Southwark Action Alert

7 December 2012

The huge demonstration in Lewisham recently against the threatened closure of the A+E Ward shows the depth of support for vital local services. Meanwhile, George Osborne’s Autumn Statement this week shows that we face at least six more years of austerity, and included an extra 2% cut to Southwark Council’s budget next year. Local campaigns are organising against new cuts to nurseries, to fire stations and to health services. There are plenty of planning meetings and protest events – come along and get involved!

EVENTS LIST

Saturday 8 December

11.30am for 12 noon. Transform the tax dodger Starbucks into a One O'Clock Club. A UK Uncut Action at the Brixton branch of Starbucks, supported by Lambeth NUT, Lambeth Green Party and Lambeth and Southwark SOS  In order to highlight cuts to children's services, threatened privatisation of Lambeth’s One O'Clock Clubs and cuts to Southwark’s nurseries. Bring face paints, toys, books, felt tips, jigsaw puzzles, colouring-in books, cake – and don't forget to bring your kids! Facebook event page here.

Saturday 8 December

12 noon. Protest against Workfare. The budget shop Poundland has announced that it is re-entering the controversial unpaid work scheme after the defeat of a court case against it. Assemble outside Poundland, 284-286 Walworth Road, London SE17. Called by South London Solidarity Federation. Facebook event here.

Sunday 9 December

2pm-5pm. Alternatives, Rights and Democracy: discussion meeting about how Southwark residents, communities and workers can create a better future, without cuts. Organised by Peoples Republic of Southwark. For details of the event including venue, contact info@peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk

Tuesday 11 December

8.30am. Lobby of the TUC General Council meeting to call for the naming of a date for a 24-hour general strike.  Assemble at Congress House, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3LS. Called by Unite the Resistance and National Shop Stewards Network. On-line petition and further details here and here.

Tuesday 11 December

8am-10am. Cut Rail Fares, Not Rail Staff: Leafleting organised by Action For Rail Campaign. Four central London venues, others to be announced. Details of these and other events here.   

Tuesday 11 December

7pm. Lambeth ‘Keep Our NHS Public’ meeting  at Duke of Cambridge, 74 Lansdowne Way, Stockwell, SW8 2DR. Agenda includes reports from Lewisham meetings and House of Commons coordinating campaign., followed by Christmas drinks. Special advance notice: Showing of Michael Moore's film ‘Sicko’ about private health care in the USA and discussion of the situation here too – Wed 16th Jan, 6.30pm.

Tuesday 11 December

7pm.  London Boycott Workfare meeting at the Italian Trade Union Centre, 124 Canonbury Road, London N1 2UT (just a few minutes’ walk from Highbury & Islington station).

Thursday 13 December

4 to 7pm. Candlelit vigil as part of the 'Lewisham Day of Action' outside Lewisham Hospital. There are also protests outside workplaces and elsewhere. Set up your own Southwark Solidarity protest! Wear something white, take a picture of yourselves and send it in to the South London Press here and copy-in Southwark SOS and Lewisham KONP .

Monday 17 December

10.30am. Southwark Pensioners’ Action Group Planning meeting for ‘Warm-up’ protest.  (Note that the event scheduled for 19^th Dec has been deferred to January). Meeting Venue: Southwark Pensioners Centre, 307 Camberwell Road, SE5 0HQ. Details of SPAG events here . More details  about Warm-up protests from fuelpovertyaction@gmail.com .

Thursday 20 December

7pm – 8pm. David Bratby who painted the murals in four of the seven subways beneath the Elephant and Castle Roundabout gives a guided tour and explains why  the E&C roundabouts need to be protected. Meet in the centre of the roundabout next to the Faraday Memorial. Join the Facebook event here. More information about the campaign to save the subways can be found at http://www.saveoursubways.org/

Advance notice

Wednesday 16 January

7pm.  Southwark Save Our Services Campaign planning meeting to support campaigns over nurseries, fire stations, health services, Council Tax and more. All welcome. South Bank University, London Road Building, SE1. For room and agenda contact southwarksos@gmail.com

Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts meetings at Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close, SE17 2QB will continue in January. Dates of the meeting and agenda are obtainable from southwarkdpac@mail.com 

Follow us!

http://southwarksaveourservices.blogspot.com/

Twitter @southwarkSOS

Facebook: Southwark SSOS

Are you part of a community group or campaign? We’d like to hear from you. Tell us what you’re doing and we can advertise your anti-cuts campaign activities. Email us at southwarksos@gmail.com. All our organising meetings are open. Please come along (details above).

Southwark Save Our Services meeting This WEDNESDAY 5DEC

Southwark Save Our Services meeting

This Wednesday

7.30pm*

in Room A2 of London Road Building, LSBU.
(*later start-time so you can attend protests in central London first – details below)

Agenda to include:

-         Council Tax imposition on claimants – plans for local campaign

-         Council Nurseries cuts – closures, redundancies - report

-         Fire stations  -cuts/closure - London consultation & campaign launch

-         Fuel Poverty – arrangements for local protest Dec/Jan

-         Disability assessment – report of recent protests

-         Starbucks – plans for Saturday’s protest

-         Lewisham A+E – spreading the campaign to Southwark


Tuesday: ‘Converge on Kershaw’ demonstration at 6pm at the Calabash Centre, George Lane, SE6 3HH, where the government’s appointed administrator who announced the attacks on Lewisham Hospital is due to speak.

Wednesday: ‘No To Austerity’ demonstration. Assemble at King’s College on the Strand from 5.30pm and rally at Downing Street from 6 pm onwards. Speakers include Christine Blower (NUT), John McDonnell MP, Kate Hudson (CND), Owen Jones, Andy Greene (DPAC), UK Uncut plus speakers from fights across the capital: Connaught School strike, Lewisham Health Campaign, Amnesty International strike, London Met etc Followed by Southwark SOS meeting at 7.30, Room A2 London Rd Bldg, LSBU

Saturday: UK Uncut action against Starbucks Brixton. (Still going ahead despite today’s statement by the company.) Starts at midday but get in there early (Organisers will be in there from 11.15am).

Southwark Action Alert 20 November 2012

Protests around the country last week (including one at the Elephant & Castle) showed that there are many people in the UK keen to support and to copy the strike action that swept across much of Europe last Wednesday. Cuts to education, hospitals, benefits, working conditions and housing are being opposed by demonstrations and other local protests. Come along and show your opposition to these cuts!

EVENTS LIST

Wednesday 21 November

11am. National Student demonstration: “Funding Our Future #Demo2012: Educate, Employ, Empower”. Assembling at Temple Place on the Embankment. Called by the NUS. See Facebook event here. Resources and advice on building the demo from the Education Activist Network here . If you are a student in Southwark and want help with leafleting or other publicity, contact southwarksos@gmail.com

Wednesday 21 November

10.30am. “Fuel poverty – how and why we oppose it”. Meeting organised by Southwark Pensioners Action Group. Venue: Southwark Pensioners Centre, 305-307 Camberwell Road, SE5 0HQ . Contact: spagroup2011@gmail.com or visit website at http://spag.btck.co.uk/ (Also see event on 29 November, below.)

