Welfare Reform Bill - URGENT - please take action by Wednesday

> From: Global Women's Strike <http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com>
> Date: 10 November 2009 22:28:40 GMT>
To: http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=romaynephoenix@mac.com> Subject: Welfare Reform Bill - URGENT - please take action by Wednesday>

Reply-To: http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> >

Dear friends,> > URGENT -- please take action by the end of Wednesday>

> Welfare Reform Bill -- protection for children under five overturned by MPs> >

MPs supporting the government tonight brutally overturned the amendment won in the Lords, which protected single parents of children under five from losing benefit for not doing “work-related activity”. Single parent families could have their benefit cut by 40%. This is an outrageous attack on single mothers who are looking after children full-time. 236 MPs voted against the government, and some made clear that mothers’ caring work is a vital contribution to society. It should be recognised not penalised.> > Please write to the Lords who backed the amendment to urge them to keep this important protection for children, and let them know the strength of feeling in the community on this issue. Personal statements from mothers, fathers and carers are most convincing.> >

Lord Freud, the Conservative Lord who led on this amendment, will raise it again when the Bill goes back to the Lords on Thursday at 11.30am. We have another chance of defeating the government on their uncaring policy.> > Fax number for the Lords: 020 7219 5979 (mark for the attention of the Peer you are writing to.)> >

(As time is short, please send your letters direct, don’t rely on us to forward them, but do send us a copy at http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com Fax 020 7209 4761)> >

Please write to:> > Conservatives> > · Chris Scott http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=scottcg@parliament.uk >
Conservative Office, House of Lords – has undertaken to pass on emails received by end of Wednesday.> > ·
Lord Freud> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=freudd@parliament.uk> Fax: 020 7219 5979 – mark attention Lord Freud> Tel: 020 7219 4907> > ·
Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE> Tel: 020 7219 4051> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=taylorjl@parliament.uk> > ·
Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE> Tel: 020 7219 5353> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=whitbycollins@parliament.uk> > >
Liberal Democrats> > · Baroness Celia Thomas> Tel: 020 7219 3586 > http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=thomascm@parliament.uk> > ·

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope> Fax: 020 7219 5979 – mark Attention Lord Kirkwood> (no email)> >
Crossbench> > · Lord Northbourne> Tel: 020 7219 3884 > Fax: 020 7219 5933> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=northbournec@parliament.uk> > >

> Sent: 09 November 2009 12:59> Subject: Welfare Reform Bill: Urgent - today: contact your MP and Minister Yvette Cooper> > Welfare Reform Bill:> Mothers, carers, people with disabilities,> victims of domestic violence …> win important changes in the Lords.> But some may be overturned on Tuesday> when the Bill returns to the Commons.> Join us to press MPs to keep them.> > Many important concessions have been won. Testimonies from those affected, among a wealth of letters and evidence from organisations, including ours which campaigned for months and lobbied in person and in writing, were taken up by Peers and journalists, forcing the government to shift. The government has publicly agreed to some of the changes, but some remain under threat. > > The Bill is coming back to the Commons on Tuesday 10 November. > ACTION YOU CAN TAKE:> Phone and/or email your MP and Yvette Cooper, the Minister for Work and Pensions, to urge them to keep the changes below> and to condemn the worst measures in the Bill.> House of Commons tel: 020 7219 3000

