14th March 2024
 
"It is difficult to imagine the lives they have lived and the adversity they have endured.” 
 
Recently one of our members, Wasim Ahmed, volunteered for Care4Calais, a charity created to deliver essential aid to refugees in the UK, France and Belgium. As part of the 5-day volunteering Wasim helped provide warm clothing, bedding, food and medical assistance to people in desperate need, often some of the most vulnerable, who have had to flee persecution or war.
 
 
You can read more about Wasim’s experience here:-  https://drbackpack.org/2024/02/21/calais/
 
The Green Party seek to provide asylum to those forced from their homes, and will work towards a world in which no-one has to flee their home. In the build up to this year’s general election, please be mindful of the increasing dangerous and violent language that’s directed to refugees by other political parties. Please remember to always encourage those around you to act from a place of compassion, rather than from an attitude of contempt.
 
If you would be interested in volunteering for Care4Calais then follow this link https://care4calais.org/get-involved/volunteer-in-calais/

 

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11th March 2024

The industrial action goes on at PHINIA still. Today, a non-strike day, the American bosses were said to be visiting the Gillingham facility.

Medway Green party turned out to form a presence to remind these bosses that 'Fire and Re-hire' is not a deceent way to behave. Everything, even wars, can be solved through negotiation. So, come on PHINIA, get down to treating your employees like real human beings, with partners, mortgages, kids and a cost of living crisis to live with. Get down to negotiating as honest brokers.

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4th March 2024

The strike goes on for the workers of PHINIA. Their morale is high, the weather has improved, and todays picket line was considerably bigger.

We wish them well, and may the fight go on against 'fire and rehire' practices.

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1st March 2024

The industrial action at PHINIA goes on, even in the strong winds and pouring rain. The worried yet determined striking workers made their point today in bold and strong fashion as they formed a picket line at the place of work. Medway Greens again joined them as a show of solidarity.

The action has been forced on the PHINIA workers by the management decision to both take away the paid lunch break, which had been agreed through previous negotiations, and introduce a fire and rehire policy to force people to sign new, worse, contracts.

In February 2024, the UK Government issued the first Statutory Code of Practice relating to ‘Dismissal and Re-engagement', aka "fire and rehire" Subject to parliamentary approval the Code will come into effect in 2024 across England, Wales and Scotland. The Code demonstrates that 'fire and rehire' should be a last resort following meaningful consultation with employees or their representatives.

Sadly there is no ban on this practice in the new statutory Code, there are plenty of identified risks to reputation and possible costly claims but PHINIA management appear to be oblivious to these facts and are showing no empathy for the emotional and financial impact their proposals have had on staff.

The workers will be making thier stand again on Monday, and in the following days and weeks, until at least the deadline set by the management, but are hoping that the company bosses rethink their approach and provide an offer that can be accepted by the workers.

The Green Party supports the right of working people to form and join free democratic and self-governing trade unions, without restriction by employer or government, and for workers to follow the processes for strike action and negotiation. We believe that having robust union and management partnerships enable the best for both the company and the staff.

The Green Party believes that working people should be paid a decent, living wage and, like every other citizen, be entitled to a sufficient level of economic security to meet their needs.

 

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29th February 2024

Jeremy Spyby-Steanson on Medway Green Party’s involvement in the “Ceasefire Now” demonstrations:

From very early on, it became clear that Israel’s response to Hamas’ atrocity wJeremy "Ceasefire Now"ould be far from ‘proportionate’. Our political leaders, who we entrust to find diplomatic means to end conflicts, went on a long campaign defending Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ and anyone who questioned that line was accused of being antisemitic or being a terrorist sympathiser.

Since then, the ‘right to defend itself’ has materialised into the decimation of everything from schools, and universities, to hospitals and civilian housing. There has been no diplomatic efforts to create peace, and the UK have suspended funding to crucial aid lifelines for refugees. The death toll keeps rising, now standing at 30,000+ innocent people killed, mostly women and children, with 70,000+ seriously injured, and hundreds of thousands displaced. Even the likes of Joe Biden, President of the USA, described Israel action as ‘indiscriminately bombing Gaza’. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) have ruled that there is a ‘plausible case of genocide’, yet the UK continues to sell weapons to Israel and refuses to apply any sanctions to its political leaders.

In stark contrast to our government’s response to Russia, with the invasion of Ukraine, we have seen almost no immediate calls for a ceasefire from politicians in the Labour and Conservative Party. In fact, doing so has led to a suspension for some.

Considering the lack of action from our politicians, many residents in Medway have come together to join peaceful demonstrations throughout Rochester, Chatham, and Gillingham. They have been urging our MPs to call for a legitimate, immediate, and permanent ceasefire, to de-escalate tensions and restore peace. I have participated in these demonstrations and have listened to many people who are broken-hearted at the scenes we are witnessing.

The demonstrations have consisted of people from different political leanings, a variety of religious beliefs, including Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and people from many different parts of our society, who solely want an end to the violence.

The demonstrations have always been received well, and there has never been any police action towards protestors. If there are disagreements between protestors and the public, then they are also resolved in a respectful way. I have always felt safe in these demonstrations, and have shared my solidarity with everyone else who has come together in this dark period to demand a peaceful resolution.

