HACKNEY STRIKE ACTION ESCALATES
UNION CALLS FOR MARCH ON PARLIAMENT
AND PROTEST PARTY AT TOWN HALL

The Hackney Branch of Unison stewards meeting on the 9th of January voted to escalate the fightback against Hackney Council’s programme of privatisations and cutbacks by announcing a 3 day general strike by Hackney Council workers on Monday 29th, Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st of January 2000. Show your support by joining workers on the picket lines.

A march on parliament is planned by Hackney Unison for Tuesday 30th 2001.

On Wednesday 31st at 6.00pm. there will be a protest party outside Hackney Town Hall to coincide with the council meeting on Come along and show your support. Bring your own banners, music, friends, lovers and family etc. !

These actions hope to build on the events of the One Day Strike of December 20th 2000 (D20), when in many areas of Hackney Council, the only people in work were managers. Approximately 30 local schools also closed with school children and National Union of Teachers members refusing to cross the picket lines placed by Unison support staff.

The lunchtime march and rally on D20 was particularly impressive and lively with a small Samba band contingent, putting a bit of rhythm in our stride. A number of protestors tried to block the junction of Old St and Kingsland High St. but were prevented by police. The march ended peacefully at the site of the council’s recent £83 million land sale of a site at Hearne Street in Shoreditch to an American bank (contrasting it to the £76 million budget deficit which is used to justify the cuts).

Then there was an evening rally of about 200 hundred die-hards outside the council meeting, which was due to hear a number of rushed reports on privatisation, nursery closure and cuts. The council clearly hoped to rush through the cuts in advance of Christmas in the hope that no one would notice and it would all be forgotten about in the New Year.

However, due at least in part to the actions of some members of Hackney Fightback (www.hackneyfightback.org , a leftist activist coalition dominated by the SWP) in disrupting the sub-committee meetings — the full council meeting was abandoned before any decisions were taken.

A group of Hackney Activists produced a free paper THE HACKNEY HECKLER in support of the strike and the promoting self organised direct action as a way of combating the cuts and reclaiming some control.

We appeal to everybody who wants to promote the struggles of our local communities against the cuts to get involved in preparations for the forth-coming actions, either through working with others or on your own terms.

Currently we are a loose network of local libertarians united by our common determination to halt the attacks by our bosses on the communities of Hackney & by our shared commitment to self-organisation and direct action to create a better future.
We are meeting on Wednesday 17th of January
@ Community Hall on Summit Estate,
(Opposite Clapton Common, N.16) @ 7pm
(If u get lost call 07939 373580 for directions)
to plan future fun, frolics,
events & actions to coincide with
the forth-coming Hackney General Strike-Back
If you think you might be interested in getting involved, then come along!
AND REMEMBER KIDZ......
@SOLIDARITY IS STRENGHT!@