Stoke Newington West Reservoir Centre

Off message but I was up very early on Saturday morning in order to attend an open water swimming induction course at the West Reservoir in Stoke Newington.

London never ceases to amaze and surprise me. I have lived here for 26 years and never knew this lovely place existed.

It is a former fresh drinking water reservoir surrounded by greenery and tower blocks in the middle of urban North London.

The site is also used as a sailing and canoe centre.

There was about 12 in my course (all younger and much fitter looking!). Things were a little chaotic at the centre because the lake had been closed in recent weeks due to outbreaks of blue green algae in the water.

Our instructor was Matt, who was ex-forces and gave a classic military style presentation on what to do and not do - with humour and candour. There is a small risk from swimming in open water.

The swimming part of the induction was actually quite fun. This was the first time I had used a wetsuit and it definitely keeps you warm and aids floatation. It did feel a bit constrictive.

It is a very different experience swimming in open water compared to public baths. You cannot see anything under water, it gets very choppy swimming alongside a pack of swimmers and your arms do tire more easily with a web suit. Saying that it is a marvellous experience to swim out doors under the open skies.

I need to get my act together because I am doing the London Triathlon 3 weeks tomorrow. I'm picked up my bike today from its service at Halfords that I bought from my fellow contestant, Newham Cllr "Red Terry" Paul.

I have been training for a while but will admit that have left it a little late. It all seemed such a good idea in January....

(Update - this morning I swam a mile - very slowly - in my wet suit at the mixed bathing pool on Hampstead Health.  Another lovely spot to swim out doors in London)

Brent Labour Leader & Councillors Support #J10

Picture of  Brent Council leader Councillor Muhammed Butt and members of the Labour Group with UNISON Strikers on the picket line on #J10 at Brent Civic centre.

I understand that Brent Labour Councillors visited all picket lines.

"Mr Butt said: "“I was proud to show my support for brilliant and hardworking Brent Council employees striking this morning.

"It’s inexcusable that the Coalition Government can find the money to give tax cuts to millionaires but not to help our social workers, call centre workers, teaching assistants and housing support workers secure a decent pay rise and a fair pension in old age.

"Cameron and Clegg need to reverse the brutal cuts they have made to Brent Council’s budget, so that we can offer just a bit more support to local people struggling through their cost of living crisis.

"Today more than ever it’s clear that we need a Labour Government to make sure hardworking people get a fair deal and are treated with the respect they deserve."

Tower Hamlets Labour Leader & Councillors Supporting #J10

Message from Tower Hamlets Labour Group on #J10 strike action:

"On behalf of the Labour councillors in Tower Hamlets we wanted to send you a message of support ahead of strike action on Thursday.

We know that the decision to strike is not an easy one to make, but the policies being pursued by this Government are destructive to the public services you run and the residents young and old which they serve. The decisions on pay and pensions are ones which continue to erode the moral and faith of public sector workers, especially those on the lowest wages who have been particularly hit by the year on year cuts to their real pay.

The only fair way to judge a Government is on the choices they make. Sadly instead of rewarding the lowest paid and other public sector workers this Government has chosen to prioritise tax cuts for the most wealthy.

We want to also take this opportunity to thank you and your colleagues for all your work in improving the lives and opportunities available for people in this borough.

Along with our Labour councillor colleagues we will be visiting pickets across the borough on Thursday to show our support for your action.

Yours in solidarity

Cllr Rachael Saunders and Cllr Shiria Khatun
Leader and Deputy Leader of Tower Hamlets Labour Group"

(Hat tip Daniel Hassell with Rachel on march)

#J10 Strike, Picket, March & Rally

This picture is from the picket line outside Newham Town Hall in East London this morning.

I was there early with other members of West Ham Labour Party to show solidarity with UNISON, GMB & Unite strikers calling for "Fair Pay".

Newham UNISON branch Chair and Secretary Gloria Hanson and Kim Silver (middle of photo) were official stewards.

