Wednesday 27 June 2012

The video they didn’t want you to see,

Subject: Re: Fwd: The video they didn’t want you to see, plus largest ever membership discount
To: kuwg@googlegroups.com
Date: Wednesday, 27 June, 2012, 10:47


Neil Bateman who operates from Ipswich I believe, is quoted here:

----extract starts----
HELP
MAKE CHRIS GRAYLING MAD Here’s an opportunity for you to help make a minister wish he hadn’t interfered.

Back in March we wrote about the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) employment and support allowance appeals video (external link) on Youtube. The video was pulled after less than a week, on the orders of senior officials.

Independent benefits expert Neil Bateman (external link), discovered that the video was taken down after employment minister Chris Grayling emailed the ministry complaining about, amongst other things, the fact that it
told claimants: 

that
    they are twice as likely to win their appeal if they appear in   person rather than having a paper hearing;
    that  the DWP doesn’t normally send a representative to the hearing;
    to  send additional evidence to the tribunal, when Grayling wants it   sent to the DWP. 
    
Yesterday, three months later, the video reappeared and, to their credit, after their initial panic MoJ officials seem to have left it unaltered. The video is actually reasonably informative and reassuring for people who have no previous experience of appeal tribunals.

Normally, however, MoJ videos get very little attention – one has had just two views and few of the 120 videos on
the MoJ channel gets more than a few hundred views.  

If Grayling hadn’t intervened this video would probably also have remained largely unseen.  Now, however, we’re asking Benefits  and Work newsletter readers to make it the most popular video the MoJ has ever produced.  The current record holder has had 4,269 views and the ESA video currently stands at 1,063.

So, please,make Grayling mad by taking a look at the video and passing the link on to anyone you think might benefit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L8EPHDjeqU 
(external link)

Members can read more and comment here.

----extract ends----

A subsequent Community Care website search reveals far more output written by or quoting Neil Bateman than the two links I put out on this list yesterday, including much more recent items than 2007.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/static-pages/search/?q=%22neil%20bateman%22

Having removed the contact details of the original forwarder of this Kilburn Uenmployed Workers Group item while sending Bcc -- 'Blind carbon copy' -- to contacts off the KUWG e-list, it is now relatively safe for off-KUWG-list recipients to forward to other e-lists, etc as they see fit. Please, in doing so, remove my own contact details.

