Atos Cancel Christmas

There was a cheerier scene with more people outside the more central Atos offices later. We sang Slow Down Ye Frantic Shoppers, Uh Oh We're In The Red Dear, Profits Here Profits There Profits Everywhere, Slaving In A Sweatshop Wonderland, Hark The Sheriff's At The Door and Oh Come All Ye Shoppers.

Anti-Capitalist Carol Singing outside Atos Part 2 Glasgow Fri. 16th Dec. 5pm

Anti-Capitalist Carol Singing outside Atos Part 2 Glasgow

Friday 16th December
17:00 until 18:00

Outside Atos Offices, Ca'D'Oro Building, 45 Gordon Street, Glasgow, G1 3PE

We have confirmed some anti-capitalist carol singers! Please join us.
*Please note this event is in addition to the leafleting session outside the Atos Medical Assessment Centre at 13.30:

http://www.facebook.com/events/243943635673280/

This event is outside the Atos offices next to the Co-Op Supermarket at the corner of Union Street and Gordon Street near Central Station with lots of passing commuters and shoppers.*

Facebook Event Page Part 2:

http://www.facebook.com/events/263534123702031/

BAH HUMBUG ! ATOS CANCEL CHRISTMAS

 

Anti-Atos Leafleting plus giving claimants advice on appeals and what to do during benefits medical assessments.

Friday, 16 December 2011.

13:30 until 14:30.

Atos Medical Assessment Centre, Corunna House, 29 Cadogan Street, Glasgow G2 7AB.

Contact us if you want to take part in anti-capitalist carol singing.

thecrutchcollective@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931

Atos have cancelled Christmas for thousands of sick and disabled people by cutting sickness benefits on behalf of the government to cut the public debt. The most vulnerable in society have been made to pay for the greed of bankers and the inevitable booms and busts of captitalist economics.

The Atos computer based assessment does not work, particularly for people with multiple health issues.

Most people who appeal through an advice centre against losing sickness benefits win their appeal. A system designed to cut the public debt has now cost the public an additional £80 million to process appeals. Profits are privatised and debts are socialised.

Facebook Event Page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/events/243943635673280/

Atos Blues Glasgow

National Day of Action Against Atos Glasgow 30th Sept. 1.30pm

Friday 30th September · 1:30pm - 2:30pm

Atos Medical Assessment Centre, Corunna House.
29 Cadogan Street, G2 7RD
Glasgow, United Kingdom

We will be handing out leaflets to those attending sickness assessments on how to deal with the medical. We will be giving advice on how to appeal against being turned down for Employment Support Allowance with the aim of reducing the profit Atos makes from forcing sick and disabled claimants off benefits. We will also be leafleting workers on their lunchbeak in nearby offices to publicise how Atos and the government are cutting benefits to pay for the greed of bankers and the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics. We have no illusions that the sickness assessment system was fair or humane under a Labour government or when it it was run by the DWP. There is only one reason for wanting the assessment system to be run by a public body - at least some corporation isn't making a profit from the misery of the sick and disabled. In the long-term we aim to live in a society based on the principle, 'from each according to their ability, to each according to their need'.

There may be some tea and nice biscuits.

If anyone wants to discuss what we are doing we can be available at the STUC building, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6NG on Thursday 29th September between 5.30pm and 8.30pm while we finish our new banner.

¡Venceremos!

We Will Win!

Not even the wrong medication can stop us now!

The Crutch Collective
thecrutchcollective@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931

Facebook event page:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=254020014634126&ref=mf

Anti-Atos Banner Making And Meeting

Thursday 22nd September
5.30pm-8.30pm

STUC,
333 Woodlands Road,
Glasgow G3 6NG

The next National Day Of Action Against Atos event will happen in Glasgow on Friday 30th September between 1.30pm and 2.30pm outside the Atos Medical Assessment Centre, Corunna House, 29 Cadogan Street, G2 7RD.

We will be handing out leaflets to those attending sickness assessments on how to deal with the medical. We will be giving advice on how to appeal against being turned down for Employment Support Allowance with the aim of reducing the profit Atos makes from forcing sick and disabled claimants off benefits. We will also be leafleting workers on their lunchbeak in nearby offices to publicise how Atos and the government are cutting benefits to pay for the greed of bankers and the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics.

We need a new banner for the leafleting sessions, so please come along this Thursday and help out and bring new ideas for fighting Atos.