Wednesday 21 November

12 noon to 1pm.  Protest in Southwark against welfare cuts and benefits sanctions. Demonstration & leafleting outside A4E, one of the private companies making profits off the backs of the sick and vulnerable.  Assemble outside their offices at 21 St George's Road, SE1 6ES. Local information from southwarkdpac@mail.com and national info at http://www.sdpac.org.uk/

Thursday 22 November

10.45am. Protest against Pickles and his cuts. Eric Pickles, Communities & Local Government Minister, meets Wandsworth Conservative councillors who are closing down Meals on Wheels, School Crossings and Adventure Playgrounds, and cutting home helps, disabled transport and youth clubs. Meet outside Park Court, Battersea Park Road (second block of flats from Queenstown Road end), SW11 4LD. Called by Wandsworth Against Cuts and Battersea & Wandsworth Trades Council. Contact www.wandsworthagainstcuts.co.uk or phone 07818066394

Saturday 24 November

2pm.  Demonstration to save Lewisham Hospital. Assemble corner of Lewisham High Street / Rennell Street (diagonally opposite Lewisham Police Station, SE13 5JZ) to march to Lewisham Hospital. More details and leaflets etc from http://www.lewishamkonp.org/resources and on-line petition at http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/.

Saturday 24 November

3pm-5pm. Public meeting: “The Housing Commission: A bleak future?” Come and discuss how to retain our housing and build a Council house or flat for everyone who needs one. Speakers: Eileen Short National Chair DCH, Julian Jackson Southwark DCH, Sally Causer Southwark Legal Advice Network. Venue: St Paul's Church Hall, Lorrimore Square, off Carter Street, Walworth Road, SE17. For more details contact: fairymill@gmail.com

Tuesday 27 November

1pm-2.30pm. Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts meeting at Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close, SE17 2QB.  Please RSVP to Southwarkdpac@mail.com  Please invite others you think would be interested.

Thursday 29 November

11am in central London.* Fight the Cold Homes Killers: An action to fight government and Big Six complicity in fuel poverty deaths. Organised by Fuel Poverty Action, the Greater London Pensioners’ Association and Disabled People Against Cuts. *Location to be decided by you in a poll of the worst fuel poverty killers. Vote for the “Cold Homes Killer” you want to target here, or email fuelpovertyaction@gmail.com .

Friday 30 November

Various times.* Protests against plans to rip up working conditions in the civil service and related organisations. Tens of thousands of PCS members are being urged to take Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude at his word by staging 15-minute protests. Department for Transport (DfT) workers will strike.  *Details are here.

Saturday 1 December

10am-3pm. Organising against Gove's Curriculum and fighting for school places: London Primary Schools Conference. Venue: Reay School, Hackford Road, SW9 0EN (near Oval Tube). Organised by Lambeth National Union of Teachers. Details of speakers, workshops and on-line booking here.

ADVANCE NOTICE

Wednesday 5 December

5.30pm. Demonstration when George Osborne unveils the Government’s Autumn Budget Statement. Called by UCU London Region: Assemble Kings College on the Strand.  6.30pm onwards. Rally at Downing Street organised by Unite the Resistance.

Wednesday 5 December

7 pm. Southwark Save Our Services Campaign open meeting. South Bank University, London Road Building, SE1. For room and agenda contact southwarksos@gmail.com

Saturday 8 December

11.30am for 12 noon. Transform the tax dodger Starbucks into services women depend on, such as refuges and crèches. Starbucks store at 2-3 Conduit Street, W1S 2BX, just off Regent Street (nearest tubes Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus). If you’ve got any questions email ukuncut@gmail.com  Called by UKUncut or find more information at http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions/948

Tuesday 11 December

8.30am. Lobby of the TUC General Council meeting to call for the naming of a date for a 24-hour general strike.  Assemble at Congress House, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3LS. Called by Unite the Resistance and The National Shop Stewards Network.

Europe Against Austerity

Support the European day of action
Wednesday 14 November
On 14 November the European Trades Union Confederation has called a day of action against austerity across Europe. There will be general strikes in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and Malta and solidarity action in Belgium, France, Germany and Britain.

Daytime    PHOTO-SOLIDARITY EVENT
Southern Europe strikes…
          …South London shouts:
“¡Αλληλεγγύη!   ¡Solidarity!
¡Solidaridad! ¡Solidariedade!
¡Solidarjetà! ¡Solidarietà!”

Send a photo and message, showing your support for the general strikes across southern Europe on Wednesday plus further strikes in Italy, Belgium and France, and protests in Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Britain!
Join students, university workers, firefighters, disabled anti-cuts campaigners, southern European activists and others for Photo-Solidarity.
*11am -1.30pm * Come for 5…or 50 minutes*
•    Keyworth Street SE1 6NG
(behind South Bank Uni London Rd Building,  Elephant & Castle)
•    Bring banners, flags, placards, whistles, cameras – or just yourself
•    The “debt crisis” debt is not ours. We owe nothing - we should pay nothing
•    Together in our millions, we will not be beaten by austerity
Called by: South London: All out for the Oct20th TUC Demo (http://tinyurl.com/14nov2012) & Southwark Save Our Services campaign (http://southwarksaveourservices.blogspot.com/)  

Evening    protest  
Assemble: 5pm-5:30pm, European Commission, 32 Smith Square, City of Westminster, SW1P 3EU MAP. Tubes: St. James's Park / Westminster. Speakers at the protest include: Mark Serwotka (PCS), Katy Clark MP, then short march past parliament to rally.
Rally:
Starts: 6:30pm, Upper Hall, Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street Greater London SW1P 3DW MAP. Speakers include: Tony Benn, Andrew Murray (Unite the Union), Zita Holbourne (PCS and BARAC), John McDonnell MP. Plus activists and trade unionists live-streamed from Europe and footage from the strikes and protests. Please share and invite your friends on facebook.

Supported by Unite the Union, the TUC, PCS, NUJ, P.I.I.G.S United in London, Syriza London, Greece Solidarity Campaign. Called by Coalition of Resistance.

Local action against health, fire and welfare benefits cuts

Southwark Action Alert                                          30 October 2012

More than 150,000 people marched against cuts and austerity on October 20th and 2,000 of those had joined via the assembly and feeder march in South London. It was a huge show of strength but local protests over cuts to health welfare benefits and the fire service are still going on and we ask you to support these as well. (See the listing below.)

