Brent Fightback: March 2012

Saturday, 31 March 2012

Next Brent Fightback meeting is Monday 4th April 7.30 pm at Brent Trades Hall
375 High Rd, Willesden NW10 2JR
Below information about the
likely effect of the Housing Benefit caps on Brent. It is likely to be one of
the worst affected boroughs.The housing benefit caps come into effect in April
i.e. VERY soon.This info came from Cllr Van Kawala via Graham Durham, who
attended the Housing Emergency demonstration on Wednesday
morning.:
I> From: cllr.zaffar.vankalwala@brent.gov.uk
> To: cllr.zaffar.vankalwala@brent.gov.uk>> Please see
attached for my recent article in the Brent & Kilburn Times on housing
benefit caps. > > I've also attached the Budget and Finance
Committee Report which gives details (Page 9) of the number of local residents
that will be affected by the changes.> > Brent will be one of the
worst affected areas in the country. The council is expecting caps on the Local
Housing Allowance (LHA) to affect 1,988 households and the reduction of the LHA
to the 30th percentile calculation to affect 6,270 households. Furthermore , the
reduction to Council Tax benefit by 10% from 1 April 2013 will affect a
staggering 34,327 households.> Next Meeting for all London's local boroughs anti-cuts
alliancesWednesday 4th April, 7pmCamden Town Hall - Judd Street, WC1H 9JE (near Kings Cross):
Room 4 - venue fully accessible - NOTE NEW VENUE.To promote
communication, solidarity and co-ordination. Reports of local anti-cuts
campaigning, plus local angles on London-wide anti-cuts struggles (eg NHS,
housing, welfare, related industrial disputes etc). Active members and reps of
all London's local alliances and coalitions, and supporting organisations, are
welcome.
LONDON'S LOCAL ANTI-CUTS
ALLIANCEShttp://falseeconomy.org.uk/campaigns/london/all/t1 www.hapsnews.net/londons-borough-wide-anti-cuts-alliances
NHS
NW London Hospitals are running into deficit. The merger
between Central Middlesex, Northwick Park and Ealing Hospitals and between
Brent, Harrow and Ealing community services is going ahead, The news that £180m
is to be given to Northwick Park for a new A & E department suggests that A
& E at CMH (still closed at night although the trust claim that they are
trying to recruit a doctor so that it can open again) is at risk of permanent
and complete closure. Brent, Ealing and Harrow Trades Councils are trying to
organise a joint public meeting - suggested date April 18th so that we can
ensure that changes made as a result of the merger protect jobs and result in
improved services for patients, provided where they are most needed. For useful
information about the background information that shows where there is most
need, you can access the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment from the Brent Council
website www.brent.gov.uk . The area
profiles (links along the side of the JSNA) give more detail ward by ward and GP
practice by GP practice. The policy that has been followed by NW London
Hospitals Trust in recent years of moving services from CMH to Northwick Park,
moves them away from the areas of greatest need in many
cases.
EDUCATION
The fate of the central
services provided to schools by Brent Council is still uncertain and more
schools all the time are feeling under pressure to change to Academy
status.
ACTION TO DEFEND
PENSIONS AND PUBLIC SERVICES
Brent
Fightback supported the teachers and lecturers taking strike action on
Wednesday. The Fightback banner was on the picket line at CNWL, Dudden Hill,
then on the march from Malet St to Westminster. Fightback supporters visited
other picket lines to show their support before joining the demo. The increased
pension contributions for public service worker will be stolen from their
salaries from April.
THERE IS A GREAT DEAL TO DISCUSS, SO PLEASE TRY TO COME
ALONG.

Friday, 23 March 2012

The Fight for the NHS - Where Next?

THE FIGHT FOR THE NHS

WHERE NEXT?

THE FIGHT CONTINUES - FUTURE DEMANDS

We should demand the repeal of the Health & Social Care act - but also backing in the here and now from trade unions and political parties for action against its implementation.
A “PLEDGE” has been drawn up for clinical commissioning groups, which could also be sent to BMA and other conferences, and raised with PCT clusters. (See below)

KEEPING UP A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

We need national action against the act and the ongoing attacks on the NHS. We should continue to campaign for a Defend the NHS national demonstration to be organises by the TUC and trade unions. The Unite executive has already agreed to call for one.
We can’t wait indefinitely. You can vote for 38 degrees to call a demonstration here: http://tinyurl.com/84xaaoz. (members get more votes!)
We should make the NHS an issue during the GLA and local elections. Some health workers led by Dr Clive Peedell of Bevan’s run fame are proposing to stand in the next general election against those who have supported the bill.

NATIONALLY COORDINATED LOCAL ACTION

AGAINST THE PRIVATE COMPANIES – STARTING WITH VIRGIN

We will organise action to highlight “Virgin Care” with protests at Virgin stores in London after Easter, and invite other groups to organise similar protests round the country.

TO HIGHLIGHT OUR DEMAND FOR THE “PLEDGE”

Encourage local groups to consider organising protests and occupations at the board meetings of Primary Care Trust clusters (as KONP did at Oxfordshire PCT)

MAKING THE BILL UNWORKABLE – RESIST EVERY ATTACK

Contact local Clinical Commissioning Groups to sign up to the pledge.
Organise a campaign against any threat of privatisation or cuts.
Encourage health workers to take action against cuts.
Work with the new ‘healthwatch’ patients’ groups, but ensure that local patients’ and campaign groups act as effective opposition.

