Local activist Bob Williams-Findlay writes on ‘The Pandemic Coronavirus COVID-19 and Disabled People’

Addressing the three-fold issues facing disabled people of all ages

In recent weeks Disabled people of all ages have voiced their anger and frustration at the apparent disregard of their needs and interests by the Johnson government during the current pandemic. Sadly, the lack of regard for the needs and interests of Disabled people is not new; it needs to be placed within a historical context where disablement is understood as an outcome of capitalist economic and social conditions. The unequal and differential treatment of Disabled people has to be recognised as a systemic issue.

Read Bob’s article at https://socialistresistance.org/the-pandemic-coronavirus-covid-19-and-disabled-people/19606

Bob Williams-Findlay is active in the Reclaim Our Futures Alliance and in the Reclaim Social Care campaign. He is the author of the forthcoming  More Than A Left Foot, £14, 380pages, ISBN  9780902869721, pub. Resistance Books (London). Available soon at resistance books.org

 

COVID-19: Birmingham Council Affected Services update 23 March

BCC says ‘The following is a list of known service alterations as a result of the COVID-19 virus. As this is a rapidly-moving situation, please accept our apologies for any errors or omissions. This page will be updated regularly to give the most accurate picture, so please keep checking back for updates.’

Birmingham KONP says support these NHS petitions on Coronavirus action

Dear Members, Supporters and Regular Attenders,

Owing to the present health situation we have decided to cancel our next meeting, which was due to take place on Wed 1st April.

There seems some irony in noting that more money is going into our NHS for this crisis, while both the TUC and BBC seem to have been rehabilitated as organisations worthy of grudging respect in the government’s eyes. Also the government is being pushed towards economic positions which, under normal circumstances, we would not have imagined 3 months ago.

You may wish to support the petitions listed below:

1) Today’s (Sat 21st March) announcement that the private health sector is to rent thousands of beds and staff to the NHS at cost does not meet the aims of the GMB and WeOwnIt petitions to be found in the links below:

https://www.gmb.org.uk/campaign/requisition-private-hospital-beds-help-nhs-coronavirus 

https://weownit.org.uk/bring-all-private-hospitals-public-ownership

2) More practical support for frontline NHS staff – 6 demands generated by medics themselves:

https://www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-6-demands-from-nhs-staff-to-help-us-tackle-coronavirus?utm_source=grow_gb

3) Scrap the immigration health charge, which (besides the principle of it) could put people off accessing health care and risking the further spread of the virus:  

http://www.docsnotcops.co.uk/scrap-the-immigration-health-surcharge-dont-increase-it/

We will keep you informed of future meetings when we can. In the meantime, minutes, reports, etc will be circulated by email.

Stay safe, in solidarity,

KONP Birmingham Officers

 

Climate Emergency – BCC Update Report

This report was due to be discussed at today’s meeting of the Sustainability and Transport Scrutiny Committee but the meeting was cancelled. It is likely that the forthcoming Taskforce meetings will also be cancelled. The coronavirus emergency is preventing many Climate Emergency activities but it mustn’t stop the campaign. We need to continue the debate online, starting with what in this report should be implemented and what alternative and additional policies are needed where necessary.

Marketisation and resistance in Higher Education: a UCU member at the University of Birmingham explains why they’re on strike

The recent dispute between the Universities & Colleges Union (UCU) and employers in Higher Education (HE) tells us a lot about the current state of HE in the UK, and the extent to which the sector has been marketised.

‘Gavin Williamson, where is the money?’ Save Our Schools protest at ICC Friday 13th at 1.30

We asked for more money for schools, and last year it worked! In the summer schools were promised £7.1bn! However, there is a problem! The money is not enough, in fact it is only just over half what they need. And 82% of schools are still in crisis as they haven’t seen a single penny!!!

BABYLON HEALTH – THE ON LINE BEAST THREATENING OUR NHS IN BIRMINGHAM

The expansion of private company Babylon into Birmingham is a threat to the local NHS, fear Keep Our NHS Public Birmingham.