AXE THE BEDROOM TAX!

On Saturday 23rd March Salford against Cuts supporters petitioned on Salford Precinct against the Bedroom Tax, while others took to Eccles Town Centre.  Many who signed had just received their notification that day.  Others who signed aren't affected at all but all knew someone who was and they are outraged for their neighbours.  We met these cases:

• One woman who is on benefits will have to find an extra £20 a week as she lives in a 3-bedroom house (allocated to her and her son years ago in an 'unpopular' area) and has two supposedly spare bedrooms since he left home
• another with two children (boy and girl) in separate bedrooms will have to find the extra money until they are both over ten!
• a tower block on the precinct consists of 2 bedroom flats.  No-one has any kids (who can blame them for not wanting to bring up kids in a tower block?) and most are single.  A whole tower block of bedroom tax payers!  We hope to organise a meeting in that tower block in the next fortnight, and have plenty of other names and emails to follow up.

As Alan Metcalfe of SAC put it: 'Bedroom tax a massive issue in Eccles, met many people directly affected, we must get rid of this horrendous piece of legislation !!!' 

Next week (30th March) we petition in Little Hulton, nr. Morrisons, 11.00 - 1.00, another bedroom tax hotspot.

More details soon.

RALLY AGAINST THE BEDROOM TAX

Manchester Piccadilly Gardens 16th March
500 rallied in protest at the hated bedroom tax

From 1st April anyone living in social housing and receiving housing benefit will lose out if they are deemed to have 'spare' bedrooms.

Salford has over 5000 households where this is the case, one of the highest rates in the country.

Salford against Cuts are planning local protests - more details soon.

SAC MEETING CALLS UNITED PROTESTS AND WARNS LABOUR COUNCILLORS:

'FIGHT THE CON-DEMS - OR STAND ASIDE FOR THOSE WHO WILL!'

On 9th February sixty people - service users, council staff and public - heard the case against the cuts.  Cuts to the Youth Service, cuts to the Rangers Service, cuts to opening hours at Ordsall Hall, mental health service cuts, the privatisation of Home Care etc, and more.  We are building a campaign to unite all these battles and will lobby councillors at the Labour group (Monday 25th Feb., 5.00 pm, Civic Centre) and the full council (Wednesday 27th Feb, 8.30 am, Civic Centre - might be postponed, check this site nearer the day).

A statement was agreed unanimously calling on councillors to:

• refuse to implement the Con-Dem cuts
• use reserves and borrowing powers to maintain services
• launch a mass campaign with other Labour councils and the trade unions to win back the £88 million stolen (so far!) from Salford people

..... and if councillors won't stop rubber stamping Con-Dem cuts, then SAC will encourage and support council candidates who will!!

See Salford Star site for more details incl photos of the meeting.

Come to our AGM on Tuesday 19th February - see side-bar for details.

Public Meeting

Saturday 9th February at 11am

Swinton Royal British Legion

Cheetham Road

Manchester, M27 4UQ

(nr. Victoria Park, behind Cricketers' pub)

 

Join the staff, service users, and the public who are joining together to challenge the next rounds of devastating cuts to services in Salford.

 

We are opposing the cuts to Ordsall Hall staffing, the privatisation of Home Care staff, Learning Disability support services, Mental Health groups and drop-ins, and the closure of Day Centres, as well as opposing the withdrawal of services from people with "moderate needs".

 

Speakers from invited campaigns and Salford UNISON

 

 

Mental health services under attack

Mental health service users in Salford, faced with cuts to drop-in and group sessions, have organised themselves into the United Service Users Committee (USUC).

Over recent months they have mounted dozens of campaigns and protests, with the backing of Salford against Cuts:

·         Held joint meetings with Manchester service users who also face cuts

·         Lobbied Mayor Ian Stewart at the Food Fair

·         Protested at councillors’ surgeries and bombarded them with emails

·         Lobbied the Labour Party Conference and challenged Ed Miliband

·         Occupied the Council Chamber in November to demand a meeting with the Mayor

·         Held a protest at the HQ of the NHS Trust

·         Written to GPs throughout Salford

·         Addressed the full council in January

And lots more.  And they haven’t finished yet, they’ll stick at it till they win.  Hats off to USUC, the campaigners who just won’t go away.

Campaigners Rob and Vee were featured on the BBC’s Inside Out North West, broadcast on Monday 21^st January, still available on i-player, starts 11 mins in.

To help or for more info phone Steve Cullen on 07941 400870

Mental health anti cuts campaign

Mental health service users, faced with cuts to drop in and group sessions, have organised themselves as the United Service Users Campaign ()

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