Manchester rents centre picketed
1972Stephen JohnsHousing and rents Read the scan at ETOL (PDF) →Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: headlines and words can be misread, and a caption or advert can run into the text. For anything you quote, read the scan.
WILSON AND PAY MANCHESTER MANCHESTER corporation is opening local rent centres to deal with the new Housing Finance Act.
From Monday, council tenants will have to go to the centres to pay their new increased rents or to arrange rebates under the scheme.
An important result of this decentralization drive, is that many rent collectors will be withdrawn from the estates where tenants are resisting the increases.
A corporation spokesman said yesterday that one aim was to reduce the 'security risk' associated with rent collection. He claimed there would be no redundancies and that the collectors would be 'redeployed'.
Tenants' leaders suspect, however, that the move is designed to avoid any confrontation tween the rent man and working-class families.
They also point out that tenants will have to pay increased fares to get to the centres to enjoy the privilege of paying a higher rent.
Joe Potts, Manchester tenants' leader, told me yesterday that pickets at the centres were planned.
They are not going to smuggle these increases in behind our backs,' he said. 'We must get out and tell people on the estates about this Act and show them how they can resist the Tory plans. These next few days will be vital' Militant tenants in the Manchester were trying spread the campaign against the increases yesterday. Manchester They picketed town hall and then went on to estates Wythenshawe and Stretford.
Mr Potts claimed some tenants were being intimidated when