Just look at this picture

Is this the future of the NHS under austerity?

God bless America. #The99%

TAKE ACTION NOW! Please write to your MP and urge them to vote against the proposals. You can also come to the protest happening on 20 January outside Parliament, which the BHA and other groups are supporting.

Tomorrow,  20 January, Nadine Dorries’ proposed Sex Education (Required Content) Bill, which seeks to secure abstinence education for girls only, is due to have its  ‘second reading’ in the House of Commons. In May 2011 MPs voted the Bill through its first stage by 67 to 61 votes.

A demonstration opposing the Bill is due to take place outside Parliament on the same day, supported by the British Humanist Association (BHA), Abortion Rights, Liberal Conspiracy, Education for Choice, the National Secular Society, Parents and Carers for Sex and Relationships Education (P4SRE), the Socialist Party, Youth Fight for Jobs, Feminist Fightback, Queers Against the Cuts, Slut Means Speak Up, Bristol Feminist Network and Left Front Art. Although it is unlikely that the Bill will proceed further than second reading, and perhaps may not get time to be debated, the demonstration and other actions have been arranged to draw attention to yet another attack by a political and often religiously motivated lobby on good quality SRE which could, if implemented, impact negatively on young people’s health and education.

Good quality, comprehensive Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) should explicitly address the option of waiting before sex, sexual consent and safe sex, all of which are important. However, evidence shows that abstinence-only education, which promotes sexual abstinence until marriage, is ineffective in reducing teenage pregnancies and rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Another major objection with the Bill is that by just focussing on abstinence education for girls, it positions girls as being solely responsible for decisions about sexual activity and boys as having no responsibility for ensuring that sex is mutually consented to and safe. This sexist approach is detrimental to both young women and young men, and goes against the ways of learning recommended by the government, by sexual health experts, educationalists and others. Ms Dorries has also commented that the Bill’s teaching children to ‘just say no’ would reduce child abuse, a view which campaigners branded ‘illogical’, not supported by evidence and leading to victim blaming.

Lisa Hallgarten, spokesperson for P4SRE, commented,

‘SRE should be informative and fact based. As things stand, only the biological aspects of sex education and education about STIs are required to be taught by all maintained schools, with all other aspects such as relationships and consent being up to the school. If this Bill passes, then it is probable that many schools will only teach about abstinence before marriage in addition to basic sex education.’

BHA Head of Public Affairs Naomi Phillips commented,

‘There is no good evidence to support the substance of this Bill: abstinence education does not work. Not only is this Bill misguided, it focuses only on girls and negates and overlooks the important role of boys and young men in forming safe, fulfilling and consensual sexual relationships.

What this unfortunate Bill illustrates is the influence of a growing lobby with vested interests in promoting and imposing a narrow, unshared and potentially damaging perspective regarding sex, sexual health and abortion rights.

All children and young people have a right to high quality, comprehensive and objective SRE in all schools, including ‘faith’ schools, which would and should equip young people – both boys and girls – with the information and skills to say no to sexual activity if that is what they choose.’

From Al Jazeera

This video has already been doing the rounds but I thought it deserved another pop:

Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe

At short notice it has been announced that the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Bernard “total policing” Hogan-Howe is holding a discussion with him on Wednesday 7 December 2011 at 7pm – 8pm, though the venue will open for refreshments at 6:30pm. The meeting is open to residents of Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich only. Register now

The venue is Lewisham College, Lewisham Way, SE4 1UT, so residents are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. In this hour he will explain what Total Policing is and why he thinks it is right for London.

Some possible questions to ask Bernard Hogan-Howe may be:

• Tasers: Why should we trust the police to have more weapons?
  Hogan-Howe thinks every police car should have one. However a former Southwark resident: Justice Livingstone was tasered 9 times last month for carrying a toy gun which he bought as a present for his son. The tasers that the Met have issued are not 100% safe, and two people have died this summer from being tasered by police.
• Stop and search: When will you ban the use of sus laws? 
  30 years on from the Scarman report we are still continuing Sus laws, they do not reduce crime but merely lawful discrimination against ethnic minorities and working class people particularly amongst young people. Hogan-Howe should suspend its use as it has been proven by the government’s own data that only 1 in 10 stop and searches result in an arrest even fewer result in a conviction! It is antagonistic, counter-intuitive and dangerous to wider community relations.
• Deaths in police custody: Will you pledge that the officers that were involved in the attempted smear campaign which suggested that Mark Duggan, an unarmed man, was involved in a shoot-out will be charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice?
  According to Stafford Scott, a former member of IPCC Community Reference Group were told that at least three officers had given a statement that they had witnessed another officer, a sergeant, throwing away the gun that was later found several feet from Duggan’s body.
  Do you think it is credible that no police officer has ever been convicted of any crime when there have been 333 cases of deaths in custody? 
• Criminalising protest: Will you scrap use of undercover officers in non-violent protest/campaigning groups based in London? Do you agree that the police should not be surveying non-violent political groups such as anti-Nazi, anti-fascist organisations for the government?

To register your attendance at for event click on the photo at the bottom.

Photo by David Issacson (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_isaacson_photography)

MP John McDonnell has added his backing to sacked trade unionist Abdul Omer Mohsin who is going to an employment tribunal on November 7th asserting unfair dismissal and seeking reinstatement to his job with Sovereign Busses where he was Unite union convenor. Sovereign runs buses from Harrow and Edgware Garages. It is part of the French transport giant Transdev which also owns the London United bus company.

When Abdul Omer started work at Sovereign’s Harrow Garage, their drivers were the lowest paid in London. He was elected union rep for Harrow Garage and then convenor for the two garages. He led a campaign, including strike action to bring the wages of drivers at the two Sovereign garages up to the same level as other drivers working for Transdev in London, at a time when the Unite union was campaigning right across London for all bus drivers to receive the same levels of pay.

