Nottingham Indymedia: 'g4s'

Fighting back against insecurity

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:45:34 +0000

Often dubbed the 'insecurity' industry by its opponents, the military-industrial complex that arms the police and dictatorships, runs increasingly militarised detention centres and controls housing for migrants is a many-headed hydra. In the past few days, Nottingham has seen activists take on the beast in different ways. On the morning of the 26th, anti-militarists took to the streets of the Lenton Lane industrial estate to picket arms dealers, Hecker & Koch. In the previous night, militants sabotaged vehicles belonging to multinational 'security' company, G4S.

Newswire: G4S vehicle's sabotaged | Wet but successful picket against gun dealers H&K | Still Shutting Down H&K - recent news

Previous features: Campaign says no to G4S in Nottingham | Heckler & Koch armed Bahrain regime | Notts Arms Dealer Back in Spotlight | Shut Down H&K Goes to Church

G4S chaos in Yorkshire- implications for Nottm.

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 22:45:52 +0000

More evidence of the G4S shambles in managing the COMPASS contract which was awarded to them in two regions: Yorkshire and Humberside, and The Midlands and East of England. In Nottingham, G4S have scheduled to undertake the majority of the housing transitions between July and September 2012. We can see from the Emergency bulletin below, that in Yorkshire where transitions started in early July, what this could signal for asylum seekers here too.

Here's an invitation to a meeting at The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street Forest Fields NG7 6HX on Wednseday 8th August 7.00 p.m. This meeting will be an opportunity to discuss wider issues and approaches to G4S and the G4S COMPASS Project in Nottingham and Midlands region.

Notog4sNottm

stopg4s@hotmail.co.uk

Response to NotoG4SNottm's An Unholy Alliance

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:28:03 +0000

As posted NNRF Mailout 22/07/12

- A Response to Notog4sNottm’s ‘Unholy Alliance’ Claim From Patsy Brand, Chair of Trustees, Nottingham & Notts Refugee Forum

In common with all concerned with the welfare of asylum seekers, everyone at NNRF was appalled to learn earlier this year that despite their terrible record of maltreating detainees and deportees, G4S were the Government’s favoured bidders for the asylum accommodation contract. We supported national protests and lobbied through our supportive local Labour MPs.

However once the contract was signed, we made the reluctant decision that in order to protect the interests of asylum seekers in the City who were about to be transferred to new landlords, it was regretfully necessary for the Forum to talk to G4S. The same approach has been taken by Citizens for Sanctuary.

Meetings and negotiations between, NNRF, CfS, City Council and G4S have resulted in improvements to their procurement policy, fewer asylum seekers being forced to move accommodation and NNRF being provided with advance information so that we can assist those anxious about the changes.

G4S management and staff will receive awareness raising training provided by NNRF & CfS with the involvement of asylum seekers and refugees. They are co-operating on drawing up protocols for the delivery of the contract and we will make sure they adhere to them.

Of course we realise that this is not ideal – but we have to accept that however much we may abhor the wholesale outsourcing by this government of public services to multinational hydra – and in spite of the current G4S debacle – the harsh reality is that this contract is not going to be cancelled in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, those of us in the front-line must concentrate our energies on reducing the fall-out for asylum seekers in Nottingham.

Campaign says no to G4S in Nottingham

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:36:45 +0000

G4S, the world’s largest security company, have won a £135m public contract to provide accommodation for asylum seekers in the Midlands and East of England and the North East, Yorkshire and Humber regions. The contract will effectively mean the privatisation of housing for asylum seekers, who have previously been housed by housing associations. Campaigners from No to G4S are seeking to challenge the company’s role.

Newswire: Response to NotoG4SNottm's An Unholy Alliance | Citizens for Sanctuary- unholy alliance with G4S

UK: International campaign against G4S gathers momentum | Activists occupy roof of G4S HQ | G4S housing consultation disrupted

Citizens for Sanctuary- unholy alliance with G4S

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 07:15:38 +0000

STOP G4S!

“I don’t want a prison guard as my landlord” – Zimbabwean asylum seeker in Sheffield

G4S (Group 4 Security) is the world’s largest private security army and the biggest private UK company with contracts worth £600m for security, managing detention centres, prisons and 675 court and police station cells. It is providing 10,000 guards for the Olympics costing us another £100 million

Now G4S and other security companies hope to get £135million of our money - to privatise the housing of people seeking asylum and put them in slum housing or “hostel accommodation”.

G4S lost a previous contract with the Government for ‘escorting’ deported asylum seekers as a result of 773 complaints of abuse and the death of an asylum seeker. Three G4S employees are on bail facing criminal charges for this death. From March 1st asylum seekers in Yorkshire and Humberside are being expected to face them and their sub-contractors as landlords.

The new contracts will mean the privatisation of the whole of asylum seeker housing. Nottingham (a “City of Sanctuary”) still maintains the humanitarian policies which have in the past housed Vietnamese, Kosovan, Sudanese, Kurdish, Zimbabwean refugees. If Nottingham Housing Associations lose the housing contracts, it will mean over 400 asylum seekers, families and individuals, dispersed to private landlords or hostels often miles away from children’s schools or family doctors. Dozens of local authority jobs will go with the contracts.

Fat cats and politicians will benefit from the misery inflicted on traumatised families.G4S chief executive Nick Buckles, according to the Annual Report, gets an annual salary and shares worth £2.4m and a possible annual bonus of £1.2m. His pension pot is at present worth £7m. Former Labour Home Secretary now Lord (John) Reid, is a director at G4S who put him on the payroll at £50,000 in 2008 when he was a backbench MP. G4S are also experts at tax avoidance, hiding their profits in 12 global tax havens including Bahrain – a repressive government that kills its own people, causing people to seek asylum…

Do you want your taxes to go to this giant profit-hungry security company?

G4S means INsecurity for asylum seekers, job losses for council workers

www.notog4s.blogspot.co.uk

Flyer produced by No to G4S Nottingham(facebook: No to G4S Housing Asylum Seekers) in partnership with South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group. www.symaag.org.uk/ dignitynotdetention@yahoo.co.uk. Supported by Unison Local Government Branch Sheffield, Sheffield City of Sanctuary, Nottingham and Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign and many asylum and refugee community organisations