Solidarity to Unite members on strike in Bromley Libraries.

Solidarity to Unite members on strike in Bromley Libraries.

Last week Unite members in Bromley Libraries took further strike action against plans to privatise and amateurise the service.

One of the Unite Stewards very kindly sent me some photos and had this to say;

"We have over 1200 signatures on our surveys which just shows the massive support for our campaign. The Council must accept that they cannot go on with their plan to cover up the glaring truth that Bromley residents do not want private companies running their services. They do not want volunteers in their community Libraries, the volunteers who run the WRVS (home delivery library service to the housebound) don't want volunteers running the service! 
We will continue with our campaign to inform people of the  unnecessary  destruction that this Council is doing. We need people to write to their ward councillors and let them know how they feel. 
Steven Carr leader of Bromley council told one of our members in the high street that Bromley Libraries were under no threat but you only have to research what has happened in Croydon to see that once the private sector get hold of a service they will drain the life out of it for profit." 

Labour's Policy Review on Libraries; a lost opportunity?

In 2011 I was contacted by a Labour Party researcher and asked to input into their newly emergent policy review on public libraries, I gave my views freely and didn't hear anything more but with the launch of

Innovation, Co-location and Partnership

http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2015/policy-review/libraries-innovation-co-location-and-partnership I once again submitted my views and once again they ignored them. (see my blog http://dontprivatiselibraries.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/my-comments-to-dan-jarvis-on-labour.html)

Dan Jarvis was re-shuffled in 2013 and Helen Goodman was handed the remit, Helen then held a consultation in 2014 with interested parties including a meeting with Unison at which I was present.

For an outline of the consultation see;

http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/2014/06/labour-party-consultation-on-public-library-policy/

both I and Voices for the Library submitted responses but don't ever remember getting feedback.

To give Helen her due she did at least talk to people and also took part in a panel discussion on libraries at the 2014 SUFL conference but many of us expressed concerns about her insistence that volunteers could in certain circumstances run a library, see; http://leonslibraryblog.com/2014/06/07/reply-from-helen-goodman/

Helen was then re-shuffled and Chris Bryant drew the short straw. Chris didn't exactly endear himself to library users and campaigners with his comment re volunteers when he met with Barnet users/campaigners;

“Discussing the use of volunteers, he said: “They are brilliant, but they don’t replace librarians. I am not completely opposed to a volunteer-run library. If that’s the only solution to a particular area, then fine.”

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/11829653.Shadow_Culture_Minister_visits_Golders_Green_to_discuss_library_cuts/

Labour has struggled with its libraries remit, especially the role of volunteers, and instead of formulating a strong policy which clearly states the need for publicly funded & managed libraries run by paid & trained library staff it has instead partly mimicked the Tories. Off course it’s the Tories who are slashing the funding but why aren't more Labour Cllrs marching shoulder to shoulder with their residents in opposition to austerity and the 'Localism' agenda, both of which have caused huge damage to library provision? If the Labour Party had taken a strong and clear position right from the start and had listened to users, staff, campaigners and union members then maybe some or many local Labour Cllrs would have taken the lead.

As for the future who knows? I haven’t yet managed to speak to Jeremy Corbyn re libraries but since he’s a fellow Islington Unison member I'm sure the opportunity will arise and I hope he’ll appoint a Shadow Culture Minister who’ll actually listen to library users/campaigners/staff and then act to promote and protect public library services and the paid and trained staff who work in them.

Camden Council proposes library cuts and Councillors set up a campaign and a petition.

Have your say on £800,000 cuts putting Camden libraries in the firing line

http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/have_your_say_on_800_000_cuts_putting_camden_libraries_in_the_firing_line_1_4148598  

"Libraries could close, see opening hours slashed, be privatised, or become self-service under cost-saving options to be presented to residents in a consultation next week.

The council could also save about £200,000 by outsourcing the running of libraries to a private company, an option thought to be unpopular with residents.

Its biggest savings of about £500,000 could come by cutting jobs and making libraries self-service only."

