Tag: cuts

Read-in and read-out protests at Beeston, Sneinton & Stapleford libraries on Saturday 5th February 2011

Saturday February 5th 2011 is marked as a national day of action against cuts and closures of libraries. ‘Read-in’ events on the day in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County so far include Beeston, Sneinton and Stapleford. Do let Notts SOS know if there are others.

In Nottingham, the Council is introducing charges for using library computers starting on Monday January 31 (today). They are reducing the book fund by one quarter – this means many new books won’t be bought. They are changing opening hours. Central Library opening hours have already been reduced- there will be more reductions. They are closing Carlton Road Library.

Update – a great support message sent to Notts SOS: Friends of Somerset’s Libraries video “with best wishes from all of us on the WeLoveLibraries production team”.

Beeston and Chilwell Defend Library Services

Under the proposals, Beeston Library’s opening hours would be cut from 57 hours a week to 52, while at Inham Nook Library in Chilwell the opening hours would be cut from 20 hours to eight. See Beeston and Chilwell Defend Library Services group: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/01/23/protest-grows-against-library-cuts-beeston-chilwell-campaign-report-and-future-events/. Read-in starts 11am on Saturday 5th February at Beeston Library.

Sneinton Against The Cuts ‘Read-in’

Sneinton Against The Cuts are organising a Read-In at Sneinton Library, Sneinton Boulevard. This is part of a national Read-In to defend library services and coincides with the Nottingham City Council’s decision to begin charging for using Library computers.

The Great Sneinton Library Read-In starts Sat 5 Feb, 11am

We have also made a petition against the introduction of Library Computer Charges and a template complaints letter because there has been no consultation or notice given for the introduction of charges – Let us know if you want these. We are going to do an article about the impact of computer charges.

We have also started a new blog. The address is – http://sneintonagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

Stapleford Libary ‘Read-out’

At Stapleford library they will be having a ‘read-out’ – Day of action against the library cuts – February 5th. Kick off 11am.

About four of us will be reading from books with possibly some storytelling too. One of the readers says he “will be personally reading ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ minus 50%”.

City Libraries – Blast from the past: Library Staff Speak Out Against Uniforms and Management Bullying 12/03/2008.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5UTxZ3rTTs]

Indymedia reports on the latest anti-cuts and fees demonstrations in London and Manchester – 29th Jan 2011

NUS president requiring police reassurance in Manchester on 29th January 2011
NUS president requiring police reassurance in Manchester on 29th January 2011
Nottingham students and lecturers from both universities and further education & six form colleges demonstrated again amongst thousands in both London and Manchester on Saturday 29th January against forthcoming rises in tuition fees, the cut to EMA that has already taken place, and cuts to other services.

Some demonstrators who went to London, including some of the Nottingham contingent, ended up at the Egyptian embassy near Hyde Park in solidarity with anti-government protests there, before joining coaches back. Others took action at high street stores of tax avoiding companies, many of which were closed and had to be protected by police (reports and other media below).

In Manchester hundreds of students chased NUS president through the streets with chants including “Students, workers, hear us shout, Aaron Porter sold us out” and “Porter – out”. Eventually he took refuge in Manchester Metropolitan Students’ Union, protected by a heavy cordon of riot police. NUS deputy, Vice-President Further Education Shane Chowan who took his place was drowned out by hostile chanting and pelted with eggs (full story in Manchester link below).

Reports/pictures/video (London): http://london.indymedia.org/articles/7173 and http://london.indymedia.org/articles/7082

Reports/pictures (Manchester): http://northern.indymedia.org/articles/1325 and http://northern.indymedia.org/articles/1324. See also: http://manchestermule.com/article/hundreds-of-students-chase-aaron-porter-through-manchester

Back home, Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts (NSAFC) are asking all students to Boycott the National Student Survey http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/boycott-the-national-student-survey/. Follow link for details or goto Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/?sk=messages&tid=1404966704398

Anti-cuts events from Monday 31st Jan 2011 and into February and March – mainly Nottingham & Notts [updated as new events come in]

picture of a diary to add the following anti-cuts dates toHere is advance notice of (mostly local or regional) anti-cuts events we know about from Monday 31st Jan 2011. These will be added to as more events are announced so please revisit this page. See also: Budget consultation events: Nottingham City Council from 31st Jan until 10th Feb.. Also take a look at our Recent Events, Comments and Twitter feed columns for more info and comments.