Hat tip photo Inside Housing

Later that day there was a very successful march through central London followed by a rally in Trafalgar Square.

This strike was about justice and fairness for predominantly female, low paid, Council workers providing vital public services. Their pay has been reduced in real terms by a 20% (5th) since 2010. Enough is enough is enough. Check out my opinion piece here.

West Ham Labour Party supports #J10 Strike

I was pleased that West Ham Labour Party Executive Committee unanimously approved this motion supporting the strike tomorrow (July 10) in support of the Local Government pay claim.

The motion was proposed by our TULO Officer Kim Silver (who will be out on strike herself) and seconded by myself as an UNISON Housing Association delegate.

"Support Local Government Strike Action over pay

This Executive Committee of West Ham Labour Party notes:

1.On Thursday 10 July there will be National Strike Action by UNISON and other council, teaching and civil service trade unions. Council staff have suffered eight successive years of pay freezes and pay cuts. Cleaners, caretakers and customer service officers are not ‘Town Hall fat cats’. While a tiny proportion of employees are well paid chief officers, more than 500,000 earn less than the living wage. One million people earn less than £21,000 per year.

2.The average council worker has seen a near 20% cut in basic pay since the coalition government took power in 2010. In real terms they are about a 5th poorer than they were in 2009. This means they have to buy food, housing, transport and warmth for themselves and their families on 20% less pay than in the past.  No wonder Unison’s welfare charity is overrun with pleas for help by families’ dependent on pay day loans and food banks to exist.

3.Private sector and many public sector workers pay is not directly affected by these disputes. However we believe this is their fight as well. This is not only due to traditional Labour movement solidarity, but most workers have also endured years of upfront pay cuts, wage freezes or below inflation pay ‘rises’.
 
4.We must never forget that these pay cuts were the result of a worldwide recession caused by greedy and dishonest bankers - not care assistants. We need to ask why are they paying the price for this failure and not the people who caused it or those who still benefiting from it?

5.We are living in a world where a small number of very wealthy people are doing fine while the majority are suffering declining living standards or even abject poverty. What sort of society are we becoming? When and how will it end? Isn’t it about time we did something about it?

6.This strike matters to all of us because we need to make low pay and our cost of living crisis a key political issue in the run up to the general election next year. When Labour wins the election it has got to re-balance our domestic economy and start putting money into the pockets and purses of the low paid and those on average earnings. Private sector and public sector. This will need a fairer and more progressive taxation system and the political will to bring it about.

7.While council staff are fighting an industrial battle with their employers and the government for a better pay offer, effective, well targeted and publicised strike action can also help make a wider political point.

West Ham Labour Party Executive Committee resolves:-

1.To support UNISON and trade union comrades taking action on 10 July

2. Urge members to show solidarity outside the Picket line at East Ham Town Hall from 8am on Thursday

3. Send our CLP banner to show our support.

Lobby tomorrow (9 July) Bryan Kennedy Appeal Against Dismissal

Tomorrow morning (Wednesday 9 July) from 10.30 to 12.30 there will be a lobby outside One Housing Group Headquarters, 100 Chalk Farm Rd, London NW1 8EH. Sacked OHG Convenor Bryan Kennedy, is appealing against the decision to dismiss him. Click on labels to read more about this appalling saga.

Update: the appeal hearing was cancelled by OHG at the last moment. Bryan is waiting for a new date.

The Unfair Dismissal Song....

Hat tip Employment Law specialist Daniel Barnett for his link to the Unfair Dismissal song. 

Where a female boss laments she is being taken to the cleaners in an Employment Tribunal for sacking a member of staff without following proper procedures.

If only....

Headphones or speakers on.

(I think the singer is okay but she should do all she can to keep the day job. The original Bananarama version was much, much better but without the social justice message of course. Ah, those were the days)

Why next week’s strike matters to Housing Association workers

This is from our branch newsletter which calls for our members to support the strike on Thursday. 

