Politics and Trade Unionism on the Brighton Fringe

The 2012 programme for Sussex Labour Representation Committee has been launched- with a number of meetings bringing politics back to the Brighton Festival Fringe, that will be of interest to local Trade Unionists:

1) 2pm, Sat 12 May - Tony Benn in conversation with John McDonnell MP & Owen Jones, author of "Chavs"

2) 2pm, Sat 19 May - Teresa Pearce MP, Andy Winter (Brighton Housing Trust) & Andrew Fisher (LRC National Secretary & founder LEAP) discuss how Britain can afford to provide decent housing for all and a welfare state.

3) 7pm, Tues 22 May - we discuss how to stay united and fight racism, hatred and prejudice with Jeremy Corbyn MP, Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary), Zita Holbourne (PCS National Executive & Black Activists Rising Against Cuts), Michael Abatan (Justice for Jay), Nic Eadie (Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group), Chris Whitwell (Friends, Families and Travellers) and Stafford Scott (racial equality campaigner and founder of the Broadwater Farm Defence campaign in 1985).

The above three meetings will all be at the Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD. These meetings will be ticketed at £5 concessions or £10 waged. However, if you come to all three meetings you can get your tickets for £12.50/£25; ie, come to 2 meetings and get your third meeting half price!

You can contact Sussex LRC for tickets or buy tickets via the Fringe box office, although the LRC has to pay a fee for every ticket sold by the Fringe.

Speak up for Libraries: 13th March

Public library services and staff are under threat from cuts and closures on a massive scale. Unison and the Campaign for the Book are asking people to join with us to Speak Up For Libraries – both now and in the future. We need action now to safeguard the future of the public library service as a whole.
During the lobby of Parliament on 13th March , we need local library users, campaigners and staff to help us highlight the importance of libraries in providing access to learning, information and knowledge and as a vital lifeline for many communities.
Come and attend the rally and hear high profile speakers, entertainment and films all telling the same story – libraries are a valued and vital resource. Visit the 'pop up' library and see for yourself the many faces of a modern library. Arrange to meet with your MP and tell them now is the time to act to protect libraries.

The rally will take place from 11.30am at Central Hall Westminster, Storey's Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9NH. The lobby of Parliament will start at 2.30pm. Click here for more information.

Trades Council AGM- Priorities for 2012

The Annual General Meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council was held on February 14th.

The meeting elected Val Thomas (NASUWT) as Chair, Georgina Haseldine (Unite the Union ) as Vice Chair, Dave Brinson (NUT) as Secretary, and Gordon Dyer (Unite the Union) as Treasurer. Lee Comfort (Unite the Union) was nominated as Publicity Officer.

The meeting welcomed Tom Mellish from the TUC, to speak about campaigning priorities for the TUC and how Trades Councils can be involved. Tom talked about building on recent campaigns against cuts and for fair pensions for all- and how we need to continue bringing ordinary union members into this work. He talked about some of the organising successes of unions in reaching out to unorganised groups of workers, and the situation of working people in tourism and leisure in our town was highlighted.

The meeting also presented the Len Caine award: in honour of a man who gave more than 50 years service to the Labour and Trade Union movement in Eastbourne. Len was secretary of the Trades Council for many years, and also served as Labour group leader on the Borough Council. He was active in many campaigns, as a school governor, as a member of the Community Health Council, and in housing and youth centres. He was made an honorary Alderman of Eastbourne in the 1990's. Len sadly passed away, but the Trades Council continues to honour him through this award for a local trade union representative. (Pictured left- Len Receving a National Merit Award from the then-Prime Minster Tony Blair in 1999)

The 2012 recipient of the award is Jim Gotobed- recently retired after many years as a Unite the Union representative at Sainsbury's. Jim continues to be an active member of the Union, and serves on their Regional Council. Jim spoke warmly about Len Caine's contribution to the movement, and how it was an honour to receive the award in Len's name.

The meeting also agreed to try and organise a coach to the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival in July- more details to follow.

BNP Target Sussex Police Commissioner Post

Trades Unionists are being urged to campaign and vote in the forthcoming Police Commissioner elections, in light of news that the racist BNP intends to campaign for the post.

The British National Party (BNP) is planning to stand a candidate in Sussex for the newly-created police commissioner job. If the BNP candidate was elected, it would be a disaster for community relations, and risk serious public disorder throughout Sussex, says one of the leading candidates for the post.

Unite member Paul Richards, who is seeking the Labour nomination to be a police commissioner candidate in Sussex, is warning this week that unless people in East and West Sussex turn out to vote, the BNP might sneak in through the back door.

Mr Richards, an adviser to the last Labour government on community relations and counter-terrorism, has conducted an analysis of BNP websites in Sussex. Mr Richards’ analysis shows that:

• This week, the BNP deputy leader Simon Darby made a call for BNP candidates to step forward to stand in Sussex for police commissioner


• BNP ‘table tops’ (ie provocative street stalls) are planned in Littlehampton, Bognor Regis, Lancing and Emsworth, according to BNP organisers


• 60,000 leaflets have been distributed throughout Sussex, including in East Preston, Angmering, Ruslington, Ferring, Lancing and Barnham.


• The BNP is seeking to build on the success of BNP parish councillor John Robinson, a councillor in Barnham parish council, in standing more candidates for town and parish councils


• The BNP south east headquarters in Hastings is gearing up for the Sussex police elections in November

Paul Richards, Labour’s hopeful, said: ‘It is now clear that the BNP, which does so much damage in our communities, is fundraising and organising to stand a candidate for police commissioner in Sussex.

"As a Labour Party candidate, I will stand against the BNP, expose their falsehoods, and argue for fairness and tolerance. But it will be down to the voters to turn out on election day to stop the BNP being elected.
‘A low turnout might favour the extremists, and that would be a disaster. If the BNP won, they would get £80,000 salary, plus £100,000-plus to appoint staff."

Each candidate requires 100 signatures, and a deposit of £5,000 to stand for the new posts, which replace the now-defunct police authorities. The police commissioners will have wide-ranging powers, including setting budgets, representing the public to the police, and hiring and firing the chief constable for Sussex. The election is on Thursday 15th November 2012.

Trades Council AGM: 14th February 2012

The AGM of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 14th February 2012, at the Unite Eastbourne Centre (formerly T&G) , Grand Parade, Eastbourne.

All local trade unionists (including retired trade unionists) are invited, although only delegates from affiliated unions may stand as officers or vote on financial or policy matters.

A G E N D A

1. Introductions and apologies for absence
2. Minutes of the AGM from February 2011
3. Adoption of Rules for 2012 (proposal is same as for 2011 !) and new affiliates
4. Officers' Reports and Accounts
5. Election of Officers for 2012

a) Chair
b) Vice Chair
c) Secretary
d) Treasurer
e) Additional non-officer members of the Executive Committee, if required

6. Guest Speaker: Tom Mellish. Tom is an official of the TUC responsible for working with the Trades Councils. He will speak and lead discussion on the campaign priorities of the TUC for 2012, and how we can get involved.

7. Pattern of meetings for 2012
8. Campaign Contacts for 2012
9. Presentation of the Len Caine Award