brief presentation of the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group
21.11.2011
The Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group (KUWG) is mentored by the Brent Trades Union Council. It was formed on the 28 July 2009 at the initiative of Sertuc, the South East Region of the Trade Union Congress in London. In that sense, the KUWG is an integral part of the British working class.
The KUWG sent a resolution to the PCS (Public & Commercial Service Union) in support of the strikes of JobCentre Call Centres Advisers who demand more time and better conditions to look after the unwaged. The KUWG recognises that the struggle of employed and unemployed workers is one and the same.
The KUWG accepts the solidarity of any helpful political organisation, but as the KUWG itself, it is not sharing its platform with any political group.
The KUWG operates mostly in the Brent and Camden areas, but individuals from other areas are welcome. The KUWG has the right to attend the Brent Trades Council meetings. There, it can submit resolutions but it cannot vote.
KUWG Web page: http://Kilburnunemployed.blogspot.com.
Contact: kilburnunemployed@gmail.com.
0770 993 2267 Marie Lynam, secretary
Facebook: Kilburn Unemployed Workers
The Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group (KUWG) meets every Thursday 3-5pm at the Kingsgate Community Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road, London NW6 2JH.
The KUWG works consistently to help resolve the problems of claimants unfairly treated by the DWP, or by the JobCentrePlus in Cambridge Avenue, NW6. The purpose of the KUWG is to defend each other and defend our much-trampled-upon human rights. We give a voice to the women, the sick, the unwaged and the single parents. We stand against the demonization of those out of work, when the bankers and the capitalist governments preside over a brutal and absurd economic system that directs most of the nation’s wealth and power towards 1% of the population at the expense of the remaining 99%.
We support the Job Seekers in their economic and emotional struggle, as they are robbed of the right to use their human creativity. At the same time, we support them in their struggle for a dignified treatment on the part of the authorities. The KUWG opposes the callous and intolerable Welfare Reform Bill of the Cameron/Clegg government, and the DWP’s Work Programme. We also condemn Ed Milliband’s connivance with the Tories’ anti-Trade Union laws and his ludicrous claim that you need to be ‘in work’ to deserve a council flat.
We protest against the wrongdoings of private reassessment companies (like ATOS) that Labour unnecessarily injected into the public British Welfare system. This gave the Cameron/Clegg government the justification to start a war of draconian privatisations. The latter are turning unwaged persons into work-placement commodities for private companies, whilst trade unions, the minimum wage and the workers’ wage itself are steadily being ground down.
On November 30, 2011, the PCS union went on strike nationally, along with other public service Unions at the call of the TUC, in defence of pensions. The PCS, the Kilburn Unemployed, several Women’s groups and some left political organisations created an early official picket line in front of the Kilburn JobCentrePlus, Cambridge Avenue, London NW6. At 10am, we all joined the huge strikers’ march from Lincoln’s Inn Fields to the Strand.
The KUWG works in a democratic manner so that everybody has a voice, and the experiences of everyone can be used constructively. Under the flag of the unemployed, it is our intention to work in solidarity with all anti-cuts and tenants organisations. We believe that the conditions exist for the rise of a London-wide, national and international organisation of the unemployed. The cuts in health, housing and unemployment benefits are bound to throw those least able to defend themselves out of their homes - into ill-health, epidemics, social disintegration, prostitution, unnecessary misfortune and early death.
Please help distribute our leaflets, attend our regular weekly meetings and join us in the struggle to help the struggle against the insane accumulation of riches by a handful of people who turn the flesh and blood of the people into billions.
The KUWG is part of the London Coalition against Poverty (LCAP) that links together similar groups in London. Some of our members have taken part in, and contributed to the St Paul’s Occupy London Stock Exchange camp; and we intervened also in the Brent Peoples Assembly organised by BrentFightback and the Brent Trades Council. We call for the continuation of such Assemblies that link the Trade Unions, the workers parties, the unemployed, the various community campaigns and the general population. KUWG demands that JSA be raised for young and adults alike to at least £110 pw.
KUWG asks sympathetic organisations and benefactors to link up with us, and if possible, to make donations. As the secretary of the KUWG at the present time, I wish to thank the Brent TUC and the Trade Unions that have helped us so far.
Marie Lynam, GMB,
Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group (KUWG) – 15.12.11
We urge Trade Unions and Community Funding groups to help us fight the battles that will complement their own in their workplaces and communities.
