The GMB trade union yesterday revealed its fears that many more ex-Southwark council school caretakers could face the same frightening threats of eviction as Steve Barrett.
As long ago as April, the long-serving school caretaker of Galleywall School Bermondsey received a ‘notice to quit’ his family home of 25 years and was given a date of May 11th 2006 to do so.
The GMB got involved and nothing else was heard of the threat to evict Steve Barrett until yesterday.
Barrett and his wife had been away on holiday and returned to find a formal ‘Notice To Quit’, this time naming August 16th as the deadline.
Brigette Barrett, Steve’s wife said: ‘We are both devastated. When the first deadline came and went we assumed that we were safe in our home.
‘To come home and find this very frightening “Notice to Quit” on the doormat is so upsetting.’
Steve Barrett is a member of the GMB trade union which has instructed solicitors on his behalf to fight the threat of eviction.
Barrett was made redundant by Southwark Council on New Year’s Eve (31st December) 2005.
Steve and his wife Brigette are entitled to be re-housed in ‘like for like’ accommodation i.e. a three-bedroom house under the terms of his contract of employment with Southwark Council.
The GMB believes that Barrett’s redundancy was unfair as his caretaking post has since been filled by a new employee, and so the union has lodged an Employment Tribunal claim to fight his case.
A GMB study on housing in the 33 London boroughs earlier this year showed that Southwark had a waiting list of 7,548 households waiting to be housed in the borough.
Ted Purcell, GMB Senior Organiser said: ‘It is not too much to expect the Barretts and other caretakers that have served their community to be re-housed in “like for like” accommodation.’
A ‘Claim form for possession of property’ from Lambeth County Court states that the Claimant is the Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Southwark.
The notice adds: ‘This claim will be heard on 16th August 2006 at 10.30am at Lambeth County Court.
It lists ‘Court Fee £150.00’ plus ‘Solicitor’s costs TBA’.
It adds: ‘The Claimant claims:
‘(1) Possession of the School House, Galleywall Primary School, Galleywall Road, Southwark London SE16 3PB
‘(2) Damages for trespass (alternatively use and occupation rent) at the rate of £1,000pcm from January 2006 until the vacation of the School House
‘(3) Costs.’
