The meeting is taking place at 7:30pm at the African Carribean Millenium Centre at 339 Dudley Road, Winson Green, Birmingham, United Kingdom, B18 4HB.

BARAC is a new coalition of black public and voluntary sector workers, trade unionists, community organisations, service users and concerned individuals whose aim is to create a critical mass of opposition to the intended Government plans to cut vital services and sack thousands of black workers across the country.

This campaign is determined to defend both jobs and services. In the face of the most draconian cuts to public sector spending ever seen in a generation it is important that Black communities including public sector workers, trade unions, community third sector organisations and service users come together to defend black communities from complete economic and social devastation.

With African, Caribbean, Asian and minority ethnic communities constituting some of the poorest sections of British society any disproportionate cuts to national, regional or local services will have devastating effects.

Our communities already suffer the highest rates of poverty and unemployment in the UK. Racism in the labour market has resulted in the large majority of those in employment working in either the public or voluntary sectors. Both provide key services to vulnerable members of our communities.

The recent budget announcements will lead to black workers, community organisations and service users facing redundancies, pay freezes which in reality will be pay cuts, a widening of the already unacceptable pay gap between black and white workers, being overworked and under resourced, diminished resources and cuts to vital services.

Deprived black communities who are already victims of acute racism, social and economic deprivation and exclusion will be dumped in an inner city underclass suffering increased rates of unemployment and poverty.

BARAC This is a joint initiative organised by Zita Holbourne, a member of the Public and Commercial Services Union National Executive Committee and TUC Race Relations Committee and Lee Jasper, Political Advisor to the 1990 Trust.

The four main objectives of the campaign are:

• To campaign and defend jobs and services.
• To highlight the disproportionate and adverse impact of the huge reduction of public spending on deprived communities in particular black communities.
• To provide a campaigning platform to fight against cuts in jobs and services including on any adverse, disproportionate impact on black workers and communities.
• To work in partnership and build alliances with others facing and fighting similar attacks.