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Nuneaton Branch
Nuneaton Socialists United for Education with College Staff
 On Monday 21st June several members of the Nuneaton branch joined staff from North Warwickshire & Hinckley College (NWHC) in their ‘handshake march’ between the two sites. Our show of solidarity was noted and appreciated, and although it was a fairly low-key protest, we made some good contacts with staff and union reps from UNISON and UCU. They said they had worked very hard to get the 20+ people out, but that they thought more people would see the need for more militant action once the exact terms of the redundancies at the college were spelled out, and once the effects of the budget on people’s living standards became clear. However, it was clear that the union branches involved were fairly ‘genteel’ (in their own words) and had no clear idea how the ‘United for Education’ campaign would continue beyond this single event. Although there was no proper rally and we had no opportunity to address the marchers collectively with our perspective, members spoke informally to the lecturers from both sites, and sold one copy of our paper. We were able to spread the word about our People’s Day of Protest on June 30th, when we are lobbying both the local Hospital Trust and the local Council about plans to close two wards, and certainly planted the seeds for the future development of a broader anti-cuts campaign involving unions across the public sector. One union rep also raised the possibility of starting Nuneaton’s own Trade Council, an idea she had heard from another shop steward our branch has been in contact with.
Overnight Cuts to Council Services: The Shape of Things to Come in the Con/Dem Nation? We’ve repeatedly heard the government say that although the forthcoming cuts will be ‘savage’, the most vulnerable in society will be protected. Yet only weeks after the election it is becoming clear who their first victims will be. In Nuneaton they’ve targeted people already under stress and on the edge of society, snatching away one of their few chances of empowerment. The PASTELS day centre in Nuneaton provided support for people who experience social exclusion, long term unemployment, broken family life, anxiety, depression or other similar conditions. As well as counselling adults, the staff and volunteers provided advice, comfort and stress management services for vulnerable school children. But in a cloak and dagger style "back door cut" this service was withdrawn by Nuneaton & Bedworth Council with little more than 24 hours notice. Towards the end of May, my colleague accompanied a young man from the school she works at to his third counselling session of a six-part programme. Immediately after his session, my colleague was informed that as of the following day the service would cease to exist. This underhand cut to a discreet yet vital public service has left many already vulnerable people even more isolated and distressed, particularly since some were part-way through a potentially life-changing course. The Socialist Party branch in Nuneaton has already launched a campaign against cuts at our local hospital, but events like this point to the need for a broader campaign against all cuts to public services, a campaign which needs to involve trade unionists and community groups. We call on all concerned citizens to join us on Wednesday 30th June for the Nuneaton People’s Protest Day. 3.00pm at the Raveloes Conference Room, George Eliot Hospital. Join us in lobbying the Hospital Trust at its public board meeting – let’s demand they be honest with people about what they’re planning, and let’s tell them it’s unacceptable! 5.30pm at the Town Hall: Join us in lobbying our councillors at the Town Hall – let’s demand they support our campaign and fight to defend public services, not carry out the government’s cuts!
by Tom Sidwell
Campaign against cuts at George Eliot announces People’s Day of Protest on June 30th
Since early May a campaign has been growing in Nuneaton against the proposed cuts at George Eliot Hospital. Local people are very concerned about plans to shut two wards and double the car park charges, and also that hospital bosses refuse to deny reports that they plan to close the Maternity Block. Already seven hundred people have joined the FaceBook group ‘Nuneaton People Against NHS Cuts,’ and campaigners have been out talking to the public, gathering hundreds of signatures from people who oppose the cuts.
At the most recent campaign meeting it was decided to take the protests directly to the people threatening our services. Both George Eliot Hospital Trust and Nuneaton & Bedworth Council are holding meetings on Wednesday 30th June, so it was decided to promote a People’s Day of Protest in order to make our voices heard by both the NHS bosses and our local politicos.
3.00pm at the Raveloes Conference Room, George Eliot Hospital. Join us in lobbying the Hospital Trust at its public board meeting – let’s demand they be honest with people about what they’re planning, and let’s tell them any cuts are unacceptable!
5.30pm at the Town Hall: Join us in lobbying our councillors at the Town Hall – let’s demand they support our campaign and fight to defend public services, not carry out the government’s cuts!
For more info and updates on the campaign please join the FaceBook group: “Nuneaton People Against NHS Cuts – Defend George Eliot Hospital,” or contact us by ‘phone on: 07964632023.
