Nottingham joint strike and anti-cuts action day – Thursday 30th June 2011 – final details

Join the Nottingham unions NUT, ATL, UCU, PCS joint strike march from The Forest and city centre rally at Trinity Square on 30th June, then meeting at Albert Hall with many solidarity actions. Supported by Notts Trades Council, Notts Save Our Services, Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts, University of Nottingham UCU Local Association, Notts Uncut, plus Notts Unison action at County Hall West Bridgford against cuts to social care provision in the County.

* NO PENSION CUTS!
* NO JOB CUTS!
* NO CUTS TO SERVICES!
* Bring banners, friends and family!

Timetable

  • 8.00am. Notts UnCut. Meet up at Nottingham Railway station to feed pickets and engage in solidarity action. Download Notts UnCut latest newsletter
  • 8.30am. Unison action against major cuts to social care provision – assemble County Hall, West Bridgford. Download leaflet: Notts ASCH demo 30 June 2011
  • 11 am. NUT, ATL, UCU, PCS joint strike march – assemble from 11.00 am, Forest Recreation Ground (Goose Fair site). Download: 30 June 2011 joint strike leaflet Nottingham
  • 11.30 am. Marchers leave The Forest, march down Mansfield Road, on to Milton Street and then in to the Trinity Square.
  • Noon/12.30 pm with the arrival of the march in Trinity Square. Speakers, stalls, refreshments and more in Trinity Square. There will be face painting and other activities for younger people.
  • 13.30 pm. March continues along Burton Street, South Sherwood Street and Parliament Street to the Albert Hall on Derby Road for speakers and debate on the way forward for the dispute. There will be live music provided by Banner Theatre, Trade Union speakers and an opportunity to contribute from the floor. Ending 3pm approx.

Background: Striking for pensions | Striking against Job cuts | Striking for you and your services
Teachers, lecturers, and civil servants, in the NUT, ATL, UCU, and PCS are being forced to take strike action on 30th June.

The strike is against Con-Dem plans to:
– cut public sector pensions by a third;
– increase the public sector pension age to 68;
– make public sector workers pay 50% more for it!
– cut jobs, hundreds of government jobs have already been lost in Nottinghamshire
– close workplaces, such as DWP Sutton and Mansfield
– Cut all public sector pay at a time when inflation is above 5% and utility bills will be increased by 19%!

This strike action is not happening because union members and their families are greedy; pensions are a vital part of our pay. These union members have chosen to work in the public sector because they believe in providing good public services for all and taking strike action is never an easy decision.

The attacks on the public sector are part of a much bigger agenda. The Con-Dems want to privatise the NHS, cut spending on schools and services, price our kids out of college and university, cut benefits to those in need and see unemployment soar.

In essence, they want to attack every service that we value and hold dear.

Yet none of this is necessary. The richest 1000 people in Britain have seen their wealth increase by £130 BILLION in the last two years to a staggering £396 BILLION. Instead of cutting staff the Government should employ more tax inspectors to get in the £120 billion in avoided, evaded and uncollected tax by the rich, such as the reported £6 BILLION owed by Vodafone.

We’re taking action to stand up for pensions and public services for all. Bring your family and join us on the demonstration and rally to show your support for public services and public servants.

Unison action at County Hall. Please back demonstration ahead of the Full Council meeting on 30 June. We’ll be protesting from 8.30am (the council meeting starts at 10am). All staff, service users and community groups welcome. Make some noise so your councillors can hear you!!!
Adult day care centres forced to close. The council plans to close 35 specialist adult day centres, and replace these with just 13 generic ones. UNISON fears this will leave too few centres, forcing elderly or vulnerable people to travel further. Over 118 care staff face the sack.
Supporting People budgets halved.The council also plans to cut £10million of funding to ‘Supporting People’ projects—with many axed or cut as much as 50%. The council under-spent by £24million in the last financial year, but intends to cut frontline services to the most vulnerable and needy. The council claims it has consulted widely on these plans, but UNISON fears these cuts have yet to be fully explained to those most likely to face them.

UKUncut support: Notts Uncut will be supporting the June 30th strikes by members of NUT, ATL, UCU and PCS.
Nottingham UKUncut will be involved in several activities throughout the day and would love as many people as possible to come along to any or all of them, starting the day by visiting the picket lines and delivering some breakfast to the strikers, meeting at 8am at the front of the railway station. After the pickets have all been fed we will be forming a Notts Uncut bloc on the march. Assemble at the Forest Recreation Ground at 11am and look out for the Notts Uncut banner. If you are able to come along at 8am to feed the pickets can you send us a message to let us know please – everything else, just turn up.

