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.