Come to a Notts SOS meeting! Just turn up at the International Community Centre (YMCA, Mansfield Road)and look on noticeboard for the meeting room.
NEXT MEETING: 7th November 2011, ICC/YMCA, 7.30-9.00pm.
Tag: city
It’s Bonfire Night tonight – Notts SOS stall on the Forest – come and help if you can!
There will a Notts SOS campaigning stall at the Bonfire Night on the Forest today from 18.00 onwards. A special Guy Fawkes leaflet will be distributed and a David Cameron guy will be on display. ‘Guy Fawkes’ and ‘Burn this Guy’ badges will be available. The stall will be on the Gregory Boulevard pavement by the entrance to the fun fair (not near the tram stop as previously announced). People are needed to give out leaflets and gather signatures for the petition to Nottingham City Council demanding no more cuts, so please come to the stall and offer your help – thanks!
As ASDA is sponsoring this year’s events we are hoping for free bonfire toffee and marshmallows, but don’t hold your breath.
Anti Academies Alliance – Rushcliffe meeting and Midlands Conference in November 2011
Anti Academies Alliance Public Meeting
Campaigning against Academy Status at Rushcliffe School
7.30pm Tuesday 8 November 2011.
All Hallows Hall, Pierrepont Road, Lady Bay, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 5BP.
Download flyer: Rushcliffe AAA Leaflet Nov 2011
Speakers:
Chair: Martin Sleath – Parent
Jenny Day – AAA National Steering Committee
Liam Conway – Notts NUT
Andrea Oates – Broxtowe AAA
Also coming up:
Midlands Anti Academies Conference, Fighting Academy conversions and Free Schools
12th November 2011. Registration at 9.30am.
Birmingham & Midlands Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham, B3 3BS. (Behind the Council House).
Full details: http://antiacademies.org.uk/2011/09/midlands-anti-academies-conference/
Hardest Hit demonstration in Nottingham City Centre attracts hundreds, while Market Square occupation continues
On Saturday 22 October 2011 hundreds of people gathered in Market Square, Nottingham, to listen to speeches and offer support to the many disabled people being ‘hardest hit’ by Government policies of cuts to services and welfare.
Full story and pictures: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2113
Occupy Nottingham also continues in the Market Square taking a stand against the causes and effects of the capitalist crisis, now in its 10th day having moved towards the square’s water feature: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2116
Join the resistance!!
National Day of Action Against ATOS – 30th September – Nottingham event – reports & photos added
NEWLY ADDED POST-EVENT: reports and photos via Nottingham Indymedia:
1. Photos in Hockley and outside ATOS: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2051
2. Photos of ATOS occupation and arrests: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2052
3. After release of one arrestee on bail http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2050
Take action against ATOS Origin and the ‘Poverty Pimps’ in Nottingham on Friday 30th September 2011. Join us for the National Day of Action against ATOS Healthcare and the government’s attack on benefits for people with disability and illness through the ‘Work Capability Test’ and the Welfare Reform Bill. ATOS Healthcare (a division of ATOS Origin) have the Dept of Work & Pensions contract to carry out medical assessments using a proprietary computer program in local assessment centres using medical and admin staff with very questionnable conduct (see previous article about their antics: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/08/22/atos-healthcare-medical-examiners-admin-under-fire-for-bad-mouthing-customers-and-improper-conduct/ ).
