Tax not cuts: We're all in this together?

The bailout of the UK banking sector, alongside the global financial crisis, has left the British government facing a massive financial deficit. Rather than attacking public services, the government could instead tackle the deficit and support public services with a progressive tax system based on fairness, to ensure that corporations and the wealthiest in society pay their fair share. War on Want is bringing together a broad range of civil society organisations that are opposed to the cuts programme, with a meeting on 22 September to coordinate action with our trade union affiliates. We'll also be taking our very own tax bomb to the TUC in Manchester - see below for details.

Take action for tea workers!

It has been nearly 40 years since War on Want first highlighted the exploitation of tea workers in its report The State of Tea. That report focused on Sri Lanka and found that workers struggled on low wages, were exposed to unsafe conditions and lived in substandard housing. War on Want's new report, A Bitter Cup, produced jointly with Unite the Union and the global union federation the IUF, focuses on tea workers in Kenya and India and shows a situation that has hardly changed. We are calling on people to write to Secretary of State Ken Clarke to demand the government hold UK companies accountable for human rights abuses in their supply chains.

The World Cup in South Africa — a tournament of two halves

Sunday 11 July was Spain's big day. What you may not know is that the final of the first Poor People's World Cup in South Africa was played four weeks later on 9 August. This was a free tournament open to all those who had been excluded from FIFA's multi-billion dollar extravaganza. Organised by the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, the 36-team tournament was launched to run parallel with the FIFA World Cup and as an opportunity to highlight the plight of the province's poor and dispossessed.

Welcome to the War of Words!

War on Want has recently launched War of Words, a new blog featuring radical commentary from staff, partner  organisations and guest experts. Updated daily, our blog covers everything from labour struggles in the global South to community activism around Britain. Lots of stuff you won't find anywhere else on the web, so add it to your favourites today

Upcoming events

This year TUC takes place from 13 to 16 September 2010 at the Manchester Central Convention Complex. War on Want will be there, and you can find our stall at Stand 4 in the exhibition hall. If you are attending as a delegate for your union, or you know who your delegates are, please send them along to see us. Our stall focuses on Tax Not Cuts and you definitely won't miss us!

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