KUWG leaflet North Ken Jcp, Wednesday 8 October for Boycott Workfare Week of Action

North Kensington Jcp, Quayside House Kensal Road, W10 5BL: 12pm-1pm & 3pm-4pm

KUWG Congress House demo, Mon 6 Oct, 1-2pm, kicks off KUWG's input to Boycott Workfare Week of Action

Mon 6 oct 1 - 2 pm, TUC Congress House

23-28 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3LS

(nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road)

Then 3 - 4 pm at CBI, 78 Cannon St, London EC4N 6HN (tube: Bank)

On Mon 6 Oct, we are finally holding our first protest during Boycott Workfare’s week of action: http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=3736

It first started on 1 Aug. That’s when the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Confederation of British Industries (CBI) jointly announced, under the guise of “traineeships”, to back workfare! [1]

Even unionised Jobcentre staff (members of Public & Commercial Services Union, PCS) have publicly condemned this deal:

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/tuc-statement-on-traineeships-condemned

Because instead of demanding decent wages, TUC & CBI will supply McDonalds, Toyota, Virgin Media, BT, Vodafone, Phones4U, Siemens, Capita, local councils & many more [2] with unpaid staff for up to 6 months on benefits alone [3] without any obligations to hire them!

How much leave will, say,  billionaire Sir Richard Branson of Virgin give his slave labour? Branson profits through workfare and networking at taxpayer's expense, treating a throughput of 'work experience' fodder as slave labour and treating staff of his throwaway companies as easily expendable. How Virgin Healthy is that?

Knowing first hand how unemployed people get harassed into workfare, get declined lunch & travel expenses to such workfares, get sanctioned or threatened with sanctions either during workfares or if they oppose them, we know that, no matter how much TUC denies this, TUC is now backing Workfare!

Join our protest to end this shoddy deal with Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group (KUWG) - many of whom are members of Unite Community Union.

Mon 6 oct 1 - 2 pm, TUC Congress House

23-28 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3LS

(nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road)

Then 3 - 4 pm at CBI, 78 Cannon St, London EC4N 6HN (tube: Bank)

We demand from TUC:

• Terminate Traineeship deal with CBI & make it public!
• Always consult your unemployed members before making decisions over our heads.
• Don’t get involved in any workplace negotiations unless real wages & decent working conditions are offered. 

Link to Danny Dorling's New Statesman article 'Generation Jobless'

We demand from CBI:

• Terminate Traineeships & make it public!
• Offer real jobs at decent wages & working conditions, not “work experience placements”.
• End corporate scrounging - stop exploiting the young & unemployed at tax payers’ expense!  

[1] http://www.tuc.org.uk/industrial-issues/skills-policy/tuc-and-cbi-agree-joint-statement-traineeships

http://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2014/08/tuc-and-cbi-agree-joint-statement-on-traineeships/

[2] Download “List of eligible providers for the traineeship programme” here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traineeships-eligible-providers

[3] See pages 25 - 26 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/279752/operational_traineeship_supplementary_information.pdf

Unite Community events in and around London, early October 2014

From Unite the Union Community Section, London

Below are some of the events Unite Community members are involved with over the coming weeks. We are putting together a paper newsletter.

As always, it is great to see the developing work of Unite Community activists, that we are leading on or supporting in the wider movement, whether on Social Security, Housing, the NHS, TTIP and Mental Health. Please get in touch with Pilgrim and Robin if you want to get more involved or get things going in your area.

This month is Black History Month and attached is schedule of events that have been organised by The London and Eastern Region of Unite

Have a good weekend,

Pilgrim Tucker, Robin Sivapalan and Tony Winchester

Robin and Pilgrim can be contacted postally at
Unite Community Coordinator
Ron Todd House
33-37 Moreland Street
London EC1V 8BB
Tel: 020 8800 4281

 

Support Rev Paul Nicolson at the High Court: Legal challenge vs extortionate court costs added to Council Tax bills

Tuesday 7 October, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand (off Kingsway), London WC2A 2LL

9.30am -- Vigil outside

10.30am – one-hour court hearing. The more of us the judges see in the public gallery, the better!