EVENTS LIST

Monday 5 November

6pm-7pm, prior to Southwark Borough’s firework display. Petitioning in opposition to threatened closure of Southwark and Peckham fire stations. Venue: Southwark Park entrances. Volunteers needed to help: write urgently to southwarksos@gmail.com

Tuesday 6 November

1pm-2.30pm. Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts meeting at Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close, SE17 2QB.  Please RSVP to Southwarkdpac@mail.com   Please invite others you think would be interested.

Wednesday 7 November

11am Fire-fighters mass meeting and lobby of Parliament against 25% cuts over next four years. Assemble Westminster Hall SE1, opposite the Houses of Parliament. Details here.

Wednesday 7 November

12 noon- 1pm.  Protest in Peckham against welfare cuts and benefits sanctions. Demonstration & leafleting outside Maximus, one of the private companies making profits off the backs of the sick and vulnerable.  Assemble outside their offices at 218 Rye Lane SE15 4NL.

Wednesday 7 November

7 pm. Uniting the Resistance: The way forward after the Oct20 TUC demonstration. Open meeting. Vida Walsh Centre, Saltoun Road SW2 (off Windrush Square). Details from southlondonutr@gmail.com

Thursday 8 November

10-1pm.  Tackling Youth Unemployment in Southwark – Stop Blaming Young People. Round-table discussion about the impact of welfare cuts and how young people should be supported. Beormund Community Centre, 177 Abbey Street SE1 2AN. Organised by Southwark Legal Advice Network. For more information, contact http://www.southwarkadvice.org.uk/

Thursday 8 November

6 pm -8pm. Public meeting: Save Lewisham Hospital's A&E, maternity and surgical units threatened with closure. Venue: Lessoff Auditorium, Lewisham Hospital, Lewisham High Street, SE13 6LH. Speakers: Heidi Alexander MP, Dr Louise Irvine (Lewisham GP, BMA, and Keep our NHS Public), Eileen Smith (Save Our Local Hospitals, Greenwich), Mike Davey (Lewisham Unison), Steve Bullock (Mayor, unconfirmed). More details from http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/

Friday 9 November

Time tba. Lobby of health unions meeting to consider deal that could see important terms and conditions abandoned affecting NHS staff and privatised staff on matching conditions. Assemble outside the Ambassador Hotel, 12 Upper Woburn Place, Bloomsbury WC1H 0HX (near Euston Station). Called by Healthworkers Network . Email healthworkersnetwork@gmail.com

Tuesday 13 November

1pm-2.30pm. Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts meeting at Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close, SE17 2QB.  Please RSVP to Southwarkdpac@mail.com  Please invite others you think would be interested.

Wednesday 14 November

12 noon- 1pm.  Protest in Southwark against welfare cuts and benefits sanctions. Demonstration & leafleting outside SEETEC, one of the private companies making profits off the backs of the sick and vulnerable.  Assemble outside their offices at: The foundry 156 Blackfriars Rd SE1 8EN.

Wednesday 14 November

5pm. Twilight protest to coincide with general strikes in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Malta, called by European TUC. Venue: Outside the European Commission Offices, 32 Smith Square, City of Westminster, SW1P 3EU. Tubes: St. James's Park / Westminster. Called by the Coalition of Resistance, supported by UNITE and Greece Solidarity Campaign.

Thursday 15 November

7.30pm. ‘Save Our Fire Stations’ public meeting. Peckham and Southwark both earmarked for closure. Speakers from London Fire Brigade Union and Dave Lewis, Secretary of local tenants association where a fire in 2009 killed 6 people. Venue: Welton Hall, Bushey Hill Road, Camberwell, SE5 8QF. Called by Southwark Socialists. Supported by Southwark Save Our Services campaign. For more information phone 07812 063 409. Petition to take round your neighbours available from southwarksoso@gmail.com

Thursday 15 November

 7 – 9pm. Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public Campaign monthly meeting. At Duke of Cambridge, 74, Lansdowne Way, Stockwell, SW8 2DR. Details from: lambethkonp@gmail.com

Saturday 17 November

11am - 5pm. ‘Unite the Resistance’ National conference, including workshops on The international struggle against austerity, Solidarity and the law, The campaign for equality, In defence of the public sector, Our vision in education, Organising unemployed people, Migrant workers and young people. Full list of speakers and tickets here. Venue: The Emmanuel Centre, 9 – 23 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW (nearest tubes Victoria, Westminster, St James’s Park, Pimlico). Registration: from 10am.

Wednesday 21 November

11am. National Student demonstration: “Funding Our Future #Demo2012: Educate, Employ, Empower”. Assembling at Temple Place on the Embankment. Called by the NUS. See Facebook event here. Resources and advice on building the demo from the Education Activist Network here . If you are a student in Southwark and want help with leafleting or other publicity, contact southwarksos@gmail.com

Wednesday 21 November

12 noon to 1pm.  Protest in Southwark against welfare cuts and benefits sanctions. Demonstration & leafleting outside A4E, one of the private companies making profits off the backs of the sick and vulnerable.  Assemble outside their offices at: 21 St George's Road, SE1 6ES.

Saturday 24 November

2pm.  Demonstration to save Lewisham Hospital. Assemble corner of Lewisham High Street / Rennell Street (diagonally opposite Lewisham Police Station) to march to Lewisham Hospital. More details and leaflets etc from http://www.lewishamkonp.org/resources

Saturday 24 November

3pm-5pm. Public meeting: ‘The Housing Commission: A bleak future?’ Come and discuss action to get what we want. Speakers: Eileen Short National Chair DCH, Julian Jackson Southwark DCH, Sally Causer Southwark Legal Advice Network. More details and contact: fairymill@gmail.com

Advance notice

Wednesday 5 December

12noon & 6pm. Protest in central London against Cuts announced by George Osborne in the Government’s Autumn Budget Statement. More details to be announced.

Wednesday 5 December

7 pm. Southwark Save Our Services Campaign open meeting. South Bank University SE1. For room and agenda contact southwarksos@gmail.com

ACTION ALERT 07OCT12

Every trade union and every campaigning group against the cuts is organising for the biggest possible turnout in London on October 20. The TUC are expecting up to a million people. Join in the mobilising effort from this weekend. Also see below the events about cuts to health, disability allowances, pensioner rights and civil rights.

Wednesday 10 October
7pm. All-Southwark Rally against the cuts: UK, Greece – Same Problem, Same Solution- Cancel the Debt. Speakers: John McDonnell MP, Stella Christou (Syriza, Greece), April Ashley (Southwark UNISON). Salvation Army Hall, Princess Street, SE1. Called by Southwark TUC.

Wednesday 10 October
7pm. Lambeth KONP/38degrees meeting – how to stop CCGs commissioning private health care services. Also discussing NHS actions as part of the TUC march against austerity on Oct20. Venue: Upstairs at The Priory Arms, Priory Grove, Stockwell, SW8 2BP.

