This Wednesday:
Say No to Council Cuts and Attacks on Benefit Claimants
Say No to Council Cuts and Attacks on Benefit Claimants
Southwark Action Alert 23rd February 2013
Southwark Council meets on Wednesday to confirm its Council Tax
and budget for 2013-4. Not only will this mean more closure of services and
community organisations but it also heralds draconian attacks on thousands of
Southwark tenants and benefit claimants. A protest demonstration THIS
WEDNESDAY (see below) will call on the Council not to impose the bedroom tax
and cuts to benefits. Also that they refuse to evict residents who fall in
arrears because of these cuts. Come and join us: 6 pm at the Council
Offices, 161 Tooley Street SE1.
EVENTS LIST
Monday 25 February
Lobby of The Greater London Assembly meeting to decide the final budget arrangements of Mayor
Boris Johnson for the Fire Service. Called by the FBU.
Monday 25 February
6.30pm. Fighting privatisation after the Health and
Social Care Act: Meeting of Defend
London’s NHS /Keep Our NHS Public Meeting. Camden Town Hall, Judd St, WC1, just
off Euston Rd and nearly opposite St Pancras Station. More information from
www.keepournhspublic.com
Tuesday 26 February
1pm. Lobby the NHS Staff Council meeting to
defend NHS Terms and Conditions. The Agenda for Change agreement will mean cutting
sick pay and introducing performance pay for NHS staff. Venue: UNISON Building,
130 Euston Road NW1 2AY.
Wednesday 27 February
6pm-7pm. Protest against budget cuts, oppose the bedroom
tax, cuts in council-tax benefit and eviction threats to benefit claimants. Assemble
outside Southwark Council Assembly for Budget/Council Tax. Venue: 160 Tooley Street SE1 2TZ. Called by
SSOS, supported by these Southwark groups: Trades Council, Pensioners Action
Group, Southwark Group of Tenants Associations, Disabled People Against Cuts and
other anti-cuts groups. Bring banners,
people and loud voices! Facebook
link and flyer. Please circulate the attached flyer, and contact southwarksos@gmail.com if your campaign
group will attend.
Thursday 28 February
11am
- 3pm. Better Public Transport
Conference to assess the current state of public transport and discuss what
pensioners can do to ensure concessionary travel remains a key issue in the
minds of politicians. Organised by the National Pensioners Convention. Venue:
St Pancras Hall, Lancing Street (near Euston Station)
NW1 1NA. More information here
.
Thursday 28 February
6pm. Housing Crisis in London event – to
share experiences of housing struggles and share skills to take back to our own
communities. Venue: Eileen House, 80-94 Newington Causeway, SE1 6EF. 6pm -
People's Kitchen communal meal; 7.30pm - Discussion: housing struggles; 8pm -
Film screening on housing homelessness and eviction. More information from: selforganisedlondon@riseup.net
Friday 1st March
12 noon. Direct Action to highlight PFI damage to
the NHS. Meet at St Pauls Cathedral. (Planning meeting at 6.30pm on Tuesday
26th February at the occupied Harts Lane Studios, behind TK Maxx in New Cross close
to New Cross Gate station.) More at www.SaveLondonNHS.org.uk/Direct Action.
Tuesday 5 March
1.30pm. Emergency Protest Against Back Door NHS Privatisation.
a Lord's committee will discuss secondary legislation that will mean virtually
all NHS commissioning will have to be done through competitive markets.
Assemble College Green opposite House of Lords. Bring banners, placards, street
theatre and more! Andy Slaughter MP and Steve Pound MP will join the protest. Facebook
event here
.
Friday 8 March
12noon. Direct Action on International Women’s Day
against the cuts. Assemble at 12noon at Goldsmiths University of London
(main entrance Lewisham Way) where you will be met and taken to a convergence
point.
Details from June
Jordan – see Facebook event here.
Saturday 9 March
11am. Benefit Justice Campaign Summit
To create one national
voice to end the war on the poor; to oppose the bedroom tax, cuts in
council-tax benefit, ending disability living allowance and other cuts. News
report here.
Venue: ULU, Malet Street, WC1E 7HY. Supporters
include Defend Council Housing, Disabled People Against Cuts, National Shop
Stewards Network, Right to Work. Download flyer and book your place here
or email to: mail@dpac.uk.net or info@defendcouncilhousing.org.uk
Saturday 9 March
Times tba. Protests, performance and occupation of the
pay-day loan companies. For more details contact wontpayday@gmail.com
Wed & Thurs 13/14
March
European-wide Days of Action against Cuts and
Austerity.
Solidarity with strikes and protests across Europe. Further details to be
announced.
Wednesday 13 March
5pm. Lobby of Gove over Teachers Pay and
Pensions. Assemble: Cathedral Piazza, Victoria St, SW1. March to DfE.
Contact NUT for more information.
Wednesday 13 March
6pm. TUC pre-budget rally: A future for
families: A future that works. Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, Westminster.
There is expected to be high demand for places, so please reserve a space
online at http://www.tuc.org.uk/afutureforfamilies
Sat 16th March
2-5pm.
Anti-Academies Alliance AGM on in
central London. More details and leaflets available shortly from AAA website
www.antiacademies.org.uk
Tuesday 19 March
7pm. Southwark Defend Council Housing campaign
meeting. Venue: St. John's parish office, 18 Larcom Street SE17 1NQ.
Details from fairymill@gmail.com
Wednesday 20 March
George Osborne will make his budget speech. Protests planned for central London.
Various national campaigns will be supporting. Times and venues will be
announced.
Wednesday 20 March
7.30pm.
Southwark Save Our Services Organising
Meeting – Main items: Building campaigns against the Bedroom Tax, for Benefits
Justice, Save our Fire Stations. Room A3 at South Bank Uni London Road
Building SE1. (note later start time due to protest events in central London)
ADVANCE NOTICE
Saturday 20 April
Housing Consultation about the future of housing in
Southwark: Make your voice heard! One of a series
of Southwark Council’s ‘community conversations’. Butterfly Walk, Camberwell
SE5. (Time to be announced.)
Mid-May
London wide demonstration to save the NHS. Called initially by the Save Lewisham
Hospital Campaign and backed by the 600-strong Defend Whittington Hospital
public meeting and the recent London Labour Party conference. Get your trade
union or community organisation to back the call!
(To be discussed at
the next Defend London’s NHS / London Keep Our NHS Public meeting on 25
February – see above)
Saturday 22 June
9:30am – 5pm. People's Assembly Against Austerity. Central
Hall Westminster, Storey’s Gate, London, SW1H 9NH. Details here
.
ON-GOING CAMPAIGNS:
Fire stations closures
campaign information
at http://www.saveourstations.org.uk/
Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts
meeting meet at Southwark
Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close, SE17 2QB. Details from
southwarkdpac@mail.com
Follow us!
Twitter @southwarkSOS
Facebook: Southwark SSOS