The action was successful. Sovereign drivers were promised pay increases which would eventually bring their pay in line with other Transdev drivers, an increase of £4,000 a year plus a bonus of £100 a month, but Sovereign sacked him citing a remark made at a disciplinary hearing where he was defending one of his members. However, his supporters are convinced that this was merely a pretext and that the real reason for his sacking was his success as a trade unionist in winning improvements in pay and working conditions for his members. Since Abdul Omer’s sacking, these gains have been lost and Sovereign drivers have refused to elect another convenor to replace him, arguing that his sacking was unfair and he should be reinstated.

John McDonnell MP has issued a statement saying, “Abdul Omer is a tremendous example of a hard working, determined trade union representative, who has dedicated himself to promoting the interests of his fellow workers. We cannot stand by and let him be treated in this way. We need trade unionists like Abdul if we are to protect our members’ jobs, wages and conditions. I am standing up in support of Abdul Omer and I urge all trade unionists to do the same.”

Robert Laird, the Unite union Rep at Edgware Garage says, “Mr Omer is guilty of nothing more than caring too much about what he does and trying to do the best for his members, often while dealing with hostile managers.”

Pete Firmin, President of Brent Trades Union Council is among the many trades unionists supporting Abdul Omer . He says “Management will always try and weaken our ability as workers to defend and improve our jobs and conditions. By sacking union activists like Abdul they hope to undermine those efforts. That’s why its imperative that we defend Abdul and encourage Unite to step up its efforts on his behalf and win his reinstatement.”

The Unite Union is providing legal representation for Abdul Omer at the employment tribunal which will be held on Monday November 7th at Radius House, 51 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1HU and there will be a solidarity protest outside from 9.00 – 10.00 am. For more details contact Raymie Kiernan raymiekiernan[at]gmail.com

From SQUASH Campaign

Housing charities, MPs, squatters, property consultants, activists, lawyers and artists have accused the coalition government of sneaking in an amendment to the Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill announced on Wednesday by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke to “make squatting in residential buildings a criminal offence”. Campaigners say the amendment will not take into account the thousands of consultation responses submitted earlier this month and will not add any further protection to residents.

Over the past 3 months the government have been undertaking a consultation process entitled “Options for Dealing with squatters” which came to an end on October 5th. Squatters Action for Secure Homes (SQUASH) have accused the government of “ignoring the consultation” by rushing through anti-squatting laws only 3 weeks after the consultation has ended. The squatting consultation response has just been published. 90% of responses argued against taking any action on squatting. Of a total of 2217 responses, 2126 were from people concerned about the impact of criminalising squatting. The consultation response recognised “that the statistical weight of responses was therefore against taking any action on squatting”.

The amendment states that making squatting in residential building a criminal offence will “end the misery of home-owners whose properties have been preyed on by squatters”. However strong legislation already exists to protect residents from having there home squatted. Last month 160 leading legal figures wrote an open letter which was published in The Guardian explaining that under Section 7 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 it is already a criminal offence to squat someone’s home.

SQUASH spokesperson Paul Reynolds, said:

“ This amendment will criminalise the homeless in the middle of a housing crisis who use squatting as the last remaining option to keep a roof over their heads.”

John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington said:

“By trying to sneak this amendment through the back door the government are attempting to bypass democracy. There was over 2,200 responses to the consultation on squatting so there is no way the government could have acknowledged all the evidence”.

Great video by Reel News demo:

Also there is a Sparks/Siteworker demonstration on Wednesday 19th October at 7am, outside Blackfriars station. It is to protest against Balfour Beatty Engineering Services who are cutting workers wages by 35% and terminating 1700 jobs.

From the UNISON website and other Unison sources:

Today is World Day for Decent Work and there is a demonstration at 12:30-1:30 in front of Technopark building, London South Bank University, London Road SE1 6LN (nearest tube Elephant and Castle) as the cleaners are campaigning for the London Living Wage.

“We, the cleaners at London South Bank University are employed by Interserve. We work to keep the university’s buildings and premises clean and free from hazards for all students, staff and visitors. Our contribution is undervalued by Interserve and by London South Bank University. We are in precarious employment, paid only £5.93 p/h (£6.08 p/h from 1 October) and we do not get paid when we are sick and unable to come to work.

World Day for Decent Work is a global occasion for trade unionists to mobilise and show solidarity with poorly paid workers. It is a day when trade unions all over the world stand up for decent work and conditions. We demand that all workers be paid a decent wage – a living wage that will help us live and not just exist.

Please support our action:

• Join our protest rally, 7 October 2011, 12:30-1:30pm in front of Technopark building, London South Bank University, London Road SE1 6LN
• Sign our petition: www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/livingwageatlsbu
• Write to the LSBU vice-chancellor, the board of governors, deans of LSBU faculties and lobby your MP and councillors in Southwark.

Contact UNISON LSBU branch:

• Jonathan Buckner  07749 403 351  bucknerj[at]lsbu.ac.uk
• Samuel  0793 293 7478
• Noursaid  0750 737 3759

Interserve, the cleaning contractor in South bank University has now threatened disciplinary actions against activists among the cleaners for organising or attending the demo, so it is really important that lots of people go on Friday. As well as Interserve threatening disciplinaries against any cleaners who take part in the demo, the university is now threatening the union for having organised the protest. UNISON has been campaigning successfully for London Universities to pay at least the London Living Wage, including ensuring that contracted out staff are paid at least this much – London South Bank University are holding out against this campaign, which is why the demonstration has been called.