May Day: We marched!

Eastbourne trade unionists proudly marched through the town on Monday to mark International Workers' Day.  This year, the march proudly welcomed a contingent of staff, parents and students from the East Sussex Music Service, whose instrumental teaching service was earmarked for closure last month.  Nearly 12,000 people have signed the petition against closure: if you haven't yet, please click here.

Other banners and flags on the march included the National Education Union, Unite the Union, RMT, Unite Communuity,  Usdaw, The People's Assembly, Eastbourne Labour Women's Forum,  East Sussex Co-operative Party,  and Devonshire and Meads Labour Party. 

A rally and picnic at the Wish Tower slopes was introduced by Trades Council secretary Dave Brinson. Attendees heard an impassioned speech from Jane Humberstone, union rep at East Sussex Music Service, as well as from  Lucette Davies from East Sussex Save the NHS,  Unison's Chrissie Parsons about threatened social care closures including Milton Grange and Firwood House, and Julie Hart of USDAW speaking about her union's Respect for Shopworkers campaign.  Carol Mills from Unite Community spoke about some of Eastbourne's less well-known radical history. 

The marchers were pleased to be visited by local MP Stephen Lloyd at the start of the march in Hyde Gardens, and to welcome USDAW's new national President, Amy Murphy, as a guest at the rally.

The May Day march was a feature in Eastbourne's campaigning calendar for decades, and the Trades Council were thrilled to bring this tradition back last year, after a twenty year gap.