FBU call for your support in fighting privatisation

A message from Ian Leahair, Executive Council Member of the London Region of the Fire Brigaes Union

You may or may not be aware, that the London Fire Brigade (LFB) have embarked upon a privatisation agenda of the service in London, there is no doubt that this madness and disgraceful attack on one of the best performing emergency services, is being driven by the Chair of LFEPA Councillor Brian Coleman, supported in the main by his Conservative colleagues on the authority.


The Conservative group currently have control of the authority, which was ensured by the gerrymandering of the numbers by the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, who also appears to support their actions and current direction.

You may also not be aware of the current fiasco with Asset Co (see below), the private company responsible for the supply and maintenance of the entire fleet of London fire engines and equipment, who are currently on the verge of collapse, such a collapse or winding up of Asset Co would potentially leave the entire fleet of fire engines and equipment in the hands of any creditors who already bracing themselves for considerable financial losses due to the debts owed by Asset Co.

Taking no cognisance of the current situation with asset Co, the LFB are now embarking upon outsourcing the LFB control room functions along with seeking a private company to take over the training of all London Firefighters, this embarkation can only lead to a worse service if Asset Co is the example to be followed.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) believes that the continued large scale privatisation of parts of the LFB may only lead to a worse service for the communities we serve, and we should not entertain or accept such approach from a conservative led authority, whose only agenda is to inject the private sector into an emergency service to raise profits for investors and shareholders.

The London Region of the FBU asks you, your friends, colleagues and members  to support our campaign to prevent this madness from continuing, by signing the UNISON e-petition below, against the privatisation of the LFB training and demanding that the brigade retain and enhance the current training provisions in house.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/14313

In advance of your support for this e-petition, we like to take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of all London FBU Firefighters.

Green Party calls for government to stop using ATOS

Green Party members yesterday voted to pass an emergency motion calling on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to stop using IT firm ATOS as its assessor of benefit claimants.

Concerns have been raised over the company’s suitability to conduct assessments, ranging from the lack of disabled access at their assessment centres to the shocking fact that 40% of their decisions have been found to be wrong on appeal [1].

Jillian Creasy, Green councillor for Sheffield Central who also works as a GP, said:

“ATOS’s computer-led assessment is far too blunt an instrument to assess a benefit that is vital for so many. For example, the box-ticking exercise is close to useless for assessing a condition such as autism. Not only that, but the number of decisions that have been reversed means that an awful lot of taxpayers’ money has been wasted.

“Disabled people should be afforded the dignity they deserve throughout any assessment process, and should not be presumed guilty or treated like they’re avoiding work. ATOS has no place in such a sensitive area, and we urge the government to sever all ties with the company.”

The future of waste in Wembley

Brent Council will sortly begin a new consultation on development in the Wembley area which will take into account changes in economic conditions since 2009 when the Wembley Masterplan was formulated. In a document entitled Issues and  Options it considers how 'bad neighbours' such as waste facilities should be treated. Focusing particularly on the Fifth Avenue and Hannah Close area which has several waste management plants they list various options which would result in everything from keeping things as they are to moving out the facilities and de-designating the area. This is particularly relevant in th context of the West London Waste Authority listing Hannah Close as the possible site for a new facility on top of the one recently opened by Careys.

The initial Masterplan depended very much on housing and retail as its motor. However since 2009 other priorties have emerged inluding the provision of private student accommodation, the first block of which opens opposite Wembley Park station this month.

Another concern that has arisen since has been concern from other parties of the borough about the 'Wembleycentric' nature of the borough's plans with claims that Wembley is being developed at the expense of other areas. The claim that Wembley is the recognised centre of the borough (originating from a consultant's report) is also under attack.

Doing less for those who have least

A striking phrase from  Adrian Ramsay (Deputy Green Party leader) in his speech this morning. He asked, "Does David Cameron mean, whenn he speaks about doing 'More for less' that we should be doing less for those who have least?"

This morning Peter Murry of Brent Green Party moved a motion calling for the Green Party to support the Campaign Against Climate Change pamphlet "One million green jobs" by encouraging sales of the publication and signatures for the petition. The motion was passed unanimously. Yesterday emergency resolutions were passed on the cuts in legal aid and support for the Justice for All campaign, and support for a Robin Hood Tax.