Cheques welcome, made to ‘KUWG’ and sent to: The KUWG Officers, 66 Joules House,
6 Christchurch Avenue, London NW6 7QW.
Contact us:
email: kilburnunemployed@gmail.com
Facebook: Kilburn Unemployed Workers
Telephone: 07709932267
Meetings: 3pm Thursdays, Kingsgate Community Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road, London, NW6 2JH
Facebook: Kilburn Unemployed Workers
Telephone: 07709932267
Meetings: 3pm Thursdays, Kingsgate Community Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road, London, NW6 2JH
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Friday, 16 December 2011
ATOS kills
On Saturday 3 December, friends from Winvisible, Benefit Claimants, Disabled People Against Cuts (Depac), the KUWG and others demonstrated at the Olympic Park, on the day a Paralympic test event was held.
As sponsors of the Paralympic, Atos joins Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ) which will supply medals from copper mines whose pollution is blamed for deaths and birth disabilities; and Dow Chemical Co. which is spending $11.4m on the Olympics, but refusing proper compensation and clean-up to survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster.
Bhopal survivors and Indian athletes are calling for the London Olympics Committee to drop Dow, and for a boycott. Dow also made the chemical weapons Agent Orange and napalm used in the Vietnam war.
3 December was the 27th anniversary of the Bhopal tragedy in India, and saw a big protest there, led by women gas survivors. Shockingly, the Bhopal police, wielding long batons called lathis, beat and tear-gassed the demonstrators when they went to peacefully blockade the rail tracks in support of their demands. Many have lung damage from the 1984 gas explosion. See: http://bhopal.net/
Nottingham's 'Atos Two' Charged:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2168
Solidarity With Nottingham’s ‘Atos Two’:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2207
Statement of Support for the 'Atos Two':
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2195
To sign the statement of support please emailL: nottsdefence@riseup.net
As sponsors of the Paralympic, Atos joins Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ) which will supply medals from copper mines whose pollution is blamed for deaths and birth disabilities; and Dow Chemical Co. which is spending $11.4m on the Olympics, but refusing proper compensation and clean-up to survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster.
Bhopal survivors and Indian athletes are calling for the London Olympics Committee to drop Dow, and for a boycott. Dow also made the chemical weapons Agent Orange and napalm used in the Vietnam war.
3 December was the 27th anniversary of the Bhopal tragedy in India, and saw a big protest there, led by women gas survivors. Shockingly, the Bhopal police, wielding long batons called lathis, beat and tear-gassed the demonstrators when they went to peacefully blockade the rail tracks in support of their demands. Many have lung damage from the 1984 gas explosion. See: http://bhopal.net/
Nottingham's 'Atos Two' Charged:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2168
Solidarity With Nottingham’s ‘Atos Two’:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2207
Statement of Support for the 'Atos Two':
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2195
To sign the statement of support please emailL: nottsdefence@riseup.net
Friday, 11 November 2011
Our Work Capability Reassessment Workshop
The Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group held a Workshop on 20 October 2011 at the Forester Hall (part of the Tricycle). The KUWG called this gathering to oppose the Work Capability reassessment of benefits started by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
Ellenor Hutson of SERTUC (South East Region of the TUC) opened the debate, explaining that there are two rates of ESA (Employment Support Allowance) that are now replacing sickness/incapacity benefits – Work-Related Activity Group, and Support Group. She said that the benefit assessment is draconian and everyone should familiarise themselves with the points system. See: https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/benefits-and-council-tax/welfare-rights-and-money-advice/limited-capability-work-physical-health-des
While people in the “Support Group” people are NOT required to get ready for a return to work, it is difficult to be placed in it. Most people who qualify for ESA are placed in the ‘work related’ group. But there are ways to challenge this arbitrariness which attacks persons with all sorts of impairments. One should always be ready to appeal any unfair decision made, as soon as it is made.
The next speaker was John Kilvington who works in the Somali Community at the Kingsgate Community Centre, and who helps with all kinds of immigration, sickness and unemployment problems. He said that when one has access to re-assessment forms, it is worth studying each question and taking time and advice before filling them. He concluded that one must not be dominated by the forms but one must dominate them. To reject the arbitrariness of the forms one can always add more detail on supplementary pages, and attach medical letters. He said that you can win cases by pointing out wrong assumptions and inaccuracies, and that people can learn to represent themselves and that once they have the information and the backing they do very well at tribunal because they know their own situation best.
