WW1 FILM & TALK

To coincide with the official celebrations of the First World War by the government, we will be showing Joseph Losey's anti-war film King and Country and have invited a friend from a radical history group to talk about the real causes of the conflict and the movement that opposed it in the UK and particularly North London.

KING AND COUNTRY

Film showing at Reel Islington

Where: The Old Fire Station, 84 Mayton Street, London, N7 6QT
When: Friday 4th April.  Doors open at 7pm, film starts at 7.30.
Cost: £5 / £2.50 unwaged or low wage concession. Refreshments available.

FILM

King and Country (PG)
UK 1964 Dir. Joseph Losey. 88 mins.

In King and Country, we witness the trial of Private Hamp, from Islington, as he is tried for desertion. The defence raised for him by Captain Hargreaves teases out issues of competence and procedure, accompanied by the distant thud of exploding shells in the muddy fields of France in 1917.

Examining the horrors of the frontline, the absurdity of the military hierarchy and the nuances of the British class system, Losey’s film is a sober but ultimately powerful anti-war tract.

TALK

Following the film, a speaker from the London Remembering the Real World War 1 group will speak about the myth of the 'Great War' as a 'war for democracy', and about the growing movement to oppose the government's 100th anniversary 'commemorations' of the war - with expose of the real causes of the war, and our own celebration of the individuals and groups who opposed the conflict.

The First Friday Film Club is organised by Reel Islington. It takes place on the first Friday evening of every month, in partnership with Holloway Neighbourhood Group and Rowan Arts.
Join the First Friday Film Club mailing list to find out which films are showing and to receive early information on events, or send an email to: info@reelislington.com

Boycott Workfare - Picket of M&S on Holloway Road

Following Marks & Spencers' recent boast that 2% of their workforce would soon be made up of unemployed people on an unpaid workfare scheme, Radical Islington picketed and distributed leaflets outside the company's Holloway Road branch on Sunday, 8th December.

Thanks to the support of groups such as Boycott Workfare, North London Solidarity Federation and Feminist Fightback the action was a great success! Over 20 people stood outside the shop chanting and displaying banners and placards about M&S' use of free labour. More than 500 leaflets were handed out, and demonstrators engaged in conversation with the public, explaining the situation at M&S and denouncing workfare in general. 

The response was overwhelmingly positive and people were shocked to learn about the company's malpractices. Shoppers were encouraged to boycott M&S as long as they continue their scandalous exploitation of thousands of unemployed people across the country. Unemployed people who will find themselves working full-time for nothing more than their dole.

Prior to this, contact was made with the staff in the store to explain that the protest was not aimed at them but at their bosses. M&S's national policy of using unpaid labour affects all of us, in and out of work, by driving down wages and replacing full time workers with unpaid temporary staff with no employment rights.

Meanwhile M&S will be saving some £1.3 million a month in wages, further stoking their profit whilst lining the deep pockets of their directors and shareholders. Last year M&S made over £500 million profit.

This action was co-ordinated with Haringey Solidarity Group who likewise targeted M&S in Wood Green, as part of a week of action called by Boycott Workfare.

Islington Boycott Workfare - Sun 8 Dec

Marks And Spencer, Pay Your Workers!

 

As part of Boycott Workfare's week of action (2-8 Dec), Radical Islington are calling for people to protest outside the Marks and Spencer store on Holloway Road, in opposition to their use of workfare.

Join us at 1pm on Sunday 8 December to voice your opposition to unpaid labour and greedy bosses!

M&S have recently boasted about providing 'placements' to 1,400 young people. This is a huge extension of their workfare scheme, which has already seen over a thousand people work without pay for the company, including single parents. This represents 2% of their workforce not being paid! Meanwhile, the company's profits amounted to more than £500M last year.

So come and protest against this unashamed use of workfare!

When: Sun 8th Dec, 1pm
Where: Marks and Spencer, 422 Holloway Road, N7

This action is supported by Feminist Fightback and North London Solidarity Federation.

See here for more information on Marks and Spencer's use of workfare.