Nottingham local event: ATOS leaflet Nottingham Sept 2011
Join us for a demonstration and leafleting in Nottingham on Hockley (Goose Gate) Friday 30th September 2011 at 12.00pm (ATOS is on Stoney Street). Facebook details at http://tinyurl.com/nottsatos
Groups campaigning in Nottingham to protect welfare include:
- Notts Save Our Services: http://www.nottssos.org.uk
- Notts UnCut: http://www.nottsuncut.co.uk
- Anarchists Against the Cuts
- Anarchist Federation (Nottingham): http://nottsblackarrow.wordpress.com
Background
Atos Origin have £300 million contract with the Con-dem Government to continue carrying out ‘work capability assessments’. It is claimed assessments are to test what people can do rather than what they can’t. The real purpose is to strip benefits from as many people as possible. This testing system has already led to people with terminal illnesses and severe medical conditions being declared fit for work and having benefits cut. GP’s are ignored in favour of decisions made by ATOS Origin’s computer. Plans announced for the scrapping of Disability Living Allowance have also revealed that this intrusive testing is likely to be extended to everyone on some form of disability or health related benefit. To date around 40% of appeals against Atos Origin’s decisions have been successful. Atos have now extended their harassment of sick and disabled by using legal threats to silence websites which have been critical of them, see the Benefit Claimants Fightback website below for more details. http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/
More attacks on benefits coming up: Terminally Ill to have benefits stopped – under Welfare Reform Bill plans, ‘contributory-Employment and Support Allowance’ (c-ESA) will be time-limited to one year from April 2012. Terminally ill people who have accessed c-ESA since April 2011 may lose all out of work help in just six months as a result.
More by Notts SOS about benefits: https://nottssos.org.uk/tag/benefits/
Press Release
Towns and cities around the UK will see protests tomorrow (30th September) against Atos, the IT Company responsible for carrying out the con-dem government’s Work Capability Assessment. As part of a National Day of Action Against Atos, organised by disability, claimant and anti-cuts activists, people will be gathering outside Atos’ offices in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Brighton, Chatham, Cheshire, Birmingham, Glasgow, Hasting, Norwich, Oxford, Bristol, Chester, Plymouth, Sheffield and York.
In London a demonstration is being held outside the BMJ Careers Fair where Atos will be exhibiting in an attempt to recruit doctors to work on their Disability Assessment teams. Thousands of people have been denied or stripped of vital benefit because of decisions made based on Atos’ assessment procedure which involves a short interview and a computer based test. Many people have had conditions worsened, either by being forced into the workplace, having much needed money withdrawn or the stress of the assessment process, which has been described as relentless. Sadly some have taken their own lives after hearing of Atos and the DWP’s decisions to remove their benefits. Even people with cancer and other terminal illnesses have been deemed ‘fit for work’. The government has pledged that this form of testing will be extended to all disability and health related benefits.
This week over one hundred groups and individuals signed a letter to the BMJ and the RCN urging them to stop allowing Atos to recruit at their events and in their publications: http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/open-letter-on-atos-healthcare-to-the-bmj-and-rcn/
An online protest will see companies and organisations which do business with Atos contacted and informed of this company’s ‘callous and cruel’ treatment of disabled and sick people.
Supporters of Disabled People Against Cuts have said that “As long as ATOS continues to treat disabled claimants little better than animals they will continue to protest against them and seek means to discredit them.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
The Day of Action has been called by a range of different groups and organisations throughout the UK. For the full list of supporting organisations and further details of all protests please visit the website at: http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/
Contact details of some of the paticipating groups are as follows:
· Benefit Claimants Fightback: notowelfarecuts@yahoo.co.uk
· Black Triangle: info@blacktrianglecampaign.org Scotland contact: 07778 316875
· Defend Welfare network
· Disabled People Against Cuts: mail@dpac.uk.net contact:07714 927533
· WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities): win@winvisible.org Tel: 020 7482 2496.
Atos Healthcare is part of Atos, the French multinational IT company which operates in 42 countries and which has the IT contract for the Olympic Games.
The National Day of Action Against Atos is the sixth National Day of Protest targeting benefit cuts, which has seen a diverse network of claimant, disability and anti-cuts groups and individuals taking action in every major city in the UK. As well as protests outside Atos offices, demonstrations have been held outside jobcentres, workfare provider’s offices, the Daily Mail for witch-hunting benefit “scroungers” and Westminster Council over the ban on soup runs.
Save our NHS Protest in the Market Square on 6th September – report and photos
On Tuesday 6th September 2011 people gathered from 5.30pm in the Market Square, Nottingham to protest at the Health and Social Care Bill.
