The first session of Hackney’s ‘workers advice project' took place on Saturday 13 February. The Project is part of the Hackney Unites initiative of which Hackney TUC is a founding member.

Hackney TUC has received the following letter from the Hackney Solidarity Network ...

Hackney Solidarity Network was set up in early 2008 to help local campaigning groups network and so to increase their effectiveness, on the basis that the more we work together the stronger we are. Over the last two years HSN has developed to the extent that we are at a stage where the current organisers believe we should formalise how we work.

Hackney's only truly independent non commercial community newspaper, Hackney Heckler is launched October 3rd 2009 by Hackney Solidarity Network.

HSN sees the Hackney Heckler as providing a platform for campaigns to report their the news about their campaigns in Hackney, and the first issue contains articles about the Woodberry Down housing scandal, the Sam Hallam Campaign, Hackney TUC's campaign against the BNP, the witchhunt against Hackney Unison branch officers, news from the local RMT Overground dispute and a wide list of local contacts, plus much more.

Dear friend,

I am emailing from London Coalition Against Poverty, a social justice group involved in campaigns for justice for workers of all statuses; the unemployed, homeless, and those demanding decent housing and better conditions.

As a campaign, we were involved in actions and attempted mobilisations around the appalling so-called Welfare Reform Bill, including a national week of action. The PCS also organised lobbying against the bill, but it passed in the third reading on March 17th. The bill calls for a number of draconian changes to welfare including the abolition of income support, radical changes to disability benefits, compulsory labour in the form of 'Work for your Benefits' and increased privatisation of Job Centre Pluses.