Saturday 13 October and all next week
11am & 2 pm (on Saturday) and peak travel times for stations (weekdays). Leafleting sessions publicising the TUC demonstration on 20 October against the cuts. We will supply leaflets and details of meeting-up arrangements if you ring us (07519 811 657).

Bermondsey            
Camberwell Green
East Dulwich          
Elephant & Castle
Peckham     
Walworth Road    


Sunday 14 October
11:30am-5:30pm. Conference:  Austerity, Justice & the Power of Protest. Defend the Right to Protest 2012 National Conference. University of London Union, Malet Street. Speakers include Darcus Howe, Owen Jones, Nina Power, Marcia and Sam Rigg [Sean Rigg Justice & Change Campaign], Janet Alder [Justice For Christopher Alder], John McDonnell, Tony Benn, Alfie Meadows and lots more. More details here.

Monday 15 October
7pm. Rally: March for an alternative – the case for a general strike
Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ
(nearest tube Euston). Called by Unite the Resistance. Details of speakers here. Petition urging the TUC to follow up the congress vote by naming the day for a general strike is here.

Tuesday 16 October
1pm-2.30pm. Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts meeting at Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close, SE17 2QB.  Please RSVP to Southwarkdpac@mail.com  Please invite others you think would be interested.

Saturday 20 October
Mass TUC demonstration in London “A Future That Works”. More details from the TUC at http://afuturethatworks.org/march-logistics/ and here. 10.30am. Assemble for South London Assembly outside Imperial War Museum. Facebook Event http://tinyurl.com/oct20feeder . Contact southwarksos@gmail.com for bulk supplies of the local assembly flyer.

Advance notice

Sunday 28 October
All day. Our Universities are not supermarkets: National conference of the Education Activist Network. Venue: School of Oriental and African Studies, Thornhaugh Street, London WC1H 0XG. Facebook event here. Supported by Campaign for the Public University, Postgraduate Workers Association, Liverpool Guild of Students, Essex Students’ Union, Goldsmiths Students’ Union, Young Greens, Student Broad Left, Woodcraft Folk, Defend the Right to Protest.

Wednesday 31 October
NPC National Lobby in defence of the bus pass and other pensioner rights. 11.30am. Protest, George V statue, Old Palace Yard.
1pm. Rally/Lobby, Committee Room 14, House of Commons. Leaflet to download and further details at http://npcuk.org/

Saturday 17 November
11am - 5pm. Unite the Resistance National conference.
The Emmanuel Centre, 9 – 23 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW
(nearest tubes Victoria, Westminster, St James’s Park, Pimlico). Registration: from 10am. Full list of speakers and tickets here.

Help us publicise the TUC demonstration on October 20

With the impact of austerity measures being felt across Britain as well as across Europe, the TUC demonstration ‘For a Future that Works’ on Saturday 20 October will be a hugely important event that we hope you will want to support.

All of us in Southwark who were involved in the build-up to the last TUC demonstration on 26 March last year will recall that the half-million who took to the streets on that day were mobilised by weeks of concerted activity in every locality across Britain, including here in South London. We collaborated with other boroughs to help build a feeder march on the day numbering some thousands, marching to the main demonstration. The following months then saw an escalation of strikes against the Government’s attack on pensions which, many would argue, were launched because of the enthusiasm and confidence generated by the 26 March demonstration.

We need your help urgently to mobilise hundreds of thousands of people who will want to attend the demonstration but don’t yet know about it!

This Saturday 22 September and throughout October until the demonstration we are organising mass-leafleting across Southwark publicising the TUC demonstration. Join other volunteers leafleting your nearest shopping centre or rail station, or we can supply you with bundles of leaflets for your own street/housing estate. Contact southwarksos@gmail.com  or ring 07939 090 667.

Monday 24 September

6-8pm, Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts meeting at Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close  SE17 2QB.  Please RSVP to Southwarkdpac@mail.com   Please invite others you think would be interested. One of the items on the agenda will be organising transport for disabled people to attend the TUC demonstration.

Wednesday 10 October

7 pm. All-Southwark Rally Against the Cuts: For A Future that Works! Speakers include John McDonnell MP, a speakers from Greece, local trade unionists and anti-cuts campaigners. Salvation Army Hall, Princess Street SE1 (Elephant & Castle.)  Called by Southwark TUC.

Saturday 20 October

'For A Future That Works' - mass TUC demonstration in London. From 10.30am. Local assembly point at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park (outside the Imperial War Museum). More details about the demonstration from the TUC at http://afuturethatworks.org/march-logistics/ and here. Get TUC flyers downloaded here and contact southwarksos@gmail.com for bulk supplies of the local leaflet (attached) advertising the local assembly point at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park (outside the Imperial War Museum).

Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts invite you to an open meeting

Are you sick of:

• Work Capability Assessments?
• Benefit cuts?
• Services slashed?
• Care cuts?
• Disability hate crime on the increase?
• Housing benefit hammered?
• Council tax benefit shrunk?
• DLA for the chop?
• Fear?
• Despair?
• ATOS?

 DISABLED PEOPLE and their supporters ARE FIGHTING BACK

 Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts invite you to an open meeting to work out a plan of action to defend:

• ourselves
• our benefits
• our services.

 Tuesday 11 September    2-4pm

 Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close  SE17 2QB        

RSVP Southwarkdpac@mail.com  and ask to be put on the email list

An ‘autumn of discontent’!

Action Alert                                            26 August 2012

This month sees the mobilisation for a demonstration on 20 October against the Government’s cuts and austerity, timed to coincide with George Osborne’s spending review designed to cut public spending by £83bn. Organisers want to get a million people on the streets of London on that day, alongside the national strikes over spending cuts, pay and pensions that are being organised. There are details below of local planning meetings, rallies and mass-leafleting. Come along!

EVENTS LIST

Wednesday 5 September

6 pm. Mobilisation Meeting for the TUC’s Oct 20 demonstration ‘For a Future that Works ‘. Help us to organise the publicity for the demonstration across Lambeth & Southwark. Open to representatives and activists from trade unions, community and campaign organisations in South London. Venue: the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road SW2 1EP (two minutes’ walk from the Town Hall and Ritzy Cinema). Disabled access.  Called by various anti-cuts groups, trade union and community organisations in Lambeth/Southwark. For more details contact southwarksos@gmail.com .

Sunday 9 September

1pm. Lobby of TUC conference in Brighton: 'Strike against Austerity!' Called by the National Shop Stewards Network. Train tickets available at £5 return. Phone 07977 132 391. Meet at London Bridge Station near M&S. More details here .

Tuesday 11 September

2-4pm. Meeting of the newly-formed Southwark group of Disabled People Against the Cuts. Open meeting to plan action to defend ourselves, our benefits and our services. Venue: Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close  SE17 2QB. Email to Southwarkdpac@mail.com for more details.