Three other speakers followed: Kim Sparrow of Single Mothers’ Self-Defence, Stella Mpaka of the All African Women’s Group, and Claire Glasman of WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities). These speakers came with a lot of documents available on their websites. Some of these were about the protests against Atos, the private company that assesses disability benefit claims for the government. (Note that nearly half of appeals against Atos’ refusal are successful, rising to 7 in 10 where the person has support from a rights representative. Other documents relate to the work of Legal Action for Women (LAW), and the Welfare Reform Bill being pushed through Parliament. From now on, most people on ESA are threatened that they must attend work focused interviews or do work-related activity of one kind or another. This creates cases of extraordinary anxiety and despair.
After a specific complaint by WinVisible, the DWP admitted that Jobcentre staff had wrongly threatened a woman that her benefit would be stopped if she didn’t attend a work-focussed interview. In fact she had severe mental health problems and was in the Support Group of ESA, so was excused from any stressful interviews. The Jobcentre was guilty of imposing jobseeker rules on her and had to back down.
These women’s groups have put together information on the Welfare Reform Bill and what we can do to oppose it. See: http://www.winvisible.org/BEN/Welfare_Reform_Bill_info_%20and_what_we_can_do.htm
The Workshop continued with a debate – we were 18 in all – to explain our problems, fears and hopes. Each person in the room, immigrant or born in Britain, is facing problems that call for solidarity between all sufferers, between all genders, between all races, and between all ages. Most people who are unemployed or on benefits see their social services being cut, the increasing cost of childcare and terrible threats to housing benefits, whilst all the prices go up and there are less and less jobs. People were encouraged by the information and support provided, and keen to stay in touch and work together.
Join the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group. It meets every Thursday at 3pm at the Kingsgate Community Centre, NW6. It is also worth looking up the “crossroadswomen.net” site and seek out the dynamic Crossroads Women Centre in Kentish Town, NW5.
Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group – 27.10.11
Ellenor Hutson of SERTUC (South East Region of the TUC) opened the debate, explaining that there are two rates of ESA (Employment Support Allowance) that are now replacing sickness/incapacity benefits – Work-Related Activity Group, and Support Group. She said that the benefit assessment is draconian and everyone should familiarise themselves with the points system. See: https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/benefits-and-council-tax/welfare-rights-and-money-advice/limited-capability-work-physical-health-des
While people in the “Support Group” people are NOT required to get ready for a return to work, it is difficult to be placed in it. Most people who qualify for ESA are placed in the ‘work related’ group. But there are ways to challenge this arbitrariness which attacks persons with all sorts of impairments. One should always be ready to appeal any unfair decision made, as soon as it is made.
The next speaker was John Kilvington who works in the Somali Community at the Kingsgate Community Centre, and who helps with all kinds of immigration, sickness and unemployment problems. He said that when one has access to re-assessment forms, it is worth studying each question and taking time and advice before filling them. He concluded that one must not be dominated by the forms but one must dominate them. To reject the arbitrariness of the forms one can always add more detail on supplementary pages, and attach medical letters. He said that you can win cases by pointing out wrong assumptions and inaccuracies, and that people can learn to represent themselves and that once they have the information and the backing they do very well at tribunal because they know their own situation best.
Three other speakers followed: Kim Sparrow of Single Mothers’ Self-Defence, Stella Mpaka of the All African Women’s Group, and Claire Glasman of WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities). These speakers came with a lot of documents available on their websites. Some of these were about the protests against Atos, the private company that assesses disability benefit claims for the government. (Note that nearly half of appeals against Atos’ refusal are successful, rising to 7 in 10 where the person has support from a rights representative. Other documents relate to the work of Legal Action for Women (LAW), and the Welfare Reform Bill being pushed through Parliament. From now on, most people on ESA are threatened that they must attend work focused interviews or do work-related activity of one kind or another. This creates cases of extraordinary anxiety and despair.
After a specific complaint by WinVisible, the DWP admitted that Jobcentre staff had wrongly threatened a woman that her benefit would be stopped if she didn’t attend a work-focussed interview. In fact she had severe mental health problems and was in the Support Group of ESA, so was excused from any stressful interviews. The Jobcentre was guilty of imposing jobseeker rules on her and had to back down.
These women’s groups have put together information on the Welfare Reform Bill and what we can do to oppose it. See: http://www.winvisible.org/BEN/Welfare_Reform_Bill_info_%20and_what_we_can_do.htm
The Workshop continued with a debate – we were 18 in all – to explain our problems, fears and hopes. Each person in the room, immigrant or born in Britain, is facing problems that call for solidarity between all sufferers, between all genders, between all races, and between all ages. Most people who are unemployed or on benefits see their social services being cut, the increasing cost of childcare and terrible threats to housing benefits, whilst all the prices go up and there are less and less jobs. People were encouraged by the information and support provided, and keen to stay in touch and work together.