Find your MP> Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP> Secretary of State for Work and Pensions> House of Commons London SW1A 0AA> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=coopery@parliament.uk> Please copy your email to us at http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> > > Most under threat:> > · Single parents of children under five are entitled to care for our children full-time without losing benefit for not doing “work-related activity”. We need to press MPs not to overturn this. No mother should be forced to go out to work if she feels her pre-school age children need her.> > > Changes likely to be approved:> > · Single mothers/parents of children aged three to six. Single parents on Income Support will be able to keep £50 earnings, up from £20. No “work-related activity” will be compulsory outside school hours, childcare or term-time. Mothers won’t have their benefit cut for missing “job seekers” appointments due to family responsibilities. The government reaffirmed that under current rules, parents with school-age children claiming Job Seekers Allowance can reject jobs that do not fit within school hours, they do not have to work full-time. > > · Parents. Jobcentre advisers and “back to work” staff must have regard for the welfare of the child in what they tell parents to do. > > · Carers. Single parents will be exempt from job seeking if their disabled child under 16 receives any rate of Disability Living Allowance for care. Previously, the government said the parent must work if a child is on the low rate for care.> > · Women fleeing domestic violence. A three-month exemption from job seeking. Though not enough for recovery and settling distressed children, it is an improvement over the previous discretionary decision by Jobcentre staff.> > · It is illegal for anyone to be pressured into medical treatment. Jobcentre or “back to work” staff will not be able to tell disabled people claiming Employment and Support Allowance (including people with mental health problems) that they have to take their prescription or undergo surgery. The government previously claimed that some people are “wilfully keeping themselves unfit for work”. People with drug and alcohol problems can be required to attend assessments and “motivation” sessions, but cannot lose benefit for refusing rehabilitation or treatment. > > Despite these changes, the Bill takes away many of our rights: > > It abolishes Income Support. This is the main benefit which acknowledges unwaged caring work by single mothers and other carers. > > It wipes out entitlement based on need and brings in US-style workfare. Couples with young children must both seek work. Almost all claimants of working age must look for a job or engage in a “work-related activity”. Those who cannot find a job will have to “work for their benefits”, i.e. for £1.60 an hour. Forcing more people to chase scarce jobs, while allowing employers to bypass the minimum wage, lowers everyone’s wages. Councils looking to cut costs are already preparing for workfare staff. Those of us who do not or cannot comply are threatened with destitution. Asylum seekers were the first to be made destitute, and this inhuman standard is being extended to others. > > It introduces compulsory joint birth registration even where the father is violent. If the mother has no official proof of his violence (a common situation) she will be forced to give his name. Mothers of newborns should not have to worry about going to court to stop the father abusing his parental rights to persecute her and the child.> > It expands charging for disability services. Some disability groups welcome “the right to control” budgets for services, in the Welfare Reform Bill. However, the new percentage charging system is discriminatory. People with more severe disabilities have greater needs and so are allocated a bigger budget. For them, the fixed percentage is a larger amount of money. Local authorities are allowed to set their own (higher) percentage. They will deduct charges at source before funds are paid out, leaving people to make up the missing cash. This is instead of charging separately, which allows older and disabled people not to pay charges they can’t afford, or to query when their income or disability expenses are wrongly calculated. > > We are determined to defend our entitlement to benefits and free high-quality services. Many people have signed up to a letter condemning the abolition of Income Support. Add your name. LINK> >
Contact us for more info:> > Single Mothers’ Self-Defence http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=centre@crossroadswomen.net> WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities) http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=winvisible@allwomencount.net> Global Women’s Strike http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> Legal Action for Women http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=law@allwomencount.net> > Tel: 020 7482 2496 www.allwomencount.net www.globalwomenstrike.net

BWTUC Public meeting - Support the Postal Workers 09/11/2009 7.30pm

Battersea & Wandsworth WTUC Public meeting - Support the Postal Workers
09/11/2009 7.30pm

Postal workers have been bearing the brunt of the public';s anger since beginning to take strike action. They are being blamed for the late delivery of mail and being portrayed in the press as the ones in the wrong.

But, what you have to remember here is that postal workers are not greedy, well paid workers trying to squeeze money out of an unprofitable company. They are over worked and underpaid workers who aren';t just fighting to protect their terms and conditions they are fighting to protect our Royal Mail.

What the public don';t see is that behind the scenes the government are trying to run Royal Mail like a business &- not the public service that it is. The government does deals with large, private companies to deliver their mail. The government then hand this over to the Royal Mail to deliver at 13p per letter as opposed to 35p. The only person that really benefits in all this is the private companies making a profit.

How can this be justified when the government took a pensions holiday for 13 years from postal workers pensions? The government are shamelessly allowing private companies to profit at the expense of ordinary workers.