- - - -

Workfare is a government scheme in which unemployed people are bullied into working for their Jobseekers' Allowance benefits. People on the Workfare scheme are forced to stack shelves for up to 30 hours a week, working out to an hourly wage of just £1.60. 

Workfare profits the rich by providing free labour, whilst threatening the poor by taking away welfare rights if people refuse to work without a living wage. It affects all of us by reducing jobs and giving employers the green light to cut hours and reduce wages.

In response to a growing movement of opposition to the Workfare scheme, a number of companies have quit the programme, while the government has released a steady stream of untruths. So join the movement!

See here for further information on workfare.

Social Housing for Mount Pleasant!

NO TO GENTRIFICATION!
SOCIAL HOUSING FOR MOUNT PLEASANT!

The planning application for the Mount Pleasant redevelopment is now on line, on the Islington Council website:
http://tinyurl.com/oo4vut2

There are many documents related to the application but possibly the most important one for us is the housing statement:
http://planning.islington.gov.uk/NorthgatePublicDocs/00252132.pdf

It sets the provision of social rented housing at an outrageous 11% (77 out of 681 units), with another 8% of "intermediate" housing (55 units). This makes a total of 19% so-called affordable housing.
As a reminder, Islington Council say they are committed to a total of 50% affordable housing on large developments, and a total of 35% social rented housing.

This means 80 per cent exclusive flats and the gentrification of yet another part of the borough. This development should deliver genuinely affordable social-rented housing. With the austerity measures and the cap on housing benefits, a growing number of people can no longer afford a decent home in the borough. We cannot allow them to be let down in the name of profit.

We have no faith in consultation processes and we are not advocating for people to take part in the council one. But in the absence of a coherent collective movement against this development as of yet, if people want to complain or object to the development they can do so via the following channels:

*Official consultation on the Islington council website (deadline 19th July):
http://planning.islington.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/PLComments.aspx?pk=343009

* Contact the case officer directly:
sarah.ricketts@islington.gov.uk
020 7527 2364

* Contact Indigo, the PR company hired by Royal Mail to do their dirty work for them:
mount-pleasant@yourshout.org
0800 458 6976

No public meeting seems to have been publicised but if people hear of anything coming up, do get in touch.

ISLINGTON BOYCOTT WORKFARE – SAT 4th MAY

Protest against Poundland!

https://www.facebook.com/events/442341879188989/

This Saturday 4th May, Radical Islington members will be picketing Poundland on Seven Sisters Road, in opposition to their use of workfare. The action is organised jointly with North London Solidarity Federation.

Come and join the fight against unpaid labour, greedy bosses and capitalist exploitation!
When: Sat 4th May, 12pm.
Where: Poundland, 39-41 Seven Sisters Road

Workfare is a government scheme in which unemployed people are bullied into working for their Jobseekers' Allowance benefits. People on the Workfare scheme are forced to stack shelves for up to 30 hours a week, working out to an hourly wage of just £1.60. 

Workfare profits the rich by providing free labour, whilst threatening the poor by taking away welfare rights if people refuse to work without a living wage. It affects all of us by reducing jobs and giving employers the green light to cut hours and reduce wages.

In response to a growing movement of opposition to the Workfare scheme, a number of companies have quit the programme, while the government has released a steady stream of untruths. So join the movement!

See here for more on Poundland's use of workfare.
And here for information on workfare.

Day of Action Against Letting Agents - Sat 27th April

Been Let Down By a Letting Agency? 

Join the Letting Agent Monopoly - Islington Green, 12 noon, Sat 27th April

Our friends at Islington Private Tenants are organising a tour of some local letting agents with a MONOPOLY themed action.

They’ll have props and banner to give out on the day but please bring anything else you have including:

• Banners/ ‘adapted’ letting agent placards
• Monopoly props like top hats and monopoly money
• Anything to make noise with!

