Councillor complains that Wembley ASDA are putting residents at 'significant risk' over lack of Covid safety measures

 

Following a shopping trip to Wembley Asda with his mother last Wednesday Alperton councillor, Anton Georgiou, wrote to the store on Christmas Eve to express his concern over the non-observance of Covid safety measures:

I was horrified by what was going on in your Wembley store yesterday afternoon. I understand this is a really busy time, though we are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and we will only get through it if we all do everything possible to limit the spread of COVID. I would like to speak to the store manager ASAP as I wish to make a formal complaint.

 Asked to elaborate on his concerns he said:

I was appalled at the lack of mask wearing by customers and staff, the fact that security and staff were not helpful when I was personally threatened for asking a customer behind me with[out] a mask to step back, I was threatened and verbally abused, there is little to no social distancing in store, anti bac is not available anywhere and the store is a mess.

Asda replied that they were sorry about Antons 'unpleasant experience' and had reported the feedback to the store manager for them to act on it and prevent it from happening again.  Anton responded that he would like to speak to the manager and asked when this could be arranged.

Asda ignored the request saying that they could pass on any further comments. Anton then asked for a telephone conversation with the manager to 'discuss what exact measures the store will be putting in place to ensure the safety of residents I represent who use the store and others in Brent.'

Asda replied that as a result of the complaint the issue had been raised with the store manager. The issues raised had been taken seriously and the store would be revisiting the safety measures and initiatives outlined in a blog  https://www.asda.com/shopping-safely-with-asda .   'Thanks again for raising your concerns with us and please be assured that this has been addressed and you should see an improvement going forwards.'

So no direct contact between a local councillor and the store manager was agreed.

Cllr Georgiou told Wembley Matters:

I was appalled at what I saw in Asda Wembley last Wednesday.

With Covid cases rising locally at an alarming rate, it is crucial that supermarkets do everything possible to ensure the safety of constimers and staff. This has generally been what we have seen in supermarkets and businesses across Brent, however Asda Wembley simply aren't doing enough.

I witnesed too many people not wearing masks in store, including staff, and limited social distancing. I have tried to engage with the management directly since Thursday but have so far not heard back on tangible actions they will take.

I am extremely concerned that many Alperton residents and others in the local area who use this store are being put at significant risk. We will only be able to control the spread of the virus if everyone plays their part. I am hopeful Asda Wembley will be in touch soon on changes they will make to keep people safe.

As of yesterday Covid cases around the Forty Avenue area was 627 per 100,000 up 104 from 523 the previous week.

 

Slow Brent Council fails to act on motorists speeding along a narrow Wembley residential street - residents petition for action

 

Petitioners on Lyon Park Avenue on Sunday 13^th December copyright Paul Bambridge

 

Residents in Wembley have sent a petition to Brent Council officers and elected members demanding urgent action on traffic concerns on Lyon Park Avenue, Wembley, a very narrow residential road. The petition has been signed by over 100 locals who are alarmed at inaction by Brent Council to prevent the serious speeding and dangerous driving that occurs on their road.

 

The petition has been addressed to the Chief Executive, the Leader of The Council, the Head of Transport in Brent, Brent North MP and local ward Councillors for Wembley Central and Alperton.  This step by residents follows several months of communication with Brent Council officers who have so far refused to commit to any quick actions to alleviate the traffic issues. 

 

Lead petitioners Kay Carroll and Paul Bambridge along with local ward Councillor for Alperton, Anton Georgiou, had an online meeting with a Brent Council officer to request immediate measures before lockdown 2 ended, such as traffic enforcement and additional 20mph signs and Vehicle Activated Signs.  They discussed the traffic survey conducted by Brent Council on Lyon Park Avenue which showed 4,039 speeding vehicles on the road in just one week, some at 40 and 50mph.  

 

Brent Council blame lack of funding for their inability to act fast on residents’ concerns, so far they haven’t contacted the local police to undertake any traffic enforcement action and by the middle of December they can’t even advise how much the extra signage might cost.  

 

Lead petitioner Kay Carroll says:

 

Residents are appalled Brent Council are ignoring our pleas for urgent action regarding speeding traffic on our road. Families should feel safe where they live and when they walk their children to school. We need enforcement action and proper solutions now before there is a truly serious incident.

 

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Alperton, Anton Georgiou says:

 

I am fully supportive of residents’ calls for quick action to deal with the traffic concerns on Lyon Park Avenue. The road is used as a through route for drivers seeking to avoid Ealing Road traffic and this has meant an increase in speeding. It must also be noted this is a busy road for pedestrians and many families and children use it to walk to and from the local schools. The lack of funding argument doesn’t quite add up, surely safety must be a priority – Brent has over £129 million in CIL money, it is about time some of this is spent on urgently dealing with issues like this.

