Monday 17 June 2013

Join the protests to stop cuts to education, health, fire and postal services

14 June 2013
Education from nurseries to further education are facing big cuts, just as the Government presses on with cuts and privatisation of health, fire and postal services. Please help to spread the word about the protests shown below by tweeting or posting the events on your Facebook page, or help us with leafleting (see below) for campaigns against the bedroom tax or the post office closures.

EVENTS LIST

Thursday 19 June
 9am. Protest against fire brigade cuts at the next session of Mayor’s Question Time, to take place at City Hall Called by London FBU. Contact: Paul Embury on 07854 998508.

Thursday 20 June
2pm onwards. CWU members will be on strike against plans to close or franchise 76 Crown offices - 20% of the network. Details of the dispute from the Communication Workers Union at http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/post-office-strikes-number-6-and-7.html. Contact Chris Roche (CWU) on 07912 427 140 if you can help with petitioning or leafleting on behalf of the strikers.

Thursday 20 June
7pm. Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public campaign meeting. Venue: Duke of Cambridge pub, 74 Lansdowne Way, SW8 2DR, nr Stockwell Tube. For more details, phone 07913496012. All Southwark KONP supporters urged to attend.

Saturday 22 June
9.30am – 5pm. People's Assembly Against Austerity. Central Hall Westminster, Storey’s Gate, London, SW1H 9NH. Supporting organisations include Unite the Union, PCS, NUT, NUJ, TSSA, Unison, War on Want, Disabled People Against the Cuts, Coalition of Resistance, People’s Charter, Black Activists Rising Against Cuts, the Green Party. Register at http://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/register/.

Wednesday 26 June
7pm. Southwark Trades Council AGM at In-Spire @ St Peter's Church, Liverpool Grove, SE17. Map at http://www.in-spire.org.uk/location.shtml
A report of Southwark SOS activities reports will be presented at the meeting, plus discussion of KNOP, Academies/Free Schools, Benefits Justice Campaign and other anti-cuts and austerity issues. More information from Southwark TUC at southwarktuc@gmail.com.

Wednesday 26 June
7pm. Southwark Save Our Services activities will be included in the STUC meeting (see item above) so there will be no separate Organising Group meeting this month. For a copy of the 2012-13 Southwark SOS campaign report, write to the Secretary at southwarksos@gmail.com

Saturday 29 June
All day. CWU members in Crown Post Offices will be on strike against plans to close or franchise 76 Crown offices - 20% of the network. Details of the dispute from the Communication Workers Union at  http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/post-office-strikes-number-6-and-7.html Contact Chris Roche (CWU) on 07912 427 140 if you can help with petitioning or leafleting on behalf of the strikers.

Saturday 29 June
11am-5pm.  Conference ‘March Together - Now Strike Together’. Organised by the National Shop Stewards Network. Speakers include Mark Serwotka, PCS, Billy Hayes, CWU, and Steve Gillan, POA, general secretaries. Venue: Camden Centre, Judd Street, WC1H 9JE. Includes sessions on the NHS cuts and housing. More info at www.shopstewards.net and registration from info@shopstewards.net or phone 07952 283 588.

Friday 5 July
4pm. Start of the CAMarathon: London to Witney, to mark the 65th birthday of the NHS and highlight the role of David Cameron and the Conservative party in abolishing the NHS. Assemble at Dept of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, SW1A 2NS. An ‘NHS coffin’ will be carried by 6 pallbearers, first to Parliament before being carried overnight to David Cameron's Witney constituency and delivered there on Saturday.  Details at http://www.keepournhspublic.com/camarathon.php.

Saturday 6 July
Flash mob: Singing for our Health Service, to mark the 65th birthday of the NHS more information from londonkeepournhspublic@gmail.com 

Wednesday 10 July
6pm. Lobby of Southwark Council to persuade Councillors to oppose the Bedroom Tax and commit to not evicting tenants because of benefit cuts. Bring banners and placards! Called by Southwark Group of Tenants Organisations (The Council Assembly includes a themed debate on "Welfare Reform".) Venue: Walworth Academy, Shorncliffe Road (Off Albany Road). Order posters and leaflets for your estate by ringing 07896 341 964 or email southwarkbenefitjustice@gmail.com

Advance notice

Saturday 13 July
10am - 4pm. Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) National AGM. Hinde St Methodist Church, Thayer St, W1U 2QJ. Speakers include Polly Toynbee and reports from KONP groups round the country.

Saturday 27 July
National Day of Action called by the Anti-bedroom tax and Benefit Justice Campaign. More info to follow. See their new website at http://antibedroomtax.org.uk/ or contact the local campaign at southwarkbenefitjustice@gmail.com

OTHER LOCAL CAMPAIGNS:

Fire stations closures
Southwark campaign information and their action plans are found at http://www.saveourstations.org.uk/southwark.

Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts meeting meet at Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close, SE17 2QB. Details from southwarkdpac@mail.com

Southwark Benefit Justice Campaign
Contact southwarkbenefitjustice@gmail.com and see their Facebook page.
Southwark Pensioners Action Group
Meets bi-monthly. Campaign information at http://www.spag.btck.co.uk/
Southwark Unison
Currently campaigning against job cuts in nurseries and pupil referral units. For more information telephone 0207 525 6030.


Tuesday 4 June 2013

PCS Workers on strike on Wednesday need your support

Dear anti-cuts activists

The workers who are being asked to implement the government’s harsh 'Welfare Reform' will be on strike this Wednesday.

Can you forward this email to your networks, and encourage members to support the events shown below.

Thank you
Chris Kelly
Secretary, Southwark SOS campaign


The UK government  is drastically scaling back public services  under the false claim that cuts are necessary to address the financial crisis caused by the collapse of the banking sector.  The PCS union is campaigning for

-         investment in HMRC to close the tax gap,

-         investment in the DWP to support people most in need at a time of mass unemployment and to generate revenue to fund other essential public services.

Support local picket lines from 8am-9.30am

As always any act of solidarity, messages to those on strike and visits to picket-lines are very welcome. In Southwark pickets should be at the following JCP offices

·        London Bridge (Newington Causeway)

·        Peckham JCP (Peckham High St)

If you can send a message of support by email, please send it to Sarah Murdock (PCS DWP Lambeth and Southwark branch organiser) at s.l.murdock05@gmail.com or text to 07879424631.

Come to a strike day rally at 12noon

Come to a strike day rally and support PCS members striking against cuts to vital public services. A special invitation is being made to all who are involved in campaigns for welfare claimants. It’s at:

The London Welsh Centre 157-163 Gray's Inn Road WC1X 8UE. Mark Serwotka will be speaking.