Local Anti-Cuts Round-Up

Below are several things members of anti-cuts campaign may like to get involved in:

CARE HOMES BRISTOL

On Thursday 26th July up to 200 people attended a demonstration at the Council House in Bristol, called by BADACA, over the council’s proposals to close care homes. Details are as follows:

Bristol City Council intend to close eight of its remaining care homes and seven council-run day centres. The services will be privatised; service standards will decline; there will be less public accountability; jobs will go. The private providers will pay lower wages and spend less on training. By getting these services on the cheap, the council will save money at the expense of the elderly and vulnerable. The council calls this “modernisation”: everyone else calls it cuts. And, of course, in the last year, the remaining council-run home care service has been privatised and grants to voluntary groups running services like lunch clubs and day centres have been slashed.

The demo was attended by carers, residents, workers at the homes and supporters of BADACA and Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance. Members of the council were addressed by members of the demo.

The first two care homes are planned to close before the end of this year. BADACA is working with those effected, both residents and staff, to prevent this happening. The next full council meeting on Tuesday September 18th will be a key event. BADACA and others will be holding the largest possible lobby of this meeting to tell the council that Bristol doesn’t accept these closures. Please spread the word about this.

Lobby of Bristol City Council Meeting – Tuesday 18th September
Venue: Council House, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR
Time: 5.00pm
Map: Here

Come to the council meeting and tell councillors what the people of Bristol think of their plans to cut services for the elderly and vulnerable. For more information email admin[at]bristolanticutsalliance.org.uk.

ATOS

The Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) Campaign have called for five days of action against Atos starting on Monday 28th August.

It plans to target Atos during the Paralympics. Atos is the main sponsor of the games. A local protest against Atos offices are planned for Tuesday 29th August. More details to follow.

More info from DPAC.

LOCAL NHS

Staff at the RUH in Bath have warned that they will consider strike action over proposals to cut their pay and working conditions. The next Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance organising meeting on the 4th September, at 8pm in the upstairs of the Ram pub in Widcombe, will be discussing how we can support these workers. More details to follow.