Trades Council AGM: Tuesday 29th March 2022

The 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be held on Tuesday 29^th March, at 7.30pm at The Eastbourne Railway Club,  by Hampden Park Station, Station Approach, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, BN22 9ND.  

THE AGENDA SHALL BE:

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Minutes of the last AGM from 2021

3. Adoption of Rules and Subscription Levels  for 2022 (proposal is to remain unchanged) and new affiliates.

4. Officers' Reports and Accounts.

5. Election of Officers for 2021-2 (following a resolution of the 2018 AGM, nominations for officer positions must be received before the meeting, and will be circulated on Monday 13^th May)

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

6. External Affiliations for 2022  (Last year:  East Sussex CATC, National Pensioners' Convention, Cuba Solidarity Campaign,  Stand up To Racism)

7.. Dates of meetings for 2021-2

8. Any other urgent non-AGM Business

(a) May Day March and Rally

(b) Stop the War in Ukraine

(c) Any Urgent Campaign Reports from affiliated unions

9. Presentation of the Len Caine Award to Pat from GMB

Demonstrate to "Kill the Bill": May Day

Although we are unable to hold our full traditional May Day parade and picnic to celebrate International Workers' Day, the Trades Council is proudly supporting a socially-distanced demonstration against the dreadful Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The Bill, the first attempt to amend the Public Order legislation for nearly 18 year, will severely curtail civil liberties around the right to peacefully demonstrate, to protest and to picket.  There is a detailed explanation as to why the Bill should be opposed from the Good Law Project here. 

Join us on May 1st at 1.00pm

We will gather at Hyde Gardens at 1p.m. and march to the Wish Tower slopes for a rally where we are hoping to have a range of speakers and performers. Those attending should wear face masks and adhere to social distancing - keeping a 2m distance, in line with current COVID-19 guidelines. Let’s stand together and defend our right to protest. Bring your banners and whistles, family and friends and let’s make some noise!

May Day Greetings!

Eastbourne Trades Council proudly organises the annual May Day march and picnic  to celebrate trade unionism and working people's organisation in Eastbourne.  Sadly, the lockdown means that this year it wasn't possible to do this- but see below for a selection of pictures from the past three years.  We'll be back in 2021!

POSTPONED: Trades Council AGM

The 2020 AGM of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be rescheduled when further information about prevention and management of the Corvid-19 virus is known.

A G E N D A 

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Minutes of the AGM from 2019

3. Adoption of Rules for 2020 (proposal is same as for 2019) and new affiliates.

4. Officers' Reports and Accounts

5. Election of Officers for 2020-1 (following a resolution of the 2018 AGM, nominations for officer positions must be received before the meeting. Deadline will be 15th March)

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

6. External Affiliations for 2020  (Last year:  East Sussex CATC, National Pensioners' Convention, Cuba Solidarity Campaign.)

7. Guest Speaker: LAURIE HESALDINE, London and South East Region of the TUC. 

8.MAY DAY PARADE, WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY and EASTBOURNE PRIDE: to briefly update preparation for these events and agree any arrangements and funding.

9. Trades Councils Conference 2020

10. Dates of meetings for 2020-1

10. Presentation of the Len Caine Award to Bill Ball

Next Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday 14th January

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, on Tuesday 14th January 2020, at the View Hotel (formerly T&G/Unite Centre) , Grand Parade, Eastbourne. All local trade unionists (including retired trade unionists) are invited. 

A G E N D A 

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of any new affiliations.

3. Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising.

4. Treasurer's Report

5. UNION CAMPAIGNS:  especially in light of the General Election result and implications from the current Queen's Speech. All attendees are encouraged to bring information about their union's current campaigning activity.

6. Other Events:  Cuba film showing, and early preparation for May Day, Workers' Memorial Day and other events in 2020.

7. Any other business

MARCH WITH US ON MAY DAY!

Join trade unionists and other campaigners for our annual May Day celebration of trade unionism and working class organisation.

Leave from Hyde Gardens at 11.00am, with your flags and banners, and march to the Wish Tower Slopes for a short rally and a picnic.   Speakers from Unite, NEU, Eastbourne Pride, NHS Campaigns and others.

All welcome!

Len Caine Prize goes to NEU's Jane

The Eastbourne Trades Union Council presented its annual Len Caine Memorial Prize to local music teacher Jane Humberstone at its AGM last night.

The annual prize seeks to recognise outstanding service by a local union representative.  Jane Humberstone was the National Education Union rep for the East Sussex Music Service, and was at the forefront of the campaign against proposals to close down the instrumental teaching service last year.  The campaign  saw over 10,000 people sign a petition against closure, and last year's May Day March was proudly led by the campaign- including a musical delegation of pupils and teachers playing Sussex By The Sea!

Trades Council Secretary, Dave Brinson said:   "When the disgraceful plans to axe instrumental teaching were put forward, Jane, as the NEU rep led from the front in a vigorous and imaginative campaign that saved this important service.   Over many years, thousands of local children have benefited from Jane's inspirational music teaching, and thanks to her leadership of the campaign, many more will continue to enjoy the huge educational and personal benefits of learning music.   Jane is off to pastures new in the summer- we will miss her!"

