Hackney Calls For Alliance To Defend Public Services

Opposing the Con-Dems' cuts programme by bringing together unions and community groups is an excellent idea. Any chance of something along these lines in Newham? I don't hold out much hope when the secretary of the local Trade Union Council is congratulating the Great Helmsman on his re-election. This is from Hackney Trade Union Council:

While the first £6 billion of 'taster cuts' which was announced on May 24 will be painful, a much worse prospect is promised from the emergency '50 days [after the election] budget', on June 22.

Whether the cuts are needed or right is highly debatable but they are coming, unless we stop them, and they will affect us all, dramatically. And we, as trade unionists want to be prepared for this massive attack on our public services and to help fight and to beat it.

Hackney Trades Council is calling for an alliance to save our services

Hackney Trade Union Council is calling a meeting for the week after the 50 day budget, for all those involved in the public sector, both as workers and as users, While HTUC job is primarily to work with Hackney trade unions, HTUC sees the community as a key area of support for union struggles. So while we need all those involved with organising as trade unionists in the public sector, we also want all those involved with the 'user' side of services, those fighting for those services, to attend.

We need union reps from all unions in the public sector to get involved including Unison branches across the borough, the NUT, GMB, the RCN, the RMT, UCU, Unite and the CWU.

We also need those who represent services such as Friends of Hackney Nurseries, the Hackney Unemployed Workers Group, parents from the school PTAs, tenants from tenants' associations, patient groups, Keep Our NHS Public and many others. As well as the vast array of community groups, like DayMer and Gik Der that represent people in Hackney who will be directly affected by these cuts.

Come to the meeting on Wednesday June 30

We urge all, trade unionists and service users reps to attend this meeting, which will be held from 7pm till 9pm on Wednesday 30 June at The Trinity Centre, Beechwood Road London E8 3DY. The meeting is intended to create an alliance of all of us who work in and use the public services in Hackney to unite us to oppose and stop this planned onslaught.

Hopefully you will come with the full and agreed support of your branch committee or community or campaign group and with a commitment that your and your group will play a full and active role in supporting this new initiative. If you or a colleague cannot attend this meeting please send apologies and messages of support and ask your branch committee or group to support this alliance in the future. And if you can and cannot come, start talking to and convincing your colleagues, committee and friends that we need to fight this attack and that we can beat it and we can save and better the services we all need.

Together we can stop the cuts. Together we can make a better Hackney.

Secretary: Jane Holgate,
Hackney Trades Union Council,
PO Box 44656, London N16 5YX