Saturday 15 September

All Day. Mass-leafleting across Southwark, and at the Lambeth Country Show, publicising the TUC demonstration on 20 October (see below). Contact southwarksos@gmail.com  to join other volunteers leafleting your nearest shopping centre, or we can supply you with bundles of leaflets for your own street/housing estate!

Saturday 22 September

Protest at Lib-Dem conference in Brighton. Organised by Stop the Cuts, Right to Work and Brighton Trades Council.  More details to be announced.

Advance notice

Thursday 4 October

7-9pm. All London public meeting: tackling fuel poverty. Venue: Crossroads Women's Centre, 25 Wolsey Mews, Kentish Town, London NW5 2DX.  Organised by Fuel Poverty Action (www.fuelpovertyaction.org.uk ).

Sunday 7 October

Demonstration outside the Tory Conference in Birmingham. Called by the Right to Work Campaign and others. More details to be announced.

Wednesday 10 October

7 pm. All-Southwark Rally Against the Cuts: For A Future that Works! Speakers include John McDonnell MP, speakers from Greece, local trade unions and anti-cuts campaigns. Venue to be announced. Called by Southwark TUC.

Sunday 14 October

11:30am – 5:30pm. Conference:  Austerity, Justice & the Power of Protest. Defend the Right to Protest 2012 National Conference. London. Details here.

Saturday 20 October

11am. 'A Future That Works' - mass TUC demonstration in London.  More details from the TUC at http://afuturethatworks.org/march-logistics/ and here. Get flyers downloaded here or contact southwarksos@gmail.com for bulk supplies and information about the local assembly point planned for Oval Tube/Kennington Park. (Also see 5^th & 15^th September above, for information about the South London mobilisation for this event.)

Mobilising Meeting for the TUC demonstration on October 20th

Dear anti-cuts campaigners

 

With the impact of austerity measures being felt across Britain as well as across Europe, I hope you will agree that the call by the TUC for a demonstration For a Future that Works on Saturday 20 October will be a hugely important event that you will want to support.

 

All of us in Southwark who were involved in the build-up to the last TUC demonstration on 26 March last year will recall that the half-million who took to the streets on that day were mobilised by weeks of concerted activity in every locality across Britain, including here in South London. We collaborated with other boroughs to help build a feeder march on the day numbering some thousands, marching from Kennington Park to the main demonstration. The following months then saw an escalation of strikes against the Government’s attach on pensions which, many would argue, were launched because of the enthusiasm and confidence generated by the 26 March demonstration.

 

Last month, we met in Brixton to start this process of mobilising for hopefully a million demonstrators on London streets on 20 October. The meeting was attended by representatives of many local organisations and together, we are inviting you to the next mobilising meeting at:

 

6 pm

This coming Thursday, 23^rd August

At The Vida Walsh Centre, Saltoun Road, SW2 1EP (two minutes’ walk from the Town Hall and Ritzy Cinema)

 

Please:

·         Come yourself, or send a delegate to the meeting

·         Forward information about the meeting to all your members, as well as other groups/branches with whom your organisation is in contact

·         Reply to this letter, to let us know if you will be able to attend

Yours in solidarity

 

Chris Kelly

 

On behalf of

Nick Phillips* (Chair, Southwark Trades Council), Frank Wood (UNITE NEC, King’s College Hosp.) Gareth Page (UNITE rep, Guy’s Hospital), April Ashley (Assist. Sec. Southwark UNISON), Adrian Budd (Chair, LSBU UCU), Danny Johnson (UNITE rep, Walworth Bus Garage), Mustafa (UNITE rep, Battersea/Queenstown Bus Garage), Chris Kelly* (Sec, Save Our Services Southwark), Mandy Brown (UCU Rep, Lambeth College), Sara Tomlinson (Joint Sec. Lambeth NUT), Steve Hack (Sec, Lambeth Defend Council Housing), Tim O’Dell, UNISON rep, Lambeth Libraries. Lambeth NUT Executive Committee*, Belinda Washington (Vice Chair, Vassall Ward Labour Party). Denise Nicholls* (Sec. Southwark Pensioners Action Group), Betty Joseph, Michael Davern (Joint Secs, Southwark NUT), Nicola Field (Sec. Save Southwark Adult Education Campaign), All the above except those marked with * sign in their personal capacity

August Action Alert

While the MPs are on their holidays, many of those campaigning against austerity and cuts will still be here planning protests and demonstrations against the Tory-LibDem Government, and opposing cuts being implemented by Southwark Council.

We need your help over the coming weeks to distribute leaflets advertising these events – if you can help, email us at southwarksos@gmail.com or better still, come to the Southwark SOS or the Oct20 Mobilising meetings shown below. We can send someone to your next community, campaign, or trade union branch meeting to tell people what is happening, and why.

EVENTS LIST

Wednesday 22nd August

6 pm. Oct 20 Mobilisation meeting. Open to representatives and activists from trade unions, community and campaign organisations in South London. Venue: the Karibu Education Centre, 7 Gresham Road SW9 (with disabled access). For details contact southwarksos@gmail.com .

Wednesday, 22 August

7pm Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public Meeting. David Carr (Unite London Health Organiser) will lead a general discussion on the campaign against the Health & Social Care bill before the campaigning group moves on to planning their next moves. Venue: Priory Arms, Lansdowne Way, Stockwell, SW8 2BP (5 minutes from Stockwell tube station)

Wednesday 29 August

7 pm. Southwark SOS organising meeting. Main items: planning for national events this Autumn – public sector industrial action, demonstrations outside the Party conferences and at the TUC, the demonstration ‘For a Future that Works’ on 20 October, and a student demonstration in November. Held in South Bank Uni. London Road Building. Open to all campaigners against the cuts. For an agenda, directions or details of venue room, contact southwarksos@gmail.com , or just come along!

ADVANCE NOTICE

September

Meeting of the newly-formed Southwark group of Disabled People Against the Cuts. Contact Guy Dennis (Southwark Disablement Association, 020 7701 1391) for details of the date and, time and venue.

Wednesday 5 September

6 pm. Oct 20 Mobilisation meeting. Open to representatives and activists from trade unions, community and campaign organisations in South London. Venue: the Karibu Education Centre, 7 Gresham Road SW9 (with disabled access). For details contact southwarksos@gmail.com .

Sunday 9 September

1pm. Lobby of TUC conference in Brighton: 'Strike against Austerity!' Called by the National Shop Stewards Network. More details here.

Saturday 22 September

Protest at Lib-Dem conference in Brighton. Organised by Stop the Cuts, Right to Work and Brighton Trades Council.  More details to be announced.

Thursday 4 October

7-9pm. All London public meeting: tackling fuel poverty. Venue: Crossroads Women's Centre, 25 Wolsey Mews, Kentish Town, London NW5 2DX.  Organised by Fuel Poverty Action (fuelpovertyaction.org.uk).

