Monday 20 August 2012

Mobilising Meeting for the TUC demonstration on October 20th

Dear anti-cuts campaigners
 
With the impact of austerity measures being felt across Britain as well as across Europe, I hope you will agree that the call by the TUC for a demonstration For a Future that Works on Saturday 20 October will be a hugely important event that you will want to support.
 
All of us in Southwark who were involved in the build-up to the last TUC demonstration on 26 March last year will recall that the half-million who took to the streets on that day were mobilised by weeks of concerted activity in every locality across Britain, including here in South London. We collaborated with other boroughs to help build a feeder march on the day numbering some thousands, marching from Kennington Park to the main demonstration. The following months then saw an escalation of strikes against the Government’s attach on pensions which, many would argue, were launched because of the enthusiasm and confidence generated by the 26 March demonstration.
 
Last month, we met in Brixton to start this process of mobilising for hopefully a million demonstrators on London streets on 20 October. The meeting was attended by representatives of many local organisations and together, we are inviting you to the next mobilising meeting at:
 
6 pm
This coming Thursday, 23rd August
At The Vida Walsh Centre, Saltoun Road, SW2 1EP (two minutes’ walk from the Town Hall and Ritzy Cinema)
 
Please:
·         Come yourself, or send a delegate to the meeting
·         Forward information about the meeting to all your members, as well as other groups/branches with whom your organisation is in contact
·         Reply to this letter, to let us know if you will be able to attend
Yours in solidarity
 
Chris Kelly
 
On behalf of
Nick Phillips* (Chair, Southwark Trades Council), Frank Wood (UNITE NEC, King’s College Hosp.) Gareth Page (UNITE rep, Guy’s Hospital), April Ashley (Assist. Sec. Southwark UNISON), Adrian Budd (Chair, LSBU UCU), Danny Johnson (UNITE rep, Walworth Bus Garage), Mustafa (UNITE rep, Battersea/Queenstown Bus Garage), Chris Kelly* (Sec, Save Our Services Southwark), Mandy Brown (UCU Rep, Lambeth College), Sara Tomlinson (Joint Sec. Lambeth NUT), Steve Hack (Sec, Lambeth Defend Council Housing), Tim O’Dell, UNISON rep, Lambeth Libraries. Lambeth NUT Executive Committee*, Belinda Washington (Vice Chair, Vassall Ward Labour Party). Denise Nicholls* (Sec. Southwark Pensioners Action Group), Betty Joseph, Michael Davern (Joint Secs, Southwark NUT), Nicola Field (Sec. Save Southwark Adult Education Campaign), All the above except those marked with * sign in their personal capacity

Saturday 4 August 2012

August Action Alert

While the MPs are on their holidays, many of those campaigning against austerity and cuts will still be here planning protests and demonstrations against the Tory-LibDem Government, and opposing cuts being implemented by Southwark Council.

We need your help over the coming weeks to distribute leaflets advertising these events – if you can help, email us at southwarksos@gmail.com or better still, come to the Southwark SOS or the Oct20 Mobilising meetings shown below. We can send someone to your next community, campaign, or trade union branch meeting to tell people what is happening, and why.

EVENTS LIST

Wednesday 22nd August

6 pm. Oct 20 Mobilisation meeting. Open to representatives and activists from trade unions, community and campaign organisations in South London. Venue: the Karibu Education Centre, 7 Gresham Road SW9 (with disabled access). For details contact southwarksos@gmail.com .

Wednesday, 22 August

7pm Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public Meeting. David Carr (Unite London Health Organiser) will lead a general discussion on the campaign against the Health & Social Care bill before the campaigning group moves on to planning their next moves. Venue: Priory Arms, Lansdowne Way, Stockwell, SW8 2BP (5 minutes from Stockwell tube station)

Wednesday 29 August

7 pm. Southwark SOS organising meeting. Main items: planning for national events this Autumn – public sector industrial action, demonstrations outside the Party conferences and at the TUC, the demonstration ‘For a Future that Works’ on 20 October, and a student demonstration in November. Held in South Bank Uni. London Road Building. Open to all campaigners against the cuts. For an agenda, directions or details of venue room, contact southwarksos@gmail.com , or just come along!

ADVANCE NOTICE

September

Meeting of the newly-formed Southwark group of Disabled People Against the Cuts. Contact Guy Dennis (Southwark Disablement Association, 020 7701 1391) for details of the date and, time and venue.

Wednesday 5 September

6 pm. Oct 20 Mobilisation meeting. Open to representatives and activists from trade unions, community and campaign organisations in South London. Venue: the Karibu Education Centre, 7 Gresham Road SW9 (with disabled access). For details contact southwarksos@gmail.com .

Sunday 9 September

1pm. Lobby of TUC conference in Brighton: 'Strike against Austerity!' Called by the National Shop Stewards Network. More details here.

Saturday 22 September

Protest at Lib-Dem conference in Brighton. Organised by Stop the Cuts, Right to Work and Brighton Trades Council.  More details to be announced.

Thursday 4 October

7-9pm. All London public meeting: tackling fuel poverty. Venue: Crossroads Women's Centre, 25 Wolsey Mews, Kentish Town, London NW5 2DX.  Organised by Fuel Poverty Action (fuelpovertyaction.org.uk).

Sunday 7 October

Tory Conference Demonstration in Birmingham. Called by the Right to Work Campaign and others. More details to be announced.

Sunday 14 October

11:30am – 5:30pm. Conference:  Austerity, Justice & the Power of Protest. Defend the Right to Protest 2012 National Conference. London. Details here.

Saturday 20 October

'A Future That Works' - mass TUC demonstration in London.  More details from the TUC here. Get flyers here. (Also see above, for information about the South London mobilisation for this event.)