STRIKES: Solidarity actions and locations this week - from information provided by Brent TUC

From Brent Trades Council

 

LOCATIONS

TOMORROW

 

 

Brent stands with Ukraine - how you can help

 

From Brent Council

Brent stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and condemns Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of the independent nation of Ukraine, in violation of international law.

Read more about the statement, which was agreed unanimously at Full Council on 24 February. We have a long and proud history of supporting refugees in Brent and are ready to do so again.

As the most diverse borough in the UK we know that lots of our residents, including Ukrainian and Russian citizens, feel strongly about the situation and will want to help those affected by the invasion.

The council is not collecting donations directly, but we have compiled a list of organisations and appeals that residents might consider supporting.

• The Red Cross has set up the Ukraine Crisis Appeal, which is requesting donations to respond to humanitarian needs through food, water, first aid, medicines, warm clothes and shelter
• Unicef has set up a specific fund to protect children in Ukraine
• The UN refugee agency helps refugees fleeing situations of war and has a specific collection for Ukraine
• Care International is running an emergency appeal to provide emergency food and water
• The Ukrainian Embassy has set up a special fund to support Ukraine
• Choose Love are appealing for donations for supporting projects who are providing vital aid and services to those still in and fleeing the country, including: emergency medical care, food, shelter, clothes, legal support, support for the LGBTQIA+ community and mental health support.

Greens Support Dawn Butler Solidarity Demonstration

Brent Trades Council, Brent Central Labour Party and Stand Up To Racism organised  a demonstration in solidarity with Dawn Butler MP (Brent Central)  after she and her staff received racist threats and windows were broken in her Walm Lane office  contributing to her decision to close it down.  She has also been attacked relentlessly on social media.

Brent Green Party, Green Party Trade Union Group and Green Left supported the demonstration and I spoke on their behalf about the importance of challenging racism and sexism and the need for democratically elected representatives to work unhindered for their constituents. It is about democracy.

I went on to warn about the need for opposition to fascism as well as racism in a new era of 'strong men' in Europe, South America  and the USA as we face possibly the worst ever econonic recession.

We have our political differences with Dawn but it is essential that  unite across parties to challenge these threats,

Join Zoom Covid19 Solidarity Meeting with Brent Trades Council Wednesday April 22nd

To join the meeting follow this LINK and type in the  ID: 4648578247 followed by password 274903 when requested.

It is best to join a little early so that you can sort out any technical problems.

Join the Global Climate Strike rally outside Brent Civic Centre tomorrow - then on to Millbank

Brent environmental activists, politicians and trade unionists will be joining Council staff demonstrating solidarity with the Global Climate Strike on Friday morning with a rally outside Brent Civic Centre in Wembley.

They are answering the call from Greta Thunberg and other young climate activists for the older generation to support the campaign  for urgent action on the climate emergency.

Brent Council has given permission for Brent Council workers to join the rally with manager’s permission as long as their attendance does not affect service provision.

Brent citizen’s who recognise the threat posed by climate change are invited to join the Rally from 9.30am to 10am to show their support and to hear speeches from a broad range of speakers including a local school student.  Home made placards particularly welcome.

After the rally many of those attending will move on to the main solidarity event in Central London at Millbank, Westminster.

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Brent rallies to Palestinian cause

In a move of great significance for the movement supporting the Palestinian's quest for justice

Brent  & Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Brent Trades Council organised a joint  meeting on 'Solidarity with the Palestinian People'. Local people crowded into the meeting addressed by national speakers showing the strength of feeling on the issue in our community. The meeting ended on a high note with participants urged to deepen and widen the Palestine solidarity movement.
Brent & Harrow PSC can be contacted at brent2harrowpsc@outlook.com email to join the mailing list or for further information. New members welcome.


Hugh Lanning, Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign speaks, introduced by Mary Adossides, Chair of Brent Trades Council. 


Kiri Tunks President, National Union of Teachers section of the National Education Union.



David Rosenberg, Jewish Socialists' Group


Salma Karmi Ayyoub, criminal lawyer and external consultant for Al Haq, Palestinian human rights organisation


Graham Durham of Brent Central Labour Party


Questions and discussion part 1


Questions and discussion part 2

Brent councillors declare support for Village School strikers

Letter in current Kilburn Times

Uo to now Cllr Jumbo Chan has been a lone Labour councillor voice in first of all supporting staff at The Village School in opposing academisation through a Multi Academy Trust, and then, when the school academised,  in supporting the strike aimed at safe-guarding working conditions.

Interestingly he has now been joined by 14 Labour colleagues including Michael Pavey and Roxanne Mashari who have both challenged Muhammed Butt for the leadership,  several newly elected councillors as well as veterans.

I hope this is a welcome sign of some independent thinking and action that will be carried through into other issues.

Inspiration and solidarity: Durham Lions pay tribute to the Grunwick Lions

Pictures courtesy of Grunwick 40

Amazing how the Grunwick dispute that took place 40 years ago is inspiring struggles today. All credit to the local activists here in Brent who got together to organise an exhibition, a mural and other events to commemorate the Grunwick workers' strike with the intention of making it relevant to current struggles around working conditions, women workers, migration and race - not just dry history.

