Lewisham’s COVID-19 Transport Consultation

Lewisham Council have launched a public consultation on its COVID-19 Transport plans saying: “The London Borough of Lewisham is taking emergency action to help the public safely make the essential trips they need to on foot or by bicycle. Enabling people to keep two metres apart will help protect the health and safety of the …

‘Stop the baseline’ tests at 4 years old

The Department for Education plans to press ahead spending £10 million rolling out exams for every four-year-old entering school. Overwhelmingly the evidence, and consensus from experts around the world, says these kinds of tests on young children are both pointless and damaging. If so-called Baseline Assessment goes ahead in September 2020, every four-year-old will be …

Highest covid death rates – Lewisham in top ten

New figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that London Boroughs have the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the country. The ONS have produced an interactive map. This shows age-standardised mortality rates for all causes and deaths involving COVID-19 in local authorities in England and Wales, deaths occurring between 1 March and 17 …

International Workers’ Memorial Day – Lewisham

On 28th April, all around the world the trade union movement comes together and marks International Workers’ Memorial Day. This is the time to remember those who have lost their lives at work, or from work-related injury and diseases. To renew our efforts to ‘fight for the living’ and demand safer working conditions. Workers Memorial Day …

Time to demand a wholly public NHS and to create a public National Care Service

Dr Tony O’Sullivan, a former consultant community paeditrician at Lewisham Hospital and Co-Chair of Keep Our NHS Public has released a video explaining why the herd immunity strategy was dangerous, the need for proper personal, protective equipment known as PPE for care workers, teachers, transport staff as well as NHS employees. He argues for serious …

Pay and Protect Care Workers Now

Councillor Alan Hall has joined campaigners from Citizen’s UK calling for a real living wage for care workers. In London, the Living Wage is £10.75 per hour. This is calculated to include higher housing, childcare and transport costs in the capital. Not only that, the current public health emergency – covid-19 – has raised the …

Domestic Violence surge

As predicted by the United Nations, the rates of domestic violence have surged with the coronavirus lockdown measures. The New York Times reports that “there was every reason to believe that the restrictions imposed to keep the virus from spreading would have such an effect,” according to Marianne Hester, a Bristol University sociologist who studies …

Protect all frontline healthcare workers

Personal Protective Equipment, known as PPE is in demand. There are reports that there is a shortage in hospitals and care facilities. The Daily Mirror reports that hospitals listed as having shortages include Rotherham General Hospital, Bristol Children’s Hospital, Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and at St Thomas, Lewisham and two …

Lewisham Hospital cleaners still not paid in full despite coronavirus fears

Lewisham Hospital’s cleaners walked out on Thursday, 12th March after an outsourced cleaning contractor repeatedly failed to pay them. A week later, the GMB Trade Union reported that the cleaners still haven’t been paid and the private company ISS blames administrative errors for the crisis. Helen O’Connor the GMB officer said: “For many of these …

Disability Rights and Help the NHS #SaveSocialCare

Disability Groups are concerned that the Coronavirus Bill due to be rushed through parliament in the next few days will cost the country more by putting pressure on the NHS by curtailing community care services for people with disabilities. Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy, Disability Rights UK said: “Our key concern is that the Bill …