Brent Connects: Willesden on Fire safety-3rd august,

I received a letter re a meeting of Brent Connects: Willesden on “Fire safety-providing information on the council’s fire safety improvement package for the borough.” At Willesden Library at 7pm on 3^rd august, the council’s website does not seem to have been updated to include this meeting.

It does say that these meetings, (which also take place in other parts of Brent, are chaired by councillors and “At each meeting, there is also a soapbox slot. This is your chance to have your say on any issue that concerns you, your neighbours or your community.” which, I assume, can be applied for via the council’s website

Wales this week repealed the Trade Union Act

IER News Brief 21/07/17 Follow us on Twitter news brief Friday 21st July 2017 Wales this week repealed the Trade Union Act as it pertains to public sector workers in the devolved nation. Those workers who would have fallen under legislation affecting "important public services", will no longer have to meet the 40% support threshold on industrial action ballots; and will not face restrictions to their check-off systems or facility time. Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford explained: "We always said that the Trade Union Act was unnecessary and would lead to more confrontational relationships between employers and workers, undermining rather than supporting public services and the economy." A spokesperson for the UK government said Westminster stands by its view that industrial relations is not a devolved area of the law and that it "will act at the next available opportunity" to make all public services in great Britain comply with its divisive Act. The Institute of Employment Rights argues that the Trade Union Act 2016 must be repealed across the UK. Reducing trade union powers further weakens workers' ability to have a democratic voice in the workplace - an issue the government's own Taylor Review recently highlighted as critical to protecting workers from exploitation. Lastly, a correction from last week's News Brief: A typo in the text reported that the European Convention on Human Rights would not be brought into UK Law. This should have read the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Our apologies for this error. Subscribers receive all of our publications free and discount rates on our conferences. Subscribe now

​​“There is no place for fracking in our city."

​​​Green MEP pledges to fight new proposal to bring fracking to London

13 July 2017

London’s Green MEP has pledged to oppose any attempt to bring fracking in London, following reports that an energy company is applying to begin exploring opportunities in Willesden. [1]

​​Jean Lambert, London’s Green MEP, says:

​​“There is no place for fracking in our city. London is already in the midst of a public health emergency, whereby 9,000 people die prematurely each year as a result of breathing our toxic air. This proposal to begin drilling for shale gas in Brent would be catastrophic for the local area, which already exceeds the EU’s legal clean air limits.

Brent’s poor air quality is largely caused by road transport, construction and local energy generation. [2] Introducing fracking would simply amplify each of these issues, adding to the problem instead of helping to resolve it.

The potential consequences of fracking – including, noise pollution and risks to drinking water supplies – make it unsuitable for use anywhere in the UK. However, the detrimental impact could be much greater in a diverse and highly-populated city such as London, one of the world’s most water-stressed cities.

While the UK Government may be completely ambivalent to the dangers posed by fracking, Greens will not sit back while prospectors dig up our land. Alongside my colleagues, I will oppose any attempt to extract shale gas from under Londoners’ feet.”

​ENDS

Notes:

[1] http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/fracking-could-begin-in-london-after-multimillion-natural-gas-find-a3584726.html​

[2] http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/documents/s47267/Air%20Quality%20Action%20Plan%202017-2022%20-%20Full%20Report.pdf