Tax credit cuts and other benefits Seminar - Friends House Euston

Ένα σεμινάριο για να βοηθήσει εκείνους που  εχουν ανάγκη  θα πραγματοποιηθεί  τιν Τρίτη, 4 Οκτωβρίου 2011 στο Friends House Euston, για περισσότερεs πληροφοριes conact Nick@ lgr.co.uk Μερικές οικογένειες θα μπορούσαν να χάσουν άνω των £2,500 ως αποτέλεσμα των περικοπών στις χρεώσεις φόρου.

A seminar to help those in need to claim public sector benefits correctly will be held on Tuesday October 4 2011 at Friends House in Euston, for more information conact Nick at Nick@lgr.co.uk

Some families could lose over £2,500 as a result of cuts to tax credits which came into force on 6 April, the TUC has said.

To enable families to calculate how much they have lost, the TUC has launched a new tax credit calculator in conjunction with the parenting forum Mumsnet.

Summary details @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-19449-f0.cfm

Default Retirement Age

The government has confirmed that The Default Retirement Age (DRA) is to be phased out this year. This means that an employer can no longer dismiss an employee for staff just because they have reached the age of 65.

The government believes that as well as benefiting individuals, "the freedom to work for longer will provide a boost to the UK economy".

The New Public Sector Equality Duty

Part of the new Public Sector Equality Duty comes into force on the 6th April 2011. The new duty is divided  into a “general” and “specific” duties. The specific duties are supposed to set out a number of particular tasks that public as authorities carry out in order to help them comply with the general duty.

It was originally planned that the specific duties would come into force on the same day as the general duty, however, on the 17th March 2011 the coalition government announced that the draft regulations on the specific duties for England are to be revised and would not become law on 6th April, as originally planned. A delay in implementing the specific duties has also been announced by the Scottish Parliament, but not in Wales, where the specific duties will come into force according to the original schedule.

The Public Sector Equality Duty combines the previous public sector equality duties into one and extends the areas of discrimination covered. The previous Public Sector Equality Duties were:

- the Race Equality Duty which came into force in May 2002

- the Disability Equality Duty which came into force in December 2006

- the Gender Equality Duty which came into force in April 2007.

Following the introduction of these duties public authorities became legally obliged to promote equality of opportunity and eliminate discrimination for service users and staff, rather than waiting for individuals to complain. To extend the areas of equality covered and combine them into one duty, the new duty covers a series of “protected characteristics”.

People who share these characteristics are regarded as being members of certain “protected groups”. The protected characteristics are:

- race

- disability

- pregnancy and maternity

- age

- religion or belief

- sex

- sexual orientation

- gender reassignment

nick venedi

Εθνικό δημοψήφισμα 4η Μαΐου 2011.

Εάν δεν είστε στους εκλογικούς καταλόγους, θα χρειαστεί να συμπληρώσετε ένα έντυπο εγγραφής στους εκλογικούς καταλόγους και να το στείλει στο Δήμο σας μέχρι την Πέμπτη 14 Απριλίου. Για μια φόρμα μπορείτε επίσης να πάτε στο http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/

nick venedi

Referendum elections 4 May 2011

If you are not registered, you will not be able to vote in the national referendum on the 4th May 2011. Most people register to vote using the form that local councils send to every household every year.

If you are not on the electoral register, you will need to complete a voter registration form and send it to your local council by Thursday 14 April. For a form you can also go on to http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/

It is important that everyon registers to vote!

Ραδιοφωνικός σταθμός LGR

Ο ραδιοφωνικός σταθμός LGR είναι η αληθινή φωνή της ελληνικής παροικίας εδω στο Λονδίνο, με τα προγράμματα  7 ημέρες την εβδομάδα 24 ώρες την ημέρα.  Παντα ενδιαφέρον. Ακούστε το όσο πιο συχνά μπορείτε!

Referendum on the voting system

A reminder that all eligible voters should have received a poll card by now allowing them to vote at the Referendum which is scheduled to take place on Thursday 5 May 2011. It is important for all members of the community to take part in all elections including this one. Its all about whether we change the current system.

Nick@lgr.co.uk

Operation Greek Vote

We are getting a lot of emails on this subject. A meeting will soon be arranged in North London to inform and consult on where we are with this. More information can be obtained form Nick Nick@lgr.co.uk

Politicising the community

There are many and good examples of how to politicise ethnic communities and this is especially the case in London where the concentration of those from the same or similar background unite in an attempt to be heard and have a political voice.

The West Indian communities organised quiet effectively in the 80s and this movement resulted in many positive political changes. There is no reason as to why the Greek community cannot achieve the same objectives and of course Operation Greek Vote is the first attempt to do this.

