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No to immigration checks in our schools!

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Are schools a foreign country?

Everyone would say no, but then why are school children being asked to show their passports or fill out details of where they were born?

Under orders from the Department for Education, Lambeth, along side other local authorities, are now asking parents to provide details of their children’s nationality. The entire purpose of this is to find undocumented families. This is part of the growing anti immigrant mood in British politics and is a very worrying development. Schools should have no role in policing people’s backgrounds – their only job is to provide free education to the children that live in their area.

Thankfully the DoE has clarified that passport checks are not a requirement. The school may ask to see documentation but parents should refuse to comply. In which case the administrator will  leave the box empty.

UNISON is opposed to these immigration checks on parents and children.

 

MOTION PASSED AT LAMBETH UNISON BRANCH COMMITTEE IN SEPTEMBER

The Department of Education under the guise of investigating “education tourism” is asking all children in schools in England to bring their passports and birth certificates to prove their nationality and country of birth.

More details can be found on this site: http://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-must–collectdata–on immigrantchildren–children–from–autumn.

This will only serve to exacerbate concerns for immigrant communities and will be an infringement on the rights of British citizens as it will apply to the general school population. Under this Policy, schools will be required to check on “nationality” status every term.

Nicky Morgan disclosed in an interview with The Telegraph earlier this year that she had ordered civil servants in the Department for Education to investigate the impact of mass migration on state schools.

The impact of this policy will only serve to create anxiety amongst immigrant communities out of genuine fear that the information will end up in the hands of Immigration Enforcement.

This motion seeks to gain the understanding and support of Lambeth UNISON that such a policy is divisive and will only serve to cause harm to children who may be withdrawn from school. The general feedback is that parents are not aware that they can opt out and must do so by the 6th October , this part of the policy has not promoted as much as the need to see proof of nationality.

Concern is also expressed for the emotional wellbeing of those in schools, in these posts, who will be expected to implement this part of the policy.

This branch resolves to

  1. Highlight this policy and make public the relevant information to empower parents of their right to opt out and encourage its members to be active in publicising this policy and more importantly the right to opt out
  2. Obtain clarity as to how this information will be used
  3. Call on Lambeth Council to make a statement pertaining to this divisive and extremely worrying policy.

Migrants rights action in Brixton

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Lambeth UNISON and Unite Community branch organised an action outside Olive Morris House on 4 July to call for migrant rights and for our communities in Lambeth to stand together.

Lambeth has one of the largest Portuguese communities outside Portugal, and a large Polish community, alongside many other nationalities of people effected by the vote to leave the EU. An organiser from a Polish community organisation came along to thank us for the action and plans are afoot for more events in the near future. Please get in touch to help.

Unity and solidarity in the months and days ahead will be essential.

Organisers also wanted to send a message of support to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a man of principle who is standing up for the rest of us and needs our support.

Photos are online at Brixton Buzz http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2016/07/in-photos-brixton-workers-stage-solidarity-with-migrants-rally-mon-4th-july/

Support Councillor Rachel Heywood!

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Councillor Rachel Heywood’s brave public call for support with local residents and workers fighting to keep libraries open is a real inspiration. Clearly the Labour Council leaders were furious with her—they voted to suspend her as a Labour Councillor for 6 months.  Now other councillors are speaking out—a sign that the growing movement against the demolition of our homes and the closure of our libraries is having an effect. The Progress dominated council are losing the argument, and if they carry on like this then it will have a damaging impact on Labour’s local performance in the next council elections.

Please sign the petition for her reinstatement https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/support-rachel-heywood-and-lift-the-suspension-now

Housing Services Phase 1: The answer to our problems – three more Assistant Directors?

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Staff are overstretched, the HRA is facing financial pressure and workers fear for the future of their jobs. Here at Lambeth, our bosses have the perfect solution—more high paid managers!

The Director of Housing has launched “phase one” of a restructure which has been expected since Lambeth Living returned to the Council last summer.

The “Phase One” proposals do not threaten any redundancies – quite the reverse. As well as changing a number of reporting lines (mostly for managers) the proposals seek to create three new Assistant Director positions. The Director has told the trade unions that, in “Phase Two” he will aim to move more staff into front-line housing management roles.

Because there are no redundancies proposed, the Council is permitted to allow only a short (one week) period for consultation – UNISON encourages members to look closely at the proposals so that we can respond as soon as possible.

UNISON want to know

  • Given the financial pressure on the Housing Revenue Account (and the Council’s Budget generally) how can we afford three additional senior posts?
  • How can we justify more highly paid managers in an already top heavy Council?
  • Since black workers are underrepresented at senior levels why is there no Equality Impact Assessment and no proposals for positive action in filling senior posts?
  •  As there are no proposals for redundancies in “Phase One” will the Council assure us of no compulsory redundancies in Housing in “Phase Two”?

The Council has ruled out compulsory redundancies in libraries – where UNISON members have taken strike action. If we want to protect our interests as workers in Housing we need to be prepared to stand up for ourselves.

If you are a UNISON member – contact your shop steward or Branch Secretary, Ruth Cashman

(RCashman[at]lambeth.gov.uk). If you are not a trade union member visit https://www.unison.org.uk/join/ now!

 

Council wasting money on keeping library closed

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carnegieoccupation Lambeth Council is wasting thousands of pounds on security guards in the closed Minet and Carnegie Library buildings. The cost of these security guards is more than it would have cost to keep them open in the first place.

A freedom of information request from the Guardian reveals the figures;between the closure of the libraries on 31 March and the 15 April when the request was made the council has wasted £35,392.68 on security, costing over £2,200 a day. Last year the libraries cost just £874 a day to run.
The decision by Lambeth Council to close several libraries in the borough was so unpopular it inevitably led to large demonstrations and an occupation of Carnegie Library. They could have avoided this entire mess if they had worked with the residents and staff to come up with an alternative that kept the libraries open.
As it is the reputation of the council has been ruined – the Progress dominated cabinet stand before the people of Lambeth as unaccountable and uncaring austerity pushing careerists who are happy to ride roughshod over the aspirations and wishes of local people.
And instead of saving money, this entire exercise is costing local people even more. Welcome to the Co-operative Council.