Kill the Bill, deportations, arms fairs and more: mid-August class struggle round-up

Cautiously pessimistic

The joint PCS/UVW strike action by outsourced workers demanding equal treatment at Royal Parks started on Monday the 16th and is set to run till the 30th August. You can donate to their strike fund here, and email their bosses in support of the strike using a tool here. In other PCS news, DVLA workers are striking over Covid safety through the whole of August. Another long-running strike continues in Bexley, where bin workers are still on strike over pay and victimisation issues, and have previously warned that the dispute could stretch out into October.

Also, pretty much all the health unions are running pay ballots of some kind at the moment, so those are important to vote in for anyone who works in that sector. See Health Workers United for more on that.

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Furious and exhausted NHS staff demand accountability and increased funding from Government

EU Nationals Pre-Settled/Settled Status

From IWW WISE-RA International Solidarity Department international@iww.org.uk

This is a reminder for all EU national workers in the UK territory.

Fellow Workers,

Considering the last declarations about the possibility to end, without any other legislation in place, the freedom of movement between the EU block and the UK, we need to remind all EU nationals to apply and submit for the pre-settled or settled status. Once the approval is received, it guarantees the continuation of the rights of the EU nationals, such as the right to work and to access the NHS services. It’s possible to apply until December 2020 with the application system put in place in March 2019, but if the current government manages to delete all the EU nationals rights in one night, there will be no other document able to prove the right to work and live in the UK. Especially there will not be any other system in place to use, such as a visa, maybe for months.

The Home Office sent out an email the 15th August stating that 1 million EU citizens were granted the status, if the total number of 3 millions EU nationals is right, this means that there are other 2 million people that need to fill the application or are waiting for the answer.

My concern is that a no deal Brexit will affect the most vulnerable workers in the UK, impacting on people that have more difficulties accessing internet, speaking English or access help points and offices. The application is online at https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families, the app to verify the passports works only on Android phones. If someone doesn’t have access to an android phone, they will need to send the passport by post to one of the Home Office offices.

I think we need to remind our members to apply if they didn’t and to remind it to our colleagues, if there are EU citizens in the working place.

Some of the information circulating on the press at the moment is incorrect, if there are any doubts about the application you can use the Home Office sources or you can contact us.

Weymouth and Portland – Action on Wages (WeyPAW)

WeyPAW is a community action group who want to give the people of Weymouth and Portland a pay rise. We take action on the streets, in the media and online to help people understand the various problems they have in getting paid properly, as well as the various legally required payments they are entitled to as employees of businesses in and around Weymouth and Portland. These include Statutory Sick Pay and Holiday Pay, but at the very simple, to ascertain whether they are receiving the UK legally mandated Minimum Wage.

Policy Proposals – Discussion

We need:

• an integrated strategy to tackle poverty wages and failing services in W&P, using public resources in key areas;
• a commitment by local councils to pay the real Living Wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation;
• a commitment by local councils to equal pay for women, full in-work benefits, and rights at work – and an undertaking to allocate contracts on this basis;
• a commitment by local councils to end to zero-hours contracts;
• a commitment by local councils to publish and pursue active strategies to tackle food, fuel and funeral poverty;
• a commitment by local councils to ban payday loan companies from council advertising spaces;
• an audit of jobs in W&P, with the participation of local councils, to identify delinquent (“rogue”) employers who evade full payment of wages and in-work benefits, and/or who impose unnecessary charges on employees;
• trade union organisation to protect rights at work, especially in low-paid sectors including catering, retail and leisure (holiday camps, hotels, tourism);
• a new agenda for housing that focuses on unoccupied units, a programme of refurbishment and co-operative ownership and/or rental;
• an urgent review of health provision with direct involvement of the public;
• an active, high-profile public campaign for improved public transport by road and rail;
• a collaborative strategy for public “anchor” institutions that provide full-time jobs, rights at work and a continuing contribution to local communities;
• a working group to advance plans for a University of Dorset based on campuses at Weymouth and Dorchester.
• Revised policy proposals will be put to MPs, councillors, and all candidates for office in the Unitary Authority and in the next general election. WeyPAW will ask all candidates for their views and intentions.

See WeyPAW policies at www.weypaw.org and on Facebook. Contact WeyPAW at weypaw@gmail.com

Medical support for migrant workers

Some migrant workers can’t access NHS services. Doctors of the World has a national helpline and a clinic in London, and some limited popup clinics elsewhere.

 

“If you’re having problems getting healthcare our team can give you free and confidential support – whatever your immigration status and wherever you live in the UK.”

Find a clinic

Cynical Commissioning Group: tell ’em to back out!

The public consultation on Dorset’s Clinical Services Review is underway. The proposed cuts will devastate our healthcare. In short, 25% fewer hospital beds, 50% fewer G.P. surgeries, parts of the county left without accessible emergency trauma, paediatric or maternity services

Here’s their survey: the questions are deliberately leading, and vague.

If they get a positive response they will take it as carte blanche to do whatever they like. We therefore ask you to “strongly disagree” with everything, and where you choose “Another option”, demand that services are retained as they are and properly funded. We already have the lowest per capita spending on health services in the industrialised world

You’ll need to include your Dorset Postcode to prove you live in Dorset. Ooh Arr!