Got kids aged between 6 and 16? You were about to get the right to apply for 'flexible working', but Peter Mandelson has scuppered that.
Since Mandelson returned to government (without anyone actually electing him), he has continued where he left off last time - schmoozing with the rich and attacking workers' rights. He has announced the suspension of government plans to extend flexible working rights to parents of school-aged kids, saying that this is necessary because of the economic crisis.
Huh? The government can find £500billion to bail out some carless bankers but can't bring itself to give a few extra rights to workers?!
Flexible working rights, although limited, are important to workers, and are especially important in industries like ours where most staff work shifts. It can be practically impossible to juggle childcare responsibilities and round-the-clock working, and it does not suddenly become easy when your kids turns six!
So for rights and equality, as well as for issue of pay and prices, we need to organise to ensure that the government and the capitalists do not make us pay for their crisis.