Lib Dem led Camden Council has backed down from plans to replace the unique internal heating system on the Alexandra & Ainsworth estate with radiators, following a high profile campaign led by the Tenant’s & Resident’s Association – supported by Kilburn’s Labour Team.

Over 90% of residents surveyed by the TRA opposed the radiator plans, which many residents feared would be unsightly and could potentially lead to structural problems with the eye-catching grade II listed estate.

Labour campaigner Thomas Gardiner said: “Thanks to the TRA campaign, the Lib Dems have seen sense and backed down on their plans to impose radiators on the Alex & Ainsworth. We’re pleased the council has seen sense and will get on with replacing electrical wiring in new risers on A block, while looking again at sustainable longer term solutions for the estate.”

Tags: Kilburn, Radiators Row, Rowley Way.

Progress has been made but much more needs to be done – that was the message from young people in the local Somali community as they met with Frank Dobson MP and Camden Labour campaigners last night. Frank heard from volunteers and community workers at the Somali Youth Development Resource Centre, in Kentish Town, about the impressive educational achievements of many in the Somali community, and the help and support that is being provided to local residents at the centre. However, serious concerns were also raised about overcrowded housing, youth unemployment, the danger of young people falling into crime and
drug abuse, and the threat of Islamophobic racism locally.

Local Labour campaigner, Phil Jones, said “I was impressed by the commitment and knowledge of the staff and volunteers from SYDRC and the London Somali Youth Forum. Some excellent ideas were proposed about supporting children from a Somali background in our local schools, and the need to oppose the Town Hall’s cuts to local youth clubs.

“British Somalis are an important part of the diversity that makes Camden such a special place to live. Camden Labour is 100% committed to ensuring all local communities of whatever background are given a chance to have their say on the issues that matter in our Borough.”

Frank Dobson committed to working further with staff at the centre, particularly over promoting training and employment opportunities locally.

Frank Dobson at the Somali Youth Development Resource Centre

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Labour and Green councillors secured a narrow victory in securing an investigation into low pay for cleaners, care workers and dinner ladies at Camden Council.  Despite opposition from ruling Lib Dem councillors, on the casting vote of the Labour chair of the Resource & Corporate Performance Committee the influential committee decided to press ahead with an investigation into the matter.
 
In a disputed decision, the Tory/Lib Dem run council will now research the issue of low pay at Camden Council in time to discuss the tendering of part-time worker contracts in July 2009. 
 
Cllrs Linda Cheung (Lib Dem, Hampstead Town) and Cllr. Nick Russell (Lib Dem, Kentish Town) voted against reviewing low paid contracts and the possibility of introducing the £7.60 an hour London Living Wage at Camden, while Cllr. Theo Blackwell (Labour, Regent’s Park) and Adrian Oliver (Green, Highgate) voted in favour.  The decision to go ahead with 2-2 was made by the casting vote of the Chair.  No Conservatives were present at the meeting.
 
Chair of the Committee and Opposition Finance spokesperson Cllr. Theo Blackwell said:
 
“It doesn’t surprise me that the Lib Dems are against the London Living Wage, they also oppose the National Minimum Wage.”
 
“The council outsourced residential caretakers and now wants to privatise Talacre sport centre staff.  They are doing so without a commitment to pay people a decent London minimum.  Everyone knows if you depress wages at the bottom it impacts on wages higher up the scale.  If you carry on like this pretty soon you’ll have a recruitment crisis, or no local people will be there to do these jobs.”
 
“It’s clear that the view from on high is that the council doesn’t want to open what it sees as a can of worms.  The council legal advice is suspect.  They say it can’t be done, despite other councils committing to this and the Mayor of London seeing the higher London rate as good morally good and for morale and productivity.”
 
In the 2009 Budget Labour proposed an amendment to stop bonuses for senior council staff (totalling £300,000 a year) until the issue of low paid had been addressed.  They also argued against proposals that 3 Lib Dem backbench councillors should be paid an extra £5000 a year for their work.
 
Cllr. Blackwell added:
 
“High wages and bonuses are no problem for the council, but when they consider low pay it suddenly becomes all to expensive.  Camden’s own figures for school cleaners, cooks and low paid carers show that this would cost £1 million, about 1% on council tax.  Last year Camden made a surplus of £13 million through cutting services and higher charges for the very services they continue to pay people poorly.”
 