Your posties job will have changed dramatically over the past few years &- with no consultation from management. They now work longer hours and under more pressure. They work in an environment where they face constant bullying and intimidation from a management who make their bonuses by enforcing cuts on the workforce.

709/11/2009 7.30 PCS hq
106 Falcon Rd Clapham Junction SW11
Contact Nadine Nadine@bwtuc.org.uk
Tel 07946172461

CLIMATE EMERGENCY London Public Forum Saturday 7th November 12-6pm

London Public Forum Saturday 7th November 12-6pm

South Camden Community School, Charrington Street NW1 1RG (nearest tube Kings Cross) see map here

Open to everyone and free to attend, hosted by the Campaign against Climate Change the Public Forum will bring together leading figures to discuss and debate the Climate Emergency and what we can be doing to tackle it. See below for the programme for the day.

This event sees a great variety of speakers including Aubrey Meyer (Global Commons Institute), Oliver Tickell (author Kyoto 2), Andrew Simms (new economics foundation), John Stewart (HACAN), Johann Hari (journalist), Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party), Damian Carrington (Head of Environment, the Guardian), Alexis Rowell (Camden Council), Chris Baugh (Public and Commercial Services Union) and Dr Stuart Parkinson (Scientists for Global Responsibility) as well as workshops with Biofuelwatch and the Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group.

Please pass on this email to your family, friends and networks – this is one of our last chance’s to get together before we hit the streets demonstrating in December.

Programme

11:45 Doors Open

12:15-13:15 Session 1 "10% Cuts by end 2010: the case for emergency action"

13:15-13:45 Break and Workshops including:

Introduction to campaigning against Agrofuels, hosted by Biofuelwatch and Food Not Fuel

13:45-14:45 Session 2 "Green Jobs Now - a million climate jobs by end 2010"

CWU:Royal mail is claiming that we walked away from talks. This is not true.

DISPUTE UPDATE: PLEASE GIVE THIS MESSAGE THE WIDEST POSSIBLE CIRCULATION:

Royal mail is claiming that we walked away from talks. This is not true. It is also not true that there was an agreement. The union submitted a set of proposals yesterday morning that royal mail had still not responded to at 5 last night - in fact they still have not responded to those proposals. There is no split on the pec. They are 100% behind the industrial action. Royal mail are still insisting that we sign up to a pre xmas no strike deal. They are also still refusing to compromise on any of the issues at the heart of the dispute. Royal mail are likely to continue with their lies over the next few days to try and undermine the union and paint us in the worse possible light.

Support for CWU

“The London Federation of Green Parties states its support for a universal postal service and its support for CWU in its dispute with Royal Mail management.

Royal Mail management are using the 10% fall in postal communication relative to digital to force through cuts to postal workers earnings often using threats and intimidation and wrecking conditions of service. This is a difficult time to be a postal worker, but postal workers continue to deliver a vital public service. They are through their Union willing to negotiate reforms but are not prepared to be bullied.

The national agreement that resolved the 2007 dispute stipulates the continuing provision of reasonable local earnings levels and that to assist development of a fourth Phase of Royal Mail modernisation, consultation and negotiation will take place. Management are not currently complying. GPTU therefore supports the CWU decision to ballot on national strike action.

In the event of a CWU national strike we call on GP members to support CWU picket lines “

NUT motion: Mobilise for UN Climate talks in Copenhagen, December 09

This motion was agreed unanimously by the National Union of Teachers National Executive Committee on 8 October 2009
Mobilise for UN Climate talks in Copenhagen, December 09

“This meeting believes that we need a just, global and collectivised transition from a greed economy to a green economy. Sustainability rather than profit should be the hallmark of success as we recover from economic crisis.

This requires government investment in green industries such as renewable energy, insulation of all homes and workplaces, re-skilling of workers and research into further technological development. This will create or save tens of thousands of jobs at a time when many workers and students are concerned for their own future employment.

We congratulate workers at the Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight, who highlighted this issue so well by occupying their factory during August 2009, and who continue to campaign for the nationalisation of wind turbine and other green production since its closure.