Monday 31st Jan – “1 million green jobs”, 7:00–8:30 pm. Friends Meeting House, St Helen’s Street, Derby DE1 3GY.
Details: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/01/18/one-million-climate-jobs-now-solving-the-economic-and-environmental-crises-public-meeting-in-derby-on-31st-jan-2011/.

Tuesday 1st February. What’s happened to the Big Society? An open meeting to be addressed by Andrew Redfern, Chief Executive, Framework – the umbrella organization for the homeless in Nottingham and Notts. Hosted by St Barnabas’ Cathedral Justice & Peace Group. All welcome! Time/Date: 7.30pm – 9pm, Venue: St Barnabas Cathedral, McGuiness Room, Derby Rd, Nottingham, NG1 5AE. Details: httphttps://nottssos.org.uk/2011/01/18/whats-happened-to-the-big-society-open-meeting-on-1st-feb-2011/

Saturday 5th Feb – National Read-In event. Events being organised in Nottingham & Notts on the day include a read-in at Beeston library. Others include Stapleford and Sneinton. All start at 11am.

Saturday 7th Feb Regular Notts SOS planning meeting. Monday 7th February 2011, at ICC/YMCA, 7.30-9.15pm. Fortnightly, but check website for next meeting on 21st as venue may be changed.

Saturday 12th Feb – Anti-academy schools stall in Rushcliffe. Details to be announced. Previous meeting in Broxtowe: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/01/05/fighting-academies-in-nottingham-and-nottinghamshire-broxtowe-meeting-thursday-6-january-2011/

Saturday 12th Feb – Mansfield SOS demo. March/Protest/Rally. Starts ‘Feather’ 11am. Short march finishes Mansfield Market Place for rally, 11.10am. Download leaflet [Word] [PDF] & poster [Word] [PDF]

Saturday 19th Feb – Keep The Post Public. CWU demo. Date: Saturday 19th February 2011. Assemble from 1pm (march will commence at 2pm). Place: Mail Centre, Padge Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 2RR. Details: http://www.cwu.org/keep-the-post-public-march-and-rally-in-beeston-nottingham.html. See also: http://www.eclectech.co.uk/savethepostoffice.php in case anyone forgets privatisation started under Labour.

Tuesday 22th February Nottingham City Unison is organising a public protest on 12.30 in the Market Square . This is the day that the City Council Executive Board discusses and recommends the 2011/12 budget to the full council. All welcome. Public demonstration with speakers.

Wednesday 23rd Feb – Mencap Big Cuts Event, Nottingham Racecourse. One of a series of roadshow events across the country to tell people about the cuts happening in their area, and to look at ways we can work together to fight them. Details: http://www.mencap.org.uk/page.asp?id=20547. However – their aim to engage as a workfare provider as ‘Disability Works UK’ consortium seems problematic: http://wheresthebenefit.blogspot.com/2010/12/disability-works-does-it.html. If you are going to this event maybe this issue could be raised?

Thursday 24th Feb – Nottinghamshire County Council Lobby. Major lobby of County Hall, West Bridgford on the day the full council meets to set its Council Tax budget. Download Lobby flyer: Alternative to Notts County cuts lobby 24 Feb 2011

Monday 7th March – Nottingham City Council, at 2.00 pm. The City Council’s budget for 2011/12 will be considered at a meeting of the full City Council to be held at the Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham. The agenda for the meeting will be published a week in advance and agendas for Council meetings can be viewed by following this link http://open.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/comm/goto.asp?Type=1|32. Previously, from Unison: previous article on Notts SOS. See also: http://www.nottinghamcityunison.org.uk/

Saturday 26th March – TUC ‘March for the alternative’: http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/. Put this in your diary now! London – initial details of route are here – http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/march-logistics/getting-there/.

