Protest Against Nottingham Social Care Cuts

Nottingham City Unison have called a demonstration outside the City Council Budget Meeting on Monday 8th March at 12.30 in Old Market Square. The Labour City Council is proposing cuts in Adult Social Services as part of an £18 million package of cuts in its 2010/2011 budget. The proposed cuts include -

* Proposed closure of Riverside Residential Home (Bulwell) for adults with learning disabilities
*Closure of the Willows Older Persons Day Centre at weekends
*A new daily £2 charge for attendance at all adult day centres
*Cuts in day care for adults living in residential and nursing homes
*A 3% increase in charges for homecare, meals at home and transport to day centres
*Cuts in City Council Deaf Sevice

It is particularly ironic that Labour politicians and activists have been prominently flying their flags at protests against the Conservative controlled Notts County Council over the last week as the Tories launch a similar cuts programme targeted on day centres, residential homes etc in the County. Labour in the City are following the same policy as Tories in the County - targeting the most vulnerable and those they estimate are least likely to kick up a fuss or cost them votes.

Workers and service users need to show the City Labourites that we oppose their cuts every bit as much as those being implemented by the County Tories.

The Beginning Of A Long Struggle In Notts

Greens and Wobs from Nottinghamshire joined trades unionists, community campaigners, service users and members of left Parties in a protest against the forthcoming Notts County Council cuts programme on Saturday 20th February. The small but angry protest in Mansfield Market place appeared to attract a crowd of between 1 and 2 hundred (not bad for a small market town)but speakers were keen to stress that this is just the start of a campaign of resistance and protest against the Tory Council's attacks on jobs and services. The idea of a County wide anti-cuts campaign was floated, to work alongside the Trades Council and unite the various concerned groups.

A second protest is planned outside the Council budget agreement meeting at County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham on Thursday 25th at 10am.

The Independent newspaper had a headline earlier in the week that a survey conducted by them had shown at least 20,000 Council jobs across the country to be lost in the near future due to cuts programmes, and this is just the start. These cuts come whilst the main parties are gearing up for a general election and so are not as keen as they might be to be seen to be making deep cuts that affect public services. We can imagine what is to come after the general election.

Now is the time to build the links and solidarity, the organisation and communication between workers, campaigners and community groups that will be needed in the coming struggle.

Cuts Protest - Mansfield, Saturday 20th February

There is to be a protest against the cuts recently announced by Nottinghamshire County Council. It will take place in Mansfield Market Place on Saturday 20th February from 11am. The proposed cuts will mean hundreds of job losses, closure of vital services for elderly people, increases in charges and withdrawal of concessions. This action by the new Tory-led Council is a foretaste of what the Conservatives have in mind for the country as a whole if they gain power in the 2010 election - continued concern for the rich and powerful and cuts targetted on the poorest and most vulnerable. It appears to be no accident that the cuts seem to be harshest in areas like Mansfield - where people do not vote Tory (the last Tory District Councillor in Mansfield just defected to UKIP!).
Join the protest rally and help build the campaign against cuts.