Previous interviews with Sam Lally will be found on tomgruchy.blogspot.com
We publish this update so that he can express his views on the priorities of life for him in Jersey and offer no further comments or observations here.
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We have been asked about progress and our first public meeting two days ago. Patience!
We had a successful inaugural AGM and appointed a Secretary so that we should be able to function properly over the coming months. We now have a full Committee and it was agreed that our plan will be to appoint people - States Members where available or appropriate - to lead in specific areas of concern such as Income Support, or Housing issues, or to ask questions in the States or put forward views there.
But we agreed that we prefer States Members to be more in the role of consultants and advisers and not on the Committee. We shall see what happens - because we as tenants or welfare/health users and suchlike also need active involvement from them and we want to be effective as a lobby group - just as lawyers, estate agents, accountants, doctors and dentists atc all have their own effective voice.
The general discussion part of the meeting was extremenly good inspite of a poor public attendance (about a dozen for the benefit of those who have asked).
Six States members attended - including three Constables - so perhaps Senator Bailhache has the right idea after all. We aren't proposing to join that particular discussion but it made us think about how we shall have to extend the scope of our work into the country parishes too. An informal suggestion was made that perhaps the Constables Committee might be better used in this respect.
As we expected, several people had specific matters to raise about their own circumstances or experiences and it is always useful to be reminded how tough life can be for those who have to rely upon "social housing" and other public or even charitable provision to survive.
We want to provide a more suitable forum for such discussions at future meetimgs and we also want to spread knowledge around more.
After all - what is the point of gaining a favourable policy decision (such as a back dated payment) if others with the same needs do not know of it?
We discussed many other things such as the whole question of making complaints against the "system" in Jersey and how things are going to get so difficult once the major reforms planned in Health, Housing and Social Security are implemented. So, if you are interested in such matters you had better make the effort to join in. Fill out a form (£5 membership for the waged - Free to the unwaged) and participate in whatever way you can manage.
The six States Members present were refreshingly supportive - did your representatives attend? We could publish their names here but would hope that you might contact your own Deputy, Constable or any of the Senators to check it out for yourself and so spread the word.
We are up and running and our next meeting is AS BELOW on Thursday 14 June. The format be different. Keep watching this space for any news and make contact if you want to give or receive help.
You do not have to wait until the 14th to get involved.
NEXT MEETING
is
3pm on THURSDAY 14 JUNE
at
EASTERN GOOD COMPANIONS CLUB
Le Marais
St Clement
It would be helpful if any people who know that they will attend could make contact ASAP with SSTAG so that we do not waste resources on adverts etc and they might like to offer ANY assistance.
We would appreciate any suggestions for a central venue at minimal cost that is wheelchair (and people) friendly and whether a daytime or evening time is better.
This next meeting will be in the lounge. There is car parking.
ALL ARE WELCOME
One thing you might look at campaigning on is the threshold for Social Security contributions. More so than ever, in these difficult times, the sudden cut off that happens if you earn under £796 a month, and the sometimes ridiculous situations that arise because of it, need a re-think.
ReplyDeleteWith so many people on part time, "as and when" or zero hours contracts there must be rapidly increasing numbers of people these days who are occasionally going to drop below the threshold and fall foul of the tastefully red inked arrears of contributions demand notice. Traditionally, the SS department has waived these contributions on request at the cost of the individual risking a "hole" in their contributions record which can lead to reduced benefits or pension in due course. Clearly, with the global economy (and Jersey's economy) in such a shaky state something needs to be done to avoid a generation losing some of their future pension.
As the "recession" we are in is actually more likely to be a depression (although few of the powers that be are admitting this yet) that no one is getting out of any time soon, perhaps now is the time to considerably reduce the threshold for people in insecure/variable hours type employment. Obviously, increasing the earnings ceiling would help fund this.
SSTAG says
ReplyDeleteWe need a "pensions" expert or somebody to learn about this complicated area.
Many people have irregular work patterns and simply do not fit in with the one size fits all SS model.
Zero hours is just one area and the States is especially keen on this type of employment contract. It is very worrying. Of course the old "hire and fire" mentality fits in well with a struggling economy where market forces dictate and "economic efficiency" is paramount but the economic and social interests of working people need a higher priority. Have you joined SSTAG yet?