It's Young Workers' Month

November is the Trade Union Congress' Young Workers' Month.

Why do we need Young Workers' Month ?

• Presently there are 683,000 people aged 16-24 (or 14.8%) who are looking for and available for work: youth unemployment rate is nearly three times the rate for all workers aged 16+ 
• In 2014 19.6% of young workers were underemployed, more than double the percentage of any other age group. Underemployed workers are those people who have jobs but want to work more hours than they currently do. Young workers have consistently been twice as likely to be underemployed than workers in general, meaning it has become commonplace for them to be trapped in jobs that don’t have enough hours to provide the income they need.
• 255,000 young people (or 6.7%) are in zero hours contracts, meaning that the proportion of people in zero hours contracts is three times higher for young people than the adult population generally.
• Young people’s wages fell disproportionately further than those of older workers during the downturn. Between 2009 and 2014 median hourly earnings for 22-29 year olds (excluding overtime and RPIJ-adjusted) fell by 12.7%, 
• The inevitable consequence of this low pay is young people finding it harder and harder to get by. The most recent figures show that 1 in 5 (22.4%) young people are at risk of poverty.

The National Minimum Wage- introduced in 1998- allows a lower rate for workers under 21.  The Government's wrongly-called "national living wage" coming in next year, will only apply to the over 25's- leaving young workers falling further behind.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Younger workers must be treated fairly. It is wrong to leave 21 to 24 year olds out: they face the same expenses as other adults and are highly productive. Not paying them the full minimum wage will demotivate younger adults, who will get less pay than their colleagues for the same work."

Eastbourne Borough Council- to its shame- takes full advantage of the young worker rates: our freedom of information request showed that during August 2015 47 young staff (6% of the council workforce) were paid less than the minimum wage rate of £6.50 an hour. 

Why Should Young Workers Join a Union ?

Here come the cuts....again !

East Sussex County Council is launching a "consultation" about proposals to massively cut the funding of Adult Social Care services in the County. 

Already these services which care for our elderly and other most vulnerable people in our society have been cut to the bone. For many years, as activists, we've heard the hollow promise whenever cuts are floated by a local authority, that the "voluntary sector" will be supported in picking up the pieces. However, now even the grant funding to charitable and third-sector providers is being slashed, so these services will go too.

It is proposed that the budget for commissioned services will be cut by more than 75%, meaning the end of such valuable services as the "home from hospital" care support currently provided by Age Concern Eastbourne, supported by grant funding.

Back in February, when ESCC agreed £18 million of cuts as part of a three-year £67 million cuts package, David Elkin, Tory County Councillor for Eastbourne's Sovereign Ward claimed: “We’ve proven in recent years that we can be trusted to act prudently and responsibly, but the climate of austerity we’re operating in means more difficult decisions have to be made...[1]"  Whether his constituents who rely on the direct or commissioned services he's voting to cut will agree, is another matter. Laughably, he more recently claimed: "This is a challenge but also an opportunity to come up with imaginative new ways of delivering services, including working more closely with our partners, communities and the voluntary sector.[2] "   More creative ways meaning cutting the funding to the voluntary sector just as he has to directly provided services, presumably.

The final budget plan will be put to the County Council in early 2016. The Tories do not have a majority on the County Council- having to rely on Independents and UKIP to prop them up. Please lobby your local councillor, and also take part in the online "consultation" making clear you oppose these service cuts. The consultation is open until 24th November.

We will keep you up to date with other action- including any protest or industrial action in support of jobs and services that is called by the affiliated trade unions.

Eastbourne: Poverty Pay in the Public Sector !

EASTBOURNE BOROUGH COUNCIL: 42% of staff paid less than Living Wage

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL: 27% of staff paid less than Living Wage

EAST SUSSEX  HOSPITALS (DGH): 11% of staff paid less than Living Wage. 

As it is Living Wage week, we were keen to look at the situation for workers in Eastbourne. Eastbourne has many staff employed in the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors, all of which have traditionally been low-paid- although Morrisons and Lidl have recently joined the ranks of Living Wage employers. A number of other employers active in Eastbourne have also signed up to the Living Wage foundation's Living Wage accreditation, paying all staff over 18 £8.15 or more. You can read these here

Brighton and Hove City Council is accredited as a Living Wage employer, and Hastings Borough Council pays all of its directly employed staff above the Living Wage rate. So the public sector is setting a good example, yes ?...... Sadly not in Eastbourne !