The prize was inaugurated to remember Len Caine, a leading local trade unionist and Labour activist, who served as a Councillor and later an honorary Alderman on Eastbourne Borough Council.  Len passed away in 2008, aged 81.

Trades Council AGM 2019: Tuesday 19th March

The 2019 AGM of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 19th March, at the View Hotel, 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.

A G E N D A 

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Minutes of the AGM from 2018

3. Adoption of Rules for 2019 (proposal is same as for 2018) and new affiliates.

4. Officers' Reports and Accounts

5. Election of Officers for 2018 (following a resolution of the 2018 AGM, nominations for officer positions must be received before the meeting. Deadline will be 12th March)

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

6. Affiliations for 2019

7. Guest Speaker: TOMMY ANDERSON, London and South East Representative on the TUC/Trades Council's Joint Committee. 

8.MAY DAY PARADE, WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY and EASTBOURNE PRIDE: to briefly update preparation for these events and agree any arrangements and funding.

9. Dates of meetings for 2018-9

10. Presentation of the Len Caine Award to Jane Humberstone

Next Meeting: Tuesday 15th May

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 15th May, at the View Hotel (formerly T&G/Unite Centre) , Grand Parade, Eastbourne.

All local trade unionists (including retired trade unionists) are invited.

A G E N D A

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of any new affiliations.

3. Minutes of previous meeting (January) and matters arising. Draft minutes from the March AGM will also be available. 

4. Treasurer's Report

5. Guest Speaker: Jane Humberstone, NEU Rep at the East Sussex Music Service, and update on the campaign against closure of the Instrumental Teaching Service

6. Other live disputes and campaigns: 

(a) Teachers' Pay Dispute

(b) RMT safety dispute at Southern

(c) Social Care Cuts campaign- Unison and others, including "Save our Services" demo on 20th May

(d) Retail matters, especially Sainsbury's and ASDA merger proposal

7. Events:

(a)   MAY DAY and WMD:  To review the success of both events and to suggest work for next year.

(b)   PRIDE:  To agree content and staffing of our stall, and encouraging trade unions to join the march.

(c)  ENGELS PLAQUE: Update from Carol Mills (Unite Community)

8. Motion from Unite Community

9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

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.

March with us on May Day!

Commemorate May Day (a bit late, but using the May Day holiday!) with workers around the world. March with our trade union banners through Eastbourne Town Centre and up to the Wish Tower Slopes for speakers and a picnic.
 
Following last year's success, let's make this year even bigger! Assemble on the grass outside the NUT office on Hyde Gardens for an 11.00am start, If your union branch has a banner (or flags etc. but please no balloons) bring it along!

Speakers will include Eastbourne People's Assembly, East Sussex Save the NHS, Bourne Out LGBT and a striker from the current teachers' dispute.

Trades Council AGM: 27th March 2018

The AGM of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 27th March, at the View Hotel, 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 2017

3. Adoption of Rules for 2018 (proposal is same as for 2017) and new affiliates.

4. Officers' Reports and Accounts

5. Election of Officers for 2018

a) Chair

b) Vice Chair

c) Secretary

d) Assistant Secretary

e) Treasurer

f) Additional non-officer members of the Executive Committee, if required

5. MAY DAY PARADE and WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY: to update preparation for these events and agree any arrangements. 

6. NHS Campaigning: update on the launch of the East Sussex Save our NHS Campaign

7.  Eastbourne Pride: To update on arrangements and to agree any financial commitments. 

8. Updates from other Union campaigns.

9. Dates  of meetings for 2018-9

10. Presentation of the Len Caine Award

Next Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday 16th January

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 16th January, at the View Hotel (formerly T&G/Unite Centre) , Grand Parade, Eastbourne.

All local trade unionists (including retired trade unionists) are invited.

A G E N D A

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of any new affiliations.

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

4. Treasurer's Report

 5. CAMPAIGNS:

            (a) CWU Royal Mail dispute

            (b) RMT Southern Rail dispute

            (c) Teachers' Pay dispute with East Sussex County Council

            (d) Other Union Campaigns

 6. EVENTS:

(a)   MAY DAY:  To confirm dates and provisional arrangements for the May Day march 2018. 

(b)   PRIDE:  To agree any financial commitments for Pride 2018, and how to encourage more trade union participation in the parade.

(c)   TOLPUDDLE: To update on possible transport to the Tolpuddle Martyrs Rally

(d)  WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY

7. NEWSLETTER:  To approve content and budget for the newsletter which will be sent out prior to the AGM to act as our “annual report”

8.   AGM- to confirm details of speakers, and nominee for the Len Caine Award

Next Trades Council Meeting- Tuesday 14th November

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 14th November, at the View Hotel (formerly T&G/Unite Centre) , Grand Parade, Eastbourne.

All local trade unionists (including retired trade unionists) are invited.

A G E N D A

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of any new affiliations.

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

4. Treasurer's Report

 5. CAMPAIGNS:

            (a) CWU Royal Mail dispute

            (b) RMT Southern Rail dispute

            (c) USDAW Respect for Shopworkers Campaign

            (d) Other Union Campaigns

 6. EVENTS:

Bill Ball from Lewes Trades Council will speak about possible joint work, including possible coach to Tolpuddle 2018, plus any early planning needed for May Day, WