Them & Us

Them and us fishes, image by Suzanne Beishon (Click to enlarge)

Pension plunder

The head of privatised power network National Grid will retire on Ł11,000 - a week. The governor of the Bank of England has cost us a quarter of a million in travel expenses. And David Cameron gave generous raises of up to Ł18,000 to top aides while slashing public sector pay.

Former National Grid chief exec Steve Holliday turns 60 in October. He will be eligible for a pension of Ł591,000 a year, including shares. That could pay for 25 staff nurses.

Holliday retired at 59. Many workers will wait until 68 - or older - for an annual pension of less than he earns in a week.

Mark Carney, boss of the UK's central bank, has only been in office three years. A Freedom of Information request reveals he has claimed nearly Ł250,000 in luxury foreign travel in that time.

His annual pay package adds up to Ł879,000. That's 38 staff nurses.

And hated ex-prime minister David Cameron hiked special advisors' pay by up to 24% during his tenure. Millions of workers instead had their pay cut.

After losing the top job, Cameron has now resigned from parliament. He will have only his huge family wealth, top-level connections, and ministerial pension to rely on.

Coaster crime

The boss of theme park Alton Towers will likely keep his job after presiding over a horrific rollercoaster crash.

Two young people lost a leg and 14 others were injured in the 'Smiler' crash last June. At the time of writing, chief executive Nick Varney is still in post, and due a Ł1.4 million share bonus.

Investigators found a series of safety failings led to the crash, described as "foreseeable" by a judge. Health and safety is an inconvenience when there's profit to be made.

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to click here to donate to our Fighting Fund.