- Latest on local cuts campaigns and national demonstration
- Campaign to defend the NHS
- Plans for pensions strike on 10 May
- London elections
Well done to the campaign for their stand. Latest news here:
JOIN THE NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
TO KEEP VIRGIN OUT OF OUR NHS
SATURDAY 21 APRIL
2pm Virgin store Oxford St, opposite the Plaza
Contact 07946 480261
http://www.facebook.com/events/363297050379410
/
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/housingemergency-timeforanalternative/
http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/dch/resources/HousingEmergencyBriefingApr2012.pdf
Fightback news starting this Saturday!
ACTION AGAINST THE WELFARE BILL
Message from the Invisible – Scrap the Welfare Bill
Saturday 28 January
11.30 am Holborn Tube
On Saturday a group of disabled, sick and elderly people are going to engage in a daring and disruptive act of civil disobedience, and they’ve asked for our support. Meet at 11.30am at Holborn tube station with a charged Oyster card, ready to travel to a secret location. Look here for accessibility information, and here for the press release.
Organised by Disabled People Against Cuts, Disabled People’s Direct Action Network, and UK Uncut.
ACTION AGAINST THE HEALTH BILL
Hope you can join us on Saturday as we keep up the pressure against the Health Bill in the last few months to stop the privatisation of our NHS.
Camden Keep Our NHS Public Stall
Saturday 28January 12-1pm
South End Green NW3 (by the chemist shop)
Join us to get as many postcards to David Cameron signed as possible.
Camden Keep Our NHS Public meeting
Tuesday 14 February 6pm (until 7pm)
Camden Town Hall, Judd St, WC1
Our Camden meeting will be followed by a meeting of London KONP at 7pm
National rally and lobby of parliament
Wednesday 07 March
Details to be confirmed
TIME FOR HOUSING ALTERNATIVE
Petition against Camden’s rent increases
http://camdenfed.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/120124_Rents-petition.pdf
Housing Emergency Organising meeting
Tuesday 07 February 6pm
Camden Town Hall Judd St, WC1
Housing Emergency Public Meeting
Tuesday 21 February 6.30pm
Committee Room 14, House of Commons
With KEN LOACH film director ‘Cathy Come Home’
OWEN JONES author ‘Chavs: the Demonisation of the Working
Class’ AUSTIN MITCHELL MP, CATHERINE WEST Leader Islington Council
GAIL CARTMAIL Unite union EILEEN SHORT Defend Council Housing
http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/dch/resources/HELeaflet-21stFeb_A4_2pp_print.pdf
PENSIONS DISPUTE UPDATE
Unions which have refused to sign up to the government’s proposed pensions “deal” are planning further action in March.
So far the executives of the UCU lecturers’ union and the NUT teacher’s union have agreed to set a date for further strike action in March and the civil service union PCS has also agreed to propose further action.
OTHER NEWS
Further strike action against cuts at National Gallery
Thursday 02 February -details to be announced
e-petition to National Gallery director:
http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=103&ea.campaign.id=13285
Barnet Council Unison’s 4th strike against privatisation
Messages of support to john.burgess@BarnetUnison.org.uk
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/
London’s local boroughs anti-cuts alliances
Wednesday 8th February 7pm
Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, WC1H
http://www.hapsnews.net/londons-borough-wide-anti-cuts-alliances/
March against a Haringey Academy school
Saturday 28 January
http://www.hcaa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Demonstration-Flyer.pdf
No free school in Hackney
Sign the petition
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-free-school-in-hackney.html
‘Winter Warm Ups’
Protests against fuel poverty
http://fuelpovertyaction.wordpress.com/
Unite Against Fascism Conference
Saturday 25 February
http://uaf.org.uk/2011/12/uaf-conference-saturday-25-february-central-london/
Support action against rent rises and cuts this week
Latest news from Camden campaign against cuts – please support and publicise as widely as possible
Camden tenants say NO to rent increase
Lobby of Council Cabinet meeting
Wednesday 18 January 6.30pm Camden Town Hall, Judd St, WC1
Tenant representatives from Camden DMCs have voted to oppose a proposed 8.1% rent increase and will have a deputation to the Cabinet meeting.
http://camdenfed.org.uk/2012/01/tenants-reject-8-1-rent-rise/
Meeting for all Tenants
Monday 23 January 6.30pm Camden Fed office 11-17 The Marr, Curnock St estate, off Camden St NW1 0HE
To discuss opposition to Council rent increase, threat of fixed term tenancies and 36% cut in Camden Fed funding.
http://camdenfed.org.uk/2012/01/615/
Leaflet (.doc)
Striking Against Job Cuts at The National Gallery
Support PCS members on strike
Thursday 19 January 1-3pm National Gallery Trafalgar Sq WC2
Leaflet:
Walkout at National Gallery (.pdf)
Walkout at National Gallery (.doc)
Fighting Against Attacks in the Welfare Bill
The campaign has forced votes against the government in the Lords and is at a critical stage.
