22 million of new European cash will be used to increase employment opportunities and develop people’s work skills, Employment Minister Tony McNulty announced today.

32 bidders will receive money from the European Social Fund (ESF), specifically set aside to deliver innovative projects across England. Projects in the current funding round are going to focus on helping disadvantaged groups back to work, supporting older workers and making sure unemployed people get all the help they need to find work.

Read the rest of this entry »

As we approach the European elections, it is crucial we put forward a progressive voice towards the G20.  The PES Manifesto itself calls to put people first. Because you know we need to fight for jobs by creating 10 million jobs and equal pay for equal work, we need to fight for climate by creating smarter and greener growth and we need to fight for justice by proposing to put an end to tax havens & avoidance and lead the fight to close the gender pay gap.

Less than 48 hours to go! Join us this Saturday!

This is why we want to invite you to join us, this Saturday 28th March as we will march with thousands of other people through London as part of a global campaign to challenge the G20 on the global financial crisis.

Come and meet us at Temple Place by Victoria Embankment at 11am.  Check out the map. The nearest tube is Temple, but this may be packed by the time you get there, Embankment and Waterloo aren’t far, see more here about getting there.

What will you pledge?

• l will attend the march
• I will download the PES cubes and bring them to the march
• I will forward this email to three of my friends to invite them to come too!

The Wuppertal Institute published a comparative overview of green stimulus packages as elments of the economic recovery packages. Showing that China and South Korea are leaving Europe in their wake.  A strange reversal in global leadership on climate change?

provides interesting reading ahead of the G-20 meeting in London next month

http://www.lme-lse.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/wuppertal-180309.doc