Auckland Action Against Poverty is organising a picket this week – Friday 22 July 5.30pm, Heritage Hotel, 35 Hobson St, Auckland

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER No. 383, July 20, 2011

Friday 22 July 5.30pm, Heritage Hotel, 35 Hobson St, Auckland
Auckland Action Against Poverty is organising a picket this week: The right wing Maxim Institute is hosting a dinner that night at 6pm at which UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, will be the guest speaker. Mr Smith is a prime mover behind welfare reforms in the UK which are causing increasing destitution and even suicide among claimants, particularly people who are being pushed off the invalids benefit. He is also presiding over ever increasing privatisation of welfare and employment , including forced work for dole schemes in the private sector. His reforms are the model for much of our National Government’s Rebstock Report, currently under consideration by a high powered Ministerial group. AAAP is organising this picket because we: • Seek to stand in solidarity with welfare claimants in the UK who are suffering hugely as a result of what Mr Smith is inflicting on them there. • Want to draw attention to the links between the UK reforms and the National Government’s approach to welfare. It would be great if you and other members of your group could join us next Friday. If you are able to get this information out to other people in your organisation and any associated networks, that would be really helpful as well. For more information, please feel free to email me at bradford.sue73 or Karen at karendavis700. With thanks for any support you can give – best wishes, Sue Bradford, Auckland Action Against Poverty. See: Visiting UK Welfare Minister to Face Picket http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00131/visiting-uk-welfare-minister-to-face-picket.htm