"On Saturday 5 July UNISON and other Health unions will be holding a day of action over low pay. While on Thursday 10 July there will be Strike Action by UNISON and other Council and teaching unions.

Although the vast majority of Housing Association members’ pay is not directly affected by these disputes, this is our fight as well. In our sector, many have also endured years of wage freezes or below inflation pay "rises".

I suspect that the average housing management worker is in real terms around a 5th poorer than they were in 2009. That means you can now buy 20% less with your pay than in the past.

Even worse, those in Care & Support have seen radical pay cuts in basic pay and suffered minimum wage rates and cuts to overtime and weekend working. We must never forget that these pay cuts were the result of a worldwide recession caused by greedy and dishonest bankers - not front line customer service staff, cleaners and care assistants.

It matters to all of us because we need to make low pay and our cost of living crisis a key political issue in the run up to the General Election next year. Effective, organised and well targeted and publicised industrial action can help make this happen.

So let us all do what we can to support our UNISON comrades taking action on July 5th and July 10th. Tell your friends and family about why they are striking and how all of us are worth a pay rise. See you on the picket line!

John Gray, Branch Secretary"

Sadiq Khan MP - Keynote speaker to #LabLink14

The keynote speaker to the National Forum was Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Minister for London Sadiq Khan MP.

Sadiq started off with a joke pretending he was a delegate from London region moving a motion at this forum then stated that there was no danger of the press trying to misinterpret his speech, since it will be published in full afterwards (another reference to the recent problem that Jon Cruddas MP experienced).

He introduced himself as the son of a bus driver, whose sister is a teacher and brother works in the NHS. He salutes our public services. Public institutions hold our society together.

Eleanor, (the Chair of Labour Link - Eleanor Smith) as a theatre nurse knows that the NHS is having now a summer crisis never mind a winter crisis. This shows you can never trust the Tories with the NHS.

Sadiq asked how many of us were Councillors? A number of us put our hands up. He thanked all Councillors for their hard work and pointed out that unless things change Councils will soon have to close all but statutory services.

The huge new fees on Employment tribunal applications is depriving rank and file workers justice. Cameron claims to champion the rule of law. Sadiq argued we must stand firm on further attacks on access to justice.

The Tories simply fail to understand public services and this is just as damaging as cuts. There is no accountability as you can see from the privatisation of the Probation Service. The next Labour Government will face massive debts but Labour and Ed Miliband are up for it.  The attack by Ed on Murdock and the Energy companies shows this. The Tories however attack the player and not the ball. Remember what happened in 1992 and expect further personal attacks on Ed.

He praised Ed's plan to devolve power and money away from the centre and empower our great cities and councillors. Sadiq promised not to sign any contract to privatisation which are on his desk as Justice Minster in 2015 and his first task will be how to unpick existing contracts.

He looks forward to working with us to kick out the Tories and the Lib Dems in the next 10 months. UKIP in the recent London elections went from being 20 out of 2000 Councillors to only 12.  We must tell people that UKIP leaders pledge that they want to keep alive the spirit of Thatcherism. They want to privatise the NHS. Get rid of maternity rights.

Labour elects Councillors that reflect the community.  We went from control of 15 to 20 London councils. We even won the Tory flagship Council of Hammersmith and Fulham on a "Save our NHS" campaign.

During the Q&A Sadiq said we ask tough questions at UNISON conferences. "I knew I should have gone to Unite". (a joke) In a question about how to combat Islamic extremism Sadiq pointed out that there are only tiny number of extremists out of the 3 million UK Muslims. Muslim values of respect, faith, family and working hard are the same as traditional British values.  The people he breaks bread with to end his fast have nothing to do with those who go to fight for ISIS and we shouldn't tarnish all Muslims with the same brush.

Hat tip picture my NEC colleague Chris Hanrahan

Happy Birthday NHS!

Yesterday was 66th Birthday of the National Health Service. Check out this Labour Party app to find out more about you and your NHS.