Regional anti-cuts organising

[Spanky Longhorn]

they can't expect the public, 'users' etc, to get on board/onside unless they have a major part in the decision making, in fact imo, without this comittment, they will fail

There is every intention to have them get onboard, the campaign will be driven by the workers, service users, and community groups.

The reason the platform was limited to three speakers (not two) from each of the unions that called the rally was to allow time for the workshops to discuss how to move things on to their local areas. The workshops did have a proposed list of things to discuss, because in an hour and a bit there wasn't time to start from scratch, it was just a framework however as far as I could see, and it will be up to the local groups to build on it.

 

[dennisr]

RMT’s Bob Crow calls for “generalised strikes and community direct action” to resist ConDem Government assault on jobs, living standards and public services:

http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=136993

 

[dennisr]

Save Our Services in Surrey (local public sector alliance):

http://www.saveourservic.es
Save our Services in Surrey
c/o Surrey County UNISON
Room G17
County Hall
Penrhyn Road
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 2DN

Call 020 8541 9091

Email campaignhq@saveourservic.es

mate of mine plays aleading role (as part of surry unison):
We now have unison, gmb, nut, nasuwt, ucu and atl affiliated with rmt, fbu, cwu and poa in the pipeline.
Anyone know any pcs reps in Surrey?

 

[articul8]

2. Brent guy about Brent red-Green Forum for Labour lefts, SWP & Green Party

Sounds like the basis for the start of a genuinely broad campaign. But there's suspicion between this guy who is from Socialist Resistance and - for all i know - may be genuine about building a open democratic coalition - and the local Trades Council who are calling their own launch with John McDonnell speaking. I hope the two groups manage to coalesce.

 

[ymu]

Oxford anti-cuts

Where: Oxford, Cheney Community Centre
When: July 1st, 6pm
What: "Save Our Services" planning meeting. Follow-up to first meeting on 20th June, suppported by activists, trade unionists, People & Planet (more info allegedly at Oxford & District TUC, but can't find owt there).

http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2010/06/24/oxford-anti-cuts-campaign

The 20th June meeting got some positive coverage on local news.

 

[glenquagmire]

Bit depressed by the Hackney meeting last night so here's a plug for another one...

Camden Trades Council Public Meeting
Building resistance to the cuts
Monday 12 July at 7pm
Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street WC1
The meeting will be chaired by George Binette Camden UNISON Branch Secretary & Camden Trades Council chair

Speakers so far confirmed:
Alex Gordon President, RMT Transport Union
Andrew Baisley Secretary, Camden National Union of Teachers (NUT)
Imran Khan Human Rights Lawyer, People’s Charter
Tracy Edwards Youth Officer, Public & Commercial Services union (PCS)
Candy Udwin Central London Right to Work
Raj Chada Chair of Holborn & St Pancras Constituency Labour Party (pc)
Cuts for us, business as usual for them

Council cuts of £80 - £100 million by 2014. Privatisation in the NHS. The threat of cuts and Academies to Camden schools. The capping of Housing Benefit and freezing of child benefit. Meanwhile bonuses for directors and bankers have bounced back.
How do we expose the propaganda that there is no alternative and organise to defeat the slashing of services that tens of thousands rely on?

■ Most Camden council employees will face a two-year pay freeze, amounting to a substantial pay cut. For the lowest paid increases of £250 a year, if they get them,
come to just 1%-2% at a time when inflation is running at more than 5%.
■ Thousands of local authority and other public sector jobs in the borough are under threat;
■ Spending on education may be chopped in real terms by as much as 25% over the next four years;
■ Caps on Housing Benefit levels will make Camden a ‘no-go’ area for many private sector tenants at a time when the prospects for social housing are bleak;
■ Cuts in welfare benefits and tax credits will add up to £11 billion while banks get off with a light annual levy.
■ Corporation tax – already among the lowest in Europe - will fall from the current 28% by a percentage point each year for the next four years.