RSVP on Facebook if you can: http://www.facebook.com/events/241209972683850/

This action is being organised by local people from north and east London including  the private tenant groups Islington Private Tenants, Digs (Hackney), and Tower Hamlets Renters. If you have any questions or ideas, please email hello@hackneyrenters.org

When: Saturday 27 April, 12 noon
Meet: Islington Green, N1 8DU

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The problem with Letting Agents

 
High rents – research conducted by Shelter found that one in five landlords increase their rents because their letting agent encouraged them to. By contrast, only 4% of landlords increased their rent because they were facing increased costs.

Extortionate, bogus fees – letting agents provide a service to landlords, and charge them for doing so. Yet recently letting agents have started charging bogus fees to tenants as well, often in the region of £300-400 per person just for “admin”, “reference checks” or even “renewing a tenancy”. In Scotland, it is illegal for letting agents to charge tenants any fees.

Discrimination – many lettings agents refuse to let to any tenants in receipt of housing benefit. A recent ‘mystery shopping’ exercise by Crisis found that less than 2% of shared rental properties are available to young single people on benefits. We’ve also come across stories of renters being discriminated against by letting agents because of their gender or race, while Trailblazers, a network of young campaigners with disabilities, have highlighted the poor service their members have received from letting agents.

Unregulated – an amendment to a parliamentary bill on 16 April 2013 means that letting agents will now have to sign up to an ombudsman scheme, and the Office of Fair Trading will have the power to ban those who act improperly. However, it’s still possible for anyone to set up a lettings agency, without any qualifications, need to conform to any code of conduct or provide safeguards.

Profiting from insecurity – letting agents make money from people moving, rather than remaining secure in their homes and putting down roots in a community. According to the English Housing Survey, over a third (35%) of private renters have been in their home for less than a year, compared to 3% of home owners and 8% of social renters.

 For further information, see: letdownblog.wordpress.com/

Social Housing on Mount Pleasant? Royal Mail will not deliver

ROYAL Mail has organised a new exhibition about the Mount Pleasant development so people can see the progress being made on the project.

Sadly, no significant changes have been made to the initial proposal. This is despite earlier feedback given at the first exhibition and the strong feelings expressed against most aspects of the development at the Holiday Inn public meeting in November.

This should come as no surprise though. All Royal Mail is doing here is ticking the “consultation process” box. This hollow procedure may give some a sense of democracy but will only damage the community by delivering what promises to be one of the worst developments Islington has seen in years.

If anything, the development looks worse as details of the design emerge. It is an extremely dense development, which will impact heavily on nearby residents and offer crammed housing for the new ones.
Despite what the architects say, the height and design of the buildings (up to 15 storeys) are not in keeping with the wider area, which consists mostly of Victorian and Georgian houses and low rises.

Most shockingly, it is estimated that the proportion of so-called “affordable housing” will only be around 20 per cent. With rents that can be charged up to 80 per cent of market price, everyone knows that “affordable housing” is everything but.

The 20 per cent on offer is a disgrace. What this means is 80 per cent exclusive flats and the gentrification of yet another part of the borough. Expect fancy shops and restaurants, and the usual corporate chains of coffee shops that exploit their staff and avoid paying taxes.

Islington Council says it is committed to 50 per cent affordable housing in large developments. This should be a minimum and the Mount Pleasant development should not be exempt.

What this development should deliver is genuinely affordable social-rented housing. With the austerity measures and the cap on housing benefits, a growing number of people can no longer afford a decent home in the borough. We cannot allow them to be let down in the name of profit.

It is clear by now we cannot trust Royal Mail or anyone to deliver what is needed for the community with this development. It is also clear that nothing will be achieved through the official channels of “consultation”. A solid and collective opposition needs to be built if we want to stand any chance of getting anything out of this development other than an anti-social eyesore.

A Film showing 

-  Friday Feb 1st 2013

The Year of the Beaver

A documentary about the 1970s Grunwick strike and the beginnings of neo-liberalism

The Grunwick strike at a London photo-processing factory with a predominantly female Asian workforce is the central event around which many other political issues are considered;
the use of machinery in the intensification of work; 

race, migration and gender in the workplace and workers movement; 

lacklustre support for and even sabotage of struggles by union leaderships;

blacklisting of militant workers; 

media misrepresentations of struggles; 

new policing tactics to break picket lines;

and the political changes leading to Thatcherism.