An emergency motion for later discussion has been drafted calling for elected Greens at all levels  of government to campaign  vigorously against the National Policy Planning Framework. The Framework gives priority to economic development in planning decisions at the expense of environmental and social issues. The Framework could threaten our precious open spaces such as the Welsh Harp and Fryent Country Park.

Hear Salim Shawamreh on Israeli house demolitions on Friday

Salim Shawamreh will be speaking at the Harrow Mosque (Mahfil Ali) North Harrow Assembly Hall, Station Road, Harrow at 8pm on Friday September 9th.

Salim  will  describe the experience of his family in 1948  when they were forced off their land in the  Negev Desert and made refugees. The family moved  to the Old City in Jerusalem, where Salim was  born, but then in 1967, during the Six Day War,  they were made refugees again when they were  moved to the Shufat Refugee Camp.   Salim trained as an  engineer and saved money to build a home for his  family. Despite many attempts to get a building  permit, one was never granted, which is usually  the case for Palestinians. Finally desperate to  house his family, Salim proceeded to build a  home but it was demolished by Israeli  authorities. To date this has happened four  times and each time the Israeli Committee  Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) has rebuilt  their house. A fifth demolition order is on  their house.   

Salim will be  travelling with a new photographic exhibition  prepared by ICAHD UK and entitled, ‘Dreams of  Home’.

Celebrate the life of Alf Filer

There will be a celebration of Alf's life on Saturday at the 'Tin Tabernacle' in Kilburn. Alf was a great Brent comrade and I am sad that I am unable to go as I will be at the Green Party's Conference in Sheffield. As a college lecturer and someone committed to education and social justice Alf would have been really pleased with the ESOL news reported below.

The celebration promises to be a memorable event and full details are HERE

ESOL REPRIEVE - more to fight for

The Dept of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) led by minister John Hayes has reversed its decision to make cuts to funding which would have excluded up to 75% of adults on so called ‘inactive’ benefits.

This attack represented a huge threat to adult and further education affecting some of the poorest students in inner cities mainly from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds especially women who desperately want to learn English to support their children, find work, access education and play a full role in their communities.

This means most of the 250,000 adult places that were are risk this year can be saved and is an important victory for the Action for ESOL campaign.
The campaign included parliamentary lobbying by MPs, National Institute of Adult and Community Education (NIACE), the principals’ association (AoC), Refugee Council and the University and College Union (UCU). In addition colleges up and down the country held ESOL teach-ins and demonstrations which gave ESOL students a voice and exposed the hypocrisy of making some of the poorest people in society pay for a crisis not of their making. 

In London over 500 hundred ESOL students and teachers participated in a teach-out near Parliament and marched to Downing Street to hand in a 20,000 strong petition to Save ESOL.

 The u-turn means that the money is now there for ESOL. Colleges across the country have already begun to contact students who were turned away, asking them to come back and enrol for classes this year, refund students who had been charged fees, and some ESOL teachers who had been made redundant are being re-instated.

The reprieve is only for one year and the campaign still needs to fight for asylum seekers and those on working tax credit who have been excluded from the concessions.

This victory shows that campaigning together, ESOL students with the wider community and trade union movement, can work. Campaigners are now in a much stronger position to fight to defend ESOL and the eligibility changes planned for the coming year and the strength of the campaign can be used to go on the offensive to reverse the attacks on community Outreach provision, access to Adult Education and the defence of post-16 education. Is an important turning point in the campaign to defend ESOL and all Adult education and signals a way forward to address some of the frustration and inequality that people feel which fuelled the recent riots.

Thanks to the Education Activists Alliance for this  LINK

Academy strike vote at Kingsbury High but parents and community views to be sought

I understand that majority of NUT members at Kingsbury High School have voted  for strike action over the plans to become an academy.  However members are keen to wait to hear the views of parents and the community before going any further with their plans. They hope that a many as possible turn up to hear about the issues at the public meeting they have organised next week.

The meeting is at 7pm on Tuesday September 13th at the Father O'Callaghan Centre, 26 Hay Lane, Kingbury, NW9 ONG