More will be said soon and meetings will be scheduled to start the debate and discussion on how to move forward.

Information points

It is not practical at this stage to answer inquiries coming to this blog by phone so please continue emailing Nick@lgr.co.uk

Referendum

A reminder that all eligible voters should have received a poll card by now allowing them to vote at the Referendum which is scheduled to take place on Thursday 5 May 2011. It is important for all members of the community to take part in all elections including this one. Its all about whether we change the current system.

George Politis

George Politis is participating in the Annual Show of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours (R.I.) in the Mall Galleries. The artist will be present in the Private View of the Exhibition (after 4 am) on Tuesday

George Politis is the first Greek painter to have ever been member of this prestigious society. He is also President of SKETBE (the Society of Visual Artists of Northern Greece) and Signature Member of other Artists Societies such as the American Watercolor Society (AWS), Institute des Arts Figuratifs (Canada), Arizona Watercolor Association (AWA), Hilliard Society e.a.

εθνική απογραφή

Είχαμε μια σειρά ερευνών σχετικά με την απογραφή. Ακριβώς για να καταστεί σαφές ότι η εθνική απογραφή είναι μια κυβερνητική πρωτοβουλία με σκοπό τη συλλογή πληροφοριών ζωτικής σημασίας για την παροχή  υπηρεσιών. Αν διαμένετε στη χώρα πρέπει να συμπληρώσετε το έντυπο national census 2011. Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες επικοινωνήστε με Nick την nick@lgr.co.uk

Trade union march

A massive demonstration is expected on Saturday 26 March in the centre of London. People protesting against government policy on cuts and the affects on jobs and services will be marching from 12 noon and then gathering in Hyde park.

Operation Greek vote

We have had a number of inquiries regarding the census and Operation Greek Vote. Just to make it clear that the national census is a government initiative with the purpose of gathering vital information for the provision of services. Everyone living in the country must comply with the requirement and complete the form. Operation Greek Vote is a project that we are supporting helping those who live in the capital register to vote so there is no direct link between the two. For more information contact Nick on nick@lgr.co.uk

Ελληνικος ψιφος

Το προγράμμα 'Ελληνικος ψιφος' προχωρεί καλά με διάφορες συνεδριάσεις για να ενιμεροθουν οι πολίτες για την σπουδαιότητα  ανάγκη και τα οφέλη. Η επόμενη σημαντική εκλογή θα είναι αυτή που  με το δήμαρχο του Λονδίνου το 2012.

Operation Greek Vote

The first meeting took place last night with preparations under way to inform and consult members of the Greek community who are eligible to register and vote at national and local elections. Nick Venedi stressed the importance of timing the project and reminded those in attendance that the next major election after the May referendum this year will be the one to elect the new Mayor of London in 2012. The community needs to be more organised for that.

Bus passess

Τα εκατομμύρια των συνταξιούχων και  με ειδικές ανάγκες ατόμων που ζουν στην Αγγλία έχουν δικαίωμα, στο ελεύθερο εκτός των ωρών αιχμής ταξίδι λεωφορείων. Αλλά αυτό το σημαντικό όφελος,  είναι τώρα κάτω από την απειλή ως αποτέλεσμα το περικων δαπανών. Το σχέδιο κοστίζει  γύρω από £1 δισεκατομμύρια ετησίως.

Greek dancers wanted for a tv show

A television production company has contacted us. They are looking for a Greek dancer to take part in a game show on mainstream British television, so if you are a Greek dancer then get in touch with Nick who will then put you in touch with them?

Nick@lgr.co.uk

Τι είναι το στεγαστικό επίδομα;

Τι είναι το στεγαστικό επίδομα;

Housing Benefit όπως καλείται, καταβάλλεται από το συμβούλιο για να βοηθήσει τους ανθρώπους να πληρώνουν ενοίκιο τους. Θα μπορούσατε να είναι:
ενοικιαστής του συμβουλίου, ή

ενοικιαστής του στεγαστικού συνεταιρισμού, ή

ενοικιαστής ενός ιδιωτικού ιδιοκτήτη, ή

μια κοινή ιδιοκτήτη (αλλά μπορείτε μόνο αίτηση για την καταβολή του μισθώματος ή κατοχής).

Στέγαση επίδομα δεν μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για να πληρώσει υποθήκη. Εάν έχετε μια υποθήκη, μπορείτε να είστε σε θέση να πάρετε βοήθεια σχετικά με την καταβολή των τόκων μέσω της στήριξης για Mortgage Ενδιαφέροντος (SMI).