Is West Hampstead library at risk?

http://westhampsteadlife.com/2015/07/12/is-west-hampstead-library-at-risk/16975

Petition
https://www.change.org/p/london-borough-of-camden-save-west-hampstead-library-ad8f5532-1a26-4ee0-b514-d51caf9a8a39

@SaveWHamLibrary
#SaveWHampLibrary 

Barnet Childrens' March for Libraries on 12/9/15 - A call out to all library campaigners/supporters.

This is a call out to all library campaigners and supporters in London and beyond. Bring your banners, placards and voices and show your solidarity with Save Barnet Libraries, Barnet Unison and the children of Barnet on Saturday 12/9/15. We need to unite and fight!

Stepping back!

Just to let everyone know that I'm stepping back from campaigning for a while and won't be posting anything. Keep up the fight.

The last leg of the Save Barnet Libraries March (or Campaigning can be Cathartic)

I know some of you who know me well know that I'm currently off work with depression and anxiety, the main triggers being work-related stress and my dad's death several years ago. I've been really struggling for the last few years but it all came to a head a couple of months ago when i broke down in the street on my way to work. I feel tearful and agitated a lot of the time but will get better eventually with support, counselling and lots of walking. I did try SSRI's but couldn't cope with the side-effects and anyway the medication route was never really one i was happy with.

"What the hell has this got to do with the Save Barnet March or campaigning?" I hear you say. Well if it wasn't for my campaigning and the network I've built up I would be feeling far worse than I already do.
Campaigning is cathartic and my fellow campaigners are my support network.

Anyway, today I took my therapists' and Doctors' advice (get out more, meet people and walking) and attended and spoke at the last leg of the Save Barnet Libraries March. 100's of us walked about 7 miles via 4 libraries and myself and Alan Gibbons (Author and Library Campaigner) gave what I hope were inspiring and rebel rousing speeches especially after the recent horrific election result.

All in all a fantastically inspiring day which was brilliantly organised by Barnet Unison and the Barnet campaigners. They deserve the full solidarity and support of every library user, supporter, worker, union member and campaigner up and down the land.

So get out there and organise, march, protest and fight. Show solidarity and give support to those who need it.

Here's some photos;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Official statement by Bromley Unite on the libraries strike.

UNITE MEMBERS DEFENDING BROMLEY LIBRARIES

 

 

  

Solidarity and thanks to Bromley Unite for the following statement;

"Members of the Unite trade union have been taking strike action this week in defence of Bromley Libraries.

The Council are considering privatisation via market testing, transfer to a social enterprise and also replacing professional library staff with volunteers.

The public consultation organised by the Council did not allow the public to opt to keep libraries council controlled and run by paid, professional staff. The union therefore responded with a consultation exercise of its own - the result being that over a thousand people responded - every single one opposed to the Council proposals. Council officers had agreed that should there be evidence that the public opposed the options put forward by the Council, it would lead to a rethink. But so far, no rethink has taken place. In response, Union members in libraries, along with Unite members across the Council voted by over 80% to take strike action. The dispute is also to protest an attack by the Council on the trade union.

It is no coincidence that at the same time as beginning a mass privatisation programme across the Council that includes libraries, the Council have agreed to withdraw all facility time arrangements from the Branch Secretary - who happens to be a library worker!!

 

 

 

The strike action will involve library members from 27th April to 30th April, with the whole branch coming out on strike on 1st May, 7th and 19th May. Workers from Parks and Adult Services who also face privatisation are out on strike on 5th May and from 13th to 18th May. A march against privatisation, in particular highlighting the threat to libraries has been earmarked by Unite nationally for 13th June - the march will demonstrate through Bromley, targetting the massive majority Tory borough and showing it as the nightmare scenario faced by the rest of the country if we do not act now!

 

The strike action of library members has been incredible. solid support from members along with fanstastic public support has shown the great support that exists for public libraries. The action has also been effective - leading to library closures as a result of the strike action.

 

As Unite Branch secretary Kathy Smith made clear on the picket line, this is not about letting off steam - it's a fight to the finish to save our services!"