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Regional anti-cuts organising

Why polarise between a movement based on unions and one which has genuine grassroots support in communities - surely it needs both? But I agree that there should be efforts to tear down mythical chinese walls between private and public sectors. And while punches shouldn't be pulled as far as Labour is concerned, there is no point trying to exclude at the outset Labour supporters or good local councillors from a broad coalition against the cuts -what we can't do is allow them and their TU bureaucrat friends set the pace and terms of new initiatives.
 
Why polarise between a movement based on unions and one which has genuine grassroots support in communities - surely it needs both?
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I totally agree, if it came across as otherwise I didn't mean to. The only thing I would say is with the state of the unions and the strength of the union bureaucracies campaigns might get more progress with community groups in the short term, but I think it does all go hand in hand and anti-cuts campaigns can hopefully help re-vitalise both community groups and networks and union branches and networks.

Largely agree with sihhi but in many places you don't even have reps either, far less than in the 80s.

And while punches shouldn't be pulled as far as Labour is concerned, there is no point trying to exclude at the outset Labour supporters or good local councillors from a broad coalition against the cuts -what we can't do is allow them and their TU bureaucrat friends set the pace and terms of new initiatives.
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Spot on.
 
The name of the above is indicative of the wrong mindset. We don't need more conventions of the left, we need to build structures that bridge the gap between organised public sector workers and the wider community of service users. Hope that's the spirit of what's being organised not just getting the various sects together.
 
Haringey Alliance for Public Services
now has a website:

http://www.thelittlelaboratory.com/haps/wordpress/

and the next meeting is detailed here

http://www.thelittlelaboratory.com/haps/wordpress/?p=9

Unfortunately the postcode is wrong the correct address is:

The Big Green Bookshop Venue
1 Brampton Park Road
Wood Green
London N22 6BG

I don't have access to the website so I can't put stuff on, including loads more info about cuts to the 3 citizens' advice bureaux, to small courts, to libraries, to 9 playgrounds, social services, 16+ vocational and basic education, scrapping adult learning grant, cancellation of BSF Rhodes Avenue primary school, housing benefit cuts, parks facilities, mental health pct and north london health services, road budget being full up.
All whilst the chief exec is on ~ £180,000 p.a. ; Liverpool council bosses took a 10% with public action vilifying them - let's get organised!

Anyone opposed to cuts is welcome to come and help doing things/ tell us where we're going wrong / ask questions.

Also it's a set of different ideas from different people coming together so I disagree with some of the links: http://www.thecutswontwork.co.uk and the friends of the earth statement.
 
list of local london anti-cuts stuff here (plus some other stuff. summarised below, far from comprehnsive, send info to editor@freelondonlistings.co.uk

14.09.2010
18.30 h Haringey Alliance for Public Services Protest Wood Green Civic Centre Haringey

14.09.2010
19.00 h - 21.00 h Lewisham Cuts Alliance: Organising meeting Amersham Arms New Cross

15.09.2010
09.30 h Save our buses - lobby at City Hall: Called by UNITE City Hall Southbank

16.09.2010
12.00 h Hackney Unemployed Workers Cafe Bohemia Hackney Politics/Social Action

17.09.2010
20.00 h Red & Black Club 80′s Night Special London Action Resource Centre (LARC) Whitechapel

18.09.2010
13.30 h Protest the Pope! - -

21.09.2010
19.00 h Tower Hamlets Hands Off Our Public Services meeting Oxford House Bethnal Green

24.09.2010
18.00 h London Critical Mass -

25.09.2010
17.00 h ‘Resisting the cuts – past and present’ Housmans Bookshop Kings Cross

05.10.2010
19.30 h Islington Hands Off Our Public Services public meeting Archway Methodist Church Hall Archway

05.10.2010
19.30 h - 21.30 h Haringey Solidarity Group Monthly Meeting Phoenix Millennium Centre Haringey

06.10.2010
19.30 h Community Action Lewisham Amersham Arms New Cross

13.10.2010
18.30 h What impact will cuts make on the lives of people in Newham? Durning Hall Community Centre Newham

20.10.2010
17.00 h - 19.00 h Coalition of Resistance Protest at Downing Street Opposite Downing Street (Westminster tube) Westminster

23.10.2010
10.00 h - 19.00 h London Anarchist Bookfair 2010 Queen Mary University of London London

02.11.2010
19.30 h - 21.30 h Haringey Solidarity Group Monthly Meeting Phoenix Millennium Centre Haringey

20.11.2010
National Demonstration: Afghanistan - Time To Go - -

27.11.2010
National Organising Conference: Coalition of Resistance Camden Centre London
 
glenquagmire said:
Hackney TUC launch an anti-cuts campaign tomorrow (Wednesday 30th June) at the Trinity Centre in Dalston at 7pm. There is infighting already.
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I live in Leyton; I don't supose you'd know whether anyoneTU-related in Newham or Waltham Forest is doing anything? Or should I hook up with yours?
 
