Labour chooses their Wembley by-election candidate

Krupa Sheth, aged 20,  has been chosen to fight the Wembley Central by-election for Labour. Polling takes place on December 22nd.

The by-election has been caused by the surprise resignation of Labour councillor Jayesh Mistry.

Brent Greens are likely to finalise their selection tomorrow. 

Now we are all free workers for supermarkets

The Guardian recently publicised the plight of young workers forced to work up to 30 hours a week for no pay for Poundland, Argos, Sainsbury's, Tesco and other business. Ostensibly for work experience this does not necessarily lead to a job and can last for up to two months before others are brought in to replace them. If they express an interest, and don't stop work during a week's cooling off period, they are liable to lose their benefits if they leave.

Free workers for profit-making supermarkets!

But I'd like to focus how we are all becoming 'volunteer workers' for supermarkets. I always avoid  self-service checkouts because I think they take away people's jobs. Yes there's someone there at a bank of six automatic checkouts to help out - but that's not the same as six cashiers.

However I am finding it hard to exercise my choice of being served by a human being who gets  wage. At Wembley ASDA those people holding up a green pointing hand to show you to a checkout, also try and persuade you to go to the self-service checkouts - especially if you just have a basket.

I got into quite an argument the other day when the 'persuading' turned particularly pushy.  It turned into an argument about preserving jobs at a time of high unemployment and attracted quite a lot of interest.

 But worse was to come. In the last couple of days I have been in shops where you can't exercise the choice at all as there was no cashiers at their desks at all.

At the Coop in Central Square there was just the self-service checkouts available and a single member of staff flitting about and available occasionally to help wrestle with the computer.  At Tesco in Neasden shopping precinct at 4.30pm in the afternoon there was just the security guard and shelf-fillers with customers all lined up at the self-service and having a one sided conversation with the robot voice: 'Unknown item in the despatch area' kept ringing out across the store. There was no one to help any elderly or confused unable to handle the technology. For the lonely one more source of human contact has gone.

We have become more free workers for profit-making supermarkets!

I feel a campaign coming on....

Veolia campaign steps up

 All Brent councillors have been sent a letter from Brent Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Dump Veolia West London campaign requesting them to support the following request:

That Veolia Environmental Services be excluded from the bid and tender process for the West London Residual Waste Services because we believe there is evidence that:

a) Veolia has demonstrated racist practices in its recruitment policies; and

b) Veolia has been guilty of grave misconduct through its active participation in violations of international and humanitarian laws and norms

Veolia is on the long-list for the multi-million 25 year contract for dealing with the residual waste of Harrow, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Ealing, Richmond and Brent. 302 Brent residents have signed the letter setting out the evidence for the request based on Veolia's activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The full letter is HERE

The WLWA will shortly be drawing up the short-list for the contract and campaigners hope that they will be excluded at this stage. Councillors were invited to a public meeting on Tuesday November 22nd where the  legal, moral and human rights case for Veolia's exclusion was put forward. A recording of the meeting can be viewed on the Brent Green's blog along with a report of the meeting by Shahrar Ali  HERE

Cllr James Powney is Brent's representative on the WLWA.

Yesterday evening Brent TUC (Trades Council) approved a model motion on the issue and decided to affiliate to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Meanwhile Brent Council's contract with Veolia for waste management and street sweeping runs out in 2014. The procurement process will start well before then.  Recently Veolia failed to win a similar contract in Ealing. 

Brent Council calls for Government leadership on climate change

There were a number of motions before Brent Council on Monday night. Thnere is a certain ritual about this as, because of Labour's large majority,  their motions are always approved and those of the opposition routinely defeated. Often Labour's motions congratulate themselves on their administration's achievements.

Cllr James Powney moved a motion on Climate Change on Monday which combined huge global issues and the move to Brent's new Civic Centre. It reflected the concerns raised by Brent Campaign Against Climate Change at their recent public meeting addressed by Jonathan Essex of the Green Party and Barry Gardiner MP:

Council notes that climate change is the greatest threat to the future of our planet and that urgent action is needed if we are to reverse its effects.