Join the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group. It meets every Thursday at 3pm at the Kingsgate Community Centre, NW6. It is also worth looking up the “crossroadswomen.net” site and seek out the dynamic Crossroads Women Centre in Kentish Town, NW5.
Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group – 27.10.11
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Our upcoming workshop on the Work Capability Reassessment
Are you or anyone you know having issues with ESA and/or WORK CAPABILITY REASSESSMENT?
You are not alone.
Find out what it is all about.
• Learn how many others are affected.
• Meet other people in similar situation.
• Gain support and feel
empowered.
Struggling with health issues and being forced back into work prematurely by the
Work Capability Reassessment???
Unfair decisions and lack of support???
WE CAN HELP
Come along and hear others’ experiences and share yours.
Have some solidarity.
Lets prepare for action.
The Kilburn unemployed workers group (KUWG) says:
Oppose the work Capability Reassessment
Come to our workshop:
Thursday 20/10/11
7-9 PM
Forester Hall (part of the Tricycle Cinema)
269 Kilburn High Rd
London
NW6 7JH
Free Entry
Ellenor Hutson of SERTUC (south eastern region of the trades union congress)
to lead everyone to have a chance to have their say.
You are not alone.
Find out what it is all about.
• Learn how many others are affected.
• Meet other people in similar situation.
• Gain support and feel
empowered.
Struggling with health issues and being forced back into work prematurely by the
Work Capability Reassessment???
Unfair decisions and lack of support???
WE CAN HELP
Come along and hear others’ experiences and share yours.
Have some solidarity.
Lets prepare for action.
The Kilburn unemployed workers group (KUWG) says:
Oppose the work Capability Reassessment
Come to our workshop:
Thursday 20/10/11
7-9 PM
Forester Hall (part of the Tricycle Cinema)
269 Kilburn High Rd
London
NW6 7JH
Free Entry
Ellenor Hutson of SERTUC (south eastern region of the trades union congress)
to lead everyone to have a chance to have their say.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Con-Dems have condemned all of us
A few articles on the real effects of cuts:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/10/benefits-cap-make-children-homeless
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/sep/09/child-protection-council-spending-cuts
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/sep/09/gp-referrals-fall-stretched-nhs
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/10/benefits-cap-make-children-homeless
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/sep/09/child-protection-council-spending-cuts
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/sep/09/gp-referrals-fall-stretched-nhs
An Open Letter to ATOS
An Open Letter to Atos Healthcare
Lisa Coleman
General Manager for the DWP Contracts
Atos Healthcare
4 Triton Square
Regent's Place
London, NW1 3HG
Dear Ms Coleman,
We the undersigned are seriously concerned by the fact that Atos Healthcare, the provider of the Work Capability Assessment for sickness benefits, has threatened legal action against the Internet hosting companies of three websites which circulated letters from sickness benefit claimants - 'Carerwatch', 'After Atos' and 'Atos Register of Shame' (now relaunched as 'A### the Truth').
These websites have given members of society who are often isolated and have traditionally found it difficult to take joint action, the chance to come together and share their experiences. We find it unacceptable that a large IT company, which receives £100m per year for their assessment of claimants, has deployed their legal department against individuals or small organisations who dared to circulate people’s comments and concerns about their treatment at Atos’ hands.
As acknowledged by both the recent Harrington Report and the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the Work Capability Assessment implemented by Atos Healthcare was found to be mechanistic and Atos’ ‘medical reports’ far too often did not reflect circumstances and discussions that had taken place during the assessments (Harrington Report, pp. 40-41). In addition, ESA claimants have now been told that twelve doctors working for Atos face being struck off for improper conduct, and other members of Atos’ staff are under investigation over allegations of obscene criticism of benefit claimants.
Atos Healthcare has given assurances that the shortcomings identified by the Harrington Report are being addressed. Yet many claimants are still experiencing the distress of poor and rushed medical assessments based on Atos Healthcare’s computer programme.
Amid growing concern that Atos Healthcare is failing to raise its methods and professionalism to acceptable standards, the company is now attempting to silence those claimants and their small organisations who have had the courage to speak up. At a time when we see that major corporations such as News International are able to use the threat of legal action to hide their wrongdoings, it is important that Atos’ actions are brought to account.