East Sussex County Council employs a total of 16,200 people (many are part time and/or casual- the full time equivalent is 8,717 )   Of these, a staggering 4,373 were paid below the living wage rate- then £7.85-  in August, that's 27% of the council's workforce.

Eastbourne Borough Council employed 741, and 314 of these were paid less than the living wage. This equates to just over 42% of the council workforce.

Of those, we established that 27 were under 18 (the age at which the Living Wage Foundation expects their accredited employers to pay the Living Wage.)

Shockingly, the Borough Council still takes advantage of the lower rates within the national minimum wage to pay under 21's even less:  47 staff were paid less than the adult national minimum wage of £6,50 !

Perhaps the NHS would be better ?

Sussex Community NHS Trust, the main provider of NHS community health and care services across West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and High Weald, Lewes and Havens area of East Sussex has been paying the Living Wage since 2013. Sussex Partnership NHS Trust which provides services for those with mental health problems, learning disabilities or an addiction to drugs or alcohol have agreed to do the same at Board Level and are currently looking at the logistics around implementation.

As for the good old East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Eastbourne DGH- not such good news..... as we reported earlier, of a total workforce of 7314 across the trust (including the Conquest Hopsital in Hastings) 790 people were paid less than the Living Wage: around 11% of the workforce.

Trades Council secretary, Dave Brinson recalls: "I was in a meeting a couple of years ago, when an official of the Borough council berated me for suggesting that the town was a 'low wage' economy, This would seem to prove a point- and the Borough Council itself is at the forefront of perpetuating it !"

Source for EBC and ESCC information: FoI request by Dave Brinson, covering August pay period. Source for NHS information, FoI request by Unison. 

It's (REAL) Living Wage Week !

Living Wage Week is a UK-wide celebration of the Living Wage and Living Wage Employers.

This year Living Wage Week begins on Sunday 1 November and runs to Saturday 7 November.
The week sees accredited Living Wage Employers across the country celebrate their commitment to the Living Wage.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. It is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.

Don't buy into the George Osborne dishonest talk of the new "living wage": the real Living Wage is independently calculated based on EVIDENCE !:

Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore explains: "The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay."

New research reveals that almost six million people (23% of the working population) are paid less than the living wage. This is nearly half a million more than last year and an increase for the third year in a row – up from 21% in 2013 and 22% in 2014.

Next Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday 17th November

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 17th November, 7.30pm at the View Hotel (formerly known as the Unite/T&G Eastbourne Centre), Grand Parade, Eastbourne. All local trade union members, including retired trade unionists, are welcome to attend the meeting.

THE AGENDA WILL BE:

1. Introductions and apologies for absence
2. Approval of new affiliations.
3. Minutes of previous meeting (September) and matters arising. 
4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer
5. ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGNS- including adult social care and others
6. LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGNS: Update on campaigns, including reports from Unison, People's Assembly and others involved in the campaign.
7. Report from  East Sussex County Association of Trades Councils
8. Any other Campaigns: Colleagues invited to provide information on their Unions’ local and national campaigns, and any support that the Trades Council could give.
9. Any other business. The bar will be open afterwards !

Low Pay Scandal at the DGH

UNISON Hastings & Eastbourne Healthcare branch issued a Freedom Of Information request to East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Eastbourne DGH  and the Conquest Hospital in Hastings,  to establish the numbers of staff which do not receive the Living Wage (Currently £7.85 per hour)

The Trust has provided the following information on the numbers of staff who are currently paid less than £7.85 Living Wage.

Permanent Staff
321 staff ( 267.70 whole-time equivalent)

Fixed Term Temporary Staff
18 staff

Primary Assignment "Bank" staff  (i.e. do not have a substantive post elsewhere within the Trust)
451 zero hours contract (so no whole time equivalent available.)

This equates to approx. 11% of the Trust workforce (7314).

Unison said: "This is to form a part of our campaign to urge the Trust to become a Living Wage employer with all the positive aspects which that brings. Not only for the staff involved with an increase in their pay packets, but also for the Trust in recruitment and retention. A positive news story ...for the Trust is needed now more than ever."

