Government 'shutdown of local democratic space' condemned

War on Want has issued the following statement regarding the  Newcastle City Council motion on local authority pennions and procurement policy:
 

War on Want welcomes the news that Newcastle City Council has voted to approve a motion opposing the government’s latest attack on local democracy.

The motion was passed unanimously, with full cross party support, at a recent council meeting. It is now official Newcastle City Council policy.

In November 2015, the government announced a proposal to block local councils from deciding how to invest their pension funds. Under the new plan, the government will have the power to veto investment decisions made locally on ethical grounds concerning human rights, arms trade, fossil fuels and much else.

Councillor Mick Bowman, North Heaton ward, said: 

This vindictive and ideologically motivated proposal, reminiscent of the­­­ notorious Clause 28 introduced by the Tories in 1988, is a blanket attempt to prevent local councils from having an ethical procurement and pensions investment policy.

Newcastle is a city with a proud commitment to human rights and many local councillors are active in social justice campaigns, including the movement for justice for Palestine, and we are determined to do whatever we can to block this proposal.

Ryvka Barnard, Senior Militarism and Security Campaigner at War on Want, said:

Newcastle City Council is fighting back, as are councils across the country, rightly concerned by the government’s attack on democracy and local decision making.

So much for George Osborne’s so called ‘devolution revolution’. The government’s action has consistently failed to match its rhetoric when it comes to localism and devolving power. This plan amounts to a shutdown of local democratic space and is a dangerous threat to the growing power of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which aims to end UK complicity in Israel’s abuses of Palestinian human rights.

Over 10,000 people have responded to the government consultation, rejecting the proposal.
The ‘Protect Local Democracy’ campaign, initiated by War on Want, has been endorsed by a broad range of groups concerned with the human rights and environmental implications of the proposal. UNISON has also expressed concern that the proposal will deny pension scheme members their right to have their pension funds invested in their best interests.

Newcastle City LP member calls for Brent to follow their lead on ethical procurement

Message from a Labour Party member in Newcastle on the Ethical Procurement Motion covered in an earlier blog

Some great news: our Ethical Procurement and Pensions Investment motion has now been passed by Newcastle City Council - passed overwhelmingly at Wednesday night's council meeting - so is now council policy to campaign against the changes being proposed by the Tories.

If you can do whatever you can via your Labour Party contacts in Brent and surrounding boroughs to push it down there and get Labour groups to adopt the motion and take it to their respective councils that would be great.

The motion as Passed by Newcastle City Council

Response to Government’s attack on a Councils’ right to follow an ethical policy in relation to procurement and Pensions Fund investments

Council notes with alarm the recent statement from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) confirming that new guidelines will be introduced early in the New Year which will curb councils’ powers to divest from or stop trading with organisations or countries they regard as unethical.

Council further notes that the new guidelines, which will amend Pensions and Procurement law, follow on from the government’s announcement made at the beginning of October 2015 that it was planning to introduce new rules to stop “politically motivated boycott and divestment campaigns” (Greg Clarke, Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government).

Council recognises that the focus of these new measures may be on procurement and investment policies and that they may have profound implications for Councils’ ethical investment policies more generally.

Newcastle City Council is proud of its’ commitment to human rights and to putting this into practice through such measures as an ethical approach to its relationship with business as outlined under  Newcastle’s Social Value Commitment.

Council believes that the proposed measures now being outlined by the DCLG will seriously undermine the Council’s ability to implement its commitment to ethical procurement and pensions investments.

Council also notes that the new guidelines represent a further, serious attack on local democracy and decision-making through a further restriction on councils’ powers. This is directly contrary to the government’s own stated commitment to the principle of localism, given a statutory basis by the Localism Act of 2011, which holds that local authorities are best able to do their job when they have genuine freedom to respond to what local people want, not what they are told to do by government.

