Rally outside the Fire Consultation Meeting on Wednesday 22 May

The following letter has been sent to Lewisham NUT reps and all NUT members at Sydenham School - where the Fire Authority  consultation meeting is taking place at 7pm on Wednesday - with a rally also taking place outside the school from 6pm.

FIRE STATION CONSULTATION AT SYDENHAM SCHOOL on 22 MAY

The London Fire Authority are holding a meeting at Sydenham School on Wednesday evening.

Sydenham School is an ‘interesting’ choice of venue when the homes and  communities most directly affected by the fire station closure plans are in Downham and New Cross ! However, the fire-fighters’ union, the FBU, are trying to make sure that such skulduggery does not prevent local residents attending the meeting to make their overwhelming opposition to fire station closures known to the Fire Authority.

Of course, for teachers, these closures are a serious issue as we all know how important it is to have sufficient fire cover in the event of a school emergency. Just as we have argued over the A&E closure, times quoted for ‘average travel time’ for fire engines to reach Downham and New Cross from other fire stations take no account of the time it can take a fire appliance to reach a home or school during peak traffic periods in London. In short, these cuts WILL cost lives – unless they are prevented.

I know how busy we all are now with SATs, exam preparation and coursework but, as the Fire Authority have chosen to hold the meeting in the school with the biggest NUT membership in the borough, I hope that some of us can attend the protest outside Sydenham School at 6pm and stay, if possible, for the consultation meeting which starts  at 7 pm.

Lewisham NUT’s banner will be there and if Sydenham School’s banners can be there too, plus reps from other schools, it would be appreciated.

Let’s show some solidarity against cuts and closures and support our FBU colleagues on Wednesday,

Martin Powell-Davies, Secretary, Lewisham NUT.