 

Call for Brent Council to review policy on high-density high-rise developments in view of Brent's high Covid19 death rate

Paul Lorber of Brent Liberal Democrats has written to Brent Council CEO regarding the new development that is planned for the Bridgewater Road site near Alperton station. LINK

The application is due to be heard at  Planning Committee tonight and Alperton Cllr Anton Georgiou will be speaking against it.

The meeting is being livestreamed 6pm tonight VIEW HERE

Paul Lorber writes:

Has Brent Council undertaken a study why the Alperton area has one of the highest death rates during the current Covid 19 emergency?

Overcrowding, lack of open spaces, overdevelopment, congested roads, low incomes, poor diet etc etc may be some of the reasons.

Brent Council cannot be responsible or be able to control all of these.

Brent Council should however stop and study evidence and listen to advice to stop making the situation worse and to mitigate the impact of future outbreaks - which may be just a few weeks away.

The first step Brent Council should do is to revise its Planning Policies and stop any more massive tower blocks with no amenity open space until such time as the Council has answers to some of the questions.

There is a 26 storey block being built in Ealing Road opposite the bus garage. A massive block is coming on the opposite side by the Canal. There is talk of another massive development on the side of the Bus Garage - this on top of everything that has been built already.

Tonight the Planning Committee is considering a development including a 19 storey block at the back of the Alperton Garage around the corner in Bridgewater Road. This is another over development with no car parking with as much being squeezed in as possible to help the developer and  boost the Council's CIL and new homes bonus pot. I think the death toll in Alperton should now be a factor which should influence the Council thinking as to whether these types of highrise monsters are a good or safe option for the future.

At times like these there is a need for decisive leadership. I think you should now recommend to the Council that the policy of massive highrise and excessive densities of new build needs to be reviewed in view of the Covid 19 crises and the excessive number of deaths in parts of Brent. 

I trust that you will take action before it is too late.

I am copying the chair and vice chair of Planning as I think they should consider deferring the Alperton Planning application before them this evening.

Cllr Georgiou spearheads campaign to get IT home learning equipment to refugee students during Covid19 crisis

Cllr Anton Georgiou, Liberal Democrat councillor for Alperton ward,  is leading a campaign to persuade the Department for Education to equip refugee and ESOL students with IT equipment for home learning during the current coronavirus shut down.

In a letter to Secretary of State, Gavin Williamson, Georgiou and his fellow signatories state:

We welcome the initiative that has been taken by central Government to supply the most vulnerable students with computer equipment to facilitate home learning in the coming weeks. However, we would like to see this extended to other vulnerable groups too. 

For example, we are concerned that young refugee and ESL students are being allowed to slip through the net. We are seeing in our communities, and also through anecdotal evidence provided by organisations like Young Roots and Refugee Support Network, that this group of young people are not being provided with the support they need at this time. Although their need for computer equipment is great and they have a social worker, they do not meet the specific criteria set by central Government. 

There are also young people, refugees and asylum seekers aged 19 to 25 who are in further and higher education, but do not have access to computer equipment to enable them to engage in online learning, because they are currently not eligible. It is critical that those who need help get it. We need to ensure that students who already face acute challenges in performing at the same level as some of their peers do not fall further behind, thus widening the attainment gap in our schools, colleges and universities. 

We are calling on the Government to make a concerted effort over the coming weeks to ensure that this much- needed computer equipment reaches these vulnerable groups who are currently not eligible.

Although a Liberal Democrat initiative  I am sure many Wembley Matters readers, irrespective of party, will support this call.

The letter can be read in full HERE

Brent Council found 'no cause for concern' at Bakkavor's Brent premises before conditions hit national headlines

The situation at Bakkavor's factories has hit the national news after the boss was filmed threatening workers who go sick with the sack. In the video he also admits that they 'we can't social distance in there' (the factory).

The firm supplied  Tesco, Sainsbury's Marks and Spencer and Waitrose amongst others.
 
Cllr Anton Georgiou, received this account by Brent Regulatory Services, on March 30th after he had raised concerns from his Alperton residents about the situation at Bakkavor sites in Brent:

A member of my team, visited these premises - Bakkavor (2 sites) this afternoon and confirmed that the business is following GOV.UK COVID-19 guidance. Below is a summary for your information:

“Bakkavor, 40, Cumberland Avenue.

Visit carried out unannounced. Had to sign in at security and besides filling in the usual visitors guest form and additional form specific to Coronavirus. Any visitor, driver or other person wanting to enter the site has to complete this questionnaire. On arriving at the reception I had to complete the full medical questionnaire (as standards for most high-risk food manufacturers) Technical Manager on site, site manager and health and safety manager present for brief outline of unannounced visit and scope of inspection.

