Tuesday 29 March 2011

Trades Council Meeting: April 5th

TRADES COUNCIL MEETING- with "KEEP THE POST PUBLIC" speaker.

There will be a meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council at 7.30pm, Tuesday 5th April 2011, at the Unite Eastbourne Centre (formerly T&G) , Grand Parade, Eastbourne. All local trade unionists are invited, (although only delegates from affiliated unions may vote on financial and policy matters.)

A G E N D A

  1. Introductions and apologies for absence

  2. Approval of new affiliations.

  3. Minutes of previous meeting- for information only (the AGM Minutes will be formally approved at the 2012 AGM)

  4. Matters Arising from the Minutes.

  5. Treasurer’s report- Gordon Dyer

  6. Guest Speaker from Keep the Post Public Campaign Peter Sinnott of the local Communication Workers’ Union will talk about the campaign against privatisation of the Royal Mail.

  7. Anti-Cuts Campaigning: Where next after March 26th ? Report on progress of Eastbourne Anti-Cuts activity.

  8. Local Elections: Update on campaigning opportunities around the Borough Council elections, including any threat of BNP candidates.

  9. Union Campaigns: Colleagues invited to provide information on their Unions’ local and national campaigns, and any support that the Trades Council could give.

  10. Articles and timing for next workplace newsletter

  11. Any other business


Sunday 27 March 2011

March for the Alternative


A hugely successful demonstration (notwithstanding a tiny handful who were NOT part of the TUC March, but nonetheless managed to hijack the news headlines with their actions.)

Estimates of up to or even over 400,000 people marched peacefully to demonstrate their opposition to the cuts. They were joined by Eastbourne members of Unison, NUT, Unite, NUJ, PCS and others.

The march is done, but the campaign continues.

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Support PCS members against cuts and victimisation

Civil Service union PCS is currenty balloting members over staffing cuts and the victimisation of Union reps in its Home Office group. Please click here for further information, and for a link to sign the online petition and e-mail your local MP.

There is a further article about the proposed job cuts in the Home Office on the main page ofthe PCS website here.

Saturday 19 March 2011

March for the Alternative: JOIN US on Saturday

Eastbourne Trades Council is supporting the massive TUC Demonstration against the Cuts and attacks on public services and pensions this coming Saturday 26th March, and still has free seats available on coaches laid on by local Union branches.

If you would like to join us on the march, and need a place on the coach (likely to be an early start- 7.30 am) please e-mail the Secretary as soon as possible.

Read more about the March for the Alternative by clicking here.

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Royal Mail- Not For Sale !

March and Rally- Saturday 19th March at 12.30, at The Level in Brighton.



12.30: Assemble at The Level, Union Road, Brighton
13.15: March through Brighton, returning to The Level at
14.15: Rally with guest speakers and music from Love Music, Hate Racism.



Speakers invited include:

Billy Hayes and Dave Ward (CWU)
Caroline Lucas MP (Green)
Cllr Gill Mitchell (Labour)
Dot Gibson (National Pensioners' Convention)
Cat Smith (Compass Youth)
Phil Clarke (Brighton Stop the Cuts Campaign)



For more information, contact the Communication Workers Union at keepthepostpublic@virginmedia.com

Monday 7 March 2011

Keep the Post Public

Eastbourne Trades Council welcomes the Communication Workers Union as our latest local affiliate. The CWU is currently running a national campaign against Post Office privatisation.

The union believe that the Post Office is a vital part of the local community. But the government’s plans to privatize the post office will cut or increase the cost of services which small businesses, communities and vulnerable groups rely on.

In particular the union believe three things will happen if the Postal Services Bill is passed in its current form:

Mail services cut
Royal Mail delivers and collects to 28m UK addresses for six days a week for a single stamp price (uniform tariff). This is called the universal postal service; it is expensive to provide, particularly in rural areas. The Government has been keen to stress this service will be protected under a privatised Royal Mail.
However, the reality is that in order to make Royal Mail attractive to investors, it will need to cut the cost of providing those services. That is why the bill compels the proposed postal services regulator, Ofcom, to review the universal postal service within 18 months. Such a review, with the need to make Royal Mail attractive to investors as a backdrop, is hardly likely to determine that the current universal service minimum requirements should become more onerous! At least nine clauses in the Postal Services Bill allow the regulator to amend or vary the application of the minimum requirements that make up the universal service. Such sell-offs are very rare internationally, but in Holland the minimum requirements were reduced following privatisation.

Increase in mail prices
The Postal Services Bill allows for Ofcom to make an assessment of the financial burden of the universal service on Royal Mail and to make recommendations for how to alleviate this burden. While the Bill requires that prices be affordable — this leaves wide scope for price increases. Already the Regulator has approved a huge 5p rise in stamp prices next year. Still higher prices would be deeply unpopular and run counter to public perception of what it is to protect the universal service.

Local Post Offices under threat
There is no guarantee in the Postal Services Bill that Royal Mail will continue to use the Post Office as the primary retail outlet for some or all of its products. A privatised Royal Mail could choose to use other outlets such as supermarkets or high street chains. This would deprive the post office network of a third of its income, and would put thousands of post offices at risk, especially in rural areas where post offices are particularly struggling. Fewer post offices in these areas mean that vulnerable groups in those communities will have to travel further to get access to vital services.

You can get involved in the campaign against privatisation- including a model e-mail for your local MP, by visiting the CWU's Keep the Post Public website here.