The Crutch Collective

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=285154621495028

Report of the Atos Recruitment Evening Picket Glasgow

Over a period of 2 1/2 hours on Monday 6^th June around 50 people joined the picket, called by the Crutch Collective and Black Triangle, of the Atos Recruitment Evening in Glasgow. Some had travelled from Edinburgh and as far away as Berwick. Some officials of the PCS union were able to attend at the start and took away some leaflets. The admin. staff at Atos are members of PCS.

The police were present from early on and stopped people from blocking the doors. With a couple of exceptions most of the 20 or so doctors and nurses going into the Recruitment Evening ignored the request not to take jobs with Atos. This was despite being told of the people with cancer and terminal illnesses having their benefits cut by Atos and the suicides caused by the stress of the relentless and constant reassessment by Atos. They were also given leaflets detailing the fatal consequences of benefit changes as documented by several mental health charities. The leaflet also quoted a former Atos employee in Scotland who quit, because the medical assessments are designed to catch out disabled people.

A nurse heckled those inside through a megaphone. The leaflet was read out through the megaphone to the doctors and nurses waiting in the lobby and at the presentation.

John McArdle of Black Triangle spoke to the crowd of the need to keep the campaign going until the medical assessments are carried out by a public body again. Plans were made for the next demo. A representative from Citizens United, another direct action orientated anti-cuts group in Glasgow expressed their desire to work with us in the future.

We got a clearer idea of the future some of us face as we chatted to some homeless people waiting for the Salvation Army food van who had also had their disability benefits cut despite having serious physical and mental health problems.

A handful of the doctors and nurses who attended the Recruitment Evening were escorted by the police through the crowd when they left by the main entrance. Debates were held about whether we should call them scabs or not. The rest had to sneak out via the staff exit like rats. No one was arrested and we were able to make our presence felt for the whole of the event. We are getting substantially bigger. We see the picket as a victory. Atos now know that any future recruitment evenings will need extra security and the presence of the police. The doctors and nurses who chose to forget their medical ethics and any social conscience had to endure the most unpleasant environment possible. The myth of the Atos PR about the ease and convenience of the Atos professional employee lifestyle has been destroyed.

Thanks again to everyone who attended and helped promote the picket.

STOP ATOS CUTTING DISABILITY BENEFITS

Picket Atos Recruitment Evening

Atos Medical Assessment Centre

Corunna House

29 Cadogan Street

Glasgow G2 7AB

Monday 6th June

5.30pm – 8.30pm

Who are Atos?

Atos Healthcare are a part of a private, profit making corporation. On behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), they carry out the medical assessments, now called 'Work Capability Assessments (WCA), for Employment Support Allowance (formerly Incapacity Benefit).

What do they do?

Atos are currently recruiting more medical professionals to carry out new assessments on all people on sickness benefits.  They are actively carrying out the Government’s plan of cutting sickness benefits by £2.5 billion.  The process is driven by cost cutting not objective medical opinion. In recent trials of their largely unreliable new computerised medical test 29% of claimants had their benefits cut, but most people win their case when they appeal with the help of an advice centre.  Atos will be also recruiting more staff to carry out these distressing and degrading tests on all people on Disability Living Allowance for the first time, where the plan is to cut the budget by 20%.  The Government are cutting these benefits to reduce the debt caused by bankers gambling on the financial markets.  The most vulnerable in society are being made to pay for the greed of the rich and the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics.

More info: The Crutch Collective on Facebook

 thecrutchcollective@gmail.com
 

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=188876404494450

 

Planning meeting for Picket of Atos Recruitment Evening

Thursday 26th May
7pm
@ The Free Hetherington
The Glasgow University Occupation
13 University Gardens
Just off University Avenue
Glasgow University Campus
http://freehetherington.wordpress.com/find-us/

Atos are currently recruiting more medical professionals to carry out new assessments on all people on sickness benefits.  They are actively carrying out the Government’s plan of cutting sickness benefits by £250 billion.  In recent trials of their largely unreliable new computerised medical test most people have their benefits cut, but most people win their case when they appeal with the help of an advice centre.  Atos will be also recruiting more staff to carry out these distressing and degrading tests on all people on Disability Living Allowance for the first time, where the plan is to cut the budget by 20%.  The Government are cutting these benefits to reduce the debt caused by bankers.  The most vulnerable in society are being made to pay for the greed of the rich and the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics. There is a recruitment evening at the Atos Medical Assessment Centre, Corunna House, 29 Cadogon Street on Monday 6th June between 6pm and 8pm.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?sk=wall

Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=229065417107163

Picket of Atos Glasgow May 12th

Over a dozen claimants and supporters managed to get our message out about Atos, that 'They Rob From The Poor To Give To The Rich' to hundreds of shoppers and people going home from work outside the Atos offices at 45 Gordon Street in the centre of Glasgow between 5pm and 6pm. Banners proclaimed that 'Atos Are Making The Sick Pay For The Greedy Bankers Debt. 'Atos Make A Profit Out Of The Misery Of The Sick' was screamed out to passersby. Many people were supportive and stopped to ask more about Atos. Many others who stopped to talk already knew about Atos having been through the distressing process of the medical assessment themselves or they knew someone who had been in the same situation. Passing postal workers said that they supported us 100%. Even a Community Support Officer stopped to ask for advice. New people signed up to take part in the next anti-Atos demo on Monday 6^th June between 6pm and 8pm at the Atos recruitment evening at the assessment centre, Corunna House, 29 Cadogan Street. Hits on our website are going through the roof again.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?sk=wall

Picket of Atos Glasgow May 12th

Over a dozen claimants and supporters managed to get our message out about Atos, that 'They Rob From The Poor To Give To The Rich' to hundreds of shoppers and people going home from work outside the Atos offices at 45 Gordon Street in the centre of Glasgow between 5pm and 6pm. Banners proclaimed that 'Atos Are Making The Sick Pay For The Greedy Bankers Debt. 'Atos Make A Profit Out Of The Misery Of The Sick' was screamed out to passersby. Many people were supportive and stopped to ask more about Atos. Many others who stopped to talk already knew about Atos having been through the distressing process of the medical assessment themselves or they knew someone who had been in the same situation. Passing postal workers said that they supported us 100%. Even a Community Support Officer stopped to ask for advice. New people signed up to take part in the next anti-Atos demo on Monday 6^th June between 6pm and 8pm at the Atos recruitment evening at the assessment centre, Corunna House, 29 Cadogan Street. Hits on our website are going through the roof again.

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/
thecrutchcollective@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?sk=wall

Picket and Picnic at Atos Glasgow 12 May 5pm-6pm

Picket and Picnic at Atos

Thursday12th May

5pm-6pm

Ca'D'Oro Building,

45 Gordon Street,

Glasgow,

G1 3PE

Bring food to share.

Part of the National Week of Action Against Atos

http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com
thecrutchcollective@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?sk=wall

Daily Mail Glasgow offices invaded by Anti-Benefit Cuts Protesters

This afternoon around 15 Anti-Benefit Cuts held a leafleting session outside the Atos assessment centre in Cadogan Street, Glasgow advising other claimants on how to deal with benefits medical examinations. It was part of the 3^rd National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts being held in at least a dozen cities around Britian organised by a network of claimants' groups. Members of the Crutch Collective, the SWP, SSP and others held up banners and placards declaring that Atos robs from the poor to give to the rich, while IWW songs played in the background. The Work Capability Assessments carried out by Atos have been heavily criticised by CAB, the Child Poverty Action Group and others as being unfair and not based on medical opinion. The process is driven by the government trying to cut 2.5 billion from Employment Support Allowance to pay for the public debt caused by the banks gambling on the financial markets. Those going in for the assessments appreciated what was being done.

Luckily the Glasgow offices of the Daily Mail were just around the corner at 20 Waterloo Street. A number of protesters walked past security on the ground floor and went to offices on the first floor where the Daily Mail staff were kind enough to let them in. All the journalists there were told to stop telling lies about disabled people. They were handed leaflets that stated that the Daily Mail has led the propaganda against the most vulnerable in society, making attacks on benefits for sick and disabled people possible. Despite aggressive, threatening and inappropriate behaviour from some of the journalists the protesters left peacefully having made their point. Metro journalists in the adjoining office were keen to differentiate themselves from the Daily Mail. The protest continued outside where passing members of the public showed their support. The police were called, but there were no arrests.

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com thecrutchcollective@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?sk=wall

Photos to follow.

Full text of Daily Mail leaflet:

Daily Mail:

Stop the lies about Disabled people

Disabled people, people with illnesses, parents, people on low wages, unemployed people, carers and others demand an end to the defamation by the Daily Mail of people who need benefits to survive.

This protest takes place as part of the third national day of action against benefit cuts. The aim is to challenge the legitimacy of the Westminster government's drive to move claimants off Incapacity Benefit, putting around 1600 people a day through a medical test run by private company Atos Origin. The test has been widely discredited by the CAB, Child Poverty Action Group, and others. A damning CAB report concluded “"Doctors pay more attention to the computer than the client”.

