Newham Stop the Cuts Campaign - March on Feb 28th

I'll be marching in Newham against the cuts this Monday 5pm starting at Queens Market (Upton Park tube) and marching to the Town Hall.

I hope to see you there!

Below is the text from UNITE's flyer.
Please circulate around your contacts.

Mj

NEWHAM STOP THE CUTS CAMPAIGN
Will be Marching on Feb 28th: March To Defend Jobs & Services!

UNITE the union is hitting back against Newham Council's plans to axe hundreds of jobs and slash the terms and conditions of 5,000 Council workers. Town Hall bosses say they're just passing on the cuts imposed by the Tory led coalition government. But Newham is going much further than the Tories. The government has cut £75 million from the Town Hall's budget over the next 4 years but Council chiefs are planning even bigger cuts of £116 million.

UNITE is not going to stand by and let jobs and services be decimated or have our terms and conditions destroyed. If the Council wants to save money then why not start by getting rid of their lavishly paid 200 consultants? Many are paid up to £2,000 a day!

In fact, Newham Council wastes over £20 million a year on private consultants! And instead of borrowing £40 million to subsidise West Ham's bid for the Olympic Stadium why doesn't the Council use every penny it can to protect vital services?

This government has no mandate for cuts. The Tories didn't win a majority in the election and they always denied they would cut front-line services. Newham Council should not be colluding with these cuts - nor making them worse.

Now it's time the Council listened to Newham workers and residents and joined forces with UNITE, the other trade unions and community and voluntary sector organisations to resist the Government's cuts. Council bosses should stop plotting to issue an ultimatum - accept pay cuts or be sacked - to over 5,000 of its own employees. . If they won't speak up for vital services then UNITE the union certainly will.

To make sure the Council gets this message we've called a march on the 28th of February - starting at Queens Market (two minutes from Upton Park tube) at 5.00pm and marching to East Ham Town Hall. Joining us will be workers from all of Newham's trade unions and the boroughs many community and voluntary organisations which are now facing the axe. The 28th of Feb is the day the Council is going to set its budget for 2011/12 and hundreds of marchers will lobbying Councillors. We'll be telling them: no cuts to jobs, services or pay. March with us on the 28th of Feb - and at the TUC national demo on the 26th of March.

MarshaJane