Tuesday 24 April 2012

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. 

Tuesday 10 April 2012

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.