Other NHS Trusts locally either pay the living wage or have made commitments to do so.
Sussex Community NHS Trust has been paying the Living Wage since 2013. Sussex Partnership NHS Trust have agreed to do the same at Board Level and are currently looking at the logistics around implementation. Brighton and Hove CCG also pays the Living Wage.
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS pay the Living Wage for all current staff other than Bank and new starters.

Trades Councils Programme of Work 2015-6

The key theme for the Trades Union Councils Programme of Work for 2015 to 2016 must be setting out a positive vision of trade unions as we know them to be: a democratic force for fairness in the modern workplace. 

The key areas of campaigning for the year are:

1.  Protecting workers’ rights to organise together
2.  An end to austerity economics
3.  A twenty-first century Europe
4.  Making devolution and decentralisation work
5.  Reaching out to young workers
6.  Fighting racism and defending black, Asian and ethnic minority workers
7.  Defending the Welfare State

Ten Things You Can Do To Help Us Win

1. Build in your workplace and community for the TUC national demonstration
   against austerity at October’s Tory Party conference in Manchester. 
2. Join the TUC’s digital army by signing up to Going to Work
3. Share how austerity has blighted your community at the False Economy
   website
4. Back the Saving our Safety Net campaign and tell the government to scrap
   plans to make people wait at least five weeks for unemployment benefits
5. Join local community campaigns to defend the NHS  including the Save the DGH Campaign
6. Press your local council to back the Robin Hood Tax.
7. Support organisations like Defend Council Housing and campaign for decent
   affordable homes for all including by building more council homes, ending the
   "right to buy" and stopping its extension to housing associations; and controlling
   private rents
8. Join your local public services campaigns – contact your  TUC region  
9. Back TUC international solidarity actions through the Going to Work website  
10. Put the TUC’s Campaign Plan on your trades union council agenda.

Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday 22nd September

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 22nd September, 7.30pm at the View Hotel (formerly known as the Unite/T&G Eastbourne Centre), Grand Parade, Eastbourne. All local trade union members, including retired trade unionists, are welcome to attend the meeting.

THE AGENDA WILL BE:

1. Introductions and apologies for absence
2. Approval of new affiliations.
3. Minutes of previous meeting (July) and matters arising. 
4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer
5. Eastbourne Campaigns: Report from the People's Assembly launch, Eastbourne Welcomes Refugees and other local campaigning initiatives.
6. Keep Justice in Eastbourne: update on campaign to keep magistrates court open.
7. Update on East Sussex County Association of Trades Councils
8. Delegates to SERTUC Trades Councils Conference, 31st October. We can send 2 delegates who will have their travel fully funded.
9. Any other Campaigns: Colleagues invited to provide information on their Unions’ local and national campaigns, and any support that the Trades Council could give.
10. Autumn Newsletter- draft to be tabled for approval (or not !)
11. Any other business. The bar will be open afterwards !

Trade Unionists Support the People's Assembly Against Austerity

Eastbourne Trades Council is proudly supporting the establishment of an Eastbourne People's Assembly, which will be launched on Saturday 19th September. Affiliates to the People's Assembly nationally include Unite the Union, Unison, NUT, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, the Fire Brigades Union and the South East Region of the TUC.

There have been swingeing cutbacks in public services and local government expenditures during the last 5 years because of economic and social policies implemented by central government, which justifies such policies as being the 'austerity' necessary to ensure future 'prosperity'. These cutbacks have affected the people of Eastbourne in many ways, such as increasing poverty, homelessness, and reducing access to essential health and social services.

Mirroring the establishment of a national People’s Assembly that campaigns against austerity, a group of Eastbourne activists is creating a local organisation, the Eastbourne People’s Assembly against Austerity. This new local group will raise awareness about the impact of austerity, campaign against it both locally and nationally, and promote the alternatives to austerity that would protect or restore our vital local services.

The Eastbourne People's Assembly will be launched on Saturday 19^th September at Our Lady of Ransom Church Hall in Grange Road, Eastbourne and is expected to attract participants from a wide range of community, faith, campaign and trade union groups as well as individual activists. Doors open at 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start.