Job seekers allowance, the basics

Το επίδομα του αιτούντος εργασία είναι το κύριο όφελος για τους ανθρώπους της εργασιακά ενεργού ηλικίας που είναι άνεργοι ή απασχολούνται σε λιγότερο από 16 ώρες εβδομαδιαίως κατά μέσον όρο. Εάν you' επαν επιλέξιμος, αυτό πληρώνεται ενώ you' επαν εργασία έρευνας. Ανακαλύψτε περισσότερων, που περιλαμβάνουν πώς να ισχύσει on-line.

θύματα της διάκρισης

Έχω λάβει διάφορα μηνύματα ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου κατά τη διάρκεια των τελευταίων μηνών εκθέτοντας τα γεγονότα όπου τα μέλη της κοινότητας είναι τα θύματα της διάκρισης είτε στον εργασιακό χώρο είτε ως χρήστες υπηρεσιών. Αυτό είναι φυσικά μια κοινή καταγγελία και γνωρίζω ότι άλλα επικεφαλής κοινότητας εκθέτουν τα παρόμοια προβλήματα. Έτσι η ερώτηση είναι εάν εμείς δεδομένου ότι μια ελληνική κοινότητα είναι σε θέση να υπερασπίσει τα συμφέροντα των συμπολιτών μας ή να κάνει περισσότερων για να εξασφαλίσει ότι οποιαδήποτε προφανής επίθεση εξετάζεται. Αυτό θα είναι το θέμα, όπως έχω δηλώσει πριν από, ενός σεμιναρίου που προσπαθούμε να οργανώσουμε το Σεπτέμβριο αυτού του έτους και όλοι θα προσκληθούν. Στο μεταξύ παρακαλώ συνεχίστε μέσα. Nick@ lgr.co.uk

British TU's

Tassos from Birmingham who listens to LGR via the Internet wrote asking me whether there is a specific trades union in Britain dealing with Greek workers interests. The very simple answer Tassos (and I replied to your email in more detail) all TUs in Britain will be more than capable to deal with any issues and if you find that yours has a particular problem with standards of service then you can always let me know.

Nick@lgr.co.uk

Επίδομα ανεργίας

Υπάρχουν δύο τύποι του επιδόματος ευρέσεως εργασίας, «Επίδομα συνεισφορά που βασίζεται ευρέσεως εργασίας» και «εισόδημα με βάση το επίδομα ευρέσεως εργασίας».

Επίδομα ανεργίας βάσει του

Μπορεί να δικαιούται να ζητήσει τη συμβολή με βάση Άτομα που αναζητούν εργασία Επίδομα αν έχετε πληρώσει αρκετές εισφορές εθνικής ασφάλισης. Jobcentre Plus μπορεί να πληρώσει αυτό για μέχρι 182 ημέρες. Σε γενικές γραμμές, οι αυτοαπασχολούμενοι εισφορές δεν θα σας βοηθήσουν να πληρούν τις προϋποθέσεις για τη συμβολή Επίδομα ανεργίας βάσει του.

Επίδομα βάσει του εισοδήματος ευρέσεως εργασίας

Αυτό βασίζεται στο εισόδημα και την αποταμίευσή σας. Μπορείτε να πάρετε αυτό, αν δεν έχετε πληρώσει αρκετές εισφορές εθνικής ασφάλισης (NIC) (ή που έχετε καταβάλει εισφορές μόνο για την αυτο-απασχόληση) και να είστε σε ένα χαμηλό εισόδημα.

Defending the Greek community

I have received a number of email messages over the last few months reporting incidents where members of the community have been the victims of discrimination either at the workplace or as service users. This is of course a common complaint and I am aware that other community leaders report similar problems.

So the question is whether we as a Greek community are in a position to defend the interests of our fellow citizens or do more to ensure that any obvious attack is dealt with. This will be the subject, as I have stated before, of a seminar that we are trying to organise in September of this year and all will be invited. In the meantime please continue writing in. Nick@lgr.co.uk

Cencus 2011

Ποια είναι η απογραφή;


Η απογραφή παρέχει μια υψηλή εκτίμηση της ποιότητας του πληθυσμού. Είναι μια καταμέτρηση όλων των ανθρώπων και των νοικοκυριών στην Αγγλία και την Ουαλία και πραγματοποιείται από το Office for National Statistics (ONS).

2. Γιατί έχουμε μια απογραφή;

Οι πληροφορίες που συλλέγονται σχετικά με τα ερωτηματολόγια που χρησιμοποιείται για να βοηθήσει την κυβέρνηση και τις τοπικές αρχές προγραμματίζουν τις υπηρεσίες και τους πόρους που χρειάζονται οι άνθρωποι, όπως οι μεταφορές, η στέγαση, την υγειονομική περίθαλψη και η εκπαίδευση. Το ποσό των χρημάτων σας δήμο θα πρέπει να δαπανήσουν για αυτές τις σημαντικές υπηρεσίες που βασίζεται σε στατιστικές πληθυσμού από την απογραφή. Γι 'αυτό είναι τόσο σημαντικό που θα συμμετάσχουν όλοι.