Newcastle City Council therefore resolves to take all legal measures possible to oppose these new measures, including:

·       Writing to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to express Council’s unequivocal opposition to the proposed changes as part of the consultation

·       Working with any other local authority, the NECA, the LGA or other appropriate forums as well other partner organisations (such as local trade unions and community groups) who share these concerns to raise awareness of the implications of the proposed measures and to campaign against their introduction

Newcastle City Council reaffirms its commitment to an ethical basis to its procurement and pensions investment policy.

Could Brent Labour follow Newcastle's lead on ethical procurement?

Brent Council during the apartheid era took action over severing links with companies that benefited from South African contracts.  More recently they declined to take similar action regarding the Public Realm contract with Veolia which at the time was providing infrastructure support to illegal settlements in Palestine.

Now the government is seeking to curtail the powers of local councils to have an ethical pesnions and procurement policy.

Newcastle City Labour Party has passed the following motion unanimously and expect to get it through Full Council.

I hope that Brent Labour group will take a similar stand.

Here is the motion which could easily be adapted for Brent:

Response to Government’s attack on a Councils’ right to follow an ethical policy in relation to procurement and Pensions Fund investments

Council notes with alarm the recent statement from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) confirming that new guidelines will be introduced early in the New Year which will curb councils’ powers to divest from or stop trading with organisations or countries they regard as unethical.

Council further notes that the new guidelines, which will amend Pensions and Procurement law, follow on from the government’s announcement made at the beginning of October 2015 that it was planning to introduce new rules to stop “politically motivated boycott and divestment campaigns” (Greg Clarke, Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government).

Council recognises that the focus of these new measures may be on procurement and investment policies and that they may have profound implications for Councils’ ethical investment policies more generally.

Newcastle City Council is proud of its’ commitment to human rights and to putting this into practice through such measures as an ethical approach to its relationship with business as outlined under  Newcastle’s Social Value Commitment.

Council believes that the proposed measures now being outlined by the DCLG will seriously undermine the Council’s ability to implement its commitment to ethical procurement and pensions investments.

Council also notes that the new guidelines represent a further, serious attack on local democracy and decision-making through a further restriction on councils’ powers. This is directly contrary to the government’s own stated commitment to the principle of localism, given a statutory basis by the Localism Act of 2011, which holds that local authorities are best able to do their job when they have genuine freedom to respond to what local people want, not what they are told to do by government.

Newcastle City Council therefore resolves to take all legal measures possible to oppose these new measures, including:

·      Writing to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to express Council’s unequivocal opposition to the proposed changes as part of the consultation

·      Working with any other local authority, the NECA, the LGA or other appropriate forums as well other partner organisations (such as local trade unions and community groups) who share these concerns to raise awareness of the implications of the proposed measures and to campaign against their introduction

Newcastle City Council reaffirms its commitment to an ethical basis to its procurement and pensions investment policy.

Firefighters are human too-support our strike for fairness

As firefighters strike again today this open letter to the public sets out their case. Higher retirement ages for teachers ansd firefighters are examples of decisions made on the basis of accountancy rather than the realities of the job.LINK

Dear Citizen of the United Kingdom,

It is with a heavy heart that I feel I have to write to you. I am a Firefighter and I feel it’s my duty to explain to you why I have chosen to take Industrial Action. This I’m afraid is the only option I have left. I have spent my working life serving you. I have seen and done things that nobody should ever have to, but I do it and live with the scars because I am Firefighter, it’s what I do. I am there when you need me the most, willing to lay my life on the line to help you and your family in your darkest hour.  I am not a hero, in fact I resent that title. I am a human being just like you, only a human who has dedicated their life to train and train and train again for any situation. Who has fought through heat and smoke to be there when you need me the most. Who has studied for hours numerous cars to know the best way to cut you free. Who has swum in icy lakes to save you from drowning.  This is to name but a few.  I don’t do it for thanks, I don’t do it for praise, I don’t do it for money,  I do it because I am a Firefighter. It’s what I do. The only thing I ask, which I never thought I’d have to, is to be treated fairly and with respect.