  

Friday 1st February 2013 at Reel Islington

The Year of the Beaver (PG)
UK 1985 Dir. Dave Fox/Steve Sprung/Sylvia Stevens. 77 min.
Curated and introduced by Radical Islington

The director Steve Sprung will be attending the screening and talking about the making of the film.

First Friday Film Club takes place on the first Friday evening of every month, in partnership with Holloway Neighbourhood Group and Rowan Arts. Join the First Friday Film Club mailing list to find out which films are showing and to receive early information on events.
EMAIL: info@reelislington.com
LOCATION: The Old Fire Station, 84 Mayton Street, London, N7 6QT
DATE: First Friday of every month.  Doors open at 7pm, film starts at 7.30.
COST: £5 / £2.50 unwaged or low wage concession. Refreshments available.
 

Take Action this Saturday - Boycott Workfare / UkUncut

A few protests have been planned in Islington this Saturday 8th December. They're all part of the fight against austerity, cuts, capitalist exploitation, greedy bosses and anti-working class government policies. So if you haven't got any plans for this Saturday join one of the actions below.

BOYCOTT WORKFARE
https://www.facebook.com/events/481653508553648/

North London SolFed are targeting businesses in Holloway against workfare in support of the National Week of Action called by Boycott Workfare, starting this Saturday the 8th.
Meet at Superdrug on Seven Sisters Road - 11am sharp and we move on from there.
Nearest tube: Arsenal or Holloway Road.
LET'S MAKE SOME FUCKING NOISE YEAH.

More on Workfare:
Workfare is a government scheme in which unemployed people are bullied into working for their Jobseekers' Allowance benefits. People on the Workfare scheme are forced to stack shelves for up to 30 hours a week, working out to an hourly wage of just £1.60. In response to a growing movement of opposition to the Workfare scheme, a number of companies have quit the programme, while the government has released a steady stream of untruths.

Social Housing for Mount Pleasant

As people may be aware, Royal Mail is planning to redevelop part of their large WC1 Mount Pleasant site. Both Islington and Camden councils are involved in this and with 750 homes currently planned, it is going to be a major development. Exhibitions have been organised and early plans have been submitted. On Wednesday 14th November, a development forum was organised to discuss the whole project.

The meeting was packed with residents with a range of concerns, most from local housing associations. A wide range of issues were raised but the general feeling was very much that the plan was ill-conceived. The proposed buildings seem excessively high in places (up to 15 storeys), not taking sufficient account of people's right to light, especially along Calthorpe Street and Farringdon Road. The design is rather unimaginative and people felt it was inward-looking. Some spaces in between buildings seem to have no public access, raising the risk of creating gated communities. A public space has been planned for, but it is still unclear who will own it and pay for its maintenance. The danger that it could be lost to private interests in the not-so-long term was raised. 

Generally, in an area which lacks public amenities, including a school which has been demanded for years, it was felt that not much was on offer for the local community and that the proposed development was simply too dense. 

 

These are obviously all legitimate demands and a plan that does not meet such requirements should be resisted. However, given the current housing crisis it is also true that more homes need to be built in Islington. In a capitalist system, we will always be left with different interests seeming to conflict with each other because as long as basic human needs such as education, health or housing are conceived of as services that have a cost and from which a profit can be made, we will be left fighting for what we need. With the Mount Pleasant redevelopment though, we can fight for our common interest, for all our needs, including housing.

Due to lack of time and bad organisation, the type of accommodation that will be available at Mount Pleasant was not properly addressed at the meeting though. So far Royal Mail say they do not know what proportion of private / affordable / social housing there will be. The design of the flats has deliberately been conceived so that they could be used for either type of housing. The fact that no minimum amount of social housing was ringfenced is not a good sign though. The main worry of course is that whichever developer is contracted to do the job will try to maximise profit by trying to pack in as many private housing as possible. But who can afford such rents? 

The National Housing Federation has found that private sector rents have risen 37% in the last 5 years, while wages and benefit levels have actually gone down. Still, private rents are set to increase by a further 35% over the next six years.