Monday 25 June 2012

sertuc newsletter


cid:image001.jpg@01CD441F.45AE53E0

 
newsletter 19
 
Trade union actions
PCS one day national strike in HM Revenue & Customs Monday 25 June details herehttp://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/id/193C8F2D-FA1B-44E2-AB879254C88E4874 
Unison detailed guide to the Health & Social Care Acthttp://www.unison.org.uk/file/Understanding%20Health%20Act%20-%20MV%20-%20June%202012.pdf 
TUC 
TUC General Council solidarity with striking Spanish minershttp://strongerunions.org/2012/06/21/show-solidarity-with-spanish-strikers/ 
A Future That Works TUC mass demonstration with rally in Hyde Park Saturday 20 Octoberhttp://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21056-f0.cfm The newsletter and twitter #mdobney will include further details as they are available. New TUC demo website www.afuturethatworks.org.uk 
Tackling Youth Unemployment TUC seminar  Wednesday 4 July 2pm Congress House with David Miliband MP, Shiv Malik writer, Paul Kenny GMB http://youthunemployment.eventbrite.com/ 
Union Professional Development Programme July to September 2012http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/files/publications/documents/201.pdf including Women’s Summer School 
SERTUC  
Regional Council date change – the Executive Committee has agreed to move the date of the October RC meeting from 20 October (the date of the TUC’s national demonstration against austerity) toSaturday 27 October
Burston Strike School Rally Burston near Diss Sunday 2 September with Bob Crow RMT, Clive Lewis, Mark Serwotka PCS, Cath Speight Unite  www.burstonstrikeschool.org.uk 
Trade Council actions
Ealing trades council public meeting “Healthcare in NW London is being put under the knife” Tuesday 26 June 7.30pm with Dr John Lister, Dot Gibson NPC, John McDonnell MP contact 07960 309 457
Brent, Ealing, Harrow trades councils have commissioned a report from Dr John Lister on NW London hospital closure plans, available from eveturner@btopenworld.com 
St Albans, Welwyn & Hatfield trades council meeting “Luton Against Islamophobia” Saturday 30 June 6pm Luton contact 07404 729 092
Kingston trades council open meeting “Kingston for a future that works” building for 20 October onThursday 12 July 7.30pm contact richarddonnelly1987@yahoo.co.uk 
Islington trades council supporting Construction Safety Campaign and Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group protest outside DWP Tuesday 3 July 12 noon more from Mick Gilgunnmgilgunnross@yahoo.co.uk or 07817 254 851
Oxford trades council with NASUWT and NUT demonstration Saturday 14 July more information from gawainlittle@gmail.com 
Lewes trades council Woody Guthrie centenary concert with Dr Will Kaufman 7.30pm Sunday 8 Julycontact Bill Ball millwallb@gmail.com 
Norwich trades council conference “Reconnecting unions with local political action” Saturday 7 Julywith Owen Jones author, Paul Kenny GMB, Marcus Roberts Fabian Society, Mark Ferguson Labour List, Steve Hart Unite, Neal Lawson Compass, Byron Taylor TULO, Melissa Benn author, Clive Lewis Labour Party PPC contact Geraldine Murray gm@sidfrisby.co.uk 
Wisbech, March & District trades council public meeting Saturday 30 June 1pm in March withAlasdair Smith Anti Academies Alliance http://www.facebook.com/groups/224718767570567/ orwisbechmarchtuc@phonecoop.coop 
Cities of London & Westminster trades council Pentonville 5 40th anniversary event Saturday 28 July Isle of Dogs contact Roger Sutton roger@gftu.org.uk 
King’s Lynn & District trades council series of Saturday talks Women for Change 11am  14 JulyBernadette Barclay kingslynnanddistricttradescouncil@hotmail.co.uk 
Other actions/information
Unemployment statistics from Office for National Statistics: national unemployment rate is 2.61 million
 Increase in three months to April 2012Total unemployed
East of England2,000 209,000 (6.8%)
LondonDecrease of 20,000 413,000 (9%)
South East2,000288,000 (6.4%)
Save Lambeth Women’s Project women are now occupying this threatened projecthttp://savelambethwomensproject.wordpress.com 
UpRise event Tuesday 3 July 7.30pm London with comedians seehttp://www.theoldqueenshead.com/uprisefestivalfundraiser/ 
Liberation annual general meeting Saturday 30 June London “Europe’s Crisis & Latin America’s Alternative” Jeremy Corbyn MP and Dr Francisco Dominguez info@liberationorg.co.uk  
Hackney Unemployed Workers Project “Express Yourself” conference Thursday 28 June London 12 noon http://huuwp.wordpress.com or 07596 546 110
War on Want job opportunities Senior Campaigns Officer and Senior Programmes Officerwww.waronwant.org/jobs 
Norwich Pride Saturday 28 July www.norwichpride.org.uk 
Institute of Employment Rights seminar “Friction Dynamics: learning the lessons from a forgotten dispute” Monday 2 July London http://www.ier.org.uk/events/friction-dynamics-learning-lessons-forgotten-dispute 
Construction Safety Campaign protest Tuesday 3 July London “Stop – Lives at Risk, Keep the Crane MOT” 07747 795 954 
Haringey Justice for Palestinians public meeting Tuesday 3 July 7pm with Ronnie Kasrils ANCcontact http://www.hjfp.org.uk/kasrils_3rdJuly2012_A5_2pp.pdf 
Ross Pritchard Memorial Fund Annual Essay Competition £750 prize for best essay of no more than 1,000 words on Is Scottish independence a vehicle for a development towards socialism? Essays to megan@gn.apc.org by Monday 1 October 2012
International Brigades Annual Memorial Event 12.30 Jubilee Gardens, London Saturday 7 Julyhttp://www.international-brigades.org.uk/index.htm 020 7228 6504
Left Out left wing political blog written by women https://www.facebook.com/leftoutblog 
The 2012 George Edwards Memorial Meeting “The School, The Village and The Farm” Saturday 7 July 2pm contact petermedhurst254@btinternet.com 
International Brigades Annual Commemoration of the Brigades Saturday 7 July 12.30 with music and poetry http://www.international-brigades.org.uk/events.htm 
London Hazards Fire Safety Training Day free event in Hayes 4 Julyhttp://www.lhc.org.uk/http:/www.lhc.org.uk/fire-safety-training-3?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fire-safety-training-3 
 

Thursday 21 June 2012



Reclaiming Our NHS: Saturday June 23

Do you agree with what's happening to our NHS?
What can we do to protect it?
We think many people are concerned - especially now that the government has pushed through their controversial NHS changes. Pressure on our health services is already rising. The question now is: how can we all work together to protect patients and services? Our challenge is to find ways to have a bigger say over the future of NHS.So we are inviting you to Reclaiming Our NHS - a public conference in London on Saturday June 23rd - to discuss what we can do to protect our NHS; hear from experts about what's happening to our health services and meet other NHS supporters from across the country.


