Ending the Low Pay Culture- a SERTUC Seminar: London, 3rd November

South East region TUC is hosting a morning seminar in the wake of the TUC's mass demo for 'A Future that Works' on October 20^th.

Looking at ending the low pay culture, the seminar will address: 

• Trends in workers' pay since 1975,
• Increasing workers' pay- negotiating success
• How the government's proposals for regional/local pay are not evidence based
• How workers' wages are a critical pillar of the trade unions' alternative economic strategy.

Chaired by Tony Lennon, SERTUC vice president, guest speakers will include Duncan Weldon, TUC senior policy officer, Helen Kersley of the New Economics Foundation, Heather Wakefield, head of local government for Unison and Enrico Tortolano, national research officer for PCS.

The seminar is FREE and directed towards reps, activists and union officers.

Date: Saturday 3 November

Time: 10am - 1pm (followed by lunch)

Venue: Congress House, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LS

Cost: Free to attend but registration is essential

MEET THE NEW TUC GENERAL SECRETARY

There is also an opportunity to hear Frances O’Grady TUC general secretary designate address the  SERTUC Regional Council meeting. This will be just one week after the March for a Future that Works.

All trade union members from the South East may attend as observers to the meeting to hear Frances, although advance registration is essential. Congress House 10am on Saturday 27 October. Contact Darren Lewis at SERTUC-  dlewis@tuc.org.uk

DGH: Still Time to Act !

The public consultation on services at the District General Hospital ends on the 28th September. There is still time to have your say !

Eastbourne Trades Council  are proud to be supporting the cross-Party Save the DGH Campaign, which is fighting to defend core services at Eastbourne District General Hospital:

• Acute medical emergencies (eg Heart attacks and Strokes)
• Acute surgical emergencies (eg severe abdominal pain and fractures)
• Acute psychiatric emergencies (eg psychoses and para-suicide)
• Consultant led Obstetrics
• Acute Paediatric emergencies (eg epiglottitis, croup and fractures)
• Diagnostic services to support all of the above

The campaign believes that ALL of the above MUST be retained at the DGH, to properly serve Eastbourne and District.

Please take a few moments to take the following action:

1) Take part in the public consultation, and make clear that you are not in favour of any single-siting of these core services.   Suggested answers to the consultation can be found here.

2) Write to the Secretary of State for Health urging him to take action to intervene and instruct the Board to retain services at the Eastbourne site.  There is a model letter you can download here.

3) Visit the Save the DGH website, and show your support on Twitter, Facebook etc.

 

Brighton TUC- Protest at Lib Dem Conference

The Liberal Democrats- junior partners in the coalition Government- will be holding their Annual Conference just down the coast in Brighton later this month.  Our colleagues in Brighton Trades Council will be staging a protest against the austerity policies of their Government on Saturday 22nd September.

Brighton Trades Council are pointing out that:

"The government has embarked on an unprecedented programme of cuts and privatisation.

Schools, hospitals, councils, benefits, the welfare state is torn apart while jobs are lost and pay is cut, Debt reduction through 'austerity' in Britain and across Europe has now been proved not to reduce deficits, but it is part of a massive transfer of wealth from the poor to the very richest.

The Lib-Dems prop up a government that has seen the wealth of the richest 1,000 people increase by £78 billion since they took office. This is the party who pledged to scrap tuition fees and protect EMA, yet EMA has gone and tuition fees have been tripled. "

Trade unionists are urged to join Brighton unions and anti-cuts activists in a march and rally- assembling at The Level, Brighton, at mid-day on Saturday 22nd September. For more information, visit the Brighton Trades Council website here.

Stephen Lloyd to meet Trades Council

The MP for Eastbourne, Stephen Lloyd, will once again be our guest speaker at the Eastbourne Trades Council- on Tuesday 18th September.

While we don't always agree with Stephen, he has taken a keen interest in the work of the Trades Council, and union members in the town. Stephen spoke to us last year, and we were pleased to hear an update on his work in Parliament and in the town, followed by a full and frank discussion on policy questions !

Stephen will once again speak to us about his latest work- and we expect there to be a particular focus on the all-party Save the DGH Campaign of which both Stephen and the Trades Council are supporters. 

All local trade unionists are welcome to attend the meeting with Stephen at Eastbourne Town Hall, Grove Road, Eastbourne on Tuesday 18th September at 7.30pm.  PLEASE NOTE CHANGE FROM USUAL VENUE !

The meeting will also discuss other business, including the arrangements for the October 20th National Demonstration in London, called by the TUC.

THE AGENDA WILL BE:
1. Introductions and apologies for absence
2. Approval of new affiliations.
3. Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising
4. Guest Speaker: Stephen Lloyd MP
5. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer

6. National Demonstration- October 20th
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

All out for the DGH on September 15th !

The Save the DGH Campaign have called a protest march from the Redoubt fortress at 10.00am on Saturday 15th September to oppose the plans to potentially remove stroke care, orthapedics and general surgery from the Eastbourne District General Hospital.

Chair of the campaign, Liz Walke told the Eastbourne Herald this week:

“We need more than 5,000 people,and need to make sure the Trust knows just how many we are representing.

If these services go, it is inevitable that others, such as maternity and paediatrics, will soon follow. If we miss this opportunity we won’t be able to oppose future plans because the infrastructure needed for departments like maternity will have already gone.

Anyone who does not think it is acceptable for patients in need of emergency, possibly life-threatening medical treatment, to have to endure a 30-minute ambulance journey to Hastings before that treatment can be started needs to join the march. This is our big chance to show we do not want the DGH to become a cottage hospital.”

All local trade unionists and others are stongly urged to join the march, and to meet at the Redoubt at 10am, with a rally starting at 11am.