Yet the Daily Mail has been using the results of Atos Origin's computer-based tests to mount a campaign against disabled people and people with illnesses claiming Incapacity Benefit. Their lurid claims have included “76% of those who say they're sick can work” and “Thousands in Britain on incapacity benefit because they are too fat to work”.

Linda Burnip from Disabled People Against Cuts says:

“The lies and half truths that the Daily Mail has published have resulted in an increase of hate crime attacks against disabled people. We are not prepared to sit back and allow them to continue to peddle their disgusting disablist propaganda unchallenged.”

Anne Novis MBE, has issued this call to action:

“Yes you, and you and you, all of you who stand by and say nothing or encourage such vicious and undeserving attacks are just as responsible for what is happening. Those who stand by and allow this are equivalent to those who stood by when disabled people and Jews were targeted by the Nazis for annihilation. Too harsh for you? Its our lives we are fighting for, our very lives, some have already killed themselves due to what is happening, many more are considering it. Will you stand by?”

Martin Campbell of London Coalition Against Poverty has said:

“The Daily Mail needs to know the disgust and anger its fear-mongering lies provoke. All those who experience the stress, insecurity, illness and sometimes destitution that result from Atos Origin's disastrous computerised “medical assessment” have a clear message for the Mail: Stop the lies! Stop the Defamation!”

The Daily Mail has led the propaganda against the most vulnerable in society, making attacks on benefits for sick and disabled people possible

The Day of Action has been called by networks of claimants' groups around Britain, including the Crutch Collective in Glasgow. The first two days of protest against benefit cuts have seen demonstrations, meetings, unemployed discos, public pantomimes and occupations in cities across Britain. Atos Origin have been forced to close offices, protesters have gathered inside and outside workfare sharks A4e and demonstrations have taken place from Downing Street to local town centres.

Protests are taking place in 12 cities across Britain, and include an online action for those not able to travel by the 'Armchair Army'.

Since 1st April 2011, a mass assessment of Incapacity Benefit claimants is being rolled out across the country. This despite the CAB condemning the replacement “Employment and Support Allowance” (ESA) and the medical tests run by multinational company Atos as “not fit for purpose”; and strong criticisms from Child Poverty Action Group and others. "Doctors produce inaccurate reports .. reporting incorrectly what the claimant has said about their own conditions and taking their answers out of context." and "Doctors pay more attention to the computer than the client;" [CAB report 2009].

The tests do not work: One in four ESA decisions are appealed and the CAB's evidence suggests that 70% of appeals are successful.

The Daily Mail has led the propaganda against the most vulnerable in society, which has made these attacks on benefits for sick and disabled people possible:

Half a million claiming sickness benefits could start work immediately, says employment minister

Sickness benefits crackdown begins as up to two million claimants face being stripped of payments

76% of those who say they're sick 'can work': Tests weed out most seeking incapacity benefit

75% of incapacity claimants are fit to work: Tough new benefits test weeds out the workshy

The sick man of Europe: UK tops chart for number of young people off work claiming incapacity benefit

Thousands in Britain on incapacity benefit because they are too fat to work

Number of drug addicts and alcoholics on incapacity benefit is on rise

Nine out of ten on incapacity benefits 'are fit to return to work'

Sicknote generation: Half a million under-35s 'too sick to work' are claiming incapacity benefits

ATOS: ROBBING THE POOR TO GIVE TO THE RICH

 

Atos Healthcare are a part of a private, profit-driven corporation. On behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), they carry out the medical assessments now called the 'Work Capability Assessments (WCA).

They are currently recruiting more staff to help meet government targets to force more people off benefits. The Governemnt plans to cut £2.5 billion from ESA and to limit ESA benefit to just one year - presumably those who are deemed unable to work will have made a miraculous recovery.

The process is driven by cost cutting not objective medical opinion. The Government are doing this to reduce the massive public debt caused by the banks gambling on the financial markets. The most vulnerable in society are being made to pay for the greedy failures of the rich and the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics.

THEIR STORY DOESN'T ADD UP!

The majority of people tested and told they are undeserving win their cases on appeal. Studies have shown the medical test to be largely unreliable:

An independent review of the WCA tests by Professor Harrington concluded “There is strong evidence that the system can be impersonal and mechanistic, that the process lacks transparency and that a lack of communication between the various parties involved contributes to poor decision making and a high rate of appeals.” and that “evidence has consistently and regularly highlighted problems with each stage of the WCA process, which limit both the assessment’s fairness and effectiveness.”

