DISPUTE AT COLLEGE of NORTH WEST LONDON

From: "Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary"
To: "Mr P Murry" Dear colleague,

I am writing to urge you to support your union and to make your voice heard at College of North West London. I know you have faced a series of issues with your employer over the last year, including its continued failure to implement the nationally agreed 8 point pay scale, redundancies and now an attempt to worsen your contractual terms and conditions.

I wanted to write to you to express the national union’s support for you and to urge you above all to remain united.

What does unity mean? It means firstly, that your union advises you not to respond to the employer’s offer to you on an individual basis. Instead, I would urge you to ensure that the employer only hears one voice, the voice of the union united.

So, secondly, I would urge you to do everything possible to attend your branch meeting this Wednesday, where the employer’s offer is the only subject of discussion. The meeting will take place at 5.00pm on Wednesday 9 June in the Willesden Centre, Lecture Theatre E101. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard and to make sure that your employer gets a clear message from the union as a whole.

I know that your local and regional representatives are working hard to resolve this current dispute and have made a revised offer to the employer on 26 May, a fact that I understand has not been communicated to you by your employer.

Finally, I would assure you that you continue to have the support of the whole union, and at UCU Congress held last week delegates were united in sending you their solidarity.

I am sorry that I can’t be with you on Wednesday, but I wish you well. Please do everything you can to attend the meeting and make sure that your employer hears one, strong united voice from the UCU.

Best wishes

Sally Hunt
UCU general secretary

Greens Speak Out Against Israeli Attack on Aid Flotilla

Thanks to all Green Voters

Willesden and Wembley Observer, May 20th 2010

Willesden and Brent Times, May 20th 2010

Brent Greens Parliamentary and Council Results

Shahrar Ali speaks at declaration for Brent Central on morning of Friday 7 May 2010 and televised in part (photo by Rob Dyke):

"I'd like to thank the 668 voters of Brent Central for putting their faith in me and the Green Party at this fiercely contested election. I also wish to thank my campaign team, and especially Alex for expriencing some of the sleep deprivation with me."

"Finally, Green voters, stick with us! We will be back for more. More Brighton Pavillions up and down the country alike . . . in the very near future. Because true politics requires nothing less!"

Brent Central candidates (l-r): Shahrar Ali, Sarah Teather (Lib Dem, elected), Abdi Duale (Respect), Dawn Butler (Labour), Dean McCastree (Ind), Sachin Rajput (Con), Errol Williams (Christian, not pictured).

This picture shows the declaration for Brent North which took place just before Brent Central. Martin is standing on the left with thousands of ballot papers piled on the table in the foreground (photo by S Ali).

Martin Francis polled 725 (1.4%) in Brent North (missing fourth place by 9 votes), Shahrar Ali polled 668 (1.5%, 4th) in Brent Central and Beatrix Campbell polled 759 (1.4%, 4th) in Hampstead and Kilburn. Barry Gardiner (Labour), Sarah Teather (Lib Dem) and Glenda Jackson (Labour) were duly elected, in their respective contests.

In the Council elections, the Greens stood maximum numbers in 20 wards and many of our candidates clocked up 300, 400, 500 or even 600+ votes in their wards. Labour made significant gains at the expense of both Lib Dems in the south and Tories in the north of the borough.

Notable acheivements in the borough elections include:

Alexandra Freed (Queens Park): 691 (2 Labour, 1 Lib Dem elected)
Lia Colaccico (Mapesbury): 660
Beverley Finlay (Kensal Green): 653 (beating 2 Conservative)
John McCooke (Kilburn): 840
Thomas Harrison (Willesden Green): 454 (beating 2 Conservative)

and in the north of the borough, in the wards of the parliamentary candidates:
Shahrar Ali (Welsh Harp): 430
Martin Francis (Barnhill): 421

Once it became known that the BNP were standing in Fryent, our candidates for that and neighbouring wards countersigned a statement and we put out an additional leaflet (coordinated by Martin) in order to beat them, too.

The formidable Council election counting operation was completed at around midnight on Friday, more than 24 hours after the ballot closed. The full General election and Council results for Brent are posted on the Council website here.

Shahrar and Martin were interviewed at the count by the Wembley Observer 'Brent election results now exepcted at 8am'. Other good press hits in Brent Times 'Battle for the Green Vote' on polling day and on eve of election 'War in Afghanistan still fires up public'. First thoughts and round-up from Martin. Some pictures and captions from the count by Rob Dyke.

Green results from around the country. Caroline Lucas our first Green Member of Parliament.

News from Cochabamba

BRENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Thursday 13 May 7.30pm

Baldwin Studio, Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR

News from Cochabamba
 Report-back from the People's World Conference on Climate Change and 

 the Rights of Mother Earth, Cochabamba, Bolivia, 20 - 22 April

Thousands of activists from around the world took part in the People’s World Conference on Climate Change called by President Evo Morales of Bolivia after the failure of the Copenhagen talks.  The conference brought together scientists, trade unionists, NGO’s and social movements to look for ways to build an alternative grassroots movement to protect the planet and fight for climate justice.

Mary Brodbin from Campaign Against Climate Change and Brent trade unionist Roger Cox took part and will report on what it achieved.

ALL WELCOME