The launch will commence with keynote speeches by, amongst others, Mark Steel - comedian and columnist for The Independent newspaper - and national People's Assembly secretary and co-ordinator, Sam Fairbairn. The main focus of the evening will be sharing ideas and suggestions about how to build up the Eastbourne People's Assembly and how to develop the campaign against austerity locally.

Anyone interested in attending the launch please  book your free ticket on Eventbrite by clicking here.

Union Campaigns and Action coming up in the South East Region

PCS-  National Gallery: PCS action continues against privatisation and the sacking of PCS rep Candy Udwin. Strike days this week and continuous strike action due to start – Click here to check on progress on PCS website   and on Facebook by clicking here.

Unite-  Hackney Traffic Wardens Strike over sick pay,  Monday and Tuesday 3 and 4 August. Support the picket lines 6.30 to 10.30am. More information, click here.

Kent Miners' Festival: Bank Holiday Monday 31 August 10am at Betteshanger-  click here for more information.

CND-  Hiroshima Day:   screening of The War Game Thursday 6 August 6pm at Friends House with panel discussion with Kate Hudson and Bruce Kent. Book tickets here. 

Unite (GPMU) Ross Pritchard Memorial Fund.   Annual essay competition,  win £750. Title: How should we build the public struggle in defence of the NHS? Closing date 26 September- for more information on entry, click here

Burston Strike School Rally- Sunday 6 September with Jeremy Corbyn MP, Clive Lewis MP, Megan Dobney SERTUC, Elvis McGonagall (performance poet), RMT Brass Band, Christine Blower (NUT), Matt Wrack (FBU), The Hurriers, Mike Jackson (Lesbian & Gays Support the Miners) Information here- we will let you know of any coaches going up from this part of Sussex !

Justice for Eastbourne: Hands OFF our Courts !

Courts minister Shailesh Vara has announced a 12-week consultation on the closure of 91 courts and tribunals in England and Wales- including closing ALL COURT SERVICES (Magistrates, County Court and Family Court) in Eastbourne.


If this closure programme goes ahead 38.5% of courts and tribunals will have closed since 2010.
The minister claims the 460 courts and tribunal hearing centres are underused but we strongly contest this as we know that the department has been considering for some time how it may save money in relation to its estate and that sitting patterns have been used to remove work from certain courthouses to prepare them for closure.

93 magistrates' courts and 49 county courts were closed in the last large-scale round of closures. A number of these have not been sold and are still being maintained at taxpayers' expense so the anticipated savings have not been realised.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "With courts closures and cuts to legal aid, access to justice has been significantly restricted by the previous government and now this one.

"We do not believe it is in the interests of justice to leave our communities without easy access to courthouses and tribunals."

Transport problems

Many trials in magistrates' courts proceed in the absence of defendants or are dismissed because witnesses don't appear and difficulties in getting to the court play their part. Despite the minister's assertion that 95% of citizens will be able to reach their required court within an hour by car and 83% to tribunals, there will be serious problems for people getting to courts, including PCS members who work in them. 

In crown courts it will make it more difficult for defence witnesses to attend hearings and mean it is no longer a level playing field as many defendants are in custody and the police will make arrangements to get prosecution witnesses to court. Public transport links are often inadequate and as most people are required to be at court by 9.30am they have to travel in peak time and pay peak fares.

At magistrates' courts certain types of work are being centralised so your nearest court may not be the one where the particular hearing is listed.

Workers vulnerable

While the minister claims his reforms will bring "quicker and fairer access to justice" we believe it will cause more problems. We have continually warned that the merger of courts because of building closures, and staff cuts, has compromised security and left court workers and the public vulnerable to assault. The minister says he is committed to ensuring access to justice is maintained even in more rural locations by using civic and other public buildings, such as town halls, but such buildings are not set up as court rooms with docks and access to cells if there is an issue of contempt.

Job losses

Many committed and experienced staff who understand the justice system could lose their jobs if these courts close. Local communities will lose a vital public service and access to justice for thousands of people will be denied.

Increased travel times and more difficult journeys for victims of crime, defendants, witnesses and others involved in court proceedings will inevitably lead to more delays in cases being heard and higher costs.

The delivery of justice has been under threat since the court closure programme began in 2010 and PCS members’ pensions, pay and jobs are of course under threat from the government’s cuts agenda.

HAVE YOUR SAY:

Make a submission to the Consultation here.
Contact your MP here.

