Friday 2 December 2016


Social care, post office services, council housing – your help needed to protect them

1st December 2016



The health service in Southwark is facing unprecedented threats of privatisation and cuts to both patients’ services and NHS staff jobs and conditions of work. The Government’s latest tactic is to use so-called 'health tourism' (a tiny fraction of total NHS costs) as a way of diverting attention from the government’s failure to address NHS underfunding. Campaigning for improvements in social care and funding for health services free at the point of delivery are focuses for events listed below, as well challenging the threats to our post offices and the continued demolition of our council housing. All local campaign meetings below are free to attend and newcomers are always welcome!



EVENTS LIST



Friday 2 December

10am for 10.30am. Campaigning for Social Care: talk and discussion led by Dot Gibson from the National Pensioners Convention.  Venue: Southwark Pensioners Centre, 305 - 307 Camberwell Road SE5 0HQ. (Two minutes from Camberwell Green.) Organised by Southwark Pensioners Action Group. More info at http://www.spag.btck.co.uk/



Saturday 3 December

8.30am – 12.30pm. Visit the picket line outside Walworth Road Crown Post Office  -  234 Walworth Rd, London SE17 1JD - whose workers are on strike against job cuts, privatisation & attacks on pensions. Called by CWU. Send messages of support to southwarksos@gmail.com



Saturday 3 December

10.30am -15.15pm.  ‘More than a Score’: Conference to organise opposition to SATs tests in primary schools. At Institute of Child Health, UCL Great Ormond St, 30 Guildford St, London, WC1N 1EH. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk



Thursday 8 December

7pm. How do we stop council estate demolitions?  Public Meeting in Rotherhithe. Venue: Canada Estate Tenants’ Hall, Columbia Point, Moodkee Street, SE16 7BB. Organised by Southwark Defend Council Housing. Leaflet here, , map here


Thursday 15 December

Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public - Christmas social. Venue tbc. (The next business mtg is on 19th Jan.) The Lambeth group but covers some NHS Services in Southwark. If you want to help set up a Southwark KONP group, reply to this email or contact the organisers at lambethkonp@gmail.com. See https://www.facebook.com/LambethKONP



Friday 23 December

12.00-2.00pm. Howl of Protest for the NHS, in Whitehall hosted by Hands off our NHS. Facebook event  at https://www.facebook.com/events/532688736922200/ to mark the 'signing off' of STPs - though the next phase of the  battle begins in the New Year.



Further ahead



Thursday 19 January

7pm. The People's Question Time - Brexit: What are our Demands?

Panel to include: Emily Thornberry MP - Shadow Foreign Secretary, Labour Party, Amelia Womack - Deputy Leader, Green Party, Kevin Courtney - General Secretary, National Union of Teachers, Lindsey German - People's Assembly, Malia Bouattia - President, National Union of Students, Steve Turner - Assistant General Secretary, UNITE, (more tbc) Venue: St Pancras Church, Euston Road, NW1 2BA. Organised by the People’s Assembly. For more info and to book your place, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk.



Tuesday 31 January

7pm. Southwark Defend Council Housing - organising meeting. Please note change to usual venue: Canada Estate Tenants’ Hall, Columbia Point, Moodkee Street, SE16 7BB. More information from southwarkdch@gmail.com For info about the national Axe the Housing Act campaign See websitetwitter and facebook.



Saturday 4 March

National demonstration to defend the NHS, in London called by Health Campaigns Together and supported by Unite. More information at http://www.healthcampaignstogether.com/





Are you part of a community group or campaign? We’d like to hear from you. Tell us what you’re doing and we can advertise your anti-cuts campaign activities. Email us at southwarksos@gmail.com.




Other campaigns

Ritzy strikers. Contact ritzylivingwage@gmail.com or Twitter @RitzyLivingWage. Keep up to date with the campaign here .



South London People’s Assembly. Contact secretary@southlondonpa.org or reply to this email for more information.



Southwark Trades Union Council For details of meetings contact the secretary, Nick Phillips at stucsec@gmail.com



Stand Up for your Rights – free training for claimants. Further info from 020 7467 1283 or email Nick at nickplus007@gmail.com