We believe that the United Nations Climate Talks in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009 could be our last chance to secure such a global, democratic commitment to measures that might avert climate catastrophe, before our planet’s ecology destabilises irreversibly.

Therefore we call on the national bodies of all TUC affiliates, and the TUC itself, to support a demonstration in London on Saturday 5 December 2009, and mobilise for an international workers’ and students’ presence throughout the Copenhagen talks, especially on 12 December.

We ask all such bodies to work with Stop Climate Chaos (www.stopclimatechaos.org) and the Campaign Against Climate Change (www.campaigncc.org) in planning and preparing for these events.”

Demonstration against Baghdad deportations - Wednesday 14 October 2009

Dear all,

If you can make it to this (5 pm, Wednesday, Communications House) please do!

Best wishes, Matt Sellwood

********************************************************************

URGENT: Stop the first mass deportation flight to Baghdad

First demonstration at Communications House, London, on Wednesday 14th October, 5pm.

The Stop Deportation network and other groups and organisations are demanding that the first mass deportation flight to southern Iraq, expected to leave on Wednesday, is suspended and the detainees threatened with forcible removal are released immediately. Over the last week,
detainees in various immigration detention centres have been given 'removal directions' clearly stating they will be removed to Iraq, rather than the Kurdistan Regional Government-controlled region, which was stated in previous removals.

Deporting people to a war zone like Iraq would put the lives of many deportees at risk. As recently as the 11th October, three car bombs exploded in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, killing at least 19 people. Violence and bloodshed continue throughout the country, which saw 1,891 civilian deaths in the first six months of this year alone. There are also widespread food shortages, lack of access to clean drinking water and other grave humanitarian crises in many areas.

The British government, through its participation in the war on and occupation of Iraq since 2003, is responsible for these crises and the consequent displacement of millions of Iraqis. Instead of helping accommodate refugees fleeing war and violence, it is now is planning to
send them back en masse to face their possible death.

Deportation charter flights limit refugees' access to due legal process. The UK Border Agency states that "charter flights may be subject to different arrangements where it is considered appropriate because of the complexities, practicalities and costs of arranging an operation." Charter flight deportees are told that "removal will not necessarily be deferred in the event that a Judicial Review is lodged." The emphasis, thus, is on filling the flight rather than ensuring the appropriate legal avenues have been exhausted. Detainees have also lost the right to know the date and time of their removal, making it more difficult for their legal representatives to act properly and leaving deportees in fear and uncertainty for days or weeks.

Iraqi refugees have been forcibly deported to Iraqi Kurdistan (northern Iraq) since November 2005. Mass deportation flights to Kurdistan have been removing 50-60 men almost once a month since June 2008, with the Home Office arguing that, unlike the rest of the country, the Kurdistan area is 'safe'. The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees estimate 1,000
people have been deported to Kurdistan from the UK since 2005. Despite these claims of safety, however, several people have died or disappeared following their forcible return, including Hussein Ali who killed himself two days after his arrival in 2008. Many others have been forced into hiding.

The Stop Deportation network calls upon all groups, organisations and individuals opposed to this brutal action by the UK government to stand with us in calling for all deportations to Iraq to be stopped. Join us on the first public demonstration against mass deportations to Iraq this
Wednesday, at 5pm, at the local immigration reporting centre, where many deportees are first arrested without prior warning whilst signing on (Communications House, Old Street, London, EC1).

If you would like to add your or your organisation's name to this statement, or for any further information, please email
stopdeportation[at]riseup.net.

Other things you can do to help stop this flight:

Contact your local MP and ask them to put pressure on the UK Border Agency
to cancel the deportation. You can find your local MP at
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk

Contact the UKBA directly to demand the deportation be cancelled:
Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Contact the minister for borders and immigration Phil Woolas:
House of Commons phone number: 020 7219 1149
House of Commons fax number: 020 7219 0992
Constituency phone number: 0161 624 4248
Constituency fax number: 0161 626 8572