Next Trades Council Meeting: 21st July

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 21st July, 7.30pm at the View Hotel (formerly known as the Unite/T&G Eastbourne Centre), Grand Parade, Eastbourne. 

All local trade union members, including retired trade unionists, are welcome to attend the meeting.

THE AGENDA WILL BE:

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of new affiliations.

3. Minutes of previous meeting (May) and matters arising.

4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer (Gordon has sent apologies due to the change of date. A written report will be available)

5. Campaigning over the Summer: Update on the TUC's campaigns, the development of the People's Assembly in Eastbourne, and other priorities for union campaigning over the summer.

6.  Update on East Sussex County Association of Trades Councils

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

8. Autumn Newsletter

9. Any other business.

The bar will be open afterwards !  This is likely to be a relatively short meeting, as there is no speaker.

Join us at the Tolpuddle Festival

Lewes and Crawley Trades Councils are organising a coach to the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival Rally this year, on 19th July, and trade unionists from Eastbourne are warmly invited to join them. This is a fantastic event with music, political speakers, and thousands of people processing with their banners.

The Tolpuddle Festival commemorates the Tolpuddle Martyrs- farm labourers who were tried and transported to Australia in 1834 on trumped-up charges, as a result of their forming an early trade union. Three years later, the government capitulated, and the men returned home as heroes. Find out more about their story here.

The fare will be approximately £10, and you will need to get to Lewes to join the coach.  If you are interested, please contact the Lewes Trades Council secretary Bill Ball by emailing here.

Eastbourne Trade Unionists march to say: "End Austerity Now"

The Eastbourne Trades Council will be marching with tens of thousands of others at the End Austerity Now demonstration, called by the People's Assembly Against Austerity.

Assemble 12pm, Bank of England (Queen Victoria St) City of London. March to Parliament Square.    

The Eastbourne contingent will be leaving together from Eastbourne Station, and there is some support towards ticket costs from the trades council for local trade union members.  Rob Clarke from Unite and Derek Hansford from CWU will be leading our group.

The People’s Assembly:

1.  Is a broad united national campaign against austerity, cuts and privatisation in our workplaces, community and welfare services, based on general agreement with the signatories’ Founding Statement.
2.  Is linked to no political party, committed to open non-sectarian working and dedicated to supplementing, rather than supplanting, trade union, student, pensioner and community opposition to austerity measures.
3.  Is based on affiliation by individual supporters, unions nationally and locally, anti-cuts campaigns, and other student, pensioner, unemployed, disabled people’s, women’s, Black people’s, youth and LGBT campaigning organisations.
4.  Aspires to support, encourage, coordinate joint action, and facilitate a transfer of experience rather than to command.
5.  Encourages the establishment of new local campaigns and/or People’s Assemblies.
6.  Organises newsletters, a website, twitter, Facebook and social media, meetings, conferences, lobbies, rallies, marches, demonstrations and other events.
7.  Vehemently opposes all proposals to “solve” the crisis by discrimination or scapegoating on  grounds of disability, race, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation or identity.
8.  Liaises closely with similar movements in other countries resisting austerity measures.
9.  Encourages a wide debate on how to protect the welfare state and develop an alternative programme for economic and social recovery.

Next Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday 12th May

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 12th May, 7.30pm at the View Hotel (formerly known as the Unite/T&G Eastbourne Centre), Grand Parade, Eastbourne. 

Megan Dobney, the Regional Secretary of the TUC will be our guest, and will speak and lead discussion on the priorities for the movement following the General Election.   Derek Hansford from Hastings TUC and the proposed County Association will also report on the recent SERTUC AGM.

All local trade union members, including retired trade unionists, are welcome to attend the meeting.

THE AGENDA WILL BE:

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of new affiliations.

3. Minutes of previous meeting (January) and matters arising. Copies of the draft minutes of the March AGM will also be available for information.

4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer

5. Guest Speaker: Megan Dobney, Regional Secretary of SERTUC, on campaign priorities for the trades councils.

6. Report on SERTUC AGM from Derek Hansford (Hastings Trades Council)

7.  Update on arrangements for an East Sussex County Association of Trades Councils- including to agree our affiliation fee.

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

9. Any other business.

The bar will be open afterwards !