I choose the areas that I wanted to enter and spoke to a number of staff, again which I selected, to ensure that employees were interviewed at random and not selected by management. I asked each staff member a number of questions, specific to the complaint that employees were forced to work even when unwell, or had been in self-isolation, or had relatives in their household who had symptoms/diagnosed with COVID-19. None of the employees said they, or any other staff they knew had been forced to work when unwell.

They knew the guidelines of Bakkavor’s COVID-19 procedure broadly and said if unwell, or a member of household would be unwell to report sick and self-isolate. During my visit I found good standards of social distancing wherever possible. In the staff canteen signs were displayed on each table to ‘sit separately and keep social distance’, which seemed to be adhered to.

Bakkavor (Katsouris Fresh Food) 267, Abbeydale Road.

Similar to the above

Visit carried out unannounced. Had to sign in at security and besides filling in the usual visitors guest form and additional form specific to Coronavirus. Any visitor, driver or other person wanting to enter the site has to complete this questionnaire. Met with Technical Manager on and briefly outlined of unannounced visit and scope of inspection.

I choose the areas that I wanted to enter and spoke to a number of staff, again which I selected, to ensure that employees were interviewed at random and not selected by management. I asked each staff member a number of questions, specific to the complaint that employees were forced to work even when unwell, or had been in self-isolation, or had relatives in their household who had symptoms/diagnosed with COVID-19. None of the employees said they, or any other staff they knew had been forced to work when unwell.

Staff were aware of Bakkavor’s COVID-19 procedure broadly and said if unwell, or a member of household would be unwell to report sick and self-isolate. During my visit I found good standards of social distancing wherever possible. In the staff canteen signs were displayed on each table to ‘sit separately and keep social distance’, which seemed to be adhered to.

I did not find any cause for concern at the time of my visit. Senior Enforcement Officer

One of the premises is in London Borough of Ealing and we have alerted them regarding concerns raised here in Brent.

The 'wherever possible' qualification is open to interpretation.

In a statement on its website London GMB said:

GMB has been provided with shocking video footage, from a management briefing at Bakkavor Meals London, where workers were told  "You can't socially distance here"  and managers displayed total disregard to the statement made by the TUC Joint Council, HSE and the CBI which makes clear that Employers ​,who remain open during the current crisis, must guarantee safe working conditions and minimise the risk of workers being exposed to COVID 19.

The statement from the TUC Joint Council, HSE and CBI  warned that employers who do not comply with the latest Public Health England guidance, including by not introducing social distancing measures, face being hit with enforcement notices and potential closure.

During the briefing a Bakkavor manager tells workers they have to "Keep Tesco happy or we won’t have jobs" and he is clearly failing to accept the responsibility Bakkavor should have for its staff. The footage shows Bakkavor's essential workers being told 150 jobs had already been lost and that there could be further losses and "those who didn't bother turning up would be the first to go"

Andre Marques GMB Organiser said:

GMB London is calling for urgent action to be taken to protect the safety of workers at Bakkavor Meals, including the immediate introduction of social distancing and proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The footage seen by GMB, shows a Manager demonstrating how to put on a snood to keep their mouths covered but worryingly this is not proper PPE, as defined by the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation 2002, and also the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992. Bakkavor workers were told to wash their snoods at least once a week and dry it on the radiator. This is not acceptable. 

There is absolutely no excuse for any Employer to be putting their staff at such risk and no excuse for not complying with the COVID-19 guidance.
 
GMB will not tolerate any employer bullying and threatening our Members. Bakkavor has displayed, in this video, disregard for process and disrespect for its employees. Bakkavor has now exposed that job losses will potentially be unfair dismissals and GMB will ensure any affected Members will supported and protected.
 
Bakkavor Meals London is a multi-million pound company who provide ready meals to Tesco, Sainsbury's and M&S and these essential workers deserve to be treated with respect and provided with a safe working environment and proper PPE.

The GMB is calling for temporary enhanced sick pay during the crisis to ensure employees do not suffer financial hardship if they need to self-isolate.   They are calling for re-organisation of production methods, even if that slows down production, and to ensure social distancing is in place in the canteen, other common areas and exit and entry points.

Contact details for new councillors in Alperton, Barnhill and Wembley Central

By-elections over it's time to put our new councillors to work.  Here are their contact details.

