Icelandic bank protest planned (From Haringey Independent)

Icelandic bank protest planned

8:29am Friday 24th October 2008

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Protesters angry at the potential loss of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money in Iceland will make their voices heard on Monday.

Haringey Council announced its £37 million investment in three Icelandic banks had been frozen earlier this month after the country's institutions collapsed.

Now lobby group People Not Profit and Haringey Trade Union Council are demanding an inquiry into the impact of the loss on council jobs and services.

The protesters will lobby Haringey Council's overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Monday evening.

Chair of Haringey's TUC, Keith Flett, said: "Claims by the council that the lost money will have no impact are simply unsustainable. Was there £37m of loose change hanging around in the council’s coffers that they won’t now miss? That seems to us unbelievable.

"The scrutiny committee do a pretty effective job on the whole in our experience but it is startling that in a very long agenda for Monday’s meeting there is not one reference to this matter."

Haringey Council confirm employee salaries will be paid this month and stress the crisis will not have an impact on frontline services.

The protest will begin at 6.30pm on Monday outside the civic centre on Wood Green High Road.

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