Tuesday 23 September 2014

Southwark Action Alert - 23 September 2014

Privatisation of local NHS services, the demolition of council homes to be replaced by private housing and cuts in real incomes for millions of public sector workers: all of these are being opposed through protest events or strikes during the next month. Please take part. Details of what you can do are listed below.

***Please put in your diary the events not just happening this week but the dates for big events next month, shown below.***

Please tweet this listing, link to our website or post on your own Facebook page. Thank you.

EVENTS LIST

Wednesday 24 September
10.30 am.   What’s happening at King’s College Hospital? Is our NHS in safe hands? Speaker: Frank Wood, Chair of King’s Joint Trade Union Committee. Venue: Southwark Pensioners’ Centre. Called by Southwark pensioners Action Group. All welcome. Download campaign information here.

Wednesday 24 & Thursday 25 September
Stop privatisation of local NHS Pathology Lobby in support of nearly 700 skilled pathology staff who are threatened with being transferred to private company, Viapath, and being forced to leave NHS employment. For more details, ring Frank Wood 07798 531734 (mobile). Two lobbies:

Wednesday 5.30pm Lobby the Guy's and St Thomas' Board AGM. Meet at main entrance at Westminster Bridge Road.

Thursday 5pm. Lobby the King's Board AGM on at the Ortus Centre. Meet at 82-92 Grove Lane, Denmark Hill, SE5 8SN. Download leaflet here.

Monday 29 September
7pm. Save our NHS Public meeting. St George's Hospital faces £45 m cuts this year; funding for doctors' surgeries cut by 8% this year; 7 Wandsworth surgeries affected. Speakers: John Lister, Director London Health Emergency and Louise Irvine, Chair, Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign. Venue: Baptist Hall, 21 Ramsden Road, Balham SW12 8QX.

Tuesday 30 September
7pm. Meeting of Southwark Defend Council Housing campaign in the Parish Office at St John’s Church, Larcom Street, SE17 1NQ. Map. Agenda to include plans for building for the SGTO anti-gentrification meeting on 25 October and the demonstration on January 31st.

Saturday 4 October
10am – 4pm. People’s Assembly South London Conference in Lambeth Town Hall. Speakers include Diane Abbott MP (Labour Party), Steve Turner (Unite the Union), Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (journalist & writer) plus speakers from DPAC, Ritzy and local trade unions. Workshops on Fighting for a Living Wage, Defending Public Services, London’s Housing Crisis and Fighting Racism. Get tickets (concessions are free) here. More details posted on the website at http://www.southlondonpa.org/.

Saturday 11 October
A pan-European day of action against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Background information on why this is so dangerous to public services here.  Find out what action is being planned at http://www.nottip.org.uk/nationaldayofaction/

Monday 13 October
7am. Unison health workers’ four hour strike over pay. Read more here why the strike is happening. Visit picket-lines at your local hospital to show your support. For further details of local picket-lines, or to help leafleting the public in support of the strike, email southwarksos@gmail.com

Tuesday 14 October
Strike of around a million local government workers in Unison, Unite and GMB. The average public sector worker is now £2,245 worse off in real terms since this government took office. Other unions may join this action. Further background information here. Contact your union branch officers for details of local action or email southwarktuc@gmail.com

Wednesday 15 October
Strike by members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. 

Thursday 16 October
7pm. Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public organising meeting in Phoenix Pub, 348 Clapham Road, Stockwell, SW9 9AR (between Clapham North and Stockwell stations). Please note there is no Southwark KONP group so Southwark activists please make contact with this group to find out about local activity.

Saturday 18 October
‘Britain Needs a Pay Rise’ TUC national demonstration in London. See facebook.com/britainneedsapayrise or website for resources and publicity materials at http://britainneedsapayrise.org/ Details of the exact timings and the march route will be announced in September.

Saturday 25 October
3pm. How can we stop the council demolishing our homes?
What should be the future of the Aylesbury? Public Meeting called by Southwark Group of Tenants organisations (SGTO). Venue: Pembroke House, 80 Tatum Street London SE17 1QR. Join the campaign by contacting Southwark Defend Council Housing on 02076227201.

ADVANCE NOTICE

Saturday 15 November
11am-4pm. ‘Striking together - organising to win’ national conference. After the mass public sector strikes on 13 & 14 October and the TUC demo on 18 October, this conference addresses the question: “what happens next?”

Speakers include US Fast Food strikers, Matt Wrack (FBU), Mags Dalton & Roger Hutt (Care UK), Billy Hayes (CWU), Mandy Brown (Lambeth College), John McDonnell MP, Ian Hodson (BFAWU), Ian Lawrence (NAPO), Helen Davies (Barnet Unison), Peter Pinkney (RMT), Bryan Kennedy (One Housing), Jane Aitchiso & Sean Vernell (Unite the Resistance). Model motion here. For more information and to register, click here. Called by Unite the Resistance campaign.

OTHER LOCAL CAMPAIGNS not listed above:

SolidariTEA, a weekly drop-in between 2pm and 4pm for those affected by work capability, benefits & housing problems etc. Mutual support & planning direct action. at 97 Dawes House, Orb St, Walworth, London, SE17 1RD. For information, email to solidariteasouthwark@gmail.com or phone 07966180429 on Mondays pm.

South London Unite the Resistance. For news updates and action alerts on trade union and anti-austerity events in south London, join the email list by writing to southlondonunitetheresistance@gmail.com or phone 07956579466.

Southwark Pensioners Action Group
Meets bi-monthly. Campaign information at http://www.spag.btck.co.uk/

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