Labouring Over Evictions

Last night local campaigners against the bedroom tax from the Community Unite trade union and the Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation paid a visit to the Labour-run City Council to encourage our political representatives to put their electorates needs before their all-too-willing desire to implement the Con-Dem’s cuts agenda.

Hundreds of signatures had been collected from across the city for a petition calling on the Council to refuse to evict tenants who end up in arrears because of the bedroom tax. The petition was duly handed over to Assistant Mayor Andy Connolly, who, one hopes, will seriously consider implementing a non-eviction policy as soon as possible.

According to a recent Council report 2,700 tenants in Leicester have to pay the tax, which amounts to each household paying between £15 to £25 extra every week. By September it was already clear that more than 2/3rds of the households affected by the bedroom tax were falling behind with their rent going into arrears for the first time in their lives. Under current Council rules failure to keep up with rental payments leads to eviction, which is exactly why a non-eviction policy is so necessary.

Andrew Ross from the Community Unite trade union said:

“It’s totally wrong that hundreds of households in Leicester are threatened with eviction and possible homelessness through no fault of their own. Apart from the huge stress this is causing to the families, there’s no financial gain to the taxpayer. Each eviction will cost more than the actual arrears. The Council has the financial resources to make up the shortfall. It’s particularly unfair to people with disabilities. They are already expected to give up their daily carers allowance in exchange for extra help with the rent.”

The enforcement of the bedroom tax and the Council’s lack of resistance to the Government are of course not unrelated to the attacks on public services in Leicester. However, as the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) continue to argue, none of the cuts are actually necessary, and what we urgently need are local Council’s who are willing to fight for what is right; instead of just seemingly fighting to defend the rights of their super-rich friends.

If you are interested in joining the fight-back against the cuts, come along to the public meeting being held his Thursday at the Secular Hall (on Humberstone Gate) at 6pm. Organised by Leicestershire Against the Cuts this exciting meeting will include the following speakers:

– Iris Lightfoote (The Race Equality Centre)
– Kevan Liles (Voluntary Action Leicester)
– Kevin Sherriff (Leicester Playfair)
– Priya Thamotheram (Highfields Centre)