Waltham Forest

The local Guardian reported that refuse workers fear they will not be able to pay their mortgages or look after their children if the cuts go ahead, and are threatening to strike.

Ambrose Barker
Born 1859 Northampton, England. Died 1953 East London, England

By yesterday lunchtime approximately forty workers were on the picket line for the first of three days of strike action involving around 200 members of staff, members of Unison. They are striking to gain "Agenda for Change" levels of wages, agreed three years ago but ignored by Rentokil Initial since they were due to come into force earlier this year.

An agreement over pay and conditions was made in 2003, due to come into force in April 2006, several other East London hospitals agreed to the deal, only Rentokil at Whipps Cross has failed to honour it. The pay award is roughly equivalent to a £2 per hour raise, for staff who in some cases earn as little as £5.52 per hour, the agreement also included increases in leave entitlement.

Furious local people learned about the scheme only last week though discussions began in October.

Marsh Lane playing fields were singled out by the London Development Agency (LDA) as a prospective site to relocate Eastway allotments from Waterden Road, Hackney, which fall within the 2012 Olympic site.

From the Waltham Forest Guardian:

Political group’s great clean-up
By Mark Killiner

WEEDS, litter and leaves were cleared from an "unkempt" war memorial by a political group at the weekend.

Walthamstow Anarchist Group (WAG) collected five bags of refuse from the area around the memorial at the Territorial Army barracks in Lea Bridge Road on Saturday.