Bromley Says: No cuts, No victimisation

Bromley Says: No cuts, No victimisation

THERE WERE Bromley UNISON members and local residents including night care workers and tenants in sheltered accommodation. There were other trade union activists.

Over 100 people joined a lively lobby of Bromley’s Social Services committee against cuts to services for the elderly and threats to UNISON branch secretary Glenn Kelly on 11 September.

The highlight was when the elderly residents and their carers led protesters into the committee meeting which had been shifted into the council chambers.

The Lib/Lab-dominated council allowed residents to ask questions, followed as in parliamentary question time with a supplementary question. Someone asked whether councillors would like to be an old person waiting for help after a fall when the council had cut night care services.

Tenants in sheltered accommodation asked whether they had the right to invite anyone they wanted into their homes. If so, why were the council threatening to sack Glenn Kelly for speaking in his own time at their homes against the cutbacks?

The committee chair and director of social services made a total fiasco of their replies. They said they couldn’t answer because the issue was “sub judice”, which was nonsense.

The angry workers and tenants were unimpressed by seeing the council in action.

Bromley council have set the disciplinary hearing for Glenn Kelly for 5 October. The campaign continues amongst UNISON members to tell their bosses that if the council try to sack Glenn they will stop work immediately.

+ Protest to: Jeremy Ambache, Director of Social Services, Bromley council, Civic Centre, Bromley, BR1 3UH. Fax: 020 83813 4620.
+ Send messages of support to: Bromley UNISON, Civic Centre, Bromley. Tel: 020 83813 4405. Fax: 020 83813 4885.