As a group, the Green Party, will always demand peace at every opportunity, in the wake of war, or genocide. When our political leaders are silent on calls for peace, we will raise our voices in defence of the innocent. It is in all of our interests to de-escalate tensions, and ensure ever-lasting peace. The Green Party recognise this, and, in October 2023, were the first party to call for an immediate ceasefire. Since then, they have demanded a cessation of weapons sales to Israel.

This is consistent with the Green Party’s non-violent approach to demonstrating its opposition to breaches of human rights and international law. It is parallel to calls the Party has made for boycotts of a number of different countries in the past including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, China, and Qatar.

 

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26th February 2024

Medway Greens attend PHINIA workers picket as they strike to protect pay and conditions.

This morning, Monday 26/2/2024, Medway Green Party joined the picket line of Gillingham PHINIA's workers. They are striking, for the first ever industrial action as members at the plant continue their ongoing action in response to the employers unilateral changes to terms and conditions.

The action has been brought over the company's new proposals for the lowest paid staff to lose their paid half hour lunch break and work longer shifts. This will result will be to work longer hours for no extra pay.

The workers of PHINIA picket line

 

Richard Patey, Medway Greens liaison to Medway Trade Unions, said "This, apart from being an unfair approach, represents the blindness of PHINIA to how important these issues are to the lives of working people".

Unused to industrial action in their workplace, the Unite official on the line describes managements behaviour as belligerent but disorganised.

Richard adds "The Green party supports working people in their struggles for both fair treatment and the ability to have influence over their working lives. Acting through a organised trade union remains the best way to achieve these goals. It also opposes practices such as fire and rehire used to browbeat the people who do the real work".

Regional Unite Officer, Becca Johns-Lawrence, said: "PHINIA should be ashamed of how its treating its workers. A paid lunch break was achieved through past negotiations and Unite will simply not allow hard won rights to be undermined by a company seeking to further bolster its bank balance.”

Members of the union will continue with their strike action in the coming days.

Medway Green Party will always support working people in their struggle for both fair treatment and the ability to have influence over their working conditions.

 

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Image depicts the Homes England Logo and new builds

Medway Green Party has been campaigning to protect the internationally important, Hoo Peninsula from unsustainable over-development since 2013. Marilyn Stone, Green Party Parish Councillor for High Halstow and Bernard Hyde, Planning Advisor to Medway Green Party, have worked hard with local residents to create a viable and robust Neighbourhood Plan for High Halstow.

Since Medway Council secured the Housing Infrastructure Fund in 2019 we have been deeply concerned that the fund is simply not enough to support “sustainable” development on the Hoo Peninsula. The £170m would be barely enough to improve the infrastructure needed for the existing residents, never mind the addition of at least 36k new residents, which was always a clear and unambiguous caveat to receiving the funds.

The Labour Party are now responsible for the creation and implementation of the Local Plan, a plan which both The Conservative Party and The Labour Party have been unable to deliver for the past 2 decades.

The Labour Party must recognise the importance of the Hoo Peninsula both nationally and internationally. The plan to build 12k+ houses on farm land and flood plains when we are at the beginning of climate collapse, which will see more frequent and severe crop failures and a sea level rise which will impact the Hoo Peninsula directly is both short term idealism and the road to disaster.

Not to mention that the local housing needs assessment has already identified; the types of houses needed for Medway residents, those already on the housing list, and the volume needed (half of what we currently been told to build). Needless to say, the types of houses needed will not be provided for on the Hoo Peninsula with or without the HIF funding.

Medway Green Party understands the needs of residents, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party understand the needs of housing developers.

We want to see a local plan written for local people not for the profits of internationally owned corporations, to the detriment of our priceless ecosystems of international importance, and the land we need to feed this country.

Who are the Medway Greens?

Medway Greens is a group of active members of the Green Party. We work collectively to bring change to Medway protecting both the planet and the people from the damages of an ever apparent corrupt system. Our key priorities are:

Target To Win

One of our biggest priorities is getting an elected Councillor on Medway Council, this will allow us to affect real change in the areas that we really care about; the health and well-being of the people of Medway, and looking after our environment.

Over-Development

This issue is deeply affecting both residents and the environment across Medway. Despite the government u-turning on housing demands Medway Council are yet to formally state that 28k+ houses are not needed within Medway. Medway Greens believe that the only housing we need is social/council housing and genuinely affordable starter homes. Built on brownfield site and not on our precious green spaces and farm land.

Climate Emergency and Local Environmental Action

Medway Council called a climate emergency back in 2019 and the Medway Green Party feel that it is imperative that we remain up-to-date with the work that Medway Council are doing in this area, challenging and supporting as appropriate and being part of the conversation wherever possible. We feel it is important to be involved in local action on these issues to raise awareness and support change.

Well-being & Social Justice

Medway Greens strongly believe that the success of any society should be measured on the health, well-being and equity of its people and sustainability of its environment. This is a broad remit and relates to all areas of society and policy – education, health, transport, housing and so on.

In addition to our ongoing priority work we will also be engaging with the wider community, which will see us welcome experts, allies & community groups from across Medway to share valuable knowledge, keeping us inspired and energetic in our green journey.

If you would like to get involved please get in touch.

Image shows Medway Greens core members

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