Today is Workers' Memorial Day

Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don't die of mystery ailments, or in tragic "accidents". They die because an employer, a contractor or even a manufacturer decided their safety just wasn't that important a priority. Today, Workers’ Memorial Day commemorates those workers.  Find out more by clicking here

Workers’ Memorial Day is not just symbolic- it is a time to remember real working people in our local area who have died as a result of accidents or illnesses caused at work. On 28th April- we urge you to remember:-

• ROY TRUNDELL (Eastbourne Buses employee- killed in a workplace accident in 2008)
• CLIVE BECK (former Ratton School teacher- died of Mesothelioma. The shelves in his school cupboard were made of asbestos.)
• BOB TOLLY (Eastbourne gas fitter- died 2006, also of Mes...otheleoma. Exposed to asbestos during his working life.)
• SIMON JONES (Student killed by a Crane at Shoreham Port, on his first day.)
• DANIEL HAFFENDEN (Eastbourne tyre fitter, killed in a work accident in 2012)
• GEOFF WICKER and BRIAN WEMBRIDGE (East Sussex firefighters killed in action fighting a blaze at a firework factory- Lewes)

 and all the other local people killed whilst doing their job.

 

 MOURN FOR THE DEAD… FIGHT FOR THE LIVING !

Use your Vote on May 7th

Britain goes to the polls in the General Election on Thursday May 7th, and Eastbourne will be a hard fought contest as always.

The Trades Council is non-party political, and like the TUC does not endorse any particular party or candidates. But we will campaign on the issues that matter to our members throughout the campaign, and lobby all candidates to support jobs and services in Eastbourne, a decent living wage for all, and, of course the return of all core services to our DGH !

Many, but not all, of our affiliated unions have dedicated political funds that allow them to campaign for particular candidates or parties. Others are independent but use their political fund to endorse particular candidates; others just to campaign against racist or fascist candidates.

As we have done in previous local elections, the trades council has asked all of the main parties to tell us of any local candidates who are, or were trade unionists. By way of factual information...:-

Labour Party:  Dave Brinson (Devonshire Ward- NUT, local secretary), Gerry Stonestreet (Devonshire Ward- Unite the Union, retired.)  Doug Skelley (Hampden Park- GMB steward). Lee Comfort (Langney Ward, Unite the Union) Roy Noble (Langney Ward, Unite) Dennis Scard (Meads Ward- Unite the Union and the Musicians' Union), Lucette Davies (Meads Ward, NUJ)  Jean Couture (Old Town Ward, NUT retired), Paul Richards (Old Town Ward, Unite the Union and NUJ), Sharon Wentworth (Old Town Ward- Unite the Union). John Lambert (Ratton Ward, UCU), John Joe Wentworth (Ratton Ward, Unite the Union), Jackie Ferguson (St Anthony's Ward, NUT retired) Simon Millar (Upperton Ward, Unite the Union)

Liberal Democrats:  Troy Tester (Pharmacists Defence Association Union, Langney Ward, John Ungar (Old Town Ward, Unison) David Tutt (Unite/CMA [retd.]; St Anthony's Ward) Gill Mattock (UCU, St Anthony's Ward,) 

Green Party: Rob Clarke (Old Town Ward, Unite the Union steward) 

Independent: Dave Poole (Hampden Park Ward, Unite the Union) 

We have not yet had a reply from the Conservatives or UKIP- we will update the page as soon as we do.  

No World Cup without Workers' Rights !

Anyone who will be in London on Tuesday 28th April may want to support this event for Workers' Memorial Day:
International Workers Memorial Day: Tuesday 28 April

10.30am – Building Worker Statue – Tower Hill EC3 (Tower Hill tube)

12.30pm – Qatari Embassy, 1 South Audley Street W1K 1NB  (Green Park tube)

No World Cup Without Workers Rights

It has been estimated that by the time the 2022 World Cup in Qatar kicks off, 4000 workers could die in the virtual slave labour system in which migrant workers in particular are denied basic rights. We demand that unless this slaughter is stopped the vote on the host country must be rerun.