There are plans to extend these distressing and anxiety inducing tests to those relying on Disability Living Allowance (soon to be Personal Independence Payments) to cut the budget for DLA/PIP by 20%.

The tests have already been strongly criticised by Citizens Advice Bureau, Child Poverty Action Group and others. "Doctors produce inaccurate reports... reporting incorrectly what the claimant has said about their own conditions and taking their answers out of context... Doctors pay more attention to the computer than the client."

Citizens Advice Scotland is extremely concerned that many clients are being found fit for work in their WCA despite often having severe illnesses and/or disabilities. 
Their evidence has highlighted the cases of many clients with serious health conditions who have been found fit for work, including those with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer, bipolar disorder, heart failure, strokes, severe depression, and agoraphobia.

In a recent government report, Atos’s own staff say the assessments are too harsh. Prospect, the trade union who represents 135 Atos doctors, has stated that the target of seeing ten or more people a day is unrealistic and will lead to wrong assessments, especially in complex cases.

ATOS claim that they do not make the decision as to whether someone can work and have their benefits reduced, but that the decision is made by the DWP from their report and that performance targets are based simply on the number of claimants seen in a day. However, they admit that if a medical professional passes all claimants for disability benefits it will not go unnoticed.

“The Jobcentre Plus Decision Makers do not in practice make decisions, but instead they typically ‘rubber stamp’ the advice provided through the Atos assessment. They often do not have or do not appropriately consider additional evidence submitted to support a claim for [ESA]. This results in the Atos assessment driving the whole process, rather than being seen in its proper context as part of the process.”, Professor Harrington.

WHO ARE THE REAL BENEFIT FRAUDSTERS ?

Despite a fraud rate of just 1%, plus £16 billion in unclaimed benefits, the Government are determined to toss 500,000 people who currently rely on sickness benefits into the bleakest labour market in a generation and to cut already meagre disability benefits to starvation levels.

PIMPING THE SICK

Medical professionals, including physiotherapists, with no experience of mental health problems, for example, are given a matter of days training before making assessments of claimants. Atos doctors are paid a fee of over £100 for each ESA medical they carry out. Many people report that the doctor seemed in a rush, stayed only a very short time and wasn’t interested in what they had to say. Some found the doctor positively rude. Atos are also undermining the NHS by paying way over the NHS rates for doctors and nurses on full time contracts.

Atos has a contract to carry out compulsory work programmes, meaning they will get paid for getting disabled people back into work. This is an incentive for them to fail people's claims: a clear conflict of interest. The most damning fact about the system is that Atos will get £500m over 7 years for running the Work Capability Assessments, while fraud in ESA over this period could be around £250m: the tests claimed to stop fraud cost twice as much as the fraud. Thus the only way Atos can offer value for money is if they cut £250m off the ESA case load – so there is indeed an implicit target.

3rd National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts April 14th Glasgow

ANTI-BENEFIT CUTS LEAFLETING

GLASGOW

THURSDAY 14TH APRIL

1.30-2.30PM

ATOS HEALTH CARE

CORUNNA HOUSE

29 CADOGAN STREET

GLASGOW

G2 7AB

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?sk=wall

Anti-Benefit Cuts Activity This Week Glasgow

ANTI-BENEFIT CUTS LEAFLETING

GLASGOW

WEDNRSDAY 6TH APRIL

1.30-2.30PM

ATOS HEALTH CARE

CORUNNA HOUSE

29 CADOGAN STREET

GLASGOW

G2 7AB

Followed at 3pm by group planning meeting for National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts on April 14^th at:

The Free Hetherington

The Glasgow University Occupation

13 University Gardens

Just off University Avenue,

Glasgow University Campus

http://freehetherington.wordpress.com/find-us/

Rescheduled Public Meeting:

Sunday 10th April, 7pm

@ The Free Hetherington

Mental Illness, Discrimination, the Benefits System and Direct Action

The new benefits cuts and reforms proposed by the coalition government are expected to hit claimants with mental illness especially hard. With the medical assessment and the new benefits being phased in, many people with ‘Invisible Illnesses’’ will fail to qualify. This presentation and discussion will explore these pressing issues along with the wider context of discrimination and stigma that create barriers to employment and social exclusion. What can we do about cuts to disability benefits?

Contact: thecrutchcollective@gmail.com