MPs vote on the Health and Social Care Bill this evening. A public meeting Save our NHS: Kill Lansley’s ‘amended’ Bill will be held in Nottingham on 22nd September. Find more photos on Nottingham Indymedia.
Notts Uncut city centre meeting on Saturday 10th September 2011
Notts Uncut are getting together again this Saturday (10th) at 12.30. All welcome.
NEW to download: Notts Uncut A4 newsletter Sep-Oct 2011
Notts Uncut are meeting this Saturday (10th Sept) to transform a tax avoiding corporation into a space to discuss our experiences of these companies and how the cuts are impacting on us and our friends and families. Meet outside Nottingham Central library (Angel Row, Nottingham, NG1 6HL) at 12.30 to move onto our secret target. If you are late call us on 07856565214 to find out where we are.
SAVE OUR NHS protest in Nottingham on 6th Sept in advance of public meeting on 22nd + other meetings
SAVE OUR NHS Protest!
Old Market Square, Nottingham
From 5.30pm Tuesday 6th September 2011.
Download flyer: NHS Protest 6th & Meeting 22nd Sept 2011
This is the evening before the final reading of the Bill in the House of Commons. Despite their “listening” exercise, they are still determined to put profits before patients. Don’t be fooled by cosmetic changes. We must say “NO!”
Come along to help save our NHS. Tell people to attend. Bring banners, placards, flags, love and rage. Wear NHS uniforms.
Public Meeting
Thurs 22nd September, 7 – 9pm
Mechanics Institute,
3 North Sherwood St NG1 4EZ
Speakers:
Dr Wendy Savage, co-Chair Keep Our NHS Public
Barrie Brown, UNITE National Health Officer
Gill George, UNITE Health Sector
Organised by UNITE 713 Branch, with UNITE Heath (Nottm) & UNITE East Midlands Region
supported by Notts SOS & Nottingham Trades Council
Other meetings that may of interest/opportunities to make feelings known:
1. Sept 6th 6-8pm – High Point Health, the Clinical Commissioning Group for Mansfield & Ashfield, are holding a Big Health Forum at The Towers, Botany Avenue, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 5NG. (The event is open to anyone who is interested in health and having a say in the planning and commissioning of health care in Mansfield and Ashfield. It will be an opportunity for you to:
· find out about the work of High Point Health from the clinical lead
· get an update on proposed changes to the NHS
· meet members of local Patient Participation Groups
· contribute to the development of plans for involving local people
To register, please call 01623 673329 or email ppi@nottspct.nhs.uk
2. Sept 22nd 10.30am – AGM of NHS Nottinghamshire County at Birch House, Ransom Wood Business Park, nr Rainworth NG21 0HJ. To register communications.team@nottspct.nhs.uk
3. Sept 28th 1-3pm – AGM of NHS Nottingham City at Council House, Old Market Square. Info 0115 9123384
PATIENTS, NOT PROFITS!
Our National Health Service is under vicious attack from the Coalition Government. For decades people in Britain fought to establish a universal health care system, the NHS, which was born on 5th. July, 1948. Now Health Minister Andrew Lansley’s Health and Social Care Bill aims to destroy OUR NHS.
SPENDING CUTS: At the last General Election David Cameron said he would protect spending on the NHS from cuts. Now he wants £20 billion cut from the NHS budget by 2014.
PRIVATISATION: The Government want most NHS patient care provided by private, profit-making companies. This will not mean better care for patients but huge profits for owners of private firms.
STAFF CONDITIONS: Already the pay and conditions of medical staff are deteriorating as they are pushed out of NHS employment into private companies. The Government aims to carry further this attack on our medical carers.
KILL THE BILL!
For other Notts SOS activities see our website and get involved.
