G20 demonstration on the beach at St Andrews

by Fiona Montgomery

Do the world’s key finance ministers, including UK Chancellor Alistair Darling, need a reminder to Put People First? A broad coalition of organisations in Scotland, including UNISON, certainly think so.

Thousands marched in London at the Put People First demonstration for the G20 world leaders summit in March. Now the G20 Finance Ministers are meeting in St Andrews in November and we hope hundreds will take part in a visually arresting stunt on the beach on Saturday 7 November.

The aim is to highlight the need for action on Jobs, Justice and Climate, the key demands made at the London march, at which General Secretary Dave Prentis spoke. See www.unison.org.uk and click on UNISONTV.

‘Alternative’ G20 conferences are also being organised in St Andrews and London on 7 November.

Some of the Put People First demands include: ensuring democratic governance of the economy, including fundamental governance reform of the World Bank and IMF; decent jobs and public services for all; an end to global poverty and inequality and building a green economy.

The aim is to tell the politicians who could change things that business as usual will not do. A workshop to prepare for St Andrews will be held on Saturday September 26 in Edinburgh as part of the Take One Action film festival. www.takeoneaction.org.uk

Further details, once finalised, will be online at www.g20standrews.org

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