Council also notes that there are alarming signs that the effects of global warming are already underway, with storms, floods and droughts happening more often around the world.

Council notes the measures being undertaken by Brent Council to reduce our impact on climate change, including the move to the Civic Centre, the introduction of emissions based parking permits, the setting of a carbon emissions targets target and reducing emissions from landfill.

Council calls on the Government to show real leadership at the forthcoming UN climate change conference in Durban by pushing the EU to commit to a second period of the Kyoto Protocol, as a route towards a global deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and delivering on climate finance to help poorer countries deal with the effects of global warming.

Email Navin Shah about traffic danger spots in Brent and Harrow

Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow is calling on local residents to name the most dangerous roads, junctions and roundabouts in Brent and Harrow. The appeal for information is in conjunction with National Road Safety Week (21 - 27 November 2011). Please email Navin  Shah at navin.shah@london.gov.uk if there are any areas you would like him to be aware of.

Cuts will have 'enormous and profound' impact on Brent - Ann John

I was a bit miffed at having to leave a particularly good edition of Radio 4's, 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue', to attend last night's meeting of Brent Council.  I needn't have worried as the Council seemed to be running its own version.

There was a lot of the usual knockabout stuff with taunts running along well worn lines and Cllr James Allie doing his impression of a recalcitrant adolescent challenging the teacher (Mayor)  from the back of the class.

The mood darkened when Ann John, leader of the council, spoke about the 'enormous scale' of the Coalition government's 'social engineering'  which would have 'an enormous and profound' impact on the people of Brent with 10,000 households s unable to afford local rents.  Alongside this  was the enormous impact of a 38% cut in Brent's grant from central government.

She said that 10,000 households in Brent would find their rent unaffordable and that this would have a 'huge and profound' impact: Tory policy was taking us back to the 80s. Brent Central had seen a rise in youth unemployment of 106% since January and we were producing a generation that would go straight from school into unemployment 'never knowing work'.

John said 700 council jobs had already gone and that there would be another 300. By the time the Council moves into the new Civic Centre the Council workforce would have shrunk by 1,000. For me of course, this raised more questions about the project. How many people will be working for Brent Council in 25 years time when the project has finally paid for itself, if indeed Brent Council still exists? Will the 'Civic Centre' be mainly let out to other organisations?

Cllr John said the the Council would in future be much smaller and what it does will change significantly. She outlined the Council's priorities for next year on creating opportunities for employment through training and apprenticeship schemes, improving quality of life through neighbourhood ward working, provision for young people before they leave school, integrating social care with health provisions and continue the improvements created by regeneration.

Opposition parties in their response did not challenge these priorities. Instead the Lib Dems pointed out that the Council had spent more money on closing libraries that would have been spent on keeping them open. Both Lib Dems and Tories called for the libraries to be re-opened. The Tories said that the Council should not put the £2.6m grant for freezing Council Tax into reserves but use it to protect services and keep the libraries open. They also said that monies recovered from the Icelandic banks, 'that had almost been written off' should not be put into reserves.

The issue of reserves deserves wider discussion. Last December a report was published that showed Brent reserves were the lowest of London boroughs and below what was financially prudent. The Tory argument is that they have not be used this year and so should not be added to. LINK to reserves report

A further are for discussion before the 201213 budget is set is the decision on whether to raise the Council Tax. The Budget Report warns about the erosion of the Council's tax base caused by year on year freezing of Council tax and Cllr Moher from the front bench said that he saw no reason not to ask council tax payers to pay for 'quality services'.  It appears that the Labour group see raising of Council Tax as an option to be considered.

I have called before for wider discussion of the budget so that it involves the wider public, rather than decisions made in committees and at 'away days'. There is still time for this to be done before final decisions are made.

