JOIN THE MARCH & RALLY 24th Feb 2011 – Calling for adequate government funding

JOIN THE PROTEST RALLY AT THE CIVIC CENTRE – MONDAY 24th February

Please forward widely

Save Our Local Public Services

DOWNLOAD THE PROTEST LEAFLET AND PASS ON TO FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES ETC

Say NO to CUTS – Unfair, unacceptable, unnecessary

HARINGEY PROTEST RALLY / CIVIC CENTRE
THURSDAY 24th FEBRUARY – 6.30pm

Bring friends, workmates and neighbours – and your own placards and banners

6.30pm – Borough-wide rally outside Council meeting, Civic Centre N22
5pm – 6pm – We’re calling for local protests at threatened sites around the borough

The Government is demanding £41m cuts this year to our
LIBRARIES, HEALTH SERVICES, COMMUNITY AND YOUTH CENTRES, SCHOOLS, GREEN SPACES, PUBLIC SERVICE JOBS AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, AND MANY MORE VITAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES…

On the day Councillors will be discussing and voting on whether to make such savage cuts, we call on all those who live or work in Haringey to come and speak out together. We don’t have to accept this – we can stop cuts, closures and privatisation threats. Together we can defend our vital public services!

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Unfair, unacceptable, unnecessary

Good public services, and a universal welfare system, are central to what’s good about Haringey and our lives. We all need good health care, schools and nurseries, community centres, well-run parks and libraries, social services, affordable housing, safe and attractive neighbourhoods, decent jobs, and an adequate and reliable income for unwaged people. Previous generations fought hard to win such improvements.

Devastating – and unjustifiable

The Government is pressurising the Council to make a shocking £41m cuts this year, and then another £40m over the next 2 years.

FACING CLOSURE: older peoples’ residential homes and day centres, youth clubs, and voluntary projects and facilities
BUDGETS SLASHED: parks’ staffing and maintenance, librairies and schools
HUGE CUTS: NHS services and local Further Education colleges
UNDER THREAT: hundreds of local public service jobs… and much more

And the NHS and other public services face similar threats. If not countered, the cuts will be devastating for all our local communities, for those working in the local public sector and other jobs, for many vital public, voluntary and community projects, services and facilities – and for the most vulnerable, including those reliant on housing and incapacity benefits.

This is a wealthy country, but the Government has chosen to take away £billions of public funds from essential public services whilst propping up greedy and irresponsible banks with public money, at the same time as sanctioning massive corporate tax avoidance. Our public services are entitled to adequate resources and improvements!

Doing nothing is not an option

Last year 5,000 people successfully marched to save Whittington Hospital services. 1,000 local youth are campaigning to save their youth centres. Students, backed by trades unions, have held many demonstrations and occupations to defend education. Many others have started to object and protest about proposed cuts affecting their services and jobs. The Haringey Alliance have held local rallies and marches, and handed out over 70,000 leaflets to alert local people. Alliances and campaigns are springing into action all over the country and the Government has been shaken. Doing nothing is not an option!

What can we do together?

Together we can reverse the cuts programme if we take action and say NO. We call on all Haringey’s residents, community groups, workers, and trades unions to link together and stand up for what’s right. We call on Councillors to back our communities, reject privatisation, oppose all cuts and refuse to implement them – or stand down.

The Haringey Alliance for Public Services (HAPS) is a network open to all those living or working in Haringey. We support opposition to the running down, closure or privatisation of any local public services, and support campaigning for improvements. We promote communication and co-ordination, mutual aid and solidarity among all those affected. Why not get involved?

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