Southwark Action Alert 21 July 2015
The new government’s austerity plans will have a huge impact on Southwark: cuts to welfare will worsen poverty, imposition of a new Right to Buy will compound the housing crisis, cuts and closures will decimate further education, the abolition of grants will increase student debt. These are all reasons for joining people from Southwark who will be travelling to Manchester on 4th October to demonstrate outside the Tory Conference. (See below) Can your trade union branch/campaign give formal support to the advertising of this event? Or help with costs of hiring transport and selling tickets? Reply to this email to let us know.
Please tweet this listing, link to our website or post on your own Facebook page. Thank you.
EVENTS LIST
Saturday 25 July
12-1pm. Benefit Justice stall petitioning against the benefit cuts. Venue: Outside Boots on Rye Lane. On top of the cuts to disability benefits, working tax credits, the continuation of the bedroom tax and other brutal cuts the reduction of the benefit cap to £23,000 will mean that another 500 families in Southwark may now be forced to move away from their friends, families and communities, many out of London.
Tuesday 28 July
7pm. Defend Council Housing meeting at the Alvey Estate Tenants Hall, ground floor of Thomson House, Beckway Street, off East Street, SE17 1TS. Beckway Street is close to the end of East Street at its junction with the Old Kent Road. Map here. More information from southwarkdch@gmail.com
Wednesday 29 July
Reviewing and Resisting the Trade Union Bill public meeting, 6pm Mander Hall, NUT, Marbledon Place WC1 9BD
Representatives from the TUC, FBU, RMT, PCS, UNITE, UNISON and ASLEF, have already agreed to join with IER experts
John Hendy and Keith Ewing, together with MPs and others to determine
what steps the labour movement needs to take to expose the unfair and
undemocratic nature of the government’s proposals.
See http://www.tradeunionfreedom.co.uk/reviewing-resisting-the-trade-union-bill/
ADVANCE NOTICE
Sunday 13 September
Rally and lobby of the TUC Congress in Brighton, calling on the TUC and the unions to organise a midweek demonstration on the day that the Tories bring their Trade Union Bill to Parliament and to prepare for mass co-ordinated strike action if it is passed. (Venue: Charlotte Room in the Grand Hotel 97-99 King’s Rd BN1 2FW , next to the Brighton conference Centre). Email info@shopstewards.net if you want to attend and need transport. More info at http://shopstewards.net/activate/events/
Sunday 4 October
National Demonstration at the Tory Party Conference, Manchester. Called by the TUC and the People’s Assembly. Details will follow. Can your trade union branch/campaign give formal support to the advertising of this event? Or help with costs of hiring transport and selling tickets? Reply to this email or write to secretary@southlondonpa.org
4-8th October
A week of protests and action at the Tory party conference. Organised by the People’s Assembly and other supporting organisations. See here for details.
OTHER LOCAL CAMPAIGNS not listed above:
Campaign to Save the Aylesbury. Campaigners are supporting local tenants to oppose the demolition of council housing in Southwark. Replacing social housing with private dwellings is denying thousands of people decent, affordable housing. A petition demanding that the Council respects the result of their ballot in 2001, or gives them another vote to decide what happens to their homes is being circulated. If you can help going door to door to seek signatures, contact southwarkdch@gmail.com or phone 07792 786 192. Website: www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/dch
Defend Lewisham Southwark College campaign 312 jobs have been at risk. The Camberwell will be closed at the end of July and sold off for approx.. £5m. The site is used by about 300 students - who mostly do ESOL classes and basic numeracy and some Job Centre plus courses. Contact savelscollege@gmail.com for more info or to join the mailing list. Campaign Facebook page here. You can download the latest proposal from Southwark Council here.
Keep Our NHS Public meet monthly (except in August) in the upstairs room at the Phoenix pub, 348 Clapham Road, SW9 9AR (between Clapham North and Stockwell tube stations). There is no Southwark KONP group so Southwark activists please make contact with this Lambeth group to find out about local activity. The group have a new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LambethKONP .
London Play and Youth Work Campaign is supported by Unite the Union. If you're a playworker, a child, a mum, a dad, a cousin, a youth worker, or you’re just concerned about cuts to youth services, please join. Find out more here or contact londonplaycampaign@gmail.com
London Unemployed Strategies (LUS) - a campaign to give a voice to unemployed people. For more information and to get involved, contact Nick on: 020 7467 1283 or 07530 001653, or email nickplus007@gmail.com. Facebook page here.
Save Lewisham Hospital
There is an indication that Lewisham Hospital may be under threat again. a petition online has been launched. For more information, click here. For the petition, click here.
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. See the Facebook page here.
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 Trades Council meets on the second Wednesday each month at 160 Tooley Street. The Trades Council or local TUC group is a forum for local unions to meet and organise together. ALL Southwark trade union members are welcome. Contact 07983475050 or southwarktuc@gmail.com for more information.
Southwark Disabled People Against Cuts can be contacted at Southwark Independent Living Centre, 10 Bradenham Close, SE17 2QB or by emailing southwarkdpac@mail.com