Sunday 7 October

Tory Conference Demonstration in Birmingham. Called by the Right to Work Campaign and others. More details to be announced.

Sunday 14 October

11:30am – 5:30pm. Conference:  Austerity, Justice & the Power of Protest. Defend the Right to Protest 2012 National Conference. London. Details here.

Saturday 20 October

'A Future That Works' - mass TUC demonstration in London.  More details from the TUC here. Get flyers here. (Also see above, for information about the South London mobilisation for this event.)

Action Alert 26JUN12

Wednesday 27 June

7 pm. Southwark SOS Organising meeting. Two main items: supporting local action against cuts and job losses; planning for TUC demonstration in October. Held in South Bank Uni. London Road Building. Open to all campaigners against the cuts. For an agenda, directions or details of venue room, contact us here .

Saturday 30 June

2pm. As the NHS turns 64 years old...Join the protests to tell Virgin to keep out! Assemble Central London: Virgin Media Store Oxford St (Opposite the Plaza) More information from KONP here .

Wednesday 4 July

7 pm. Campaigners from the campaign to stop nursery closures will address a full Southwark Council meeting. Come and make some noise! Online petition to save Tenda Road and Bishop's House Nurseries is here .   For more details, and to send messages of support write to the local campaign.

RESISTING the GRAND NHS FIRE SALE

Find out how the Health and Social Care Act will damage the NHS
Dicuss how we can campaign to defend our NHS
Saturday 16 June
London South Bank University
2pm
Castle Lecture Theatre, London Road Building
London Road SE1 0AA
(2 mins walk from Elephant and Castle Tube)
Allyson Pollock - Professor of Public Health Research and Policy, Queen Mary University London
John Lister - London Health Emergency
Dr. Louise Irvine GP - Member of Keep our NHS Public
Elly Pilavachi - Student Campaign for Global Health (Medsin)
Frank Wood - Unite Executive and King’s College Hospital Nora Flanagan - Royal College of Nursing
Sponsored by LSBU UCU; Unite; Southwark Save Our Services; Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public; Lewisham's Pensioners' Forum; Lewisham Keep Our NHS Public

DID YOU KNOW?
    •    Virgin Healthcare has just signed a £500 million contract to run Surrey Community Health Services.
    •    Another private company, SERCO, has a £140 million contract for Suffolk community services.
    •    In Camden, United Health [a US private health company] was contracted to run a GP practice, then sold it to another private company which withdrew leaving 3000 patients without a GP.
    •    Guys Hospital is giving 5 floors to a private company to provide care for private cancer patients.
    •    NHS Foundation Trust Hospitals will be allowed to use 49% of beds for private patients.
    •    The recently passed Health and Social Care Act enables private companies to run health services for profit.
    •    Our taxes and NI pay for the NHS, and should stay in the NHS, not go into shareholders pockets!
    •    This will lead to cuts, worse quality, postcode lotteries and longer waiting lists.
    •    Those with money will be able to buy the healthcare they need: the rest will have to make do with a second class service.
We don’t have to accept this
We can campaign to protect the NHS
Come to the meeting on 16th June and hear inspiring speakers explain the issues, and discuss how we can campaign together to defend our NHS.

Southwark TUC Annual General Meeting and Open Debate

 Trade Unions and the Labour Party
Challenging Labour to Fight the Cuts
Speakers: Jeremy Corbyn, Labout MP, Islington North, and from Southwark's Save Our Nurseries Campaign
Wednesday 13 June
6.30pm business meeting (STUC delegates only)
PUBLIC MEETING starts at 7pm
Salvation Army Hall, Princess St
Elephant and Castle SE1 6HH

Hundreds of thousands on strike on Thursday, plus Health Service protests

This Thursday, more than 400,000 members of the PCS, UNITE Health Section, UCU and others will all be striking to defend pensions. Action is being organised across Southwark (see ‘Diary’ and links shown below). Police officers will also be marching through London to protest about pensions, pay and cuts to jobs and services.
Send messages of support to local workplace on strike.  Email us for contact details of workplaces where trade union members are taking action.
So 10th May sees a resurgence of union action to defend pensions, but many health workers and others keen to defend the NHS are also organising protest meetings throughout May. Details below.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

Saturday 12 May Join the start of the Caravan For Climate Jobs. Central London. Time & exact venue to be announced. Backed by several national trade unions. Organised by the Campaign for Climate Change. Times and other details here.

Saturday 12 May 1pm onwards. ‘Meet the 1%’ Day of Action called by the Occupy, Indignados and Take the Squares movements. Assemble at St Paul’s Cathedral. Bring a tent. Facebook event .


Saturday 19th May 3pm-5pm. Rents Up and Housing Benefits Down! Public meeting. Organised by DCH, and supported by STUC. The Peckham Settlement, Goldsmith Rd, SE15 5TF (off Peckham Hill St, at the Peckham Library end). Leaflets available here .


Wednesday 23rd May 7pm. Southwark SOS Organising meeting. Room A1, LSBU, London Road Building. Contact here for agenda.

Wed 23rd May 9.15am onwards.  Join a Housing Emergency protest: Cut Rents not Benefits - No evictions due to benefit cuts. Outside Commonwealth Club, 25 Northumberland Avenue WC2N 5AP. Facebook page here.

Friday 25th May 7pm Public Meeting to coincide with the arrival of the Caravan For Climate Jobs. Friends Meeting House, St. Martin's Lane, off Trafalgar Square. Speakers include Tony Kearns (Sen. Dep. Gen Sec of CWU), Jean Lambert, (Green Party), Murad Qureshi (Chair, GLA environmental committee), Professor Barbara Harris-White (Million Climate Jobs Report), Suzanne Jeffrey (Chair, CaCC TU group), Sachi Lloyd (author), Graham Pietersan (UCU), Greenpeace. Campaign news here.

Saturday 26th May Organise or join in alternative street parties! Join UK Uncut’s Great British Street Party to demand that we keep our public services, our rights and our welfare system. Background here. If you want to hold a street party or find out about local events, contact UK Uncut here.

Tuesday 29th May 7pm. Meeting of London Keep Our NHS Public at Camden Town Hall, Judd St, WC1H 9JE. (Please note this change of date from 22 May.)

NEXT MONTH

9 June 11am-4pm. NSSN 6th Annual National Conference: Confirmed speakers - Bob Crow RMT General Secretary, Mark Serwotka PCS General Secretary, Kevin Courtney NUT Deputy General Secretary, Rank & File Unite construction electrician. Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London.

13 June 7 pm Public meeting on the fight against austerity. Organised by Southwark TUC. Venue at Elephant & Castle. Speakers will include Jeremy Corbyn MP. For more details contact STUC.