Nottingham protests before vote to scrap EMA is passed by government on 19th Jan 2011. [plus link to ITV footage of demo]

Following a Commons vote yesterday, access by 17-18 year olds in England to the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA), that supports student to stay in school/college after age 16 is closed to new applicants from now on, then to be withdrawn for existing recipients in September. The means-tested £10-£30 allowance used to be a bursary of £40 but it is now gone completely. This is not gone without significant opposition though – see Nottingham Indymedia with photos of Nottingham students’ protest on 19th Jan:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/910 following several other demonstrations starting last year.

Watch TV footage of the demo on ITV website including an attempt to ‘storm’ the council house prevented by police (there’s always another time!!): http://www.itv.com/central-west/fighting-ema-cuts95064/

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have their own EMA schemes which are still open but these are also under review (see Scotland example).

More info, and forthcoming events: Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts (NSAFC). School, college and university students are continuing to oppose cuts and rises in fees.

Nottingham City Council’s budget for 2011-2012 to be considered on Monday 7th March

The City Council’s budget for 2011/12 will be considered at a meeting of the full City Council to be held at 2.00 pm on Monday 7 March at the Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham. The agenda for the meeting will be published a week in advance and agendas for Council meetings can be viewed by following this link http://open.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/comm/goto.asp?Type=1|32
(we originally said February so please update your diary!).

See also: The City Council’s own risk assessment of affects from budget cuts to ‘Supporting People’ that raises some serious questions about why these cuts are being accepted. Picked up on here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/jan/19/public-sector-cuts-housing

Home care: Nottingham was also in the national news about elderly home care charges which have seen a huge jump and reveal a postcode lottery where the charges are zero in some places and largest in others such as Nottingham. See:
Postcode care lottery denounced as council charges soar, By Simon Gompertz Personal finance correspondent, BBC News, 20/01/2011.

Previously, from Unison: previous article on Notts SOS.

One Million Climate Jobs Now! Solving the Economic and Environmental Crises – public meeting in Derby on 31st Jan 2011

One Million Climate Jobs Now! Solving the Economic and Environmental Crises – public meeting
Time/Date: 7:00–8:30 pm on Monday 31st January 2011.
Venue: Friends Meeting House, St Helen’s Street, Derby DE1 3GY.

Download leaflet: one million climate jobs now – joint NUT Derby Climate Coalition meeting

Speakers:
Suzanne Jeffrey: N.U.T.
Chandra Morbey: Rail Engineer in Derby

Suzanne Jeffrey is Chair of the National ‘Campaign against Climate
Change’ Trade Union group which has produced the best-selling
pamphlet ‘One million climate jobs’. This makes the case for the
creation of employment in renewable energy, refitting buildings,
public transport, industry and education.

Chandra Morbey will look at the potential for railways upon jobs
and the environment.

All welcome.

Nottingham City Unison: “NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL PREPARED TO PASS ON CON-DEM CUTS” – press release 14th Jan 2011. Plus Notts Unison Press releases about Country Parks, Care Homes & NCC Lobby on 24th Feb

Read Nottingham City Unison press release 14th Jan 2011 about City cuts: “NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL PREPARED TO PASS ON CON-DEM CUTS” [Word] [PDF]. Source: http://www.nottinghamcityunison.org.uk/

For Notts County, see also: Unison: alternatives to proposed Nottinghamshire service and job cuts.

Plus: FOR YOUR INFORMATION forwarded on from: Mike Scott (Notts Unison Branch Organiser)

(1) Please find attached letter we would like you to distribute to anyone you know who may be a user of our local Country Parks.