University of Nottingham UCU Local Association and Nottingham Students against Fees and Cuts. Those university staff who are able to take the day off (UCU has a seperate pension scheme not controlled by government in which changes have been railroaded by employers) will join at the Forest at 11am and March to Trinity Square. The key message from Nottingham University staff and students is that cuts to university teaching budgets by 80% and enormous rises in student fees will price out students of less wealthy families or leave them with crippling debts. Due to pension changes staff will get a pay cut and worse standard of living in retirement. Government and employers have chosen to make the people pay for the mistakes of the banks. Trade unions are right to defend the terms and conditions of ordinary workers. We urge you to support the actions on 30th June.

What can I do?

There has already been a great deal of work done but there is still much to do. Joint union leaflets are being produced and should be available for collection / distribution on Friday 24 June. Your help distributing these leaflets will be invaluable. I have attached an electronic copy for e-distribution, attachment to web sites etc but to order paper copies, please contact paul.williams@dsa.gsi.gov.uk 07771 940812.

Saturday 25 June

There will be an opportunities to leaflet in the Market Square, Nottingham from 12.00 and at Long Eaton Carnival, West Park, Wilsthorpe Rd from 12.00. Support at Long Eaton would be especially welcomed.

Thursday 30 June

It is hoped that p1cket lines can be advertised on the Trades Council website so please ensure you keep checking for updates.

ATL, NUT, PCS and UCU members will be delighted to see you and your members visiting their lines, marching with your flags and banners, celebrating in the Trinity Square and rallying in the Albert Hall so PLEASE publicise these events to your own membership, encourage them to pop along and show your support. We’d be delighted to pass on any messages to members in the participating unions so feel free to send them to this address.

If you are free on the day and would like to help out on the day, please let us know. Stewards are always welcome and ‘gophers’ a necessity. Anything you can do would be appreciated.

Speakers are required for the Trinity Square celebration – if you or a representative of your union or a campaign group you are involved in would like to speak in support of the action, please contact Cara Nurse of PCS at cara-lee.nurse@dsa.gsi.gov.uk, Paul Martin at nottspcs@hotmail.co.uk or 07986 351807

Nottingham – coordinated strike action and support activities – Thursday 30th June 2011

Following successful ballots of the NUT/UCU/ATL/PCS unions, coordinated strike action will take place with support activities in Nottingham during the day of Thursday 30th June. Marches in the city, Market Square demonstration and conference (Albert Hall). Coaches from Notts. Full details forthcoming.
See also: School & college walkouts planned to coincide with public sector strikes

Reports on Pickets of NHS ‘Listening Exercise’ evenings, Tues 17th & Wed 18th May, Nottingham & Edwinstowe

notts sos stall nhs listening event 18 May 2011
Nottingham NHS 'Listening Event' 18th May 2011
Reports on Pickets of NHS Listening Exercises

See also, further Nottingham Indymedia reports: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1793, http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1788 and http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1789

Nottingham, Wed 18th May 5.30-8.15pm

About 20 of Notts SOS turned out on 18th May to picket the NHS ‘Listening Exercise’ held at the Belgrave Rooms in the city. Placards and notices saying Kill the Bill, Bin the Bill, Hands Off Our NHS, Sickness is Not a Profit Making Industry, made our point clear. Many people arriving for the event stopped to look at our stall, pick up information and our newsletter and talk, and passing vehicles hooted their support. Our new printed waterproof banner with our name and logo on was ready for the event, and tied to the front of the stall. Some of us then went inside to join the exercise when it began at 6pm, but a presence was kept outside throughout and interested members of the public continued to stop and ask what it was all about.

The listening exercise was run jointly by Nottingham City and Nottingham County PCTs (Primary Care Trusts). Present were PCT staff, and Vicky Bailey who is a member of the government’s NHS Future Forum and chief officer of an existing GP consortium (Principia). The chair of the Future Forum, Prof. Steve Field, said earlier this week that the proposed NHS reforms were unworkable. The Nottingham meeting was overwhelmingly opposed to competition in the NHS and the use of private contractors. But the impression gained by the audience of about a hundred, was that the exercise was only concerned with making cosmetic changes to the underlying plan, and leaving the marketisation of the NHS untouched. Those present who left their names and addresses were promised that they would be sent a copy of the summary of opinion that will be forwarded to the Future Forum. No-one who attended could be left in any doubt that the public are overwhelmingly opposed to this government plan.