3. Ποιος το διοργανώνει;

Στην Αγγλία και την Ουαλία η απογραφή είναι προγραμματισμένη και πραγματοποιείται από το Office for National Statistics (ONS). Η Βόρεια Ιρλανδία Στατιστικής και Ερευνών Υπηρεσία (NISRA) παίρνει την απογραφή στη Βόρεια Ιρλανδία και το Γενικό γραφείο για τη Σκωτία (GROS) παίρνει την απογραφή στη Σκωτία. Και οι τρεις λαμβάνουν χώρα την ίδια ημέρα να παράσχει αξιόπιστα στατιστικά στοιχεία του πληθυσμού για το σύνολο του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου.

4. Πόσο συχνά λαμβάνουν χώρα;

Η πρώτη απογραφή έγινε το 1801 μετά δημογράφος Τόμας Μάλθους είπε πως η αύξηση του πληθυσμού θα ξεπεράσει σύντομα τις προμήθειες τροφίμων και άλλων πόρων, που οδηγούν τη Βρετανία στην πείνα, τις ασθένειες και άλλες καταστροφές.

Nick@lgr.co.uk

Changes in public pensions scheme

The Hutton report and the recommendations contained in it have been released. Lord Hutton is recommending that final salary pension schemes be replaced with average salary schemes, those contributing pay more and that the retirement age increases in line with other sectors. The unions are expected to object to these major changes.

International Womens day 100 years of activity

Byzantinos at LGR celebrates international Women's day.

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Changes with May bank holiday?

Plans to move the May Day bank holiday to April or October have been severely criticised by the TUC, which said there was strong support for an additional public holiday but no appetite to mess around with established bank holidays.

Getting rid of the May Day holiday - which traces its origins back to the fourth century - was 'all about satisfying Tory backwoodsmen' who did not like its more recent association with international labour, the TUC said.

Separate development?

Some of the comments we have received ask the question as to whether the initiative with Operation Greek Vote is an attempt to organise separately? The very simple answer is no this is not where we are coming from. Operation Greek Vote aims to support those in the Greek community who wish to register to vote to do so and has very little to do with anything else.

LGR Dinner dance

The great and the good will be gathering on Saturday 5 March for another LGR dinner dance occasion in support of charities.

Organising communities

have been involved with front line trade union organisation and community campaigns for the last 25 years and I am now very much part of a community based campaign to improve the organisational effectiveness of the Greek community in London which numbers something around 300,000.

The one question I have been frequently asked, mainly by those on the left, is whether there is a need for separate organisation and it has been suggested, on some occasions, that by going down that road we create division.

My answer to that is the answer that some in my community have given me many times. They feel that they are not listed to and that they are often ignored. My own view is that we must organise within existing structures and compliment what is already there. No one should be going down the road of trying to replace effective organisations like the existing TUs or the main political parties. So the need to encourage members of the community to participate fully in the democratic process of this country is a good one. The aims, for example, of Operation Greek Vote are clearly defined and the objective there is to ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote registers and does so. This is a project that should be supported by the TUs and the Labour party.

LGR Dinner dance

Congratulations to the LGR team and specifically to John Kyriakides for organising the LGR dinner dance in support of charities. Well done guys!

Trades Unions and the Greek community

This subject has attracted a lot of attention from several members of the Greek community. We had some positive feedback but also a few negative views about how the UK TU's are organised and how some (not all) are dominated by hard line left wing sub groups who brush over issues and problems raised by us.

We asked our own Nick  to look into this and he had the following to say.

' ... Trades Unions in Britain are well organised and are most effective in the public sector. Membership of UK TUs is declining but it is not true or correct to say that they do not have power or influence. The reality is that there is a plethora of employment law legislation around which exists to protect the interests of the employer and the employee so there is a balance between the two. I have of course been a senior elected official with one of the largest TU organisations in the UK so I am for obvious reasons in favour of people joining up. My advise is to get involved and ensure that you apply pressure through the democratic process to make sure your interests are protected and if they are not contact me on Nick@lgr.co.uk

The final thing I wish to say is that the there is now talk about resurrecting the Greek Workers Federation an organisation I begun to develop in 2007 but this will NOT be an alternative to existing TUs it will be a forum where discussion and project coordination can take place. A meeting to start this initiative will take place in the middle of May and details will be on LGR and the press. Join a Union!