Speakers you can hear on the day include:
Polly Toynbee - Guardian columnist and writer
France O'Grady - TUC Deputy General Secretary
Jacky Davis - BMA council and Co-Chair of the NHS Consultants Association
Clare Gerada - Chair of the Royal College of GPs
David Babbs - Executive Director 38 Degrees
Harry Keen - President of the NHS Support Federation
John Lister - Health journalist and Director of Health Emergency
Wendy Savage - Co-Chair of Keep Our NHS Public
The conference is open to everyone. It will combine information, workshops and lively debate:
presentations from health experts on the impact of the Health and Social Care Act
discussion workshops to share experiences, information and talk about campaign strategy
a lively Question Time style debate about the future of our NHS
exhibitors with resources and information to help NHS campaigners
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London.

For a Future that Works: Trade Unions and the Environment

For a Future that Works: Trade Unions and the Environment

 A NW TUC Conference Saturday, 21 July, 2012 10.00 am – 4.00 pm 
 Savoy Hotel, Queens Promenade, Blackpool, FY2 9SJ 

Over the past 50 years our current global economic model has failed to deliver the sustainable society that we need. Poverty has increased in absolute terms. The gap between rich and poor is growing and at the same time, we have already breached the “safe operating limit” of our planet. We need to build a new sustainable and socially just economy. This conference will look at the role of trade unions in building a green and just Future that Works.

Main session speakers will include:
• Chris Baugh, PCS Assistant General Secretary
• Derek Wall, former Green Party principal speaker
 • Clara Paillard, Merseyside TUC Green Officer

 There will be workshop sessions on a variety of topics including Organising and Campaigning, Green jobs and Renewable energy. To register for this conference please e mail kstevens@tuc.org.uk with your name, union, e mail address and any dietary or access requirements.

Sunday 17 June 2012

LRC @ Unison conference: Socialist Question Time - Which way for the Left?



Romayne Phoenix5:15pm Jun 17
LRC @ Unison conference: Socialist Question Time - Which way for the Left?

Wednesday 20th June 2012
5:30pm to 7:30pm

Co-organised with Unison United Left

At the Premier Inn, Bournemouth

A Question Time-style panel answers your questions

Panellists: Kingsley Abrams (Labour councillor & Unite NEC),George Galloway MP, Owen Jones (author ‘Chavs’), Romayne Phoenix (Coalition of Resistance chair & Co-convenor of Green Left), Karen Reissmann (Unison NEC), Leane Wood AM (Plaid Cymru leader)

Chair: MarshaJane Thompson (Unison United Left chair / LRC national committee)

Refreshments provided

LRC @ Unison conference: Socialist Question Time - Which way for the Left?

Wednesday 20th June 2012
5:30pm to 7:30pm

Co-organised with Unison United Left

At the Premier Inn, Bournemouth

A Question Time-style panel answers your questions

Panellists: Kingsley Abrams (Labour councillor & Unite NEC),George Galloway MP, Owen Jones (author ‘Chavs’), Romayne Phoenix (Coalition of Resistance chair & Co-convenor of Green Left), Karen Reissmann (Unison NEC), Leane Wood AM (Plaid Cymru leader)

Chair: MarshaJane Thompson (Unison United Left chair / LRC national committee)

Refreshments provided

LRC @ Unison conference: Socialist Question Time - Which way for the Left?

Wednesday 20th June 2012
5:30pm to 7:30pm

Co-organised with Unison United Left

At the Premier Inn, Bournemouth

A Question Time-style panel answers your questions

Panellists: Kingsley Abrams (Labour councillor & Unite NEC),George Galloway MP, Owen Jones (author ‘Chavs’), Romayne Phoenix (Coalition of Resistance chair & Co-convenor of Green Left), Karen Reissmann (Unison NEC), Leane Wood AM (Plaid Cymru leader)

Chair: MarshaJane Thompson (Unison United Left chair / LRC national committee)

Thursday 14 June 2012

UCU & UNISON 2 Victimisations


Dear Friends
Can I please draw the two following victimisations to your attention:
  1. Christine Vié, a member of the UCU NEC is being made redundant by Manchester Metropolitan University. The UCU branch and the regional officer believe this is a clear case of victimisation for trade union activities. Here is an on-line petition and more details:
    https://www.ucu.org.uk/supportchristinevie
  2. The second case concerns Greenwich UNISON - the Defend the Four Campaign is highlighting the on-going witch hunt by UNISON against four of its own activists. Here is the on-line petition and more details:
    http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/democracy-not-bureaucracy-in-unison

STEVE CUSHION http://www.ucu-retired-london.org.uk/index.html

UCU  & UNISON 2 Victimisations