Edwinstowe, Tues 17th May

Bassettlaw and Notts SOS supporters also attended the listening event in Edwinstowe on the previous day and here is a report. There was a protest outside organised by the Bassetlaw group and gave out leaflet: SAVE OUR NHS FROM LANSLEY wearing their Robin Hood hats with ‘Robin Hood says Keep our NHS public’ and ‘Robin Hood says the NHS belongs to the people not big business’. About 100 people attended the listening event, mainly older people. There was considerable opposition to the Bill proposals particularly to the privatisation of the NHS. It was quite heated and people were keen to ask questions from the floor. The meeting was fronted by Zoe, the PCT Public Involvement Manager who was asked difficult questions and took the flack – apparently no one from the Future Forum had been able to attend. There was a presentation on what’s happening (with much interupting by questions) and then group work (based on the 4 topics in the Listening exercise) and feedback to the whole group. Responses will be collated and fed into the DH. There were no GPs or MPs present, as far as this reporter was aware. It was round table stuff – but every table reporting back made it quite clear privatisation was not an option and the reorganisation should be shelved. Note: Bassetlaw is not part of NHS County – it is joining up with Doncaster and Rotherham.

Forthcoming event: Saturday 21th May. Visit (and/or help with) Notts SOS health campaigning stall from 12-2pm in Market Square, Nottingham. There also will be an opportunity to sign a ‘Keep the NHS public’ petition.

If you would like to get more involved with Notts SOS and Save the NHS activities, do get in touch via our usual address (see https://nottssos.org.uk/contact/ ). You can be added to our announcements list. Alternatively consult the diary dates on this website and or subscribe to receive messages when they are posted to the website (fill in form on the right of the home page).

notts sos NHS listening event picket 18 May 2011
Some of the Notts SOS placards at the Nottingham NHS Listening Event picket 18 May 2011

Nottingham Mayday 2011 photos – and (partial) list of services due to close in the County & City

The Nottiingham Mayday celebrations for 2011 took place in Victoria Park and the Market Square with a march between.

Why were we celebrating? Mayday has been going at least since 1886 when workers in the USA began a general strike for an 8-hour day. See photos on Indymedia (including Chesterfield as well as Nottingham and reports about both).

Why were we marching, demonstrating and making public speeches? Take a look at this list of services due to close in the city and county. Many more are closing or threatened. Get in touch with Notts SOS (or comment on this artilcle) if your service is not listed here.

How much more will we be forced to work or suffer cuts to pay, pensions and services to bail out the debt and bank bail-outs caused by capitalist speculators and sanctioned by our rulers?

After March 26th – a good day out & a lot more to do back in Nottingham & Notts against the cuts! [with photos & videos] – add your experiences/comments/links

Notts SOS banner on the March 26th demonstration
Notts SOS banner on the March 26th demonstration in London (more photos & videos below)
The half a million who marched and took action in London on Saturday 26th March 2011 made our feelings known and we showed our strength. Those who are active in Notts SOS and from the many other anti-cuts groups around the country, together with all manner of service users and welfare and pension recipients, workers, students, families and children took to the streets to say no to the cuts.

The press and politicians seem to have made their minds up already. According to Lib Dem’s Vince Cable on the BBC Politics Show today “We’re not going to change the basic economic strategy” and, “No government – coalition, Labour or any other – would change its fundamental economic policy simply in response to a demonstration of that kind.”

Is this a challenge? It begs the question of what exactly would change the government’s mind? Certainly Notts SOS will stick to its call for “No Cuts” which means we will need to carry on the work of making the politicians aware of our demand. But we have already lost a lot and there will be more to be lost in the new tax year if we do not stand up and fight. So let’s all get involved.

Feel free to share your personal stories of the day, and links to your articles, blogs, photos and videos by adding a ‘comment’ to this article. You can also do the same on the Notts SOS facebook page.

A selection of images of the day:

Notts SOS banner on the march, with a few of the Nottingham contingent
Notts SOS banner on the march, with a few of the Nottingham contingent
Banner drop on a Bridge on March 26th
Banner drop on a Bridge on March 26th
Notts SOS and UCU East Midlands banners in London on March 26th
Notts SOS and UCU East Midlands banners in London on March 26th

support4edwoollard.wordpress.com family on demo
Ed Woollard's family who we spoke to on March 26th demo who confirmed he had received a greetings card sent by Notts SOS from our January conference
Link to Ed Woollard support site: http://support4edwoollard.wordpress.com

Videos by Notts SOS/Uncut contingent on Oxford Street:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQY1oaAJFwA]

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

Also watch: Video of the deception by police on UKUncut occupation of Fortnum and Mason, leading to their ‘record’ number of arrests on the day: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2011/mar/28/fortnum-mason-protesters-uk-uncut-video. Not surprising to hear they will be taking legal advice …

Notts Joins March Against Cuts – go and be part of the monster march on Saturday 26th

On March 26th, Notts residents will join hundreds of thousands of people from across the country to protest against the government’s austerity drive. Trade unions in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will be taking more than 30 coaches to London to join the monster March for the Alternative against the cuts. Thousands of service users, welfare recipients, workers and students will make their anger known on the streets of London.