Nick 

Nick@lgr.co.uk

Is there a need for a Trades Union

The question as to whether ethnic communities here in Britain should be represented by their own Trades Unions has been raised on a number of occasions by several communities before.

The general consensus is that if workers were organised on ethnic lines this would be divisive and achieve little. So the idea has progressed further and the next level up is to set up forums or associations that ensure that workers in ethnic communities understand the importance of belonging to an established and existing trades union. And according to Nikos Venedi a lot can be done if workers advisory forums were in existence advising and guiding members of the community. The clear advise would be to consider joining the trades union that could best represent you at the work place. The Greek Workers Federation, which was formed by Nick in 2007, had that aim in mind but it was not a separate organisation from the UK mainstream TUs and the advise was to join a TU. That position remains the same today, there is now more work being done to re start the GWF and discussions are taking place with those involved with Operation Greek Vote. N Venedi will be driving both efforts with a team of volunteers. You can contact Nick on Nick@lgr.co.uk if you can help.

Dealing with comments

Just a note to explain the policy regarding comments posted on the blog. The way we deal with this is to encourage readers to correspond with us via email, we aim to reply to all inquiries or comments received this way. Please email Nick at Nick@lgr.co.uk

Operation Greek vote, can we learn from other communities?

The aim of the project, Operation Greek vote, is to identify where those who are in the community live and help them ensure that they understand the benefits of exercising their democratic right to vote and fully participate. There are of course good practice examples of other organised communities in London that have shown us how this can be done. The most successful of these has been Operation Black vote. We will of course aim to work with other groups and unify our endeavours. Anyone who wishes to volunteer and help can contact Nick on Nick@lgr.co.uk the next major election in London is the one to elect the Mayor next year. We must be ready for that.

Operation Greek vote

One of the comments made by several readers is whether there is a need for us to organise as a Greek community. I would imagine the answer to  that question would be that in an ideal world we should not need to do this but unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world and discrimination against some in the community is still to be seen. The only valid and known way to engage with the democratic system of any country is for citizens to get involved and be able to vote. I frequently hear of stories from older members of the community who feel left out and younger people who do not believe that their needs and interests are protected in the same way as others. The only way to exercise any influence over this is to have a voice and the best way to have a strong voice is through the ballot box.

Operation Greek vote

The initial findings of the research we are contacting are showing that the majority of British citizens who either speak Greek or are of Greek origin are in about 9 London boroughs. The majority in Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Camden, Hackney, Westminster and Croydon. People of the Parikia are of course to be found in every part of London.

So if we were to assume that there are 3 constituencies in each of the boroughs this fact would allow us to think that the Greek vote could have an impact on 27 constituencies which means that the influence the Parikia vote can have is significant. This is of course the reason we need to organise more effectively.

Operation Greek vote

Several people have contacted us asking why it is important for the Parikia to engage with this project? Well the answer is a simple one, it is important for every citizen of this country to be able to participate in the democratic process. Those who are eligible to vote need to register to do so. There are pockets of what we call first generation members of the Parikia who do not speak good English and would benefit with help and support in engaging. And then there are thousands of students who live and study here who can also register to vote.

Operation Greek vote

We raised this subject on several occassions in the past and explained the need for the Greek community in London to organise and encourage all who are eligible to vote to do so. I am glad that several people have now agreed to do the work and the research has now started.

Ελληνικη κοινοτιτα

Η ελληνική κοινότητα του Λονδίνου είναι  οργανομενη με  καπιο τροπο, αλλά χρειάζεται να γίνει μια προσπαθια για να προσδιορίσει όπου όλοι είμαστε.

Υπάρχουν 32 εκλογικές περιοχές στο Λονδινο. Η πλειοψηφία του ελληνικού πληθυσμού μπορούν να βρεθούν σε 12 από αυτούς τους τομείς.

Υπάρχει σαφής ανάγκη να κάνουμε περισσότερη έρευνα για να διαπιστωθεί κατά το που  όλοι είμαστε και πως οι ηγέτες της κοινότητας μπορουν να βοηθήσουν με την ανάπτυξη μας.

συνταξιοδοτικές αλλαγές

σημαντική αλλαγή όσο οι κρατικές συντάξεις είναι ενδιαφερόμενη προέρχεται από το συνταξιοδοτικό νόμο το 2007 αυτό ανατρέφει την κρατική ηλικία συνταξιοδότησης από 65 έως 66 έτη.

Radio marathon on LGR volunteers

Radiomarathon is always looking for volunteers! You can help us in the office, help us to run a fundraising event or even give us a hand with maintenence work around the centre.
If you would like to become a volunteer, please contact the centre on:
01992 713 297 or e-mail info@radiomarathon.co.uk

Discrimination on the grounds of religious belief

What does it mean and how it can be tested?

