‘THE PEOPLE will be very badly harmed by the closures of Southall JobCentre and Ealing Hospital,’ Raj Anton told News Line outside the closure-threatened jobcentre yesterday morning.
The vote Arj Thiara WRP for Ealing Southall campaign team met visitors to the jobcentre and students at Southall College yesterday, who said they fully supported Arj’s pledge to fight for trade union strike action and occupations to protect these vital services.
Raj continued: ‘The government should be looking after the people, not removing the services they need. They say do it online, but not everyone has online knowledge. I was working but have been out of work for one month so they are helping. We have a big population in Southall and many people really need this jobcentre and of course we all need our hospital.’
Sam said: ‘The hospital is the issue in this constituency. The unions should start fighting for us.’ Stuart Osman said: ‘I agree with a general strike to defend the NHS and strike action and occupation to save Ealing Hospital.’
Jay Singh said: ‘I’ll vote for Arj to save Ealing Hospital and the jobcentre. The NHS must stay the way it is, that’s the main issue.’ Dhaval Malhusudhan said: ‘This is the first day I’ve come to the jobcentre and what they’ve done for me was good. We have to save it.’
At Southall College, admin worker Muna Osman said: ‘Some of my students helped with the fight last year against the closure of the Charlie Chaplin ward and made a banner to take on the march.
‘So we all believe that Ealing Hospital must be saved.’
IT student Ismail Hussein said: ‘If the trade unions went on strike for Ealing Hospital or occupied it to stop it closing we would all support it. That’s why I’m voting for Arj.’
Rabin Shaharior, IT student, said: ‘I don’t want the hospital to close. I will vote for Arj.’ Joe Hysa said: ‘I live in White City and they are closing so many hospitals, not just Ealing, but Charing Cross as well. I think that the Tories want to privatise the NHS, which I don’t agree with, so let’s kick them out.’