City Council cuts update – DEMONSTRATE ON MONDAY 7th MARCH – plus International Women’s Day events

Here is latest update from Notts SOS about the campaign against City Council cuts and events on International Women’s Day. For many more diary dates and details of forthcoming events, see:
https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/02/28/anti-cuts-diary-dates-from-1st-march-2011-including-city-council-demos-on-5th-6th/

CITY COUNCIL

Many thanks to the 150 or so folks who braved the rain at the rally
today (Saturday 5th March) in the Market Square.

See photos on Notts Indymedia: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1014

For those who couldn’t make it, we heard from community and disability
campaigns, unions, service users, homeless people, and students about
how angry they are at the cuts facing these sectors. It was a lively
rally that lasted a couple of hours, with stalls and singing.
Afterwards Vodafone, Natwest and Boots were visited by UK Uncut.

It’s really important that we now take this anger to the council
directly, this Monday 7th March, when it plans to pass the cuts
budget. We start our protest for a needs-based budget at 1pm outside
the council house (our stall will be there from 12 noon). The council meeting starts at 2pm.

The public are allowed to attend the meeting. In fact the council has
been in touch with us pointing out that they will try to accommodate
as many as they can without breaching health and safety regulations,
so we are expected. We can still influence this process!

The meeting itself is likely to go on into the night. Last year it
took until 1am the next morning. So we plan to have a presence outside
for the whole day and a second rally at 5-7pm for people who can only
come after work. Please come down to the rally, attend the meeting
with us, and help us to keep up a lively presence outside.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

There are 2 cuts related events in Nottingham on Tuesday 8th March,
marking the centenary International Women’s Day. Download poster.

(1) Women at the Cutting Edge – Rally in the Market Square (5pm)

Bring your banners, placards and voices and join us to celebrate the
tradition of International Women’s Day and demonstrate our resistance
to the cuts!

Old Market Square, Nottingham City Centre

(2) Women Against the Cuts – public meeting (5.30pm)

The Notts Trades Council are organising a meeting at the offices of
Thompsons Solicitors.

Speakers
* Cheryl Pidgeon, regional secretary of Midlands TUC
* Melanie Jeffs, Nottingham CVS
* Chris Cutland, Women’s Aid Integrated Services

Thompsons Solicitors Office, 4th Floor, City Gate (East), Tollhouse
Hill, Nottingham, NG1 5FS

For more diary dates including more IWD events around Nottingham, see:
https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/02/28/anti-cuts-diary-dates-from-1st-march-2011-including-city-council-demos-on-5th-6th/

Corporate tax avoidance actions in Nottingham – various reports and media from 26th Feb 2011

Natwest 26th feb 2011 - Notts SOS Notts Uncut protest
Natwest 26th feb 2011 - Notts SOS / Notts Uncut
Notts Uncut action in Nottingham on Saturday 26th February 2011:

Nottingham Indymedia reports:

National and international news: UK Uncut and US sister group stage more protests at banks, Guardian, 27/2/2011

Boots protest 26th Feb 2011

Vodafone protest 26th feb 2011

Natwest 'read-in' 26th feb 2011

3rd National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts – April 14th 2011 – supported by Nottingham Claimants’ Union

A 3rd National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts has been called for Thursday April 14th 2011 and Nottingham Claimants’ Union is supporting the event.

Millions are set to be affected by savage cuts to housing, disability, sickness and welfare benefits. People with disabilities, illness, the unemployed, single parents, carers the low waged, part time students, volunteers, homeless people and college students are all likely to see a devastating drop in disposable income with many slipping even further below the poverty line.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164277070288955

Read more about the event: http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/national-day-of-protest-against-benefit-cuts-day-3/

See also, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC): http://www.dpac.uk.net/

And also read:

March, demo & strike at Notts County Hall – reports from 24th Feb 2011 [photos & videos]

Here are links to reports about Thursday demo at County Hall against Notts County Council cuts and job losses with photos and video:

More coming soon at City Council on 5ht and 7th of February. For inspiration see reports of occupations of town halls and council buildings in London this week:Haringey and Lambeth, and protest at Southwark

Watch video on Notts Unison/Youtube

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv9k_KUrMCA]

And some links made here in another Notts video about the hypocrisy of the government over egypt, libya and bahrain, selling arms to dictators, and business deals. Why the cuts here are not necessary. And let’s all learn to ‘fight like an egyptian’!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgKFzCKP808]

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