Discrimination on the grounds of any religious or philosophical belief is now protected by the law.

For a belief to qualify for the protection of the law it must be genuinely held, relate to a weighty aspect of human life and elements of it must be seen as being worthy of respect. In other words if an employer discriminates against an employee because they are Christian or Muslim (or other) then the employer must prove that the reason for treating that individual differently was not because of their right to exercise their religion.

TUPE Regulations

I have been asked on several occasions what TUPE means.

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) protects employees' terms and conditions of employment when a business is transferred from one owner to another. Employees of the previous owner when the business changes hands automatically become employees of the new employer on the same terms and conditions. It's as if their employment contracts had originally been made with the new employer. Their continuity of service and any other rights are all preserved. Both old and new employers are required to inform and consult employees affected directly or indirectly by the transfer.

Operation Greek vote

I recently wrote about the need and the importance of registering to vote at elections and explained what the system is. Akis from Barnet has contacted me saying that whilst the information I gave out was correct I did not clarify that there is a distinction between citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and Greece. The difference is that citizens of the Republic of Cyprus can register and vote at all elections whereas Greek citizens may only vote at local government elections. I publish the government guidance below for the sake of clarification. My thanks to Akis.


... British, Irish and qualifying citizens of Commonwealth countries (including Cyprus and Malta) can vote at all elections.
Citizens of other EU member states resident in the UK can vote in local government elections but cannot vote in UK Parliamentary elections.
Those resident in Scotland or Wales may also vote in Scottish Parliamentary or National Assembly for Wales elections.

Ελληνική μετάφραση



τα άτομα με διαβατήρια  Βρετανικά, ιρλανδικά και τυγχάνουν va eivai  πολίτες των χωρών μελών της Κοινοπολιτείας (συμπεριλαμβανομένων Κύπρος και Μάλτα), μπορούν να ψηφίσουν σε όλες τις εκλογές.


Οι πολίτες των άλλων κρατών-μελών της ΕΕ που κατοικούν στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, μπορούν να ψηφίσουν στις δημοτικές εκλογές, αλλά δεν μπορούν να ψηφίσουν στις βρετανικές βουλευτικές εκλογές.

Εκείνοι που κατοικούν στη Σκωτία ή την Ουαλία μπορούν επίσης να ψηφίσουν Σκωτίας Κοινοβουλευτικής ή National Assembly for Wales εκλογές.

Changes in pension age

A significant change as far as state pensions is concerned comes from The Pensions Act 2007 this raises the state pension age from 65 to 66 years the reason given for the need to do this is the increase in the aging population.

The change in the state pension age to 66 for men and women begins gradually from December 2018 until April 2020. The Pensions Act 2007 also raises the state pension age to 67 and 68.

International Women's Day centenary

The TUC will be marking the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day with a celebration of sisterhood and solidarity at Congress House on March 7. Leading trade unionists from Peru, Ireland and Nepal will join Frances O'Grady and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities Yvette Cooper as speakers at the event.
Details @
http://www.tuc.org.uk/events/detail.cfm?event=3273

Changes to national insurance contributions

The changes to NI contributions mean that the primary employee threshold for national insurance contributions increases by £570.At the same time National insurance contributions increase by 1% for employees. The personal allowance for income tax for basic rate tax payers under the age of 65 is increased by £1,000.

The standard rate of statutory sick pay increases from £79.15 to £81.60 per week. Information on the new rates (PDF format, 232K) can be viewed on the Department for Work and Pensions website.

Minimum wage

I have received a number of inquiries recently asking what is the minimum wage and what the current rates are. The minimum wage simply means that employers are obliged to remunerate their employees at or above the rate set.

For periods starting on or after 1 October 2010, the main rate of the national minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over rose to £5.93 The development rate for workers aged 18 to 20 went up to £4.92, and for those employed and under the age of 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age rose to £3.64. A rate of £2.50 per hour was brought in for apprentices who are aged 19 or under in the first 12 months of the apprenticeship.