 

[Macullam]

, it was just a framework however as far as I could see, and it will be up to the local groups to build on it.[/QUOTE]

you underestimate the control freakery of unison leadership.

 

[One_Stop_Shop]

Bit depressed by the Hackney meeting last night so here's a plug for another one...

Why?

 

[glenquagmire]

Why?

Good turnout, should have achieved more.

 

[Matt S]

Just needed to have a few papers and proposals prepared ahead of time - nothing unfixable...

Matt

 

[glenquagmire]

You're right. I'm just giving up smoking and being very bad-tempered at the moment. Hopefully will come together more at the next one.

 

[dennisr]

From the National Shop Stewards Network site:

http://www.shopstewards.net

North Wales Shop Stewards Network
Meeting
7pm-9pm Thursday 8 July 2010, Wrexham Lager Social Club
Report back from NSSN Conference - Call for a National Demonstration against the cuts - Organising to protect public services - Building the network
Meeting open to all elected Union Reps including Health and Safety Reps, Union Learning Reps and any other interested parties. Organiser: Eileen O'Peilly (PCS) brynidris2@aol.com

Camden Trades Council
Monthly delegate meeting
7pm, Thursday 15 July, UNITE office, Transport House, 128 Theobalds Road, WC1X 8TN

Huntingdon & St Neots Trades Union Council
Demonstration
"Stop the franchising of Hinchinbrooke Hospital to the private sector"
Saturday 10 July.

For more information go to: http:www.huntingdonandstneotstradescouncil.blogspot.com

 

[Blagsta]

Birmingham

Open Organising Meeting of Save Our Services Campaign


Date: Wednesday, 07 July 2010
Time: 17:30 - 19:00
Location: UNISON Birmingham Branch Office, 3rd Floor, Albany House
Hurst Street, Birmingham

 

[treelover]

'There is every intention to have them get onboard, the campaign will be driven by the workers, service users, and community groups'


Good news, but I've attended a number of meetings in my area on the privisatisation of housing benefits services, the NHS, etc, over the years, very little mention of users etc, i don't like the term, right wing, etc, but the unions are very 'producer' led, they must do more to get the public, clients, users, etc onboard.

 

[Pickman's model]

I blame the SP-led UNISON branch...

i blame the government

 

[dennisr]

London Shop Stewards Network
Event: Fighting Cuts - Meeting
Start Time: 26 July at 19:00
End Time: 26 July at 21:00
Where: Indian YMCA
Street: 41 Fitzroy Square
Town/City: London, United Kingdom

 

[Blagsta]

Save Our Services Public Meeting
20th July 7pm
Theatre Room, Quaker Meeting House
40 Bull St, Birmingham

 

[treelover]

'Open Organising Meeting of Save Our Services Campaign

Date: Wednesday, 07 July 2010
Time: 17:30 - 19:00
Location: UNISON Birmingham Branch Office, 3rd Floor, Albany House
Hurst Street, Birmingham'


Many there Blagsta?

 

[Blagsta]

'Open Organising Meeting of Save Our Services Campaign


Date: Wednesday, 07 July 2010
Time: 17:30 - 19:00
Location: UNISON Birmingham Branch Office, 3rd Floor, Albany House'


many there Blagsta?

Hurst Street, Birmingham
Reply With Quote

about 10 people, mostly Unison members, a couple of NUT, I was the only Unite member

 

[smokedout]

This facebook group's got nearly 500 members now, probably as good a place to advertise these events as any, please feel free

Benefit Claimants Fight Back

 

[treelover]

'On Tuesday 13th July a series begins on Ch4 called 'The Fairy Godmother' with that awful patronising Hayley woman who fronted one episode of Benefit Busters and spoke to single mothers as they were naughty children. This time she's supposedly helping the unemployed'

FFS, what is up with Ch4, then again, Oona King is now the executive for diversity, etc.

maybe claimants could picket Ch4

 

[el-ahrairah]

Where: Lambeth UNISON office, 6a Acre Lane, Brixton
When: Wednesday 30 June, 6pm
What: First open organising/planning meeting. UNISON, UCU, NUT, Tenant's Council, Pensioners Action Group and Right to Work to send representatives. FBU, RMT, CWU and PCS all invited and will hopefully send representatives as well.