The current Government have decided that since the financial crisis, people like me will have to pay for it. People who are easy targets.  This not only includes nurses, teachers, police, ambulance staff and other essential  services, but people who rely on benefits through no fault of their own to survive. We continue to be penalised while the real crooks get away with it. The Government have decided my future and I must accept whatever decision they seem fit.  No negotiation, no looking at any evidence provided, just dictating what I must concede to.  This I can not do.  It is not in my nature to lie down and accept what is unfair and unjust.  I am a Firefighter, the clue is in my title, I will fight for what I feel is right just as much as I would fight for you or your family’s life.

This weekend sees 96 hours of Industrial Action been taken all over England. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, Industrial Action will be avoided as negotiations have taken place and the relevant authorities have seen sense in sitting round a table and compromising to find a solution.  I am bitterly disappointed that the current Conservative Government, particularly Eric Pickles along with the current Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt  and former Fire Minister Brandon Lewis, think so little of us that this has not been an option.

It has become apparent that members of the public think that I am asking for more pension and more pay. This is certainly not the case, even if the Government let you believe this.  I am not asking for a single penny more.  Just what I signed up to and what I was told I was guaranteed.  The Government have started to lay new pension regulations which will be unattainable for many Firefighters’. The Fire Brigade Union has plenty of evidence to back this up*. In my 50’s, I will be asked to take a fitness test which hasn’t been laid out in writing, so I have no idea what it will involve. If I fail the unknown test I will face the choice of dismissal or a heavily reduced pension.  A decision I feel is immoral for just getting older.  The Government are also taking more pension contributions for longer and then paying out less.  This is unacceptable without any negotiation. The last time I checked we were in a Democracy, not a Dictatorship. My message to the Government is simple. Negotiate with us, don’t put us in a situation where we have no choice but to strike.  It’s not fair on Firefighters or the Public.  You have a responsibility to all of us.  Take it seriously.  This is not a game.

Please do not think that the decision to take Industrial Action has been taken lightly. It pains me that this has been our only option and even now the Government refuse to negotiate.  I wish for no lives to be endangered, but this is only the beginning of our fight.  More cuts are to come.  You will have less and less Firefighters, less and less Fire Stations.  Fire Engines are becoming a thing of the past as 4×4’s and even Mini’s are being used.  I hope that you can support me in this time of need and put pressure on your MP to challenge the way that I have been treated and the way the future looks for your Fire and Rescue Service.  The Government will try to tell you Fires are a thing of the past.  This is not true.  We still face overwhelmingly difficult fires on a daily basis across the UK.  The Government however fail to tell you that flooding has significantly increased. They fail to tell you how the Fire and Rescue Service have had to face new threats with Terrorism as 7/7 showed. We face new challenges with more and more chemicals that are used in the modern world.  The Government don’t tell you that much of what I do isn’t in my ‘role map’ but I do it voluntary so I can deal with anything thrown at me. We may be called Firefighters, but fires are only the start of it.

I implore you to speak to your MP and tell them your feelings. You can find them here http://findyourmp.parliament.uk.   Go out and show your support on the picket lines. Speak to a Firefighter, they will be happy to answer any questions you have.  We need you!  Help us to stand up for the future of not only ourselves, but the future of the Fire and Rescue Service in England.
Thank you for reading.

Yours sincerely

A Firefighter of England.
* http://www.fbu.org.uk/

Brent Green Party backs today's public sector strike

A message to all the public sector unions striking today

On behalf of the Green Party of England and Wales, we would like to express our solidarity with you in your struggle for decent, secure work and fair pay and working conditions.

We believe that public sector workers provide excellent and vital service to our country, and that our public services represent a very significant part of the true wealth of this nation.

The public sector in the UK has, for decades, been systematically attacked. Workers are bearing the brunt of this, and are being expected to pay the price for an economic crisis not of their making.

We recognise that going on strike is the option of last resort, and that the decisions to do so have not been taken lightly. We sincerely hope that this co-ordinated action succeeds in defending your jobs, pay, and working conditions.