Call for reduced dog walking limits

An ePetition to Brent Council has been organised by Carol Nicholls calling for the limit on the number of dogs walked by any one person in Brent Parks to be reduced to four, rather than the limit of 6 agreed at the Executive last week:

The petition can be signed HERE

We the undersigned petition the council to change the decision of the Executive, which sat on the 14/11/2011, which was to allow a person to walk up six dogs in the parks and open spaces of Brent.

The only people who would wish to walk such a large number of dogs at one time are professional dog walkers. Many of whom do not live in Brent, but come here because their own councils have a far lower number. These people do not pay Council Tax to Brent whilst those that do have to pick up the bill via the Parks Department budget.

Local park users of all ages are apprehensive, if not frightened, by such large numbers of excited dogs who are allowed to run free off of their leads. It is impossible for a person to have proper control of six dogs or to see when and where they have fouled. This means that the walker is unable to pick up the faeces. It just lays there until an unsuspecting child or adult comes across it. Dog faeces on a child or adult's shoes is at the very least unpleasant, but worm infested faeces has severe health implications should a child or football player get some on their skin, in a wound, or in their eyes.

All park users, whatever their age, have the right to walk, play, socialize or just sit in Brent's beautiful parks and open spaces without the fear of six excited dogs disturbing their peace, or have to look before taking a step, just in case they tread in something unpleasant.

For all these reasons we ask that the councillors rethink their decision and make the maximum number of dogs a person can walk to be four.

Most Brent schools will be closed by pensions strike on November 30th

Most schools in Brent will be closed on November 30th as staff from the teacher, headteacher and support staff unions show their anger at the Government's plans to make them pay more, work longer and get less in their pension. The National Association of Headteachers has voted overwhelmingly to strike alongside the other teachers and lecturer unions ATL, NASUWT, NUT and UCU as well as the support staff unions UNISON and GMB.

On visits to schools around the borough staff have raised concerns with union representatives s, not only about their own pensions,  but how the Government’s proposals will put off young graduates from entering teaching. Already those young teachers with large loans to pay back are thinking twice about staying in the teaching profession if their contributions rise by 50%.

But the idea that teachers will not be able to retire on a full pension until they are 68 is the one that causes the most disbelief and anger.

Jean Roberts, Joint BTA Secretary said, “Everyone knows that teaching is a stressful and demanding job, one that requires a great degree of stamina particularly with younger children. Do parents want their children educated by 68 year olds? This proposal for a start shows that the Government have no idea of the realities of teaching today.”

Shane Johnschwager, NASUWT secretary said, “Teaching is a hard job that no one ever gets rich doing. A good pension has always been part of the deal and all Brent teachers are asking for is a dignified retirement. We are sure that Brent parents recognise how hard their children's teachers work. The Government wants us to pay more, teach until 68 years of age, and receive less. Can anyone see the logic of this? Striking is a last resort. We feel we have been left with no choice.”


Hank Roberts, ATL Secretary added, “ The bankers and financiers, with the Government aiding and abetting them, nearly bankrupted the country. We, the taxpayers, were forced to bail them out and now they are trying to make us, who did not cause the crisis, pay. George Osborne had said our pensions are being made worse and we have to pay more to pay off the deficit. We are not going to. We are fighting for a fair pension for teachers and a fair pension for all.”

On 30th November the joint unions are holding a rally at 9.30 am outside The Torch pub in Wembley Park (Bridge Road, opposite the ARK Academy and close to Wembley Park station). Speakers include Mary Bousted, ATL General Secretary and Christine Blower, NUT General Secretary who have made a special effort to attend before leading the march of thousands of education workers which will be held in central London.

Comment
As a school governor, retired teacher and NUT member I am strongly in favour of this strike for all the reasons stated above. Our teachers and our children deserve much better than the treatment they are receiving from the Coalition government. Most public sector pensions are not enormous, despite what the Tories say, and of course mean that such workers do not have to have recourse to pension credit and other benefits.