Urgent appeal for people from Black and Ethnic communities with a link to organ donation

leading UK charity dedicated to finding life-saving donors from Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other minority ethnic communities in the UK would like to hear from you about an exciting new initiative, if you or a family member has ever donated an organ, received an organ donation or are on the organ transplant waiting list. They would like to speak to you or someone from your family in confidence. As the initiative is due to start later in February, they would like you to contact them as soon as possible. To find out more and for their contact details, visit: http://www.unison.org.uk/blackmembers/pages_view.asp?did=12419

Retirement issues

A bleak picture of retirement has emerged , with a study revealing that millions of people will have to work in retirement, or struggle with barely enough income to survive. And while it is worrying enough that over 50% of those over 55 do not have savings, even more alarming is the level of debts older people are carrying.So just how bad have things become?Among the most shocking findings of the report is that one in ten people over the age of 75 are still paying the mortgage, with an average outstanding debt of £72,500. Some 20% of those over 55 still have a mortgage, with an average of £64,511 left to pay on it.This is of course of great concern to those members who have retired with average pensions falling and with government proposals to changing the way pay increases are awarded. More should be done for those in retirement to link with 'parent branches' and join the fight that we will all have to be involved with soon.

TUC Tribunal warning

As the government plans to launch a major review of employment tribunals, the TUC has warned that any reforms to the system could stop employees who have been wronged at work from seeking justice and give rogue employers the green light to break the law.While employer groups have been lobbying for ministers to make fundamental changes, the TUC says that rather than complaining about the cost of cases, employers should improve practices and ensure they stay within the law.Full story available @http://www.tuc.org.uk/industrial/tuc-18989-f0.cfm

LGR and the future

LGR is the only Greek language radio station in the capital city of London serving the needs and aspirations of the Greek speaking community.

The most up to date figures and stats tell us that there are at least 300,000 people living and working in London who have a connection with Greece or Cyprus.

The link between Greeks and London started centuries ago when a number of Greeks from the mainland and the Aegean islands settled in the capital. These were people associated mainly with shipping. There was a large number of Greeks from the island of Chios who constructed the first Greek Orthodox cathedral in Moscow road W2.

The second wave of immigration came from Cyprus in the mid to late 50s with the encouragement of the British government who invited people from the colonies to come and work here helping with the reconstruction of the country following the second world war.

This policy encouraged a proportion of Greek and Turkish Cypriot settlers coming over. We call this second wave or the first generation. The second generation consists of people who were born in the UK in the 60s and 70s. British citizens born in the UK of Greek or Greek Cypriot parents are seen as having fully integrated into British society many of them choosing to marry people from different ethnic backgrounds. The second generation also chose to attend Greek evening or weekend school supported by the Greek government.

The first generation of immigrants from Cyprus kept very close ties with the country of origin and spoke fluent Greek. Second generation people. like myself, seem to have their foot into both camps/cultures most speak reasonably good Greek but the majority of them are native speakers of English.

A number of associations have been created to cater for the interests of the Greek speaking population but the arrival of London Greek Radio some 22 years ago so a shift and a change in the way we communicate with each other as a community. So LGR has served a great purpose with enabling us to communicate easily and in a very immediate way. There have been a number of weekly newspapers of course like Parikiaki which is still doing well and in circulation.

The most advantageous development associated with the emergence of LGR is linked with the fact that the third generation, children born after the late 70s and early 80s are able to become informed and get involved by the mere fact that they can be exposed to the Greek language and culture by simply switching on to 103.3 FM.

This is of course a significant positive in that we are now able to help the third generation discover their roots ensuring that the children born from parents born in the UK retain their cultural characteristics or at least have the option of knowing where they came from and who they and their parents are.

And it is for that reason that the LGR team know that they have a clear obligation and responsibility to do their best to inform and educate. But I know those who work with LGR have done a lot and more will be done ( hence the introduction of this new LGR community page/blog)

Those driving the changes behind the scenes include people like John Kyriakides, Nick Venedi, Giorgos Grigoriou, Vasoulla, Vasillis, Akis Iralkeou and the other members of the great LGR team the list is endless and everyone has a significant contribution to make.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVEsNs2qbho

Skill up! Green up! Unionlearn SERTUC conference

Greek community activists may be interested in this event organised by the TUC.

This event is for union and community activists in London, southern and eastern regions Date: Saturday (follow the link below) This page gives information on an event for union and community activists in London, southern and eastern regions.

http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-19089-f0.cfm

Equality Act 2010

Interesting news on the Equality front and government attempts to bring harmonise the different strands of Equality related legislation.

Members of the Greek and other London based communities will be affected by the changes. I am always looking for examples where unfair treatment is experienced at the work place. There are no available statistics telling us how British citizens (subjects) of Greek origin are treated at the work place. Email me at Nick@lgr.co.uk if you have any stories to tell, the information will be treated with confidence and you will get a response within 24 hours.

Under the new amended version of the Equality Act 2010, employers will be able to treat applicants with a 'protected characteristic' differently (i.e. more favourably) during the recruitment and promotion stages when dealing with a number of candidates of equal merit. This distinct treatment will only be lawful if the different process applied is intended to address under-representation in the workforce. The single public sector equality duty will also come in and both provisions will become the law as from 6 April 2011. Unions have been consulted and I would expect to see a detailed response to how this will work soon from Unison and the TUC.

