Nursery Occupied!

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The eviction of Wheatley Street Nursery tion of ownership and control over private and The call is for Wheatley Street to be 'reopenSchool by Coventry's Labour City Council state property, and even a sympathetic judge ed at the start of next term, fully staffed, and after only five days in occupation is an knows which side his bread is buttered in a case indication of the determination of many So far the campaigners have received a letter from the Deputy Education Officer giving an Labour councils to carry through the Tory Support for the occupation has been wide- undertaking that no furniture or equipment will spread. Over 200 people visited the occupation, be removed from the school in advance of a The speed at which the council moved to including a number of 'rebel' Labour councillors decision on the closure by Tory Education Secbreak up the occupation is regarded with some who recently defied a Labour whip to vote bitterness by parents who have campaigned for Only a few hours after the occupation began many months without success to have the the council took the decision to lock the occ- A public meeting was held during the occupiers in, and have both gas and electricity cut upation when nearly 120 people climbed through The campaign must now follow through in the trade unions - in particular NUT and off. Appeals for even one door to be left open as a fire precaution were ignored, and the council Local NUPE Branch Secretary Joe Little NALGO, who gave verbal support to the camFaced with the immediate closure of the simply returned at 8am each morning to see if sent a message of support, pledging to take up building at the end of the summer term, and the question of Wheatley Street both locally and The campaign is also calling for an emergenwith little hope of it ever reopening, parents and Supporters - including one woman 8 months cy council meeting to be held to discuss the issue supporters took the decision for occupation on pregnant - were therefore obliged to climb in The Chairman of Coventry SE Labour Party, and the rebel councillors in particular must be Friday July 11 in a bid to keep it open and individual NUT, CPSA and other trade union An injunction was served on six occupiers on members, and parents also added their support, At the same time an investigation into nursery Staff at the school are being redeployed - the Monday to appear in court on the Tuesday along with the Oxford and Leicester Nursery needs in the city has been launched to draw in one of them to a school in Leicester which itself broader support and strengthen the case argued will close in a year's time! The children from The council's application for a re-possession The Coventry Nursery Campaign (Wheatley Wheatley Street have been placed in other order was a formality. But one victory was sec- Street) has now been set up both to resist the The eviction has thus not been in any way the nurseries - but as parents point out this simply closure of this nursery, but also - recognising end of the campaign: in regular Saturday sessions Owen Bishop, a parent leading the campaign, that this closure is only the first of many - to in the shopping precinct hundreds of people Parents have stressed that Wheatley Street's insisted on making a statement about why they carry forward the broader fight to defend and have now signed a petition supporting the central position in the city and its 70 full-time nursery places are too valuable a facility to be The judge was so impressed that he refused On the day of the eviction a meeting held in Further details of the campaign are available lost at a time when existing provision caters for the council's application for costs, though saying the playground drew an attendance of 600 parThe was unable to challenge the repossession ents, supporters and children, which then Coventry Nursery Campaign (Wheatley The reason given for the closure was that the marched on the council offices to present their building was old and in need of extensive modsurveyor building hat the is a mere that the valuable ernisation. _ However an idependent employed by the parents found that the needed no modernisation, and 1 maximum amount for repairs needed w of the state versus the working class. €2,000!

Alternative suggestions have been government's cuts in spending. site if cleared would constitute a very piece of development land.

SERVICES CUT OFF question of the closure discussed.

DECISION TO OCCUPY the local window to attend.

anyone wanted to be let out. nationally within NUPE.

and out through a window. functioning for the people of Coventry.

morning. Campaigns.

Lured for the parents. denies other children the chance of a place.

had occupied. extend nursery provision.

only 17% of 3-5 year-olds in the city.

order:

Occupations demands.

WIDESPREAD SUPPORT against the raising of school meals charges. with no loss of pupil places."

retary Carlisle.

TRADE UNION SUPPORT paign before the occupation.

pressed to take up this fight.

by the campaigners.

demands.

from:

Street), 37, Beaconsfield Road, Coventry.

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woman worker EIS the shop floor at the supplier firms.

This takes the form of forcing supply manufacturers to provide garments fixed at last year's prices.

They in turn are attempting to recover these losses (coupled with increased costs) from their workfroce by introducing speedup and sackings.

Indeed many textile manufacturers are now refusing to implement the second half of last year's pay agreements in order to head off any talks whatsoever aimed at securing future increases.

Faced with this onslaught, union leaders are proving themselves entirely useless, claiming 'steps forward' if they actually manage to obtain the legal minimum amount of redundancy pay for their