See Video here (Guardian site)
Keep Our NHS Public
Latest on the campaign against the Health Bill and how we can still fight against it
http://www.keepournhspublic.com/index.php
Campaign stall
Saturday 28 January
12-1pm South End Green
Camden Keep Our NHS Public meeting
Tuesday 14 February
6pm Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, WC1
Pensions Dispute
The fight is far from over!
Get an update at Camden Trades Council Meeting
Thursday 19 January, 6pm Unite offices, Theobalds Rd, WC1
To promote communication, solidarity and co-ordination. Reports of local anti-cuts campaigning, plus local angles on London-wide anti-cuts struggles (eg NHS, housing, welfare, industrial disputes etc). Active members and reps of all London’s local alliances and coalitions, and supporting organisations, are welcome.
Wednesday 18th January, 7pm
Camden Town Hall Judd Street WC1H 9JE (near Kings Cross)
venue fully accessible – NOTE NEW VENUE.
Action Points From London Keep Our NHS Public Meeting
National demonstration against health bill
We need the date now!
There have been discussions about calling a national demonstration against the Health Bill in January or February, backed by the Labour Party, Unite and hopefully the TUC. This is something we have been campaigning for, and would be a fantastic opportunity to mobilise the massive opposition to the Health Bill. But we need to start planning now to make it a huge show of strength demanding that the bill is dropped.
- This week’s London KONP meeting encouraged everyone to urgently write to your unions, Brendan Barber from the TUC and Andy Burnham from the Labour party urging them to announce the date before Christmas.
How to keep up the political pressure
A combination of massive public opposition and lobbying stopped the bill in its tracks in the spring of this year. That is what we need again as early as possible in 2012.
Some suggestions:
- Public meetings in January inviting Andy Burnham organised jointly by health unions and other local organisations.
- Other publicity actions such as Bevan’s Run (see below) or Block the Bridge
- Lobbying Lib Dem MPs who did not vote against the bill such as Lewisham KONP who plan to protest at Simon Hughes.
- Linking up with health workers planning further action over pensions
Labour’s proposal for a “Plan B” is a different approach which came out after our meeting so was not discussed:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/14/labour-nhs-plan-b-reforms
Support Bevan’s Run
Let’s greet Clive as he arrives in London after 6 days
Sunday 15 january 2pm
Department of Health, Whitehall
Clive Peedell (co-chair of NHS consultants’ association) will run 60 160 miles in 6 days
From Aneurin Bevan’s statue in Cardiff to the Department of Health in London to highlight opposition to the Health Bill. Follow him On twitter @cpeedell and #bevansrun.
http://bevansrun.blogspot.com/
How to keep lobbying
Keep emailing or better still writing to lords, either ones you have contacted already or some others.
Find out how to contact them here:
http://www.keepournhspublic.com/pdf/LordsVoted.xls
.
http://www.goingtowork.org.uk/peers/
.
London Keep Our NHS Public meeting
Tuesday 10 january 7.30pm
Camden Town Hall, Judd St, WC1 (Kings X tube)
This meeting will discuss the new year’s campaign plans as well as:
- How parts of the bill are already being put into practice and how to make it inoperable
- If the bill is scrapped what should alternative policies be
More information from www.keepournhspublic.com
London Keep Our NHS Public Meeting Tuesday 13th December
1) NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST HEALTH BILL
It seems likely that a national demonstration against the Health Bill will be called in January or February, backed by the Labour Party, Unite and hopefully the TUC. This is something we have been campaigning for, and will be a fantastic opportunity to mobilise the massive opposition to the Health Bill. We need to start planning now to make it a huge show of strength demanding that the Bill is dropped.
2) BMA OPPOSES BILL AS GOVERNMENT FIGHT TO PUSH IT THROUGH LORDS
Hundreds of thousands of health workers joined the massive public sector strikes last week laying down a gauntlet to the government over pensions and the future of public services. Hundreds joined picket lines outside hospitals, clinics and ambulance stations across London reawakening trade union organisation in the NHS. The strike had fantastic support from members of Unison, Unite, the Society of Radiographers and Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, and may be joined by the RCN and BMA next time.
http://www.goingtowork.org.uk/peers/
.
http://www.keepournhspublic.com/pdf/LordsVoted.xls
http://bevansrun.blogspot.com/
N30 In Camden – Picket Line Map, Battle Bus, Rally and the SERTUC March
This coming Wednesday 30 November will see what promises to be an historic day of strike action across Britain. In Camden thousands of civil servants, local government workers, healthworkers, teachers and college lecturers will be taking action against the Government’s assault on public service workers’ pension schemes. You can join picket lines from 6.30 AM outside Camden Town Hall among many other locations across the borough. There will be a battle bus touring Camden from 9.00 AM and at 11.00 strikers and supporters will be rallying outside the old Town Hall (Judd Street and Euston Road, WC1) before departing to join the SERTUC march starting at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, near Holborn station.
This map shows confirmed picket lines in the borough and other activities.
There are picket lines and marches across the country. See the False Economy website to find one near you:
http://falseeconomy.org.uk/nov30/uk/all
