This lunch time I attended the opening ceremony for a newly built community space and block of Council flats in Bow, Tower Hamlets. The block has been named after the Matchgirl Striker, Sarah Chapman. She was one of the leaders of the successful s…Read more…
30th anniversary as a Housing Officer and Trade Union Activist
On 6 September 1993 I started work as a housing officer in Bow for Tower Hamlets Council. I had worked as an agency temp in Columbia Road, Bethnal Green beforehand and also as a Housing Rights advisor in Edinburgh. I joined UNISON as a temp but h…Read more…
Council houses named after Matchgirls Strike leader – Sarah Chapman
Hat tip picture Tower Hamlets Council and report Ali G and article by East London Advertiser (note campaign in Newham to protect the grave site of Sarah Chapman in Manor Park Cemetery. – https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2020/03/visiting-grave-of-…Read more…
Tower Hamlets ‘must keep its word and stop privatisation’
Unite has slammed Tower Hamlet’s privatisation of its initial assessment team for elderly residents in need of assistance, as members of the team go on strike. Five assessment staff, who are Unite…Read more…
Meeting an old friend and comrade at the Prospect of Whitby
This evening I met up with a UNISON friend and comrade, Kridos Pavlou, at the Prospect of Whitby riverside pub in Tower Hamlets. We had been planning this meet up since before the pandemic and eventually it happened.
It was great to meet u…Read more…
Post lockdown beer & curry
Last night I met up with 3 friends who I have not seen since pre lockdown March 2020. We were celebrating David Boyles birthday with Trevor Dean and Montrose Matty. We were all UNISON reps in Tower Hamlets Housing department back in the day.
It …Read more…
Montrose Turns 60
Happy birthday to my Tower Hamlets UNISON Housing and Labour Party comrade (and old friend) Montrose Matty on his 60th birthday.
We have just finished a virtual beer and curry with various mates and his family and look forward to meeting up in th…Read more…
Save Our Libraries! Tower Hamlets Joint Trade Unions
I have been asked to attend this event next Tuesday. I have clash but will see if I can attend. When I was the assistant branch secretary for Tower Hamlets UNISON, I was the lead negotiator on the introduction of Idea Stores.
Tory Austerit…Read more…
Happy Birthday Trev
Yesterday was the birthday of my Tower Hamlets Housing UNISON colleague, Trevor Dean. Normally we would have gone out for drinks and a curry at Aromas to celebrate. Instead we will have a virtual curry next month on Montrose Matty’s birthday whic…Read more…
Veolia pay stink
Bin collections and street cleaning services in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets could stop ‘imminently’ in a dispute over unsettled holiday pay arrears, Unite said today (4 February).
The post…Read more…
Win for young people
Unite celebrated a major victory today (June 28) after Tower Hamlets council announced it had reached an agreement with an outsourcing firm that will now pay young people the London Living Wage…Read more…
Tower Hamlets Community Housing Strike over Pay
Early this morning I went to the UNISON picket line outside the headquarters of Tower Hamlets Community Housing (THCH) to show solidarity and support for the strikers. In my roles as UNISON London Housing Associations branch secretary, Regional Council…Read more…
Battle of Cable Street – 80th Anniversity of “East London Routs The Fascists”
On Tuesday 4 October 2016 it is the 80th anniversary of the 1936 “Battle of Cable Street” when anti-
fascists stopped a march through the (then) largely Jewish East End of London by Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists.
I have worked …Read more…
Tower Hamlets Council Pension Board – Inaugural meeting 28 July 2015
This post is just a little late but for accuracy, I wanted to be able to refer to the published minutes which were only published recently.
The meeting was held in the Council Chamber in the Mulberry Place Town Hall E14.
The Hu…Read more…
Tower Hamlets Council motion regarding One Housing Group
This motion was passed by Tower Hamlets Council at its last meeting. Inside Housing reports that One Housing is in urgent talks to try and stop it being suspended as a perferred housing provider.
Urgent Motion regarding One Housing Group
Proposer: Cll…Read more…
John Biggs wins Tower Hamlets Mayoral contest for Labour!
Great news. Woke up this morning to find out that John Biggs is the new Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets.
Yesterday evening West Hammers were out with at least 3 teams “on the knocker” reminding supporters to vote in Lansbury ward. My team was in and …Read more…
Getting the postal vote out for John Biggs as Labour Mayor for Tower Hamlets.
On Thursday evening I went to help the Labour Party candidate for Tower Hamlets Mayor, John Biggs and was given a bundle of letters addressed to postal voters to deliver in and around Leman Street, Whitechapel. I didn’t really know this part of Tower H…Read more…
Join us at Tower Hamlets tomorrow at 12 – Bethnal Green Station
Tower Hamlets Mayoral by-election – Sat 30 May 12pm
Please come and join us to help John Biggs become the Labour Mayoral of Tower Hamlets. We are meeting inside Bethnal Green station (just after the ticket barriers) at 12pm on Saturday. Don’t worr…Read more…
West Ham “on the knocker” for John Biggs
Picture collage from yesterday of West Hammers (and a East Ham comrade) “on the knocker” for John Biggs as Labour Mayor for Tower Hamlets.
West Ham Labour Chair, Charlene McLean, led our team “assisted” by her campaign hardened 9 month old baby daught…Read more…
On the Knocker for John Biggs in Mile End
After the Regional UNISON agm on Saturday and while cycling home, I stopped off at the Tower Hamlets Labour Party HQ in Bethnal Green to help campaign for Labour Mayor candidate, John Biggs. I was asked if I minded going out with a canv…Read more…