Hackney Anarchist Group fully supports the Library staff workers in their struggle, we will go and support them when they will address the Council at the full council meeting on Wednesday 20st July 6pm.
We will be making some banners and signs from 3 to 6pm on the same Wednesday at Well Furnished, squatted community and culture centre, 11-13 Terrace Road, E9 (see the map on our flyer for the infonight on the 21st, post below).
Despite the Mayor and Council pledges to protect libraries from huge budget cuts, management is proposing to cut library staff and services that will lead to the slow death of Hackney’s library service.
Proposals include:
- 25% less staff
- 66% less events, including homework and reading clubs with none at all at smaller branch libraries
- Serious cuts to staff pay and conditions
- Replacing experienced staff with volunteers
- Reduced opening hours at smaller libraries
- Loss of reference librarians, services and resources
Staff believe that these major reductions to service provision will pave the way for the closure of smaller libraries in the future, such as Homerton and Stamford Hill.
There are other ways to save money and staff want to work with management to improve the service on offer to the public without shedding jobs and services whilst at the same time ensuring it costs the borough less.
2000 local people have already signed petitions or written to the Mayor to protest against these ill conceived plans, thereby forcing the council to debate the proposals at the next full council meeting on 20th July.
Hackney Library workers invite you to come to express your support for the library service and the important role it plays in community and protest Hackney council plans to destroy Hackney Library Service.
LOBBY THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING
TOWN HALL SQUARE, MARE ST
WEDNESDAY 20th JULY at 6-7PM
For more information and to sign the on-line petition visit
savehackneylibraries.wordpress.com or hackneyunison.wordpress.com
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