23 June National NHS Supporters Conference. Friends House, Euston Rd, NW1, organised by Keep Our NHS Public and NHS Support Federation. A chance for all organisations to discuss the way forward. Times & other details to follow.

Protests on pensions, jobs, public housing, benefits and the health service

UNITE & UNISON Health members have now rejected the Pensions deal. On 10th May, members of the PCS, UNITE Health Section, and the UCU will all be striking across Southwark. Action is being organised for the day. Send messages of support, or get your union branch to ‘twin’ with a local workplace on strike. There is lots of practical or financial support that you could offer!  Email us for details of how to do this, or for contact details of workplaces where trade union members are taking action. Southwark Save Our Services <southwarksos@gmail.com>

Jobs, public housing, benefits and the health service are the focus of other protests this month. Please attend these events if you can, and forward the Events Diary below to your friends, work colleagues and to community networks.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

Thursday 3rd May

Cast your votes against cuts in the London Elections. Apart from the Mayor’s election, cast your votes for local candidates and parties. Pages 25-28 of the official booklet also gives details. Check their own websites for their policies.

Friday 4th May

5 pm onwards. Leafleting Kings College Hospital staff over 10th May pensions strike. At Denmark Hill Rail Station, SE5 8BB. Contact if you can help with leafleting, or just turn up!

Thursday 10th May

470,000 public sector workers strike to defend pensions. Local picket-lines, (with updated postings here ), a demonstration at midday assembling at St Thomas’s Hospital followed by a short march to a rally in Central Hall Westminster. Summaries of UNITE, PCS and UCU strike statements http://righttowork.org.uk/2012/04/may-10th-the-next-step-in-the-fight-to-save-our-pensions/.

Thursday 10th May

From 9.30 am. Southwark Pensioners Parliament which will be held in The Attlee Suite, Portcullis House. Opportunities to discuss the projected cuts to services at the Maudsley.  Southwark Members of Parliaments and Councillors are all invited, as are members of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SL&M) who will be given the opportunity to justify the planned closure of a ward for elderly people.

Saturday 12th May

Join the start of the Caravan For Climate Jobs. Central London. Time & exact venue to be announced. Backed by several national trade unions. Organised by the Campaign for Climate Change. Times and other details http://www.climate-change-jobs.org/node/20.

Saturday 19th May

3pm-5pm. Rents Up and Housing Benefits Down! Public meeting. Organised by DCH, and supported by STUC. The Peckham Settlement, Goldsmith Rd, SE15 5TF (off Peckham Hill St, at the Peckham Library end). Leaflets available fairymill@gmail.com <fairymill@gmail.com> .

Tuesday 22nd May

7pm. Meeting of London Keep Our NHS Public at Camden Town Hall, Judd St, WC1.

Wednesday 23rd May

7 pm. Southwark SOS Organising meeting. LSBU London Road Building. Contact for agenda and room details. Southwark Save Our Services <southwarksos@gmail.com>

Wed 23rd May

9.15am onwards.  Join a Housing Emergency protest: Cut Rents not Benefits - No evictions due to benefit cuts. Outside Commonwealth Club, 25 Northumberland Avenue WC2N 5AP. Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HousingEmergency.

 Friday 25th May

7pm Public Meeting to coincide with the arrival of the Caravan For Climate Jobs. Friends Meeting House, St. Martin's Lane, off Trafalgar Square. Speakers include Tony Kearns (Sen. Dep. Gen Sec of CWU), Jean Lambert, (Green Party), Murad Qureshi (Chair, GLA environmental committee), Professor Barbara Harris-White (Million Climate Jobs Report), Suzanne Jeffrey (Chair, CaCC TU group), Sachi Lloyd (author), Graham Pietersan (UCU), Greenpeace. Campaign news here.

Saturday 26th May

Organise or join in alternative street parties! Join UK Uncut’s Great British Street Party to demand that we keep our public services, our rights and our welfare system. Background http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/uk-uncuts-great-british-street-party. If you want to hold a street party or find out about local events, contact UK Uncut ukuncut@gmail.com <ukuncut@gmail.com>.

Advance notice

9 June

11am-4pm. NSSN 6th Annual National Conference: Confirmed speakers - Bob Crow RMT General Secretary, Mark Serwotka PCS General Secretary, Kevin Courtney NUT Deputy General Secretary, Rank & File Unite construction electrician. Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London.

13 June

7 p. Public meeting on the fight against austerity. Organised by Southwark TUC. Venue at Elephant & Castle. Speakers will include Jeremy Corbyn MP. For more details contact STUC.

23 June

National NHS Supporters Conference. Friends House, Euston Rd, NW1, organised by Keep Our NHS Public and NHS Support Federation. A chance for all organisations to discuss the way forward. Times & other details to follow.

Follow us!

http://southwarksaveourservices.blogspot.com/

Twitter @southwarkSOS

Facebook: Southwark SSOS

RMT London tube workers will take part in 72 Hour Tube lines Strike: Solidarity/messages of support needed!

Tuesday 24th April to 4pm Friday 27th: strike over demands for staff to be allowed to join TfL pensions scheme. Management have said they would continue to try and run services regardless.

A strike against cuts/increased workload: More messages of support please!

At Central Foundation Girls' School (Harley Grove, Bow, E3 2AT) on strike this Wednesday 25th.  Reps email addresses for solidarity messages:: skobes1@gmail.com and sheila.mcgregor@btinternet.com.

 400,000 on strike on 10th May: Plan of Action

PCS have voted to join a hundred thousand health workers (members of Unite) in a national strike on 10 May, and possibly Unite members at the Ministry of Defence, NIPSA (the Northern Irish civil servants union), the UCU and RMT could strike too. Although time is short, and SSOS won’t meet again until after 10th, I hope we can at least get messages of support sent to local workplaces, and get SSOS supporters to help distribute unions’ leaflets (UNITE Health have already started this). STUC  & SSOS have worked together for the previous strikes J30 and N30 (public meetings and leafleting etc) and hopefully this collaboration can continue up to and on M10.

Thursday - An invitation to reps from London's local anti-cuts campaigns: Can anyone go to represent SSOS?

You may be aware that the Coalition of Resistance and the Peoples Charter have been in discussions with Unite and PCS and other unions about organising a national demonstration against austerity. This should be confirmed this weekend. On Thursday 26th we have our steering committee where we will be discussing this in detail. We would like there to be representatives from all the London anti-cuts committees at the meeting. Would your organisation be able to send a couple of people along?

The details are: 6:30pm, This Thursday 26 April , in Discus Room, Unite offices, 128 Theobald's Road, London WC1X 8TN

Contact: Sam Fairbairn (Coalition of Resistance) at sam.fairbairn@live.co.uk or 07872481769.

Date for the next SSOS Organising meeting: Wednesday 23rd May – date for your diary!