Cllr Anton Georgiou (Alperton)
Correspondence address: 
c/o Liberal Democrat Office
Brent Civic Centre
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ
Email:  cllr.anton.georgiou@brent.gov.uk
Mobile:  07436704463 

Cllr Gaynor Lloyd (Barnhill)

Correspondence address: 
c/o Labour Group Office
Brent Civic Centre
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ
Email:  Cllr.gaynor.lloyd@brent.gov.uk
Mobile:  07436704476 

Cllr Mansoor Akram (Barnhill)
Correspondence address: 
c/o Labour Group Office
Brent Civic Centre
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ
Email:  cllr.mansoor.akram@brent.gov.uk
Mobile:  07436704480 

Cllr Sonia Shah (Wembley Central)
Correspondence address: 
c/o Labour Group Office
Brent Civic Centre
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ
Email:  Cllr.sonia.shah@brent.gov.uk
Mobile:  07436704517

Is caste an issue in the General Election in Brent and Harrow?

A consultation is currently going on regarding caste discrimination in Britain and possible inclusion in the Equalites Act. Operation Dharmic Vote LINK is operating behind the scenes to back candidates who are opposed to anti-caste discrimination legislation. This is what they say:

Please take a few minutes to understand some very serious consequences of the caste legislation and case law. For the GE17 election, the Dharmic community needs to vote in large numbers and strategically. Political Party alliances and affiliations need to be set aside. Labour, LibDems, Greens and all the nationalist parties have supported caste legislation bare the odd MP in these parties. As you will see ALL the Prospective Parliamentary Candidates who have signed up are Conservative. Please note Operation Dharmic Vote is not being an agent of the Conservative party, as our analysis and rational for supporting the independent Candidate in Leicester demonstrates.

A Government Equalities Office report gives some background to the issue LINK.  Uma Kumaran, formerly Labour candidate for Harrow East in 2015, recently called out Bob Blackman for the divide and rule tactics based on caste politics used in the 2015 campaign.  She felt she could not expose her family to the stress caused by such campaigning by standing again LINK.

Campaign materials are downloadable from the Operation Dharmic Vote site

Locally Conservative candidates Rahoul Bhansali (Brent Central), Ameet Jogia (Brent North) Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Hannah David (Harrow West), Matthew Offord (Hendon) and Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green) have backed Operation Dharmic Vote's campaign to withhold legislative protection for the UK's 250,000 Dalits (untouchables).

Brent resident Sujata Aurora said:  

Caste discrimination is endemic within parts of the Hindu and Sikh communities in the UK - there have been instances of doctors refusing to give medical treatment to Dalits and others where Dalit couples have been refused venues for weddings. It is a discrimination which remains largely hidden to wider society and its defence is usually cloaked as a way of preserving traditions. We have laws against discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexuality and disability and it is frankly appalling that some candidates in this election are seeking to prevent the implementation of laws against caste discrimination. Voters should question their candidates about their stance on this issue and ask why, in 2017, it is legally acceptable to treat Dalits as inferior subhumans.

Green Party candidate for Harrow East, Emma Wallace recalled the 2015 election:

When I stood as Green candidate in Harrow East in 2015 I could not believe that Bob Blackman and his team had employed such a religiously divisive tactic as 'divide and rule' caste politics to ensure that he retained his seat.  It was especially shocking in light of the fact that Bob Blackman had been elected to represent all his constituents since 2010, in what is the most ethnically and religiously diverse constituency in the country.  It is beyond reprehensible that there are a number of candidates standing in this election backing a campaign to prevent legislation that protects caste members from discrimination. There is absolutely no place for caste discrimination in the UK. 

Liberal Democrat candidate for Brent Central, Anton Georgiou said:

My party's constitution is unequivocal, it says, we exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society in which no one shall be enslaved by ignorance or conformity. Caste discrimination does not belong in the UK's modern society. I am disturbed that some candidates in this election are supporting efforts to maintain it and prevent legislation that would ensure Dalits are treated as equals in our community. Brent's representatives should be leading the way to end this discrimination, not seeking to safeguard it.

Jaiya Shah (Chair Harrow Council for Justice) and Dr Pravin Shah (Coordinator Harrow Monitoring Group) have issued a joint statement on Bob Blackman's candidature  LINK

We can’t support Bob Blackman because we strongly believe that an MP should represent all constituents on equal footing without taking sides, stirring up religious emotions for votes and dividing the communities in the process.

Brent Central candidates have their say on the school funding issue

With some hustings cancelled due to the Manchester incident last night was one of the few chances to hear from Brent Central's General Election candidates.

It was a sometime rumbustious meeting but well chaired by Lucy Cox with Labour supporters in the majority. I am afraid my camera work is very shaky as a result from being fresh out of hospital and failed completely when the Ukip candidiate began to speak. My apologies.

This extract focuses on school funding which is very much the question of the moment although of course the purpose and focus of education is also a matter of debate.

I will be publishing more of what Shaka Lish the Green Party had to say on the Brent Green Party blog LINK