Their success in doing so was summed up when the exhibition was visited by the Durham Teaching Assistants who are mounting a terrific campaign of their own LINK. They have spoken of how their struggle has been inspired by Jayaben Desai and her fellow workers and they deserve Aditya Chakrobortty's LINK description of them as the 'Durham Lions'. The photographs speaks for themselves - pride and solidarity.

The exhibition finishes on Sunday March 26th (closes at 5pm) so if you haven't seen it get down to Willesden Library as soon as possible.

Link to other Wembley Matters coverage of Grunwick HERE

Solidarity with Barnet Library Workers starting a 3 day strike today

UNISON members working in Barnet Libraries are taking industrial action today. tomorrow and Wednesday  in opposition to the Council’s plan to outsource the Library Service.

What Barnet Council intends for Barnet Libraries

▪   Library posts will be cut by 46%, a loss of 52 full time equivalent posts

▪   Staffed hours will be reduced by 70% (despite overwhelming opposition to this from respondents to the Council’s Library consultations)

▪   Under 15 year olds unaccompanied by an adult will not be able to use libraries during unstaffed hours, which will be for most of the time libraries are open

▪   Library space to be reduced, thus cutting study space and book stock

▪   Four libraries to be run by “community groups”

▪   Phase 3 alternative delivery model to be identified for this section.

More detailed analysis of the destruction of the Library service can be found in Barnet Unison's report entitled “Directand Collateral Damage to the Future of Barnet Libraries” 

UNISON Picket Lines will be at the following Barnet Libraries:

▪   Monday 13th June – Mill Hill Library (Hartley Avenue, Mill Hill, London NW7 2HX) from 8.30 am

▪   Tuesday 14th June – North Finchley(Ravensdale Ave, North Finchley N12 9HP) from 8.30 am followed by a demonstration outside Barnet House 12-1 pm

▪   Wednesday 15th June – Chipping Barnet Library (3 Stapylton Road, Barnet, EN5 4QT) from 8.30 am

UNISON Library Convenor, Hugh Jordan said:

 Barnet UNISON calls for the current plan to decimate our Library Service to be stopped now before further damage is done. Our members are angry at proposals which look to sack half of them and then outsource them to another employer. Every day we hear of another Library closing due to cuts, handing over the service to volunteers or outsourcing. Enough is enough, there needs to be a national response to the systemic destruction of the national library service. Our Borough needs real libraries and real library professionals and para-professional, only this year our service was given a 96% customer satisfaction rating. If theLibrary staff less plan is implemented and staff sacked their absence will see Barnet pay a heavy price in the coming years as literacy levels fall, accessibility to information is reduced, and social mobility is further curtailed. Lastly, whilst we appreciate the current support from Library volunteers we are asking volunteers not to take our jobs away which is the part of the Barnet Libraries Plan

Larry Sanders: junior doctors are heroes in the fight for a high quality NHS

Commenting on the  junior doctors' strike, Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said:

It is sad that junior doctors have been forced to this point by the obstinate approach of the health secretary, whose flat-out refusal to drop his insistence on imposing a new contract has scuppered any possibility of meaningful talks with the British Medical Association.

Industrial action is a last resort and I know from having spent time on the picket lines over recent months that junior doctors are taking this unprecedented action with a heavy heart.

The government must change the way it treats our NHS and reopen negotiations with the junior doctors. A caring health secretary would negotiate with the junior doctors to produce an acceptable contract.

Until then, I, and fellow Green Party members and supporters will continue to stand in solidarity with NHS staff as we fight for what’s right.

Greens supporting the junior doctors today

Larry Sanders, the Green Party's Health and Social Care Spokesperson and the brother of US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, added:

The Green Party supports the junior doctors’ strike because the new contract, if imposed, would have disastrous effects on patients and the NHS.

We are pleased that medical risks will be minimised by the back-up of senior doctors.

The junior doctors are heroes in the fight for a high quality NHS. They do not want to strike; their pride is in their work.

Jeremy Hunt is attempting to force a contract on them which puts patients at risk and reduces their pay. If he succeeds he will drive devoted doctors from the NHS. We already have too few doctors, nurses and hospital beds, with £22 billion of further cuts in the pipe line. A victory for Hunt would be an important step towards a profit-based NHS.

Sympathy and Solidarity with Lycee Winston Churchill, Wembley

Some of the school's students

The students from Lycee Winston Churchill have become a familiar sight in Wembley since the school opened in the former Brent Town Hall earlier this term.

Principal Mireille Rabate will face a daunting task tomorrow morning when she brings the school community together after the Paris attacks.

Wembley Matters sends sympathy and solidarity to staff, pupils and their families.

Wembley Stadium Today

Solidarity with striking teachers

Teachers are on strike today in many parts of the country and it will be our turn on October 17th. Support has been pouring in not only from other trade unionists but from parents and community activists who are seeing at first hand the damage Michael Gove is doing to the system. However, it gets more personal than that because they have also seen how it is affecting teachers and pupils in terms of their quality of life and the way that schools, once the beating heart of their communities, are being torn apart.

Solidarity.

Mark Steel has them rolling in the aisles at the People's Assembly