Speakers:  Gail Cartmail – UNITE the Union; Steve Murphy – UCATT; Construction Safety campaign; London Hazards Centre; Relatives of workers killed at work

Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living

Better Red Tape Than Red Bandages

Trades Council AGM: March 17th

The AGM of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 17th March 2015, at the View Hotel  (formerly T&G/Unite Centre) , 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 2014
3. Adoption of Rules for 2015 (proposal is same as for 2014) and new affiliates.
4. Officers' Reports and Accounts
5. Election of Officers for 2015

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

6. Campaign Updates- including local and national Union campaigns, Save the DGH and the CAB survey on zero hours. This item will include update and proposal regarding joining East Sussex County Association of trades councils. 

7. Pattern of meetings for 2015
8. Campaign Contacts for 2015

9. Presentation of the Len Caine Award

Fair Pay Fortnight- Well Done Eastbourne

Eastbourne Trades Council is proud to have supported the TUC's Fair Pay Fortnight, campaigning for a Living Wage and against exploitative zero-hours contracts in Eastbourne and across the country !


Our dedicated Fair Pay for Eastbourne website has carried information about the Living Wage, advice on Zero Hours contracts, and how and which Union to join.

We have published a list of known Living Wage employers operating or employing staff living in Eastbourne.

We literally kicked off the fortnight by mobilising football fans in Eastbourne to join the 38 Degrees campaign for Fair Pay for ordinary staff such as ground staff and cleaners in Premiership football clubs. Only one team (Chelsea) is currently a Living Wage employer.  We promoted the excellent 38 Degrees petitions- one for each team in the Premier League. These are still open, and you can find your team and sign here.

We have helped the local Citizens Advice Bureau promote their survey into zero-hours or variable hours contracts in Eastbourne, and have circulated important campaigning information around combatting zero-hours contracts to union activists across the town.

We were proud to promote the work of the Citizens UK I Care about Care campaign, which is calling for a charter of rights for staff working in the social care sector. This affects many working people in Eastbourne, many of whom are not just paid under the Living Wage, but many have contracts that mean, in practice, they are being paid less than the National Minimum Wage.  We promoted Unisons' petition calling for this exploitation to end.

Stephen Lloyd MP is a vocal champion of the Apprenticeship scheme, but also a conspicuous defender of the disgraceful £2.73 per hour minimum wage for apprentices. The excellent report from the National Union of Students- entitled Forget Me Not blows apart some of the myths around the Apprenticeship scheme, and we proudly promoted this.

We have encouraged local trade unionists to support a range of national Fair Pay campaigns, including:-

• Living Wage and BECTU  union recognition for Picturehouse Cinema workers- including at the Duke of York's in Brighton.
• Amazon- Pay your staff and Pay Your Taxes- a campaign run by the GMB
• Church of England- practice what you preach- after the letter from Bishops about the Living Wage exposed failings in a number of C of E employers !

The fortnight may be over, but the campaign goes on.  We will continue to update our Fair Pay for Eastbourne site, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

It's FAIR PAY Fortnight !

Working people in the UK are seeing their living standards squeezed harder and harder every year. The cost of energy, food and housing is soaring but wages aren’t keeping up.

6.1 MILLION people in working households are living in poverty. This means that (excluding pensioners) there are more working households in poverty than there are workless households !

Full time workers have lost on average over £4,000 in wages since 2009 and while jobs may be returning to the economy, they’re increasingly low paid, low hours and low security.

Eastbourne has many workers who are employed in low-wage and zero-hours contracts. Eastbourne definitely needs a pay rise !
 

Eastbourne has many workers employed in the social care sector.  According to Unison, there are 220,000 care workers paid less than the minimum wage (usually through employer fiddles that falsely calculate 'working' hours)  Find out more about their campaign, and sign the petition here.

Watch the TUC's animation highlighting the every day challenges faced by millions of people hit by the cost of living crisis below.

 

 

Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday January 13th

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 13th January, 7.30pm at the View Hotel (formerly known as the Unite/T&G Eastbourne Centre, Grand Parade, Eastbourne. 

All local trade union members, including retired trade unionists, are welcome to attend the meeting.

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. TUC Plan of Work for Trades Councils: including what we prioritise in the General Election period, and links with other Trades Councils in East Sussex. Dave Brinson to lead on this item

6. Health Campaigns update- following on from item 5. Save the DGH, GMB campaign and others.

7.  Arrangements for the AGM, including speaker, and nominations for the Len Caine Award

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

9. Any other business.

The bar will be open afterwards !