SERTUC Campaign Update - January 2018

Here is a quick notice of campaigns and events in the next few weeks and months to help you put dates in your diaries and include elements in your mailings, work programmes etc. If we have not included something, it does not mean we do not support it.

3 February       ‘NHS in Crisis. Fix it Now’ national demonstration, London

https://www.healthcampaignstogether.com/

5 February       SERTUC ACAS East of England Conference, Cambridge

https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/london-east-south-east/annual-sertucacas-conference-trade-union-officers-and-acas-staff

10 February     SERTUC LGBTIQ History Month Event

10 February     Stand Up to Racism Annual Conference

https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/national/stand-racism-trade-union-conference

4 March          March4Women

https://www.careinternational.org.uk/march4women

8 March          International Women’s Day

7-9 March       TUC Women’s Conference

17 March         Stand Up to Racism national march/UN Anti-Racism Day

https://www.facebook.com/events/124046068281319/

20-22 April      TUC Black Workers Conference

28 April          SERTUC AGM

28 April           International Workers’ Memorial Day

1 May              May Day March and Rally in London. Other May Day events are organised in London, the South East and the East of England, but not all will be on 1 May. Please check details locally.

3 May              Local elections

12 May           TUC National Demonstration in London, ‘A New Deal for Working People’

https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/new-deal-working-people-tuc-march-rally

18-19 May      Levellers Day, Burford, Oxfordshire

https://levellersday.wordpress.com/whats-happening-2018/

9-10 June       TUC Trades Councils Conference, Manchester

NHS In Crisis: Green Party Bloc

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NHS In Crisis: Green Party Bloc

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  Saturday at 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM 4 days from now · 2–6°Rain Showers

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Our NHS is on its knees, thanks to ideological attacks and cuts from this Tory Government. In the 70th year of our health service, let's take to the streets to defend it.

The People's Assembly have organised this demonstration, and the Green Party is proud to support it. Join our bloc outside Waterstones, 82 Gower St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 6EQ from 11.30am.

Our co-leader Jonathan Bartley will be speaking at the rally at the end of the march, so make sure you stick around. More details on the demonstration can be found here: http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/nhs_fix_it

This NHS winter crisis isn't the fault of the immigrants, the disabled, the elderly or the nurses. It's the fault of our Government. This Saturday, join us to defend our NHS.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group protest outside Neasden Jobcentre

 Kilburn Unemployed Workers' Group Jobcentre Closure Protest.
https://youtu.be/oxf_jEHVHTE

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group protested outside Neasden Jobcentre on Tuesday 30th January 2018, leafleting the public and playing music, by ‘The Fall’ to mourn the fact that, the jobcentre was about to go the same way as Mark E.Smith, or nearly the same way, as he wasn’t sold off for development.

Below are proposed closure dates of Neasden & Kilburn as per The Mirror newspaper.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/jobcentres-closing-2018-full-list-11800417

Neasden Chancel House, Neasden Lane, NW10 2XH - 16 February 2018 - merging with Harlesden and Wembley jobcentres.


Kilburn, 3 Cambridge Avenue, NW6 5AH - 2 March 2018 - merging with Wembley and Kentish Town jobcentres.

KUWG write: "KUWG have petitioned the DWP with signatures by claimants, and got support from local Labour MPs Tulip Siddiq, and Karen Buck, with Labour and Green Party Councillors, opposing the wretched closures. Poor, Sick, and confused people will find themselves out-of-pocket, and most likely missing appointments or being late and getting sanctioned. There have been nationwide closures and protests but this Rotten Conservative Government have been as stubborn as asses, to stop, but seem content in making our lives miserable.


David Gauke (ex-Corporate Solicitor) who pushed through this cost-cutting project, got his reward, The Ministry Of (In)Justice, although the Constituents of Brent East didn’t elect him when he stood here as a Candidate, then he was given a safe Tory Seat. No Jobcentre interviews for him! Esther McVey (ex-Family Business Director)  the new DWP Secretary of State, was kicked out of her Wirral West Seat at the 2015 election, but was then given George Loadsa money Osborne’s safe Tory seat. No Jobcentre interview for her either! Guy Opperhan (ex-Barrister), (DWP) Parliamentary Under-Secretary lost TWO elections...Theresa May seems to love below-calibre losers! The new Minister of Employment is Alok Sharma (ex-Corporate Accountant)-these are not your common man, or woman, but Corporate Schmucks! No idea of jobcentres! All eager to also push thru disastrous Universal Credit!!"