It is also the case that government bodies are unable to sue for libel. Atos' argument is that they are taking legal action to protect their business reputation, but in this case they are performing the work of the DWP, and receiving public money for doing it.
For these reasons, we ask that Atos withdraw all threats of libel action, that they publicly guarantee that they will not in future use the libel laws to close down criticism of their practices, and that they make a public apology to those individuals and websites which they have tried to silence.
Yours truly
Brighton Benefits Campaign
Tony Greenstein Brighton & Hove TUC Unemployed Centre
Caroline Lucas MP
Amanda Sebestyen Writer
Paul Smith Atos Victims Group
Holly Smith (President) Brighton and Hove Trades Union Council
Brighton Keep Our NHS Public
Brighton Stop the Cuts Coalition
Brighton Disabled People Against Cuts
Ipswich Unemployed Action
Disabled People Against Cuts
False Economy
Southampton United for Pensions and Public Services
National Coalition for Independent Action
Redhill Coalition Against Cuts
Lewes Stop the Cuts
Art Uncut
DLA Help Group
The Broken of Britain
Winvisible
Suffolk Coalition for Public Services
Queer Resistance
Newport Trades Union Council
Cornwall Anti Cuts Alliance
Cornwall Disabled People Against Cuts
Oxford Save Our Services
Kilburn Unemployed Workers
Lisa Coleman
General Manager for the DWP Contracts
Atos Healthcare
4 Triton Square
Regent's Place
London, NW1 3HG
Dear Ms Coleman,
We the undersigned are seriously concerned by the fact that Atos Healthcare, the provider of the Work Capability Assessment for sickness benefits, has threatened legal action against the Internet hosting companies of three websites which circulated letters from sickness benefit claimants - 'Carerwatch', 'After Atos' and 'Atos Register of Shame' (now relaunched as 'A### the Truth').
These websites have given members of society who are often isolated and have traditionally found it difficult to take joint action, the chance to come together and share their experiences. We find it unacceptable that a large IT company, which receives £100m per year for their assessment of claimants, has deployed their legal department against individuals or small organisations who dared to circulate people’s comments and concerns about their treatment at Atos’ hands.
As acknowledged by both the recent Harrington Report and the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the Work Capability Assessment implemented by Atos Healthcare was found to be mechanistic and Atos’ ‘medical reports’ far too often did not reflect circumstances and discussions that had taken place during the assessments (Harrington Report, pp. 40-41). In addition, ESA claimants have now been told that twelve doctors working for Atos face being struck off for improper conduct, and other members of Atos’ staff are under investigation over allegations of obscene criticism of benefit claimants.
Atos Healthcare has given assurances that the shortcomings identified by the Harrington Report are being addressed. Yet many claimants are still experiencing the distress of poor and rushed medical assessments based on Atos Healthcare’s computer programme.
Amid growing concern that Atos Healthcare is failing to raise its methods and professionalism to acceptable standards, the company is now attempting to silence those claimants and their small organisations who have had the courage to speak up. At a time when we see that major corporations such as News International are able to use the threat of legal action to hide their wrongdoings, it is important that Atos’ actions are brought to account.
It is also the case that government bodies are unable to sue for libel. Atos' argument is that they are taking legal action to protect their business reputation, but in this case they are performing the work of the DWP, and receiving public money for doing it.
For these reasons, we ask that Atos withdraw all threats of libel action, that they publicly guarantee that they will not in future use the libel laws to close down criticism of their practices, and that they make a public apology to those individuals and websites which they have tried to silence.
Yours truly
Brighton Benefits Campaign
Tony Greenstein Brighton & Hove TUC Unemployed Centre
Caroline Lucas MP
Amanda Sebestyen Writer
Paul Smith Atos Victims Group
Holly Smith (President) Brighton and Hove Trades Union Council
Brighton Keep Our NHS Public
Brighton Stop the Cuts Coalition
Brighton Disabled People Against Cuts
Ipswich Unemployed Action
Disabled People Against Cuts
False Economy
Southampton United for Pensions and Public Services
National Coalition for Independent Action
Redhill Coalition Against Cuts
Lewes Stop the Cuts
Art Uncut
DLA Help Group
The Broken of Britain
Winvisible
Suffolk Coalition for Public Services
Queer Resistance
Newport Trades Union Council
Cornwall Anti Cuts Alliance
Cornwall Disabled People Against Cuts
Oxford Save Our Services
Kilburn Unemployed Workers
Friday, 9 September 2011
More obstacles for the jobseekers
Could it get any harder to find a job in London???
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14831013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14831013
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