Remploy- Well Done: more to do !

Well done to all Eastbourne Trades Unionists who e-mailed Tory Work and Pensions secretary Iain Duncan-Smith over plans to sack over 1,500 disabled workers in the Remploy factories.

Sally Kosky, National Officer of Unite the Union writes:-

"Hi everyone,

Thank you for all your emails to Iain Duncan Smith - he's had over 12,000 of us telling him to keep his hands off Remploy, and we're not letting up!

Overnight, we had this billboard put up outside Chingford station, slap bang in the middle of the work and pensions minister's constituency - and a mere 350 yards from his office. We just went to see it this morning, and we think it should get his attention nicely:

Can you help us spread the photo far and wide online to get more support for the Remploy workers? Use the links to share it right now on Facebook or Twitter.

Thanks all! Together, we're making this an issue that'll be hard for the minister to ignore for much longer.

Best,

Sally Kosky

National Officer

Unite the Union

P.S. If you'd also like to share the photo with friends and family by email, please send them this link

In Memorium

Eastbourne Trades Council pays tribute to two long standing friends of the trade union movement in Eastbourne, who have recently been taken from us.

TONY RIDDINGTON was a stalwart of the Labour and trade union movement in Eastbourne over many decades. A TGWU (now Unite) activist, Tony was a proud member and officer of Eastbourne Labour Party, standing for election many times in the Langney and St Anthony's area of the town. He also served tirelessly as the Secretary of the Trade Union Club in Seaside.  Tony was also an officer of the Eastbourne Trades Council for many years, and it was a great sadness to us that he was unable, for health reasons, to return to activism when the Trades Council was reformed in 2011. Tony passed away suddenly but peacefully at home on Thursday May 24th.

Tony's funeral will be on on June 15th at Eastbourne Crematorium, at 1.45pm. All friends welcome- please wear colours.  Family flowers only or donations for Cystic Fibrosis Trust or St Wilfrid's Hospice to Serenity, South Street Eastbourne.

ROY MARTIN represented the Musicians' Union on the Eastbourne Trades Council up to his untimely death, and was a regular attendee at our meetings. As well as being a popular local jazz musician, his background was as an electrician, and he was for many years an activist and convener for the EEPTU union- now part of Unite- of which he also remained a lifelong member.  Roy was a Liberal Democrat councillor for Polegate North on both Polegate Town Council and Wealden Borough Council, and for many years also served Polegate on East Sussex County Council.  Roy sadly passed away on Wednesday 30th May. He was 86 years old.

Funeral details to follow.