 P.Murry came to give the support of Brent Green Party and the Green Party Trade Union group and PCS (the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents Jobcentre staff ) said "Appreciate groups like yours helping to ensure these job centres don’t just disappear from communities without any acknowledgement of their contribution and place."

KUWG are also protesting Tuesday 6th February 2018 2pm-2.30pm Outside DWP HQ Caxton House, 12 Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA   to ‘welcome’ Esther McVey as the new boss, with then a coffee-break and walk to the Ministry of (In)Justice, for 3pm-3.30pm, 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ to say “Hi” to ex-DWP boss David Gauke, Lest he forgets us (St James’ Park Tube Station is between them both & both near Westminster Tube)


As The Who sang: “Meet the new boss...same as the old boss”

Asbestos contaminated soil in Paddington Old Cemetery. OPEN Letter

OPEN Letter to CEO London Borough of Brent, Councillor Butt,

Councillor Southwood cc Councillor Duffy

As Green Party Trade Union Liaison Officer for Brent and for the London Federation of Green Parties, and as a council tax paying resident of the London Borough of Brent, I am very concerned to hear from Councillor Duffy’s email, that there are contamination problems arising from the dumping and disposal of asbestos contaminated soil in Paddington Old Cemetery. 

As I am sure the CEO of Brent and the Brent Councillors dealing with this matter, are aware asbestos is relatively safe when undisturbed, but if it is caused to give off dust, which is harmful if inhaled, that dust can give rise to severe health problems which may not be apparent until years later.

I would therefore like assurances that the Council did not deliberately send asbestos contaminated waste to Paddington Old Cemetery, and that once Council became aware of the presence of such waste, it ensured that:

1.  all workers dealing with the waste were fully briefed as to its potentially hazardous nature and advised to inform their GPs of possible exposure.

2.  all workers dealing with the waste were fully equipped with appropriate protection

3.  measures were taken to ensure that the waste would affect members of the public visiting the Cemetery and the students and staff of the school which neighbours the Cemetery.

4.  the school and the NEU Health and Safety representative was notified of the presence of the waste and warned when it was likely to be disturbed.

Yours sincerely Peter Murry

The Village School in Kingsbury

As Green Party Trade Union Liaison Officer for Brent and for the London Federation of Green Parties, I am both pleased and sad to be sending support to the teachers at The Village School in Kingsbury for a second time.

I am pleased to convey the support of the Green Party to Trades unionists who oppose academisations, and because, as a UCU member, I have the greatest respect for the NEU members who are now taking strike action again to protect a public education service for the people of Brent which large amounts of council resources have been paid to develop.

I am saddened that the strike is now taking place because of the intransigence of the School Governors and their Chair, (who is also the Brent Labour Group whip), and the refusal of the Brent Labour Leader Muhammed Butt to clearly oppose academisation of the Village School; although it is becoming increasingly apparent that academisation is an expensive and unworkable policy which is of minimal benefit to education.

(https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/jan/27/schools-academy-trusts-warn-pay-staffing-public-spending)

Notes

NEU- The National Education Union:

UCU The University and College Union 

Daily Mirror & Sunday Mirror back the emergency NHS demonstration next week.

We're very pleased to announce that the Daily Mirror & Sunday Mirror are the latest to come on board and officially back the emergency NHS demonstration next week. 

Tens of thousands will march for our NHS next Saturday in an emergency demonstration called by The People's Assembly & Health Campaigns Together. The demonstration will demand an end the winter crisis with a cash injection to restore the NHS budget and a commitment to increased funding each year.

Emergency Demonstration - NHS in Crisis: Fix it Now
Saturday 3 February, 12pm Gower Street London, March to Downing Street

Everyday from now until the demo they'll be running stories on why the NHS demonstration is so important including interviews from the front line, details of the route and speakers, quotes from organisers, union representatives, celebs and more. 