Notts County Council budget cuts will have a particularly devastating affect on the service provided by our local country parks and it is important we campaign vigorously against these disgraceful cuts.

Please get involved in this campaign and together we can stop this attack on our natural heritage.

(2) Equally unpaletable please circulate press release about closure of ALL existing 35 day care centres providing specific care support
-Replacing them with just 10 ‘generic’ centres providing ‘one service for all’.
-Only opening new centres for 46 weeks per year, not 52
-Cancelling meals and drinks provision unless this service can break even in each centre.
-Reducing staffing by half from 377 to just 192
-Cutting access to the centres for elderly care home residents to just 2 days per week maximum

Please respond to the County Council’s consultation on this matter by the 21st Jan and prepare to attend a major lobby of County Hall, West Bridgford on Thursday 24 February when the full council meets to set its Council Tax budget.

Dowload Lobby flyer: Alternative to Notts County cuts lobby 24 Feb 2011

Fight for Nottingham City libraries facing service, books and staff cuts.

We already know about cuts to County Libraries – redundancies, 75% cut in book budget, etc. Protests are organised (Beeston & Chilwell Defend Library Services campaign launched – public meeting 20th January and stalls on 15th & 16th).

Recently, some news has emerged about cuts to City Libraries, which are managed separately from those in the County. Library managers and others of similar rank were called to meetings soon after the New Year, to be told the news. Opening hours across nearly all City libraries (excluding the main library at Angel Row) are to be cut by 10%, with a consequent reduction in staff. Management claims that there will be no actual redundancies amongst library assistants (the lowest paid), but that unfilled vacancies, voluntary early retirement and reductions in hours (voluntary??) will fill the gap. However, there will be redundancies amongst librarians, senior library managers and library managers, who have received “At Risk” letters. Currently, nearly all libraries have a manager, one grade up from a library assistant and theoretically responsible for the day-to-day running of the library; in future, library managers will be managing more than one library. Libraries already operating part time hours will be open even shorter times, leading to the possibility of borrowers never finding them open and giving up on using them; then there will be “no public demand” for those libraries.

There will be no cuts at senior management level. Perhaps this is because nobody knows what they do.

The City book budget will be cut by 25%. As managers have, for years, engaged in a campaign to throw away perfectly good books bought by public money, this could mean a severe depletion of stock, especially of books with less mass-market appeal.

Library managers at the meeting were told to cascade this information to their staff. So library assistants will or will not have learned about it depending on whether or not their managers attended the meeting, and whether or not they have shared a shift with their library manager. Senior managers have also started touring community libraries to talk individually with library assistants. Cuts will be implemented before April.

It had previously been known that, later this year, Carlton Road library will join Top Valley, Bestwood, Wilford and Beechdale in being shut. Senior management will not guarantee the existence of any library, and expect to make further cuts beyond those described, in the future. Also of concern is the introduction of charging for computer usage in libraries, which, of course, will hit the poorest (including asylum seekers trying to keep in touch with families or support their cases) hardest.

But all is not gloom. According to reports, Loxley House (the new City Council admin HQ) was this year treated to a christmas tree costing £5,000.

To get involved with Notts SOS and fight for our libraries and other services: come to our conference on Saturday 15th January.

Say No to Fire Cuts – Save Carlton’s Firefighters

Government budget cutbacks to Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue could have devastating consequences for residents of Carlton, Netherfield, Colwick and surrounding districts if plans go ahead to remove one of two Fire Engines and the loss of more than 20 Firefighter jobs from the just-completed £3.5m Fire Station at Carlton.

A website and FaceBook group has been set up to highlight these cuts to local fire cover and to highlight the strength of public feeling against these measures.

See the website at http://www.savecarltonretained.co.uk for more information on the forthcoming campaign and sign the petition today!

Please pass on this FaceBook group to anyone in the area today. Your help is urgently required!

“Say No to Fire Cuts and Support your local Firefighters”

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