Everyone is welcome!

The local trades council is run by a stalinist so they aren't on board yet as you have to go through 101 bureaucratic hoops, but hopefully we can resolve that soon.

I missed this at the time, will come along to the next one - is there a group i can sign up to to get alerts etc?

 

[treelover]

its great that the unions are using social media/the net etc to communicate with the wider public, the R/W historian Niall Ferguson was on This Week last night talking about about how the crisis is about as much hearts and minds' and 'a propaganda war' as an economic one, the unions seem to agree.

yesterday i got talking to a couple of nurses in my local hospital: they are very angry indeed and feel absolutely betrayed, one of my close family is going to lose a significant portion of her pension and maybe her job, this person is like most of the UK pop someone who craves security and says ''she has never been so afraid in her life''. Imo, this is the big one, the left and others must be there for them....

 

[articul8]

One for Dennisr?

Southwark Trades Council (TUC) is hosting an important meeting to kick off the campaign against the cuts in Southwark. Come along and have your say.

Leaflet is attached. Meeting's on Monday July 19th, 7pm, Salvation Army Hall, 1 Princess St (Elephant and Castle tube).

 

[sihhi]

Haringey Alliance for Public Services
...

The Government is threatening massive cuts to local Council services, to the NHS, to public sector jobs, to Haringey's voluntary and community sector, and to local people's benefits. We don't have to accept this!

called by: Haringey Trades Union Council, Haringey Solidarity Group & Haringey Federation of Residents Associations among others

Tuesday 27th July 7pm - latecomers still welcome
at
The Big Green Bookshop Venue
1 Brampton Park Road
Wood Green
London N22 6BG

head north from Turnpike Lane bus and tube station, Brampton Park Road is the third road on the left as you head north.
Turnpike Lane is on the Picadilly Line, and has buses serving it
The venue is past Courcy Road indicated on the little map here:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/turnpikelane-2270.pdf

 

[ddraig]

Cardiff - Sat 17 July

Fight The Cuts
When
Sat, 17 July, 12:30 – 14:00

Where
Outside Cardiff Market on the Hayes

Description
A chance to leaflet and talk to the public about how to fight the cuts. Backed by a Cor Cochion (Cardiff Reds Choir) street sing.
Part of Cardiff Trades Council Campaign against the Cuts.

from here http://www.radicalwales.org/

 

[dennisr]

Waltham Forest Anti-Cuts Union
Launch meeting - ALL WELCOME!
William Morris Community Centre, Greenleaf Road, E17 6QQ
29 July · 19:30 - 23:00

 

[articul8]

Brent Trades Union Council

Wednesday July 28th 7.30 pm in Space2 at the Willesden Green Library Centre . The speakers are John McDonnell MP, Jerry Hicks from the UNITE union, Clara Osagiede from the RMT cleaners’ campaign speaking on behalf of the Right to Work Campaign and Ann O’Neill from Brent Mencap. The chair will be Pete Firmin CWU, President of Brent Trades Union Council.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Public meeting organised by North Wales Shop Stewards network and community activists.
Wrexham social club, union st, Wrexham on Sept 27

Speakers from public sector unions and Leanne Wood - Plaid Cymru AM.

 

[Proper Tidy]

Public meeting organised by North Wales Shop Stewards network and community activists.
Wrexham social club, union st, Wrexham on Sept 27

Speakers from public sector unions and Leanne Wood - Plaid Cymru AM.

Address should be:

Wrexham Lager Club
1 Union Road
Wrexham

Near the train station and the football ground.