COORDINATING THE CAMPAIGN

Whilst we need as much coordination as possible at national level, local groups are key to mobilising and effective campaigning.
Organise fringe meetings at union conferences to publicise and win backing for the campaign.

NATIONAL NHS SUPPORTERS CONFERENCE 23 June

Friends House, Euston Rd, NW1 organised by Keep Our NHS Public and NHS Support Federation will be a chance for all organisations to discuss the way forward.

Give London wide support to Camden patients

fighting the closure of their surgery by a private company

DEMONSTRATE

At NHS North Central London Board Meeting

THURS 29 MARCH 1.30pm

St Pancras Hospital St Pancras Way NW1 0PE Kings X /Mornington Cresc tube

FUTURE LOCAL ACTION

Lewisham KONP Meeting 22 March 7pm Waldron Health Centre, New Cross

Haringey Meeting 27 March 7.30pm Three Compasses, Hornsey High Street N8 7NX

Hackney KONP Meeting 29 March 7.30pm Stamford Hill Library, Stamford Hill, N16 5QT

Camden KONP Meeting 02 April 7pm St Paul’s Church, Camden Sq, NW1

Protest at Circle Health 05 April Welbeck St, W1

Ealing meeting April tbc

Brent meeting 18 April tbc

Virgin London Marathon 22 April – Encourage runners to wear appropriate signs!

Next London KONP meeting Tuesday 17 April 7pm venue tbc

GET THIS PLEDGE AGREED

This Clinical Commissioning Group will uphold the principle of "first do no harm". We will take no action and adopt no policy that might undermine our patients' continued access to existing local health services that they need, trust and rely upon.
In the spirit of clinically-led commissioning, we reserve entirely the right to decide who we contract with to provide services for our patients. We will take those decisions on the basis of the best interests of our patients and wider local communities, and we will refuse to allow Any Qualified Provider to be imposed on us from above.
In the interests of transparency we will not engage in any contracts or negotiations which impose conditions of commercial confidentiality. We will consult local communities before implementing any changes that affect them, and our Board will make all major decisions relating to services in public session.

The action points above were agreed as proposals for local groups at the London Keep Our NHS Public meeting on 20 March 2012

londonkeepournhspublic@gmail.com www.keepournhspublic.com

Thursday, 22 March 2012

Teachers o stike on March 28th over pensions

A MESSAGE TO PARENTS FROM THE NUT

Teachers across Brent will be taking strike action on Wednesday 28^th March.

We know this may be inconvenient for you but we hope you will understand why we are doing this and that you will support us.

Teachers do not like taking strike action but we believe we have been given no choice by the government.

We are striking because the government won’t listen to us and insist on making unnecessary changes to our pensions. We believe these changes will be damaging for teachers and for education.

Below we list some of the facts about our pensions we think you should know. For more information please talk to teachers at your school.

FACT ONE

Teachers, and other public sector workers, are being asked to pay 50% more for their pensions, work longer and get a smaller pension when they retire.

FACT TWO

Teaching is an all consuming and tiring job and can be stressful. We do not believe it is reasonable to expect all teachers to work until 68 to get a pension.

FACT THREE

The government says our pensions are unaffordable but their own figures show that this isn’t true.

FACT FOUR

Many private sector workers have no proper pension scheme. The government should do something about this, not cut the public sector pensions.

FACT FIVE

Cutting public sector pensions will just make more pensioners poorer and put the cost of supporting them on to the State and taxpayers.

Monday, 19 March 2012

Fightback Meeting Tonight

The next Brent Fightback meeting is on Monday March 19th 7.30 pm at Brent Trades Hall, 375 High Rd, Willesden NW10 2JR. There's lots to discuss about the Libraries - Keep Willesden Green and the possibility of Kensal Rise being taken over by the community as well as the ongoing Save our Six libraries campaign; schools and the education service; the NHS nationally and locally and the continuing action on pensions on March 28th. Hope you'll be able to come along.

Friday, 2 March 2012

Carry on the Fightback - Meeting on Monday at 7.30pm

The Government's Health and Social Care Bill is running into trouble with more and more groups of Health professionals coming out in opposition to it. The TUC, Unite the Union, Keep Our NHS Public and other bodies have called for mass demonstrations, a lobby and rally for the NHS on Wednesday:

MASS LOBBY AND RALLY

PARLIAMENT WEDNESDAY 7TH MARCH

1pm Lobby Of Parliament

Organised by Unite. More information: www.unitetheunion.org/saveournhs

5pm March from BMA House, Tavistock Square, WC1

Organised by Unite. More information: www.unitetheunion.org/saveournhs

6pm Rally, Central Hall, Westminster

Organised by TUC Register HERE

Postcards advertising these events will be available at Monday's meeting (7pm Brent Trades Hall - see side panel) and some of us are leafleting Central Middlesex Hospital on Monday at lunch time - meet at the main entrance at 12 noon.

It has been an exciting week for the Right to Work and Boycott Workfare Campaigns with the government being forced to climb down on making the work experience scheme compulsory, but there is much more to do because there are still several other schemes which force claimants to work for their benefits with the threat that they will be made destitute if they do not comply.

For video etc of the protests go to www.righttowork.org.uk

UK-wide day of action against workfare – Saturday 3rd March

Support for the next day of strike action on pensions Wednesday March 28th is growing. We need to discuss what we can do to help build /consolidate support.

PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO COME TO MONDAY'S MEETING