Equal treatment for agency workers

Another interesting change coming in from 1 October 2011, concerns the way employers deal with agency workers they will now be entitled to equal treatment on basic employment conditions, such as pay and holidays, after they have worked in a role for 12 weeks.

Register to vote

Members of the Greek community are strongly encouraged to exercise their right to vote by registering.

Any one who lives in the U.K and is either a British or European Union citizen can do this. You will only be eligible to vote at a local election if you hold an EU passport but you are of course entitled to vote at every election if you are a British citizen (subject)

The process of registering is simple. You can apply to do this in person or by post at your local Town Hall at the office of the Electoral Registrar.

There are more than 280,000 British citizens of Greek or Greek Cypriot descent living and working in London. Conmtact Nick at Nick@lgr.co.uk if you need more information.

Increase of limits to awards

An interesting change regarding Employment Law for 2011 will come from The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2010 (SI 2010/2926) This will increase the limits for some employment tribunal awards payable under employment legislation. The current maximum for unfair dismissal compensatory award is £65,300 this will rise to £68,400. The maximum amount of a week's pay for working out a statutory redundancy payment for unfair dismissal goes up from £380 to £400. These changes will only apply to cases that arise after the 1 February 2011. More specific information about this can be viewed under any of the government links.

Flexible working

The right to ask your employer for flexible working will be extended to parents of children under the age of 18 on 6 April 2011.

It currently applies to parents of children under the age of 17, or 18 if the child is disabled.The Government is also intending to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees and will start consultation on these proposals in January 2011.

Changes to maternity and paternity leave provisions

In April 2011 there will be two changes to maternity and paternity leave provisions.
Fathers of children with an expected week of birth beginning on or after 3 April 2011 will be allowed up to 26 weeks' additional paternity leave if the mother returns to work before using her full entitlement to statutory maternity leave.

On the same date, the rates for statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay will increase from £124.88 to £128.73 per week.

Abolition of the default retirement age

Until now an employer could make an employee leave the service using the default retirement age procedure. That meant that a member of staff could be forced to go after reaching a certain age.

But that is now changing and one of the biggest legal changes employers will have to deal with in 2011 is the abolition of the default retirement age (DRA). The DRA will not, however, be completely abolished until 1 October 2011. In addition transitional arrangements will come into force from 6 April 2011.

There will be a six-month transitional period when employers will be unable to issue new notifications of retirement.

The default retirement age will be completely removed on 1 October and employers will be prohibited from retiring employees by means of the default retirement age from this date.

The affect of this change will be that those who wish to remain in employment for a longer period can do so without fear of being forced out the door. The concern with this change comes from fears that jobs will not be freed by older workers for those who have just entered the job market but the change is also seen as a positive move to deal with discriminatory practices at work against older workers.

Action on Elder abuse

We know that the number of old age pensioners in the Greek community is increasing and the number of complaints is also going up. Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) works to protect, and prevent the abuse of, vulnerable older adults. We were the first charity to address these problems and are the only charity in the UK and in Ireland working exclusively on the issue today. Consequently, when you provide support to us, or make a donation, you can be sure that it will be used exclusively on issues relating to elder abuse and nothing else. Our work is fundamental to challenging elder abuse in the UK and we constantly need financial support to continue our activities. Although we are as effective as many of the bigger charities, we receive only a fraction of their income. Help us continue to make a difference. There are a variety of options for making donations to us. Use text on your mobile phone, the Just Giving logo, or click on the 'Support us' link to find out more.

http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/

Your rights at work

We are sometimes placed in situations at work where we are not certain as to what rights we have. People who are not members of organised Trades Unions are often left on their own to deal with whatever difficulties they face.

Employment Law in the UK and throughout the European Union is quite extensive. It is a mistake, however, to think that the law is there to protect either side in any industrial dispute. Employment law exists to keep a balance between rights and obligations. So an employee will have certain rights and an employer certain obligations towards that member of staff and the same works in reverse.

I will be visiting this area of law soon with specific information of what you can do as an employee to protect your position and what obligations employers have.

The New Apprenticeship Agenda: The Union Role [Conference]

Date: 9th February 2011Venue: TUC, Congress Centre.

This event could be of interest to younger members of the community in London, worth attending if interested.

London Apprenticeships are a major skills priority for the Government- they are also a key priority for unions. Join us to hear about the successes that unions have achieved so far in supporting apprentices and hear about how the apprenticeship agenda will develop in the coming years.

http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-19025-f0.cfm