A London Living Wage for all in Newham Schools

I am a school governor in Newham and I am planning to go to the borough Governors' Forum on Tuesday evening at the town hall. As a governor I have raised the following question :-

London Living Wage

How many Schools are London Living Wage employers (as defined by the GLA including agency and contractors)?

A reply was published in the agenda from a Newham Council officer explaining that all directly employed staff should be paid above the London Living Wage (currently £10.20 per hour).  However, it was admitted that some staff may be paid less and that a letter will be sent out to all Chairs and Headteachers requesting them to ensure that all directly employed staff are paid at least £10.20 per hour.

This is well and good but does not answer my question about how many schools are London Living Wage employers (which they can only get this accredication if you include agency and in-house contractors).

I know for a fact that some schools in Newham have agency staff working there who are earning the minimum wage of £7.50 per hour. Of course these staff are also on zero hour contracts, receive no sick pay or pensions and have to opt out of the 48 hour working time restrictions. These are overwhelmingly female and Newham residents.

This must be challenged and the case for a London Living Wage for all school staff (and all within Newham Council) must be made.  I will see what happens on Tuesday.

I think that this can be part of a wider argument in Newham against academisation and supporting schools who want to remain part of the Newham family of schools. Much of the opposition from school staff to academisation is driven by the well founded fear that it will lead to a race to the bottom in terms and conditions. Especially for low paid manual and administration staff.

All workers in Newham should be paid a real living wage and receive other decent terms and conditions. I wonder how many workers in Westfield Shopping Centre are on minimum wage? I will ask London Citizens. I recently heard some horror stories of young people being forced to work unpaid hours during the night at Westfields as part of a "job interview" process and then being told the next day they had not been successful. 

West Ham Ward Cable Car Beano

Off message a little but just to prove that not all Labour Party events take place in dusty meeting rooms or involve knocking on doors with clip boards. 

We normally hold our Party ward (or branch) meetings the first Thursday of the month. This month we decided to hold a summer social event instead and take the Emirates Cable Car which goes across the river Thames to Greenwich. 

We met at the new Abbey Road Docklands Light Railway station which is just outside our ward.  While waiting for others to join us, we had a quick tour of the nearby magnificent Abbey Gardens. 

By 7pm 10 of us had turned up (including comrades from Plaistow North ward). I was stopped on the station platform by 2 tourists who asked me where "The Beatles" Zebra crossing was? I had to tell them that they were at the wrong Abbey Road and the one they want is near St Johns Wood station. This is quite a common mistake here. I was also once stopped by an American tourist at Stratford station who asked which way was it to "Shakespeare house"?

The nearest station for the cable car was Royal Victoria. The Dock and the Cable station was extremely impressive. Only £3.20 one way. Cabins normally took 10 people but it was a bit windy so we were restricted to 6. There was no queue and you just walked onto the cabin. 

I have never been on this ride before. Our oldest ward member 84 year old Gerry had never been in a cable car before in his life! The view during the journey over Newham and East London was superb. Visibility was excellent. At Greenwich we had a few drinks, missed the last Cable Car back (9pm) then took a train on the Jubilee line to Stratford, then off to the Jamie Oliver Restaurant at Westfield shopping centre for a late meal and lots of hot air putting the world to rights. It was a good evening.  

Newham timelapse of the Olympic Park

Excellent youtube video of the changing landscape following the building of the Stratford International Station; Westfields Shopping centre, 2012 Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre and Olympic Village.

Newham: the Entrepreneurial future of London?

I saw this BBC news report yesterday morning on Newham being the home of the most business start ups in London.

"Many boroughs saw rocketing numbers of start-up businesses, particularly in the East End.

In Barking and Dagenham, between 2010 and 2012, some 7,685 new businesses began - increasing the total number by 38.6%.

And in Newham - London's top performer for business start-ups - the number rose by 43.3%
over the same period, to 14,672.

Not only is Newham home to the Olympic Park, but it has seen a massive regeneration project around the new Westfield Shopping centre.

One Newham entrepreneur is Faith Johnson. She founded Caramel Rock, a fashion company which also trains people in dressmaking and now employs five. Ms Johnson said: "It is 150% a great area to do business in. "The community is very welcoming - it's like a family." She continued: "Being the main Olympic borough makes such a difference - it brings so many people here who wouldn't otherwise come. "With so much investment in the area it's much more profitable. "I don't think that will come to an end after the Olympics."