Background
1.  Research into low pay will be discussed at the July 21 meeting.
 
2.  The Resources & Corporate Performance Scrutiny Committee had previously discussed a report in October 2008 on the Council’s contracts to assess whether the London Living Wage is the minimum paid by the Council and it’s contractors.  This also examined whether there is a legal basis for Camden to ensure that contractors pay the London Living Wage and for a review of the performance of the cleaning contract, including health and safety issues, and to assess whether there was a correlation between lower rates of pay for staff and performance.  It was agreed, subject to the new Committee’s agreement in the next Council year, that the issue would be looked in more detail.      The Camden report stated that the National Minimum Wage is the minimum paid by the Council and its contractors, rather than London Living Wage.  Camden’s initial report gave the view that, based on a small sample of indicative figures, applying the London Living Wage as a contractual requirement would result in a financial impact which could amount to a 20% increase on costs on contracts or £1 million a year (approximately 1% on council tax).  Low paid Camden care workers, caterers and cleaners are currently paid more than £1 an hour under the London Living Wage. 
 
3.  The National Minimum Wage is set at £5.73 and the London Living Wage, called the “minimum acceptable quality of life in the city” by Boris Johnson is now set at £7.60 (a difference of 30% between the National Minimum Wage and the London Living Wage).  City Hall estimates that currently almost half (47%) all part-time staff working in London and 15% of full-time workers are still paid below the London living wage. One in seven London employees is paid less than £6.65 per hour.

Tags: Low Pay.

Camden Labour today called on the council to consider 8 extra steps to help local small businesses and local workers and traders in times of economic uncertainty.

Camden Council should:

For small firms and traders

1.   Pay all invoices from small firms within 10 days of receiving them in order to ensure that small businesses have the cash flow available to pay the wages of their staff.

2.    Reverse extra charges introduced last year for council-run markets.

3.    Suspend unpopular plans to hike ‘permission to park’ notices to local builders and plumbers.  This year charges went up from £9 to £33 – 267%.  These fees have force many tradespeople to pass cost on to consumers, slowing business.

4.    Camden should consult local businesses and unions on other measures it could take to help in this time of uncertainty.

For local workers

5.  Reduce barriers to work for parents by suspending higher charges for childcare in Children’s Centre’s and Surestarts in Camden’s most deprived areas, reducing barriers to work.

6.  Advertise jobs in the ‘Your Camden’ and local newspapers in order to attract applications from local residents.

7.  Re-invest in its once award-winning Welfare Rights Service, cut in 2006, and promote a major new benefits ‘take-up’ campaign on Camden’s estates and neighbourhoods, in association with the CAB and community groups to ensure that residents are getting the in-work benefits they are entitled to.

8.  Link up with the local police, PCT, Westminster Kingsway, UCL and LSE to offer more apprenticeships, training courses and work experience opportunities for local residents.  Target the scheme at Camden’s poorest areas, with the highest levels of unemployment.  There should also be more targeted work with communities with the highest jobless rate, such as the Bangladeshi and Somali communities.

Opposition finance spokesperson Cllr. Theo Blackwell said:

“The council is a major player locally and should be taking steps to help local traders and businesses.  Many of the extra charges Camden has introduced since since 2006, like the 267% hike to parking permits, are creatures of a different economic climate, and should be scaled back to help local traders.”

Tags: 8-point plan, local workers, small business.

The numbers of people taking up Camden’s music service have decline due to an increase in charges, while residents who are moving or have building works done are being stung by a 267% increase in parking permissions charges.

In June Labour councillors on the Finance and Resource Committee asked council officers to look into the fees and charges regime.  The report, made available at the Resources Committee shows that taken together Camden has over 1000 separate fees and charges from 142 services.  In total the fees and charges budget of £85m for 2008/09 represents 9% of the £975m of budgeted income for the Council for that year, but over 30% of the annual spend.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: music service, parking, Services.

Plans by Lib Dem/Tory councillors to exploit Camden’s open spaces and street furniture through increased advertising and commercialisation have been condemned by Camden Labour.  Angry local residents and Camden Labour councillors fear the council’s proposals for more advertising hoardings, commercial signage and loud corporate events will prove extremely unsightly and undermine the tranquility of Camden’s much-loved parks. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Camden Borough.