With very best wishes,

Brent Green Party

Why the Green Party should support the March 26th teachers' strike

At our recent Spring Conference the Green Party adopted the following policy on Teachers as a section of our Education Policy:

Teachers are the key resource within the education system. They neeed first class initial preparation, continuing professional development and appropriate salaries.

Every teacher should be taught by a teacher with Qualified Teacher Status and Principals and Headteachers of state funded schools should have QTS.

A Green government will work with the teaching unions to reverse the process by which teachers have gradually been deskilled and their professional autonomy eroded and will review pension arrangements and retirement age with them.

The Green Party opposes the introduction of performance related pay in education.

The Spring Conference also adopted policy on the abolition of SATs and a new partnership body to replace Ofsted. Our existing curriculum policy gives a broad entitlement but leaves detail to be devised by schools according to their local circumstances. Conference backed calls for local authorities to have the right to build new local authority schools in areas oif increased demand for school places.

On 26th March, members the National Union of Teachers will take national strike action.The strike is part of the campaign by teachers to protect pay, pensions and to ensure a workload that means children receive the best possible teaching. The strike follows a series of regional strikes in the autumn, which were very well supported and saw teachers getting a lot of support from parents.

Members of the NUT are concerned that government changes will have a damaging effect on education, these include:

•            Teachers working until they are 68 or beyond

•            Increasing pension contributions by 50% and reducing the pension package

•            Introducing performance related pay

Recent figures published by the government show that teachers in primary schools are working 60 hours a week – the NUT believes that this is too much and is one of the reasons why so many young teachers are leaving the profession.

In addition to this strike action the NUT has launched a major campaign, Stand Up for Education, through which teachers are fighting to ensure that:

Every classroom in every school has a qualified teacher

Local authorities can open new schools where needed

Changes to the curriculum and exams are positive and well planned

New teachers are encouraged into the profession

Schools work together and are properly and equitably funded

The NUT claim that the Stand Up for Education campaign has been getting huge support from parents and politicians all over the country who share the NUT’s concerns about government education policy.

Locally  Brent NUT Secretary, Lesley Gouldbourne, said:

Teacher workload is unsustainable and the thought of doing the job until 68 is driving many away from the job. Teacher morale is at dangerously low levels. Children need teachers who are fresh and well motivated not tired and demoralised. All the polls show that Michael Gove is out of touch with teachers and parents – he must listen and change direction. This strike is his fault - teachers do not like taking strike action but they are prepared to lose pay to stand up for education. We do apologise for the inconvenience to parents but we hope they will support us.

 

 It is clear that there is a great deal of overlap between Green Party policy  and what teachers are striking for and the aims of the Stand Up for Education campaign. The Green Party should support next week's strike and work with the NUT, parents, governors and school students in  support of the Stand Up for Education campaign.

Angry teachers march on Gove's HQ and demand that he go

A message about tomorrow's teachers' strike

Christine Blower (General Secretary of the NUT): A message to parents and carers about the strike action on 17 October

The NUT sincerely regrets the disruption that will be caused by strike action on Thursday (17 October) for children and parents. Teachers, however, feel they have no other choice to demonstrate their concerns about the Government’s proposals because Michael Gove:

• has done nothing to address the crisis of low morale in the teaching profession which threatens the continued provision of high quality education in your child’s school;
• is making changes to teachers’ pay, pensions and conditions that will make it harder for your child’s school to recruit and retain good teachers;
• has not engaged in negotiations with us to seek to resolve our dispute.

For further information, please download a leaflet on “Why we are striking” and a pamphlet on why ‘It’s time to stand up for education’.
Please email your MP - using these templates if you are a teacher, governor, or parent and tell them why the Government is damaging the education service.

Solidarity with FBU strike today over 'dangerous' increase in retirement age

BBC London News revealed last night that 12 tenders dealt with Monday's bio-chemical fire in Park Royal. They said that this was about half the tenders that will be available for the whole of London during today's four hour strike.

