöhung der Kassenbeiträge gebilligt
Der Entwurf sieht unter anderem vor, dass der Zusatzbeitrag im kommenden Jahr um 0,3 Prozentpunkte auf 1,6 Prozent des Bruttoeinkommens angehoben wird. Die genaue Höhe legen die Kassen jeweils selbst fest. Derzeit liegt der durchschnittliche Zusatzbeitrag bei 1,3 Prozent. Der gesamte Beitrag umfasst daneben auch den allgemeinen Satz von 14,6 Prozent des Bruttolohns.
Bundesnetzagentur-Chef Müller : Verdreifachung des Gaspreises möglich
Laut Klaus Müller, Chef der Bundesnetzagentur, könnten die Verbraucherpreise für Gas extrem ansteigen. Der Grund ist, dass weniger russisches Gas in Deutschland ankommt.
RMT General Secretary on rail dispute
“RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and government policy
“Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.”
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch on today‘s rail strike: „@RMTunion members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and government policy.“
Großbritannien vor größtem Bahnstreik seit 30 Jahren
RMT-Generalsekretär Mike Lynch kündigte landesweite Streiks für den kommenden Dienstag, Donnerstag und Samstag an. Es wird mit mehr als 50.000 Streikenden gerechnet. Am Dienstag wollen auch die Beschäftigten der Londoner U-Bahn für 24 Stunden die Arbeit niederlegen.