I think the Waltham Forest TC was talking about stuff but I'm not sure whether anything is under way. Would recommend contacting the WF trades council if you can. Seem to remember the Secretary was called Darren (?), or you could try calling WF Unison and asking Dave in the office there. He'd know how to get in touch. Sorry I can't be more help.
 
Join us for a public meeting to discuss the threat to our community that we face and what we can do about it:
Date: Monday 13th September 2010
Time: 6.30pm – 9pm
Location: Quaker Meeting House, 43 St. Giles, Oxford
 
Swansea - TODAY sorry
15th September: Launch of ‘Swansea against the Cuts’, organised by Swansea Trades Council, 7.30 pm at the Unitarian Church, 238 High Street, Swansea SA1 1NZ. Further details from Ronnie Job, email: ron.job@sky.com.
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Cardiff 21 Sept
21st September: ‘Defend Public Services’, organised by Cardiff Trades Council, 7.00 pm at the Cardiff Bus Sport and Social Club, 59-61 Tudor Street, Cardiff CF11 6AD. Further details from Katrine Williams, email: cardiffctuc@googlemail.com
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and loads more here
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/wales/whats-new-in-wales.cfm/id/DF5878EE-2B35-40C0-88854C1B234DE30D
 
Launch of North Wales Against Cuts at the Lager Club, Union St, Wrexham @ 7.30pm, Monday, 27 September. Organised by N Wales Shop Stewards Network.
 
glenquagmire said:
I think the Waltham Forest TC was talking about stuff but I'm not sure whether anything is under way. Would recommend contacting the WF trades council if you can. Seem to remember the Secretary was called Darren (?), or you could try calling WF Unison and asking Dave in the office there. He'd know how to get in touch. Sorry I can't be more help.
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not at all - you've been more than helpful
 
Report from Brighton meeting:
Brighton meeting rejects cuts agenda
Over 200 people packed into Friends Meeting House in Brighton on Thursday 9 September to launch a community-wide campaign against the neoliberal cuts. Speaking from the trade union movement, Chris Baugh (PCS) and Andy Richards (Unison) dismantled the received wisdom of reducing government debt through cuts and highlighted the vast long-term costs of cutting key public services and forcing thousands into unemployment and below the poverty line.

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/10211/14-09-2010/brighton-meeting-rejects-cuts-agenda
 
Report from Bristol:

Bristol: Moles and rats in the council chamber
A mass lobby of Bristol councillors on 7 September heard several local authority trade unions warn of impending industrial action should the Liberal Democrat council administration try to carry through compulsory redundancies. The atmosphere was electric and protesters were treated to the unusual sight of New Labour councillors joining the protests. It was like seeing a colony of moles removed from under the ground, as they blinked, looked uneasily at the banners, felt intimidated by the speeches and then quickly scampered back into the council chamber to the protection of their already very-dented shields....

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/ke...bristol-moles-and-rats-in-the-council-chamber
 
Report from Plymouth:
Plymouth anti-cuts meeting
The immortal words of Percy Bysshe Shelley helped inspire a 50-strong meeting to launch Plymouth's fight against the cuts. 90-year-old pensioners' campaigner, Paddy Ryan, galvanised the meeting by quoting Shelley: "Rise like lions after slumber in unvanquishable number. Shake your chains to earth like dew, which in sleep had fallen on you. Ye are many - they are few". During the meeting, a succession of speakers gave notice that the lies of the Con-Dems and their media chums cut no ice with anyone. Trade union representatives from Unite, Unison, RMT, PCS and CWU, and claimants' union and asylum-support workers all indicated they had had enough, that the time to fight is now and that it will be on the basis of 'no cuts, no compromise'.....

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/ar...nti-cuts-movement-builds-momentum-in-plymouth
 
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