Why are you marching?
We're asking for people to send in a short quote (under 100 words) about why they're marching and what the NHS means to them - we'll include a selection of quotes in the Mirror and use others on our website and on social media. Please also include a headshot of yourself in the email. Send these to: office@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

How you can help:

• Invite your friends & share the Facebook event
• If you want leaflets / posters you can download and print from our website, pick them up from our office or we can send by post if you order by the end of the weekend. Please email office@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk to arrange this
• Pass this model motion in your trade union branch, CLP or campaign group if you have a meeting before the weekend

Other exclusive stories and interviews will also be run in the Morning Star newspaper who have always backed our demonstrations, protests and been central to the anti-austerity movement. Keep an eye on their website and paper for details.

In case you missed it:

"Blood on their hands": NHS protesters shut down road outside Parliament targeting May, Hunt and Branson

The People's Assembly Against Austerity
http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/

Come to Haringey Civic Centre to support councillors voting to stop the HDV! 7 FEBRUARY

Come to Haringey Civic Centre to support councillors voting to stop the HDV! 1st time full Council has a vote. Let's stop this madness now. From all over London, if you care about #SocialHousing - Be There! 7 FEBRUARY Ducketts Common 5.30 Civic Centre 7pm http://stophdv.com

University staff overwhelmingly back strike action in USS pensions row

University staff overwhelmingly back strike action in USS pensions row

22 January 2018

Sixty-one universities (see list below) could face widespread disruption next month after UCU members overwhelmingly backed industrial action in a row over changes to their pensions in the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

Overall, 88% of UCU members who voted backed strike action and 93% backed action short of a strike. The turnout was 58%^. A full breakdown of the results by institution is available here.

The union's higher education committee is meeting now to discuss the results and plan an industrial action strategy should talks about the future of the scheme fail to deliver a solution. Those talks are currently scheduled to finish tomorrow (Tuesday).

Universities UK (UUK) wants to transform the scheme from a defined benefit scheme that gives a guaranteed retirement income to a defined contribution scheme where pension income is subject to changes in the stock market.

Independent modeling of the proposals show that a typical lecturer would lose £200,000 in retirement if the UUK plans were imposed. Last week the vice-chancellors of Warwickand Loughborough universities broke ranks to criticise UUK for failing to guarantee retirement incomes for USS members.

The union said it hoped that the overwhelming mandate for strike action would focus universities' minds and that more vice-chancellors would publicly pressure UUK to agree a deal. UCU said it was happy for talks to be extended in an attempt to resolve the issue without strike action.

The union said that two rounds of cuts in USS benefits since 2011 have already left USS members with pensions worth less than those of school teachers and academics in the sector's other pension scheme, the Teachers' Pension Scheme.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: 'UCU members have made it quite clear that they are prepared to take sustained strike action to defend their pensions.

'USS already offers worse benefits than other schemes available in universities, and UUK's proposals would make matters worse. I hope more vice-chancellors will pressure their negotiators to work with us to resolve the matter without strike action.'

Aberdeen, The University of

Aberystwyth University

Aston University

Bangor University

Bath, University of

Birkbeck College, University of London

Bristol, University of

Brunel University

Cambridge, University of

Cardiff University

City, University of London

Courtauld Institute of Art

Cranfield University

Dundee, The University of

Durham University

East Anglia, University of

Edinburgh, University of

Essex, University of

Exeter, University of

Glasgow, The University of

Goldsmiths, University of London

Heriot-Watt University

Hull, The University of

Imperial College London

Institute of Education

Keele University

Kent, The University of

King's College London

Lancaster, University of

Leeds, The University of

Leicester, University of

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Liverpool, University of

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Loughborough University

Manchester, The University of

Newcastle University

Nottingham, The University of

Open University

Oxford, University of

Queen Mary, University of London

Queen's University Belfast

Reading, University of

Royal Holloway, University of London

Royal Veterinary College, University of London

Salford, The University of

Senate House, University of London

Sheffield, The University of

SOAS, University of London

Southampton, University of

St Andrews, University of

Stirling, The University of

Strathclyde, University of

Surrey, University of

Sussex, University of

University College London

Scottish Association for Marine Science (University of the Highlands and Islands)

Ulster University

University of Wales

University of Warwick

University of York

^ The overall figure includes institutions that are required to secure a 50% turnout to be able to take action (universities in England, Scotland and Wales). Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University do not require a 50% turnout.  Members in all 68 branches that were balloted voted for action. Of those, seven did not achieve the 50% turnout required.