Unnecessary deaths from cold related illnesses.

The number of unnecessary deaths is announced on November 30th. The number is expected to be very high this year. In 2016 the number was nearly 25,000 deaths. Last year (2017) it was over 34,000 deaths. To mark the announcement London Region National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has organised a protest. This will be at 12 noon on Friday 30^th November. Assemble at 11.30am by the George V’s statue at Old Palace Yard, Westminster opposite the House of Lords. Black balloons will be released, one per 1000 deaths.

Save Our Post Office demo Dec 1st

Haringey Post Offices are under threat. The one on Green Lanes has been given 45 days notice of a public consultation ending on 28^th Dec. for it to be franchised to another location. The hosted Crown Post Office in WH Smith in Wood Green is to be franchised to the same.

The Communications & Workers Union (CWU) has called a national day of action on Saturday 1^st Dec. download poster  Haringey 1st Dec Demo

Should those over 75 continue to have a free TV Licence?

The BBC is conducting a consultation offering 4 options none of which is to retain the concession. The National Pensioners Convention say that such concessions are the responsibility of the government. What do you think?

Respond at www.bbc.co.uk/yoursay  or ring 0800 232 1382 to request paper copies of this document and questionnaire with a freepost envelope to take part.

AgeUK has an online petition to voice your objection. Sign  https://campaigns.ageuk.org.uk/page/34266/petition/2

The firm ‘Universal Office Equipment HQ at, 120 High Road, East Finchley, London N2 9ED’ intends to take up franchise of several crown post offices: Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Stoke Newington and an Independent for Finsbury Park.

But we do not want our crown post offices to become private businesses.

Please take part in the consultation, either on line or by writing.

Esther Singer outside East Finchley Crown Post Office

The deadline for the public consultation for Crouch End is September 6^th, and for Muswell Hill September 13^th. You can give your feedback on these proposals by completing the Post Office online survey via the following link postofficeviews.co.uk and entering: Muswell Hill N10 4DQ or another post office you are concerned about.

You can also email them on comments@postoffice.co.uk.

Royal Mail is privatised, but Post Office Ltd remains in public hands. Hornsey Pensioners has in the past year written to both the director of Post Office Ltd. owned by the government, and the minister responsible, but the replies indicated that Post Office Ltd must be financially viable, hence the search for firms to take over franchise.

Hornsey pensioners took part in the official consultation event for Muswell Hill Crown Post Office on Wednesday 16^th August.  The business man applying for the franchise, Elliott Jacobs was present. He was told that counter staff at Muswell Hill were unhappy about transferring to his shop. I asked him whether he would recognise and negotiate their union CWU and he declined.

On Saturday August 26^th I visited the shop at East Finchley that took over the franchise of the Crown Post Office. Our group had opposed the franchise, the  photo is dated April 2013, and the franchise took place in 2014.  The shop is well laid out, but the merchandise of office and art materials fronts the entrance with post office services towards the rear.

In Muswell Hill we already have shops – Rymans for office equipment, and ‘Art for Arts’ Sake’ for artists’ materials.  Do we need more such outlets?  While there I approached one of the counter staff at East Finchley and asked whether she was a member of CWU – apparently not.

The Communications and Workers Union (CWU) conducted a picket that morning to object to further privatisations of post offices in this area. The CWU over many years has negotiated pay, conditions and career path for post office counter staff.

For us as customers, the union plays a role in maintaining standards, making sure that post offices services are conducted in a professional manner. They make sure that the staff we depend upon for advice are well trained.

Janet Shapiro

Meeting on August 15th 2017 10.30

at the Southgate Beaumont Care Home,

15 Cannon Hill, N14 7DJ.

The meeting is a 10 minute walk from Southgate station, and on bus routes 121, W6 and 299.  It is called by Enfield Over 50’s Forum about a consultation being conducted by the Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The meeting is on ‘Adherence to Evidence-Based Medicine’ (AEBM)  

The Enfield CCG proposals are to introduce another layer of control, that would overrule doctors’ clinical judgement on a number of  treatments, and if applied would affect patients very badly.  The front page of the August/September newsletter of Enfield Over 50’s Forums can be downloaded.  Download

If AEBM was applied in Enfield, other borough CCGs could follow.

Note that all CCGs in North Central London boroughs: Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey & Islington are under pressure to eliminate their ‘deficits’ that are really ‘overspends’ caused by under-funding)