Thursday 27th May: OUR PUBLIC SERVICES CON/DEM –ED?
To kick-start the campaign against the cuts at George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton Socialist Party opened up its regular branch meeting to the public, attracting a new layer of local people we’d met from our campaign stalls and via the FaceBook group. We also invited several people who had been involved with the People’s Protest Group and PUSH (People United Saving Hospitals) who successfully fought back against a similar round of cuts five years ago. There was a definite sense that people in the community are scared and angry about the scale of the cuts. One shared opinion was that this is only the beginning of the ‘savage cuts’ that the three major parties promised during the election, and that in the future we may have to look at building a broader campaign to protect all public services in our area.
The point was made that these cuts are not due to waste or inefficiency within the NHS or public sector, but are part of paying off the deficit caused by the banking crisis, i.e. the government bailed out the mistakes of the financial elite with taxpayer’s money and now looks to claw that back by slashing public services. As several people pointed out, after gutting the NHS they’ll turn their axe on schools, libraries, council services, fire stations & Post Offices. And of course it is frontline services and the low-paid workers who provide them who are in the firing line, not the executives and management consultants on bloated salaries, the wasteful bureaucracy or the guaranteed profits of the privatisers.
But Nuneaton people are determined to fight back. Our immediate plans are to publicise the campaign through the media, via our FaceBook group and on our campaign stalls, building towards another public meeting at The Hatter’s Space on Wednesday 9th June where we will announce plans for a demonstration in Nuneaton town centre.
Join the FaceBook Group: “Nuneaton People Against NHS Cuts – Defend George Eliot Hospital” or “Nuneaton Socialist Party” Contact us by email at: NuneatonSocialistParty@gmail.com or phone/text: 07964632023 Tuesday 18th May: Stop the cuts at George Eliot Hospital
Nuneaton’s George Eliot Hospital plans to shut two wards – at the same time that they are doubling the hated car park charges! NHS bosses say shutting these wards and “streamlining patient care so they spend less time in hospital” (i.e. more cuts to services) will save money – but what about providing the healthcare that local people actually need?
Hospital bosses are also refusing to deny reports that they plan to close the Maternity Block, which they wanted to do 5 years ago under the Acute Services Review. Nuneaton’s Special Care Baby Unit and Caterina ward were only saved from the axe by the actions of local people who campaigned to save them. The Socialist Party was active in the People’s Protest Group and PUSH (People United Saving Hospitals) and we’ve had a great response to our campaign against the obscene profits made from car park charges.
This is only the beginning of the ‘savage cuts’ that all 3 major parties promised during the election. Their local politicos may pose as sympathetic but only the ordinary people of Nuneaton, organised together, can stop these cuts to our NHS. Join the fightback now!
PUBLIC MEETING TO START THE FIGHTBACK! 7.30 Wednesday 26th May The Hatter’s Space, Upper Abbey St, CV11 5DN Tues 13th April: Nuneaton Socialists make a stand in local elections
Nuneaton Socialist Party members have chosen Steve Gee to stand in the Bar Pool ward in the local elections on May 6th. Steve is an activist in the PCS civil service union and a leader member of the group fighting cut backs at George Eliot Hospital, he has also led the recent campaign against rip-off car parking charges at both the Eliot and Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry.
Steve Gee warns Nuneaton people, "Are your local NHS services safe."
As Steve Gee explains: “I was a founder member, along with my wife Vanessa, of the Peoples Protest Group who organised the campaign to save services at the George Eliot Hospital.
Since the Acute Services Review of 2006 services have slowly been lost to Walsgrave Hospital but there’s been a total silence from local politicians of all parties . Recently all children’s emergencies were going to Coventry because of staff not having proper training, parking charges at Walsgrave are obscene (you may have seen us in town campaigning against the charges ) and the private company there made almost £3m last year from charhing patients, visitors and staff to park. Not far away in Solihull the maternity unit is threatened. If elected I would use my position to highlight all the cuts and organise a campaign against them.
New Labour and the Tories both adore the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and other privatisation schemes like the partial privatisation of Royal Mail which the Socialist Party have been campaigning against. Steve Gee and the Socialist Party say no to PFIs in Nuneaton and pledge to fight for a well-financed, publicly run and funded health service in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and throughout the UK."
If you can help in the campaign in any way please contact us at nuneatonsocialists@yahoo.co.uk or ring/text 07906468797. Thurs 11th March: Watch Out! More Cuts are Coming!
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