October 2011 saw South Yorkshire Fire Authority agree to a 14 week public consultation on the proposed closure of 4 fire stations and the building of 2 new ones that also includes removing 5 frontline emergency fire appliances.

Unfortunately for us, as residents of Darnall and surrounding areas, one of the fire stations and fire engines to be CUT is Darnall; added to this is the loss of a fire engine in the Mansfield Road and the Elm Lane area.  Located on Darnall Road, Darnall station currently has 2 fire engines crewed by Wholetime fire fighters which are ready to respond to an emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue propose to close Darnall Fire Station and the neighbouring Mansfield Road Fire Station with a loss of 4 Wholetime fire engines, in its place will be a new build fire station based on the Parkway which will house only 2 fire engines.   South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue would have you believe that these CUTS “improve efficiency and provides better value for money” – that does not make you safer in your homes and does not maintain the level of fire cover you currently have in place.

They also say it would “provide a better service” – how can closing 2 fire station’s removing 2 pumps make it ‘a better service’? It cannot!!!

As residents of Darnall and surrounding areas, we cannot allow our fire station to close and the emergency fire engines to be moved away,  You can also write your opposition to this closure to , South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue 197 Eyre Street Sheffield S1 3FG or email to serviceplan@syfire.gov.uk

Join the fight … MONEY v LIVES
SAVE DARNALL
FIRE STATION

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Attached is a model letter to the Sheffield Star -maybe you can use it or maybe you prefer to write your own letter.

Want to get a blitz of letters -from individuals, from organisations,from unions , from Trades Council etc. to raise awareness of the importance of this ballot.

The Council is recommending that the management comes back in house but we need to reinforce this message, because many, many tenants are not aware of possible consequences if the vote goes to opt for an ALMO.

This Govt is hell bent on trying to privatise everything and this would feed into their agenda.

Please circulate as widely as possible and talk to as many people and tenants before 19th Jan when the voting starts.

13 Jan To the Editor1

Hello

People can achieve so much more when they work together

Unite’s mission is  for a society that places equality, dignity and respect above all else. But our union recognises that we can only achieve this if we bring people together from all walks of life.

7.00 – 9.00 p.m. SADACCA, The Wicker


Agenda

 Apologies from James Downton, Dawn Hunt, Dick Pitt

 Minutes of December meeting (circulated)

1. Matters Arising
2. Report from Officers’ meeting 3/1/12
3. Speakers addressing current local issues

a) Occupy Sheffield

b) Threat to Advice Centres

c) Threat to Fire Services in South Yorkshire

d) Barnsley Bus strike

1. Forthcoming cuts to Sheffield Council Budget and SACA response
2. Rally for the marginalised communities 21^st January – update
3. Proposed conference of local anticuts groups
4. Pensions dispute (see motion)
5. A.O.B.

Motion proposed by Max Munday

AWL delegate to SACA

SACA believes

1. That defeat in the pensions dispute – that is, anything short of defence of existing pensions arrangements – will embolden the government in its other attacks on the public sector and the whole working class, and this is a matter for any anti-cuts activist.

SACA further believes

1. That anti-cuts activists have a role to play in solidarity with union activists but also as union activists ourselves. SACA should regularly discuss what is going on in the union movement.

2. The conference called by PCS Left Unity on the 7th January was well attended and resolved to put pressure on the TUC to call further action, but failed to put pressure on the leaders of the Trade Unions to set dates for strike action.

3. That we need the widest possible discussion of how to win, including escalating national action, selective and targeted action, levies for strike funds, and sustained action short of a strike, as well as a political campaign focused on the need to fund decent pensions for all workers by making the rich pay.

SACA resolves

1. To hold an open discussion on how to win the pensions campaign, and how this fits in with local anti-cuts campaigning.

2. To add our voice to those putting pressure on Union leaderships to reject the current Government offer, and continue action.

http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/stand_up_for_sheffield_says_anti_cuts_groups_1_4118093

Start time: 1p.m.

Venue: Town Hall, Sheffield

There are now 7 confirmed speakers for the Rally of the 99%: Voice of the Voiceless.

1 Tom (from Occupy Sheffield)

2 Colin Hampton (unemployed workers union in Chesterfield)

3 Dawn Hunt, on behalf of people with additional needs.

4 Alan Thorpe (entrepreneur with a visual impairment)

5 Del Pickup, on behalf of mental health conditions and homelessness.

6 Maxine Bowler (Sheffield Anti-Cuts Alliance)

7 Alistair Tice (socialist party)

Rich Brown will chair/introduce speakers

Open mic time will provide opportunity for other participants to make contributions

Julie Dore has sent a letter to all households regarding the setting of the Council Budget for the next financial year.

A recall conference of the Public Sector Liaison Group (PSLG), the body that
brings together TUC affiliated public sector unions, will be convened on Monday
19th December at 3PM.

At this meeting TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber will attempt to sell
Francis Maude’s latest pensions offer as the basis for a settlement of the
dispute to trade union leaders.

In a bid to head off this damaging out come the NSSN and other left trade union
activists are calling for a lobby of the PSLG before it meets. Trade unionists
will have the opportunity to voice their opposition to Maude’s proposals and
demand further action in the New Year.

The NSSN will be demanding:

Reject Maude’s latest pensions proposals which will mean all public sector
workers having to work longer, pay more, and get less.

No to secret deals by union leaders over the heads of the membership. We demand
democratic control of the negotiations.

We demand that the date is set for the next co-ordinated public sector strike
early in the New Year. UNISON Scotland has already proposed 25 January as the
date of the next strike.

The lobby will begin at 2:30 PM at Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street.
WC1B 3LS

The NSSN urges all of it’s supporters and readers to come down to the lobby and
build the pressure for further action in defence of pensions.