NOTTS SAVE OUR SERVICES
Website: www.nottssos.org.uk
Contact: nottssos@gmail.com
Twitter: @NottsSOS
Notts Uncut: Tour of Tax Avoiders – report and photos from 13th August 2011
Notts Uncut visited Vodafone, NatWest, Top Shop/Top Man and Boots, continuing the UK-wide network of groups’ mission to highlight the massive amount of money avoided by tax avoidance schemes of corporations and money paid to bankers as bonuses after their being bailed out for billions of pounds using public money.
Vodafone’s tax avoidance was sanctioned by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs when an official let the company off passing future trade through Luxembourg with a much reduced tax bill for past trade, allowing the company to avoid £6 billion pounds of tax after the deal was made. Top Shop/Top Man is one of government advisor Sir Philip Green’s high street stores in the ‘Arcadia group’ whose ownership was passed to his wife who is based in the tax haven of Monaco, whisking £285 million of UK tax away in the process. Boots moved it’s HQ to Switzerland recently to avoid £100m of UK tax. All daylight robbery achieved without breaking any windows but by use of the machinery of capitalism that allows money to be moved around the world whilst governments say there is no alternative to cuts in services we need. Another Sir, Richard Branson is considering a move abroad for his Virgin enterprise as the rich show their contempt for the rest of us after using the UK as their money-making playground.
Read story and see photos on Nottingham Indymedia plus more photos on Facebook.
Before the protest, the growing group announced,
“Notts Uncut will be coming together again to remind the tax avoiding banks and corporations based in Nottingham that we haven’t gone away and we haven’t forgotten what they’re up to.
While the Con-Dem government is getting increasingly cut-happy, telling us that there is no money for homeless shelters and women’s refuges, that we can’t afford to give charities government grants, that students must pay £9000 a year for degree courses, that people living on the breadline must survive on less and less there is a select group of people who are not suffering from the cuts – the bankers and corporate fat cats. While ordinary people are suffering these people are still paying multi million pounds worth of bonuses and avoiding billions of pounds worth of tax. Let’s get out there and make sure the government and their super wealthy tax dodging mates know that we’re onto them!!”
Reports from Notts SOS July 9th protest and rally against the Health and Social Care Bill & NHS privatisation [plus Notts UnCut action and poem]
Campaigners from Nottinghamshire Save Our Service (Notts SOS) protested outside Virgin Media on Clumber Street, Nottingham on Saturday July 9th against government plans to open the NHS up to private companies.
The protest at Virgin followed a rally at Speakers’ Corner, Market Square, where Secretary of State Andrew Lansley was ‘put on trial’ for his role in promoting the Health and Social Care Bill, which campaigners fear will open the door to the privatisation of the NHS. Virgin Media was targeted because of a report which revealed that Assura Medical, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group was particularly well positioned to benefit from the Bill.
Full feature on Indymedia http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1927Press release: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1917
Leaflet text: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1918
Photos/Audio of Lansley trial: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1921
Notts Uncut report on July 9th: HSBC occupied to save the NHS
The Clumber Street branch of HSBC in Nottingham was occupied for 2 hours this morning by Notts Uncutters. This was part of the day of action to save the NHS called for by Notts SOS. The protest targeted HSBC for its involvement in PFI contracts that drain tens of millions of pounds from the health system. Also, due to its offshore tax arrangements, HSBC only pays a tiny fraction of its profits in tax. Full report: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1916.
Photos of Virgin protest: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1922
Poem sent to Notts SOS
Privatisation, a Step to Far
The New Pork Farms
Geriatric Medical Centre
Don’t sound up to much!
Fancy using a pig’s
trotter to replace
A sawn-off owd foot
(not far from the truth either … although this was about Samworth Academy school).
Date for diary
Sicko by Michael Moore
Friday 14th October 2011
Paradiso Cinema at Chilwell Arts Theatre
The film investigates health care in the USA where illness can easily lead to bancruptcy (and worse) due to the greed of the health insurance business and pharmaceutical industry. The film compares the for-profit, non-universal U.S. system with the non-profit universal health care systems of the UK (now under threat) and other countries such as Cuba and Canada.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFkoX5l_4lU
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFkoX5l_4lU]