Although it’s a long way away, it seems the best date as it avoids STUC meeting dates and ‘3rd Wednesdays’ which are difficult dates for a couple of regular Org Group members. Of course, it doesn’t prevent us communicating over issues of importance to us, in the interim. 

CALL TO ACTION!

Four public sector unions seem likely to be on strike within the next month  to defend their pensions.

There will  also be a lot of media and public interest in the spending plans of candidates in the London-wide elections taking place in early May.

Meanwhile, there are local demonstrations planned to expose the privatisation of health services and cuts to childcare services in Southwark. (See below)

Events:

Wednesday 11 April
6:45pm onwards
The Evening Standard is hosting a Mayoral Election debate on Wednesday  at the Emmanuel Centre (SW1P 3DW). This will be an opportunity to test the candidates in their attitude to cuts.

Wednesday 11 April
7.00 PM,
Southwark TUC meeting discussing service cuts - nursery closures & pupil support assistants. Venue: room  GO3, 160 Tooley Street SE1

16 April
7 pm. Youth Fight for Jobs London Housing meeting - ULU, Malet St WC1E.  Supported by Unite LE1111

Tuesday 17 April
3.30p.m. Save our Nurseries!
Lobby Southwark Council who want to shut Bishops House and South Bermondsey (Tenda Road) Children’s and Parents centres (child care element only), 160 Tooley Street  SE1. Called by Southwark Unison.

Wednesday 18 April
7 pm. Organising meeting of Southwark Save Our Services campaign. At South Bank Uni London Road Building SE1. Contact southwarksos@gmail.com for agenda and room details

Thurs 19 April
7.30pm, Fight the Remploy Closures Meeting
ULU, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY. Speakers include: John McDonnell MP & Chair Right to Work campaign, Gail Cartmail, Unite Assistant General Secretary, Les Woodward, GMB National Convenor of Remploy; Rob Murthwaite, Disabled People Against the Cuts

Saturday/Sunday 21/22April
Weekend of action against Virgin. 21st: national day of action to Keep Virgin out of our NHS, called by  LondonKeepOurNHSPublic
22nd: Protest at London Marathon, sponsored by Virgin. (see www.lewishamkonp.org for event details -or Twitter @lewishamkonp) 

Tuesday 1st May
12 noon,
Unite the fightback Against cuts & Aysterity: London May Day march & rally. assemble Clarkenwell Green EC1, (nearest Tube Farringdon.) March to Trafalgar Square 1 pm called by London Trades Councils.

FURTHER AHEAD

Thursday 10 May
date of a national strike of workers on the NHS pension scheme. Called by UNITE. Confirmation of Events to be announced.

Saturday 12 May
Join the start of the Caravan For Climate Jobs. Central London. Time & exact venue to be announced. Backed by several national trade unions. Organised by the Campaign for Climate Change.

UPDATE

Recent protests over ‘Workfare’ have forced the Government to retreat - and shows that protests can win! The thousands protesting outside Parliament last Wednesday have also helped to maintain pressure on the Government to abandon its Health Service ‘reforms’.

In the weeks following Southwark Council’s £18 million-cuts budget and before the next phase of cuts to be announced in George Osborne’s Budget, many protests are taking place – over Workfare, the Health Service, support services for vulnerable children, libraries, public transport and pensions.

Please come along to one of these events, or to the planning meetings, listed below. Cuts are biting into every household and we need to increase the pressure on the Government, as well as Southwark Council who are implementing many of these cuts.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

Tuesday 13 March

11am. Lobby of Southwark Council by Pupil Support Assistants (staff supporting vulnerable children traveling to school) who are facing over 40% wage cuts. This service cut affects vulnerable children. Parents and supporters welcome to come along. Assemble 160 Tooley Street SE1 2TZ. Supported by UNISON, UNITE, GMB. For More information and to send messages of support, phone Southwark UNISON on 0207 525 6030.

Tuesday 13 March

11.30am onwards. Lobby of Parliament calling on politicians to protect vital library services. Called by various national campaigns for libraries. Details here. At Central Hall Westminster, SW1H 9NH. The lobby of Parliament will start at 2.30pm.

Wednesday March 14

All day. National student walk-out (called by NUS) Background information about Week of Action, 12-16 March, here. Facebook Event here.

Wednesday 14 March

9am. Demonstration: Help to form a mass dole queue outside the DWP in Westminster on the day unemployment figures are released. Assemble  outside DWP, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1H. Called by Right to Work campaign. Facebook Event here.

Wednesday 14 March

7 pm. Meeting of Southwark Trades Union Council, to include planning for March 28th industrial action on pensions. Venue: 160 Tooley Street SE1 2TZ . Open to affiliated trade unions. To affiliate, or for more information: email here.

Thursday 15 March

7pm. London Unite the Resistance Rally, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square. (Nearest tube Holborn) Speakers: Mark Serwotka, General Secretary PCS (pc) , Magarita Papamina, Greek activist and primary school teacher, Sean Vernell, UCU NEC (pc), Steve Kelly, Unite, electricians dispute. Film of recent speech here . More information here.

Tuesday 20 March

2.30pm. Demonstration calling for the next mayor to upgrade London’s transport, so that older and disabled people can travel with the same freedom and independence as everyone else. Assemble at City Hall The Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2AA.  (Nearest station, London Bridge which is stepfree) Organised by Transport for All, disability and pensioner’s organisations, taking their demands for accessible transport direct to City Hall and launching their manifesto. All details here.

Wednesday 21 March - Budget Day

11am onwards. Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay. Not one more cut – protest outside Downing Street, to coincide with when George Osborne leaves Downing Street to present the budget to the Queen. Bring signs and dress up in costumes that show the public service cuts that you’re concerned about. Organised by Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Coalition of Resistance, Right to Work, PCS union and Stop the War Coalition.  More details on Facebook event here.

Wednesday 21 March

7pm. Southwark Save Our Services Campaign Organising Meeting: Main business – Stopping closures forced by Southwark Cuts; Supporting strikes over pensions on 28 March. Venue: LSBU London Road Building, SE1.  (Room tbc); For an agenda, contact southwarksos@gmail.com

Monday 26 March

9am -12noon. Solidarity demonstration outside Kingston Crown Court on the first day of Alfie Meadow's trial. Alfie demonstrated on the day of the tuition fee vote in December 2010, he received a life threatening injury but outrageously he has since been charged with violent disorder. Assemble at 6-8 Penrhyn Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 2BB. Initiated by Defend the Right to Protest Campaign. Facebook Event here.

Wednesday 28 March

All Day. National Strike of public sector unions (PCS, NUT, UCU and perhaps others).  Picket lines across the borough. Details of action, including assemblies and demonstrations will be posted on our website. Please contact Southwark SOS and Southwark TUC if you are organising  picket line or event on the day, or if you want a speaker to address your TU, student or campaign group  meeting.