The FBU is striking over the later pension age and the danger that represents for both fire fighters and the public. Similarly teachers have been arguing in their 'Too late at 68' campaign that the stresses and strains of teaching means that later retirement is good for neither teachers themselves nor their pupils.

Teachers in London  are due to strike on October 17th.

Further information LINK

Parent urges others to rally behind teachers

This is a posting from a parent of  child at Kenmont Primary School in Hammersmith and Fulham but close to the Brent border.

Dear Parents

I am a parent and my son is in year 4. I feel very passionate about building support for our teachers.

Together, Governors, teachers and parents, we were able to defeat the plans of the doom merchants in the Tory council to convert our wonderful school into an Academy. Where they failed with us, they are attempting to do this to other schools.

The government took our taxes to bail out the bankers, and are forcing through austerity measures which will affect the most vulnerable in society and impoverish the rest of us for years to come, which is why they are attacking teacher’s pensions.

David Cameron said we are all in it together. Do you hear the cries of the bankers and their rich friends with their share of the burden? No, because the burden rest with us to keep them in the riches they so don’t deserve

• There are 13 millionaires in the Condemn Government’s cabinet whose wealth is safely tucked away in tax havens abroad and not a drop goes to the Inland Revenue.

• Barclays bank recently published figures showing it had paid 22 percent tax to the land Revenue. Closer examination showed that they included their employee’s income tax in their figures and in actual fact they paid only paid 1 percent of their profits in tax.

If the bankers and their rich friends won’t take the pain they caused, why should we?

Teachers have a right to a decent pension, after all their money goes into paying for it. It’s another way of trashing our teachers and the education our children deserve. Teachers are fighting back and a victory for them is a victory for all of us, especially the most vulnerable.

Kenmont teachers will be meeting with other teachers at Lyric Square which is on Kings Street in Hammersmith at 9am on Thursday morning. At 10am they will be going on a national demonstration starting at Lincolns Inn Fields in Holborn later that morning.

Since the kids won’t be at school for the day, show your support and join our teachers at Lyric Square.


LINK to other London actions on June 30th

Teachers Vote Overwhelmingly for a Campaign of Strikes on Pensions

Teachers in England and Wales have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action against government plans to cut their pensions.

Ballot results released this afternoon for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the National Union of Teachers reflect a high level of anger and resistance.

83% of the ATL voted for a campaign of strikes and the NUT was even higher at 92%/

This is especially significant for the ATL as this is its first ever national strike ballot.

Together with the NUT this result represents the majority of school teachers in England and Wales, in both the state maintained and independent sectors.

Both organisations will now consider these results at meetings in the next two days.

NUT National Executive Member Nick Grant said:

Unless the government makes an immediate and fundamental reversal of its plans to make us pay more, and work longer to get less pension in retirement, strike action will start with one day's stoppage on 30 June.

We also expect colleagues in the University and College Union and the PCS civil servants to join us on strike that day."

We call on everyone who is angry about the unjustified attacks on public services and its workforce to join us on the day at a march and rally from Lincolns Inn Fields, Holborn at 11.30am to go via Whitehall to Westminster for a rally.

This is a fight for the future of properly funded and accountable public services. And it is a fight which is only just beginning

Elders should consider a Green vote

It is a pity that the Green Party were not invited to the Elders Voice election hustings. We have policies on pensions and carers that are well worth debate.

We want a Citizen's Pension that would be paid unconditionally to all pensioners in the UK at the rate of the official poverty line (currently £170pw for someone living alone and £300 for couples). It would be linked to average earnings. Pensions Credits, which are often not claimed because of the perceived stigma of means testing, would be abolished.

We are committed to a more generous Carer's Allowance, raising it to £80pw from the current £53.10 for a 35 hour week, and increased support to people who want to give care. We will address the issue of child carers under 16 who receive no financial support at all, often working long hours, experiencing emotional stress, and never having the chance to play.

We are very concerned at reductions in the services to people in sheltered housing and would oppose plans to switch to 'floating styles' of support rather  than residential. We are committed to the national health service and oppose public service cuts and privatisation.