Clear Air and Truthful Pay – 2019. Two protests on Friday twelfth July 2019 over completely different points in numerous components of London meant I needed to depart the primary earlier than the rally on the finish of the march.
XR East London marches for clear air – Bethnal Inexperienced
The march from Paradise Gardens on the centre of Bethnal Inexperienced to Hackney City Corridor was the preliminary occasion in a weekend of play, protest and training which Extinction Revolt East London had organised below the title ‘East London Rebellion’.
Paradise Gardens was an apparent and applicable if ironic assembly level for this march calling for the pressing motion on the setting we’d like if the planet is to stay liveable. Though this has been protected commonland since 1678, this public inexperienced house is a skinny and somewhat uncared for strip between the busy Cambridge Heath Highway and Paradise Row, a narrower road lined primarily by Grade II listed homes. It was once merely part of Bethnal Inexperienced Gardens that are on the east facet of the principle highway however bought its present identify from Paradise Row – and the northern a part of the gardens throughout the traffic-clogged highway grew to become Museum Gardens.
Till shortly earlier than this protest this small space of park had been closed because it was being utilized by contractors for close by building work, with the proviso that they restore it after their work was completed. This appeared to largely have been finished, and had not affected the principle attraction of the realm, the dozen or so massive timber alongside each edges.
After I arrived, folks had been nonetheless preparing for the march, although most had been merely standing round and ready, some had been getting their faces painted whereas the marching band had been practising enjoying collectively, and the march stewards had been getting their directions. However lastly folks lined up behind the principle banner with its message ‘THE AIR THAT WE GRIEVE’ and moved onto the fume-laden Cambridge Heath Highway.
Air air pollution is a big downside in London, with many areas effectively above the EU’s authorized limits for varied pollution a lot or all the time. Visitors is a serious supply each of gases resembling nitrogen oxides and in addition particulates, and shifting in direction of electrical autos, although an enchancment won’t remedy the issue as a lot of essentially the most harmful particulates come from tyres and brakes. We have to lower site visitors, by decreasing the necessity for motion, shifting massively to public transport and shifting to utilizing bicycles, electrical bicycles and scooters significantly for shorter journeys.
Air air pollution is claimed to be chargeable for virtually 10,000 untimely deaths in London every year, and a a lot bigger quantity endure from severe lung and different situations from it, vastly decreasing their high quality of life and making a heavy burden and prices for our healthcare system. However encouraging folks to undertake more healthy technique of transport wants rather more spending on making these safer and extra handy.
The march up one of many space’s busier roads was largely uneventful, although it’s going to have delayed many on their journeys via the realm, however it’s going to even have made many individuals within the space extra conscious of the issues. Those that drive in London are used to delays, with an overcrowded system wherein any minor downside may cause prolonged delays – and as a bus passenger it isn’t uncommon I typically discover myself getting off and strolling once I’m in a rush.
I left the march shortly after it moved throughout the border from Tower Hamlets into Hackney and was going up Mare Avenue in direction of the City Corridor. I used to be sorry to need to miss the childrens’ meeting which was to happen there on the finish of the march, however needed to make sure to be in time for the protest at Senate Home within the centre of London.
Extra footage: XR East London marches for clear air
IWGB welcome new Vice Chancellor – Senate Home, College of London
Many of the employees finishing up important however low paid jobs on the College of London aren’t employed by the college however by contractors who present their companies to the college. This outsourcing ends in the employees being poorly paid, typically bullied and employed with solely the minimal authorized situations of employment.
For years they’ve been protesting to be employed instantly by the college and so get the identical pay and dealing situations as different employees in comparable jobs which are on the payroll. Particularly they need the identical sick pay, vacation pay and pensions, and naturally the London Dwelling Wage.
Their campaigns have met with some progress – and three years on many have been introduced in home, however the college dragged its ft for a few years, spending massive quantities on further outsourced safety employees and refusing to speak with the unions representing the low paid employees. Though commerce union laws implies that as employers need to recognise unions, neither the contractors who employed these employees nor the college in whose premises they labored had been keen to recognise or negotiate with their unions.
Progress has solely been made by direct actions resembling this by the grass-roots commerce union IWGB, and by strikes by the employees. They’d tried to fulfill with the brand new Vice-Chancellor Wendy Thomson however their request had merely been ignored.
After a rally on the foremost gates and a protest outdoors Pupil Central (the previous College of London Union, closed down by the College as a result of it supported the employees) the protesters returned to Senate Home. A small group pushed down some flimsy boundaries with the additional safety unable to cease them and the remaining surged in after them to bounce noisily in protest within the yard in entrance of the locked entrance to Senate Home.
Extra at IWGB welcome new Vice Chancellor
Tags: air air pollution, air high quality, bronchial asthma, Bethnal Inexperienced, clear air, condtions of service, East London, Extinction Revolt, Hackney, HE AIR THAT WE GRIEVE, holidays, IWGB, London, lung situations, march, new Vice Chancellor, nitrogen oxides, outsourced employees, outsourcing, Paradise Gardens, particulates, pensions, peter Marshall, untimely deaths, protest, Senate Home, sick pay, Pupil Central, Tower Hamlets, commerce union, site visitors, ULU, College of London, XR, XR East London
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