Here is our flashmob last Saturday which was advertising our upcoming meeting:
How Seattle won a $15 an hour minimum wage
And the lessons for us
7.30pm Monday 6 July
Red Room, back of the Rose and Crown Pub, Hoe Street, Walthamstow
Waltham Forest Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition campaigners lobbied outside the Town Hall on Thursday night as the full council met to agree yet another cuts-making budget.
TUSC held a ‘funeral for council services’ highlighting the £67.2 million of cuts that have been made since 2011 and the £16.4 million to be ‘saved’ next year and the year after. This will mean for example, £3.5 million of cuts from adult social care next year and £1.7 million from children’s and young people’s services.
TUSC candidate Nancy Taaffe said: “Outrageously deputy council leader Clyde Loakes has recently accepted a 24% pay rise while low paid council staff are suffering pay freezes, job cuts and attacks on trade union facility time.
“The council has more than £50 million in reserves and huge borrowing powers. This could be used to set a budget based on what the borough needs and buy time for the councillors to lead a mass campaign in the borough to force central government to give back the money it’s stolen from this area.”
Kevin Parslow, local Unite the Union branch secretary and TUSC candidate who was on the lobby said: “We stopped the councillors as they went inside to ask them to vote against the cuts. None would promise to do this, and in fact several were unwilling to talk to us while others were openly hostile – such as Councillor Karen Bellamy (Higham Hill Ward) who, when asked if she was planning to vote for the cuts, replied ‘That’s my business’.
“But in actual fact these councillors signing away jobs and services for the people of Waltham Forest is the business of everyone who lives and works here. As none are willing to make a stand, TUSC will be standing against them in every ward in May’s elections.”
TUSC supporters protesting against the bedroom tax
Waltham Forest Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition is campaigning against cuts and for rent control and decent homes we can genuinely afford. As a start, we want to get 4,000 signatures on our petition (online soon) to force the council to discuss the issue. We’ll be organising lobbies and protests across the borough. And we’re standing in the council elections promising that if elected we would refuse to implement cuts and would instead lead a mass campaign against them.
But all of this will take a lot of work – that means we need people to get involved. If you’re sick of the current council, sick of high rents, sick of the cuts, then sign up to join the campaign.
Can you:
• Give out leaflets on your street, in your workplace or in your school or college?
• Join us for a leafleting session at a station?
• Help us knock on doors?
• Hold a sign at one of our Rallies for Rent Control?
• Raise some money?
• Pass a petition round your friends and family?
• Think about standing as a TUSC candidate yourself?
Then we need you!
However much or little time you can give, sign up to campaign for rent control in Waltham Forest and for councillors who represent us:
Email walthamforesttusc@gmail.com
Text ‘signup’ + name to 07786857673
Rent Control in Waltham Forest: Vote TUSC 