Brighton Trades Council- Summer Action

Our colleagues in Brighton Trades Council have a number of important campaign events coming up over the summer. Eastbourne trades unionists are welcomed and encouraged to support.

Tuesday 17th July: Defend the NHS Public Meeting
Called by local NHS Union Branches and supported by Keep Our NHS Public 7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Brighton.

Tuesday 7th August: Brighton Stop the Cuts Organising Meeting 
7:30pm King and Queen Pub.

Sunday 9th September:  Lobby the TUC for Co-ordinated Strike Action Against Austerity! Organised by National Shop Stewards Network, and supported by Brighton Trades Council. A march to the lobby will begin at 1pm at the Level. A rally addressed by Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary) and Bob Crow (RMT General Secretary) will follow the lobby.

Saturday 22nd September:  No to Austerity Government! Lib Dem Conference Demonstration  Meet at the Level Midday then march to Conference Centre. Organised by Stop the Cuts and the Brighton Trades Council

Saturday 20th October: Mass TUC Demo, London  A reserved train from Brighton is being co-ordinated by the Brighton Trades Council. Contact your own union branch in the first instance to book a place. Non-union member booking info to follow

Save the DGH- mobilise on 28th July !

There is a public “consultation” meeting by the hospital trust on the future of services in Eastbourne on Saturday 28th July at the Congress Theatre. Local campaigners from the cross-party Save the DGH Campaign will be mounting a demonstration outside, from 10.00am to show the strength of local support for a full range of services to remain at our local hospital !

Liz Walke has led a superb campaign over many years to protect the ongoing threats to maternity, cardiac and even Accident and Emergency services at our local hospital. The Save the DGH campaign is supported by all three main local political parties, the Trades Council, churches and many other community groups, as well as thousands of individuals in our town.

All local trades unionists are urged to go along on 28th July and show your support- 10.00 am at the Congress Theatre.

Local Pay- bad for Eastbourne

We all want to see fair pay for the nurses, teachers and others who work hard to deliver good public services. But on top of pay freezes, the government now wants to change the way pay is set in the public sector.

Instead of a fair, transparent national system, they want local or regional pay that would mean different rates for people doing exactly the same jobs, just because of where they live.

Here are just five reasons why it doesn’t add up:

• It’s unfair:  Regional pay could mean two nurses or teachers with the same skills and experience being paid differently in two different places – even though they’re doing the same job. People should be paid based on their skills and the work they do, not where they live. Low pay could make it harder for poorer regions to attract and keep the skilled public sector workers they need.
• It’s bad for the economy:  Public sector workers are already feeling the pinch from pay freezes, the VAT rise and inflation. Regional pay would mean holding back pay for even longer in the parts of the country that are struggling the most.  Holding back public sector pay will take money out of public sector workers’ pockets that they would otherwise spend in local shops and businesses.  
• It isn’t backed up by evidence: The government has argued that public sector pay stops the private sector growing. In fact, there’s no evidence to support this. There is an average of five  people chasing every job vacancy, and up to 30 unemployed people per vacancy in some areas. It’s the lack of demand in the economy, not the wages of nurses and teachers that is causing the problem.
• It isn’t what the private sector does: Most big private sector employers recognise that a national system is the fairest and most efficient way to set pay. In fact, companies like Waterstones, Greggs,  Marks and Spencer, BT and Halfords all take the same sort of approach as the public sector: a national pay system with limited additions for London and the south east of England.
• It’s unpopular: According to a recent opinion poll only 28 per cent of voters believe the idea of extending pay freezes for public sector workers outside of the south east and London would be fair. As few as 17 per cent believe that real term pay cuts for public sector workers would help low pay regional economies. It’s time that coalition MPs listened to their constituents, heard their concerns and put a stop to these damaging and divisive plans.

It isn’t just about a North-South Divide !   Eastbourne has long been a “low wage” economy within the South East.  The Education Secretary’s speculation about schools introducing “local market-facing pay” could even lead to Eastbourne teachers being paid less than their colleagues in Brighton- regardless of where they live !

   

For more information, go to www.tuc.org.uk/payfair for information and materials, plus tips and links to help you contact your MP or  local newspaper.

Police Commissioner Elections: Ask questions, then vote !

The July meeting of the Trades Council  was pleased to welcome author and journalist Paul Richards to talk about the forthcoming Police Commissioner elections.

Paul was a special adviser to the last Government on Communities; and was an unsuccessful candidate for Labour’s nomination for the Sussex election. However, as a committed trade unionists, and a  Unite and NUJ member, we thought Paul would be ideal to talk to us  about the role of the commissioners !

Trade Unionists should consider the fact that the elected commissioner will set the budget headings for Sussex Police and its strategic priorities.

Paul highlighted the different attitudes likely to be taken by candidates on issues such as community policing, hate crime (especially race and LGBT) and protecting both uniformed and support staff jobs from cuts and privatisation.

The commissioner will also have control over the budget allocated for Victim Support work, and we should ask serious questions about how this will be allocated.

Paul spoke of the likelihood that the racist BNP will target this election, and that racist and fascist parties tend to do well when there is apathy and a low turnout- which is why it is vital that all trade unionists vote and encourage their workmates to turn out and have their say.

Eastbourne TUC, like all trades councils and the national TUC,  is party-politically independent and does not endorse any individual party or candidate. We urge all local trade unionists to read all of the material, follow all of the campaigns and weigh up the issues for themselves- then make sure you turn out to vote- and encourage others to do the same !

THE POLICE COMMISSIONER ELECTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY 15^TH NOVEMBER.

Trades Council Meeting: July

There will be a meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council at 7.30pm, Tuesday 10th July, 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.)

The guest speaker will be local Unite member, author and campaigner Paul Richards.  Paul was a Special Adviser on Communities to Hazel Blears in the last Labour government, and had sought the Labour Party nomination for the forthcoming Police Commissioner election.  Although Paul was unsuccessful in this, he still has a lot of information and ideas about these important first elections.

Paul will be speaking about the Police Commissioners, the role and powers that they will have, and how trade unionists should be getting involved.  (Note: The Trades Council is party-politically independent, and does not support or endorse any party or candidate. Paul is invited as an expert speaker and a long-standing Unite the Union member !)

THE AGENDA WILL BE:
1. Introductions and apologies for absence
2. Approval of new affiliations.
3. Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising
4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer
5. Paul Richards- Author and Unite member- The Police Commissioner Elections

6. Priorities for Summer campaigning

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

 Any apologies, or requests for information, to the Secretary please