KUWG outing to Barnsbury Jobcentre

Report by Pambles of the KUWG

KUWG was here!

Swheatie, CJ and I (Pambles) joined Mike, Lindsay and Howard of UNITE COMMUNITY's Camden & Islington Branch to speak with claimants as well as asking them to fill questionnaire. We met a woman whose work history involves music and woodworking, so naturally JCP [JobCentre Plus] want her to stack shelves or do bit of cleaning.

Showing hope, showing caring

       A lady on WRAG [Work-Related Activity Group of Employment & Support Allowance claimants] told CJ she is desperate to get onto the Support Group [where she cannot be hassled in 'work-related activity. Swheatie suspects that that was the lady who went to the Jobcentre with a helper and the support of a crutch. She looked very troubled on entering and leaving the Jobcentre, and was chased after by one of the staff who said, "You left your bag behind," which he then handed her.] 

C&I Unite Community survey and KUWG banner and budget box

      CJ also heard that a man with one remaining lung (the other having been removed) was taken from ESA [Employment & Support Allowance] and had to apply for JSA [JobSeekers Allowance] as he is not sick if he has one lung. Rumours that Kuwg has his other lung are untrue. A very sweet lady came up to me and said we did good work. She told me of how she was lucky enough to have good support from 3 organisations and after a year her benefits got sorted and with the backpay she went to Dorset. Very nice.

Pambles and Swheatie with their collective handiwork

Empty box, not empty rhetoric

      Here are the photos of Kuwg in the very civilised [area of] Islington. [Swheatie suspects that it is in either Caledonian Ward or Barnsbury Ward.]

Cracking apart? Call on KUWG and Unite Community for help!

PS. One claimant announced to us that English people are useless — to which Swheatie responded with, "Including you?" that Swheatie can be a bit on the tangy side.

Unite Community London events, September 2014

From Pilgrim Tucker of Unite Community

Here's some important info and dates for your diary, please do come along to these events, get involved with what we are doing, and meet others locally who are in similar circumstances and concerned with similar issues:

Weds 10th September 10am-11am: leafleting at Barnsbury Jobcentre in Islington

Thurs 11th September 11am-Noon: Action against Sanctions at Kentish Town Jobcentre

Thurs 11th September 7pm: Unite Community London Activists meeting. Unite regional office 33-37 Moreland Street, London, EC1V 8BB

Tuesday 16th September 10am-11am: leafleting at Barnsbury Jobcentre, 1 Barnsbury Road, N1 0EX London, which is in LB Islington. (Nearest stations: Angel tube and Caledonian Road & Barnsbury overground.)

Tuesday 16th September 7pm: Meeting on UK housing crisis and 'no to MIPIM' campaign, with speaker including Pete Kavanagh, Unite London and Eastern Regional Secretary and London-wide housing activists. Unite Head Office, 128 Theobald's Road, Holborn, London WC1X 8TN. http://radicalhousingnetwork.org/say-no-to-mipimp-2014/

Friday 19th September 12 Noon-2pm: Camden and Islington Unite Community Branch Meeting. Unite regional office, 33-37 Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB. Refreshments provided. These meetings will not tak place on the 3rd Friday of each month from 12-2 at Unite regional office.

Tuesday 30th September 9am-12 Noon: (approx times tbc): Solidarity action for workers at Crown packaging Canada, at the Design Centre in Islington. Workers have been on strike for almost 12 monts over draconian pay cuts and the attempted elimination of th union's physical presence from the workplace. More details to follow. http://www.takebacksnomore.ca/

And a heads up for some events in October:

Monday 13th October 12 Noon-2pm: Event — How are unemployed people being treated at jobcentres in Islington? What can we do about it? Barnsbury Community centre, Islington. More details to follow.

Weds 15th & Fri 17th: Protest at MIPIM conference, Olympia: http://radicalhousingnetwork.org/say-no-to-mipim-2014/

Saturday 18th October: TUC demonstration, Central London: http://www.tuc.org.uk/economic-issues/britain-needs-payrise-tuc-national-demonstration-18-ocotber-2014

Please like the Camden and Islington Unite Communityfacebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/CamdenAndIslingtonUniteCommunityUnion

Look forward to seeing you at some of these activities.

best wishes

Pilgrim

Unite Community Coordinator, London and Eastern Region