A Newham Council spokeswoman said: "An increase in new businesses is good news for Newham and demonstrates the entrepreneurial nature and resilience of our residents. "Newham is home to some of the largest and most spectacular development sites in Europe. "More businesses will help contribute to this economic regeneration and will ultimately create more jobs for our residents."

(answer is YES)

London Marathon 2012 Wk 5: Forest Gate Industrial School

I felt stronger this week. Running every day (no rest day in programme?). 45 Minute Fartlek on Wednesday but main run was for 40 minutes on Sunday. I ran along back streets to Forest Lane Park, E7. Which is a hidden Newham gem.

It use to be the site of Wood Grange Manor. The home of the Quaker Banker, Samuel Gurney (see West Ham Park). Who gave the land to the local workhouse who built on site the Forest Gate Industrial School (see above). Over 600 young boys from Whitechapel, Poplar and Hackney "Poor Law" unions lived here. A "Oliver Twist" style institution where in 1890 - 26 boys were killed in a fire. Many of them died locked in barrack like dormitories. Shocking.

The school later became Forest Gate Maternity Hospital. In 1940 during the Second World War it was bombed and badly damaged. Nowadays only the facade remains and the main building is divided into private flats. The nature park to the rear is well worth a visit.

I next ran towards the new Newham shopping centre at Westfield’s, past the excellent pub The "Railway Tavern". There is a complicated path which eventually takes you to the front of the shopping centre and bus station. I then ran back over the "bridge" and back home past the Cart and Horses pub (the first ever venue for heavy metal band Iron Maiden) thorough Maryland and then a straight run along Forest Lane towards home.

I am running the London marathon next year using the official advanced training programme and will be raising funds for Homeless Youth charity "Alone in London". Click here to sponsor me.

Visit to Olympic Park - September 2011

Two weeks ago I went on a visit with fellow Newham Councillors and officers to the 2012 Olympic Park and to the new Stadium (see photo).  This was my first visit to the site.  The Stadium is of course spectacular, as are the other sport facilities, the Olympic village and Westfield.  What I hadn't quite realised beforehand was how extensive the parkland will be - all the trees, the plants and the cleaned up rivers.

For many, many years I use to cycle or run into work in Bow through this same area.  There was a ugly and dirty industrial estate, eyesore electric pylons, car scrap yards protected by vicious barking dogs and huge mounds of dumped rubbish and fly tips.  The contrast with today's Queen Elizabeth Park is incredible. 

While it is not going solve all our problems, the Park is a fantastic legacy for our Borough and the whole East End of London.

I'll post the other pictures I took that day on Facebook - check this link.

Good News for Newham

Yesterday I went for the first time on the new Docklands Light Railway line from Canning Town to Stratford International Station.  It opened last week and is a great step forward for the whole area.  The 6km £211 million route has 4 brand new fully accessible stations which also connect five London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues.  In is particularly good news for West Ham ward since two of the stations are right next to the ward boundaries.  From Stratford International you can be in St Pancras in under 10 minutes. Eventually (fingers crossed) you will be able to pick up the Eurostar from Stratford.

Also, last week I went on another tour of  Westfield Stratford City.  Only a few weeks ago it was a building site and we had to wear safety helmets and boots.  Now the shops are being fitted out and you could walk around in normal clothing.  The new shopping centre (the biggest in Europe with 300 stores) opens this Tuesday.  Today, by coincidence, I had to go to Ilford to visit the nearest Marks and Sparks.  The Shopping centre in Ilford is a fairly pleasant enough location and I wish it well, but I really pleased that Newham will now have a world class shopping and leisure facility which will also provide thousands of jobs and careers for local people. Double click photos to bring up detail.

(Oh yes, isn't there is some sort of sporting event going on in Stratford next year as well? :)

Westfield Stratford City visit

 On Wednesday afternoon I went with other Newham Councillors for a tour of the new Shopping centre Westfield in Stratford.  This is my first visit to the site.  It is due to open next month and I think you cannot fail to be impressed by the development itself and the opportunities it will offer the borough.  

The centre is right next to the Olympic Park and will be the biggest City shopping centre in Europe.  Over 1.9 million sq ft, 300 units including John Lewis and Marks & Spencer's. As well as 70 new bars and restaurants.  You can commute from Stratford to St Pancras, central London in less than 10 minutes. I don't really think that all of us who live or work in Newham have quite realised the enormous impact that the Centre and the Olympic Park will have on our lives. 

Update: check visit pics on facebook here