Rev Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty is valiantly refusing to pay his Council Tax to Haringey, and is ready to go to jail because he objects to the poorest people being unfairly targeted.  This hearing seeks a judicial review of the Tottenham magistrates who repeatedly refused to tell him at his council tax hearing in August 2013, how they arrived at £125 costs for a summons to late and non-payers of council tax. (Swheatie adds: for more info on this, see Revd Paul Nicolson's Taxpayers Against Poverty blog posting Tottenham Magistrates asleep on the job...)

Sanctions Centres or Job Centres?: Day of Action, part of the Boycott Workfare Week of Action

The Unite Community Job Centre activists group agreed to hold a day of action on Wednesday 8^th October at different Job Centres — postcode link text gives links to map locations:

So far we have confirmed:

Barnsbury Job Centre, 1 Barnsbury Road, N1 0EX: 11am-1pm

Hendon Job Centre, Crown Building. 10 Finchley Lane, NW4 1DP: 9am – 3pm

North Kensington Job Centre, Quayside House Kensal Road, W10 5BL: 12pm-1pm & 3pm-4pm

Walthamstow Job Centre, Dansom House 656a Forest Road, E17 3SH: 9am-11am

Wood Green Job Centre, Granta House 1 Western Road, N22 6UU: 9am-12pm

The next Job Centre activists’ meeting is at 3pm, Tuesday 7^th October, Unite regional office, 37-39 Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB. Materials for the day of action can be collected from there. If you want to set up a protest/leafleting on sanctions at your job centre, please get in touch with Robin on 07860 955 361 / robin.sivapalan@unitetheunion.org

For details of other events during the Boycott Workfare Week of Action see http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=3736

No to MPIPM

The No to MPIPM public meeting on 16^th of September at Unite HQ was a great event, attended by representatives of dozens of live housing campaigns in London and beyond. Our Unite Regional Secretary Pete Kavanagh spoke, committing Unite’s support to the campaign. There’s a lot to be done to organise and promote the actions and events Wednesday 15^th October -1 Friday 17^th October. Please contact Robin if you want to get involved. The latest newsletter from the Radical Housing Network can be found here, including an update on the inspiring E15 Mothers campaign on the Carpenters Estate:   

http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9aa3abe72ff7ca4ad4f1cb9cc&id=143f17fda8&e=c86250a409

Student Workers:

We will be launching an initiative for our student-worker Unite Community members at the RHB Cinema, Goldsmiths University at 6pm, Thursday October 16^th.

Initially we will be training student-worker members in basic employment rights advice and will be holding weekly drop in sessions for student-workers based in campuses in NW, Central and SE London.

Speakers include;

Owen Jones (Author)

Pete Kavanagh (Regional Unite Secretary)

Shelly Asquith (President of SU Arts)

https://www.facebook.com/events/1558709464350952/

Boycott Workfare BBQ Fri Sept 19, @ London Action Resource Centre, 62 Fieldgate St, E1 1ES, from 7pm

From Izzy Koksal

Just to confirm that the BW BBQ will be happening next Friday 19th September from 7pm on the LARC rooftop. Do invite people in your groups who aren't on this email list.

Look forward to seeing you there! Izzy

facebook event here https://www.facebook.com/events/898040120225526/

Come to the Boycott Workfare 'summer' BBQ!

Friday 19th September from 7pm at London Action Resource Centre, 62 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, London, E1 1ES. (Nearest tubes Aldgate East and Whitechapel). 

Join us on the LARC roof for the annual BW BBQ! Everyone (who hates workfare) welcome, especially if you're interested in getting involved in the campaign.
There'll be good food, music, action planning for our next week of action (4th-12th October), and non-workfare related conversations!

Bring yourself, your friends and whatever you'd like to drink.

We look forward to seeing you there!