Brief report from Hackney Solidarity Network General Meeting February 23rd 2010-02-28
Attendance; 7 inc reps from LCAP, HUWG, HSN, HI etc
Apologies 7 inc from Gamesmonitor, SP/YFFJs, Day Mer, HI, Unison
HSN report
- Second paper out / 5000 copies done all out to distributers / 50% of cost for future issues maybe secured /
- Idea of ‘Independence day’ discussed again / now ideas of ‘popular assemblies’ has come out of Climate Justice Action / Hackney Unites doing conference in May around set themes / agreed to talk to HSN regulars about approach to HU to do joint conference
- film/discussion nights been going brilliantly
Three Wise Monkeys;
4 members of SP, including Brian Debus, Chair of Hackney council Unison, witch-hunted and charged with ‘racism’ etc and have now had confirmed 3 to 5 year bans from taking positions. They had produced a leaflet in frustration against Unison conference committee ruling out of order any motion criticising Industrial Action Committee for always failing to support members voting for strike action in Hackney and elsewhere, and unsurprisingly used the 3 Wise Monkeys image.
- Cost of prosecution estimated at £250,000 which comes from Unison subs of course.
- Lots of talk about what Hackney Unison will do now.
London Coalition Against Poverty; Housing Group
- Have produced set of demands re housing
a. An end to Gatekeeping tactics by the council
b. Dignity for survivors of domestic violence
c. An end to extortionate rents and service charges for Temporary accommodation
d. Hackney Council needs to make temporary accommodation temporary!
e. Housing conditions to improve drastically
f. Decent homes for all residents - deal effectively with overcrowding
g. Hackney needs to use existing empty homes for people rather than profit.
- Have been demanding a meeting with Diane Abbot and Narghis Khan / meeting agreed then cancelled so put up YouTube video and meeting re arranged! / had meeting and now waiting on DA’s response / Plan another letter and petition / and march and lobby
- Housing Group has 30 members 95% in Temporary Accomodation / work by consensus / have open meetings every other Saturday at Navarino Mansions Hall
- LBH spends £2 million a month on TempAccom mainly to private landlords
- in March 2008 LBH had 1,800 households inc 2500 children in TempAccom
- discussion of Gatekeeping and how many who go through it feel humiliated / victims of domestic violence being quizzed aggressively etc / lack of resources in Homeless Persons Unit
Hackney Unemployed Workers Group
Welfare Rights Training Day Saturday 27th Navarino Mansions Hall 1 till 4pm
Hackney Trades Union Council (HTUC)
AGM Café Z 7-8 Wednesday 24th Feb
No Borders
Calais Benefit 195 Mare Street Friday 26th Feb
Keep Our NHS Public (KONP)
- March to save the Whittington Hospital Saturday 27th Feb meet Highbury corner noon March up hill to Whittington
- “Defending the Welfare State and Public Services” March and Rally Sat 10th April
- idea from KONP for a joint public sector Hackney public meeting with Unison, RCN etc either to rally people for the above or as a hustings before the election / HSN could play a role / HTUC
Day Mer / Youth Fight for Jobs
Held successful ‘A Night to Unite’ youth event at Round Chapel / over 100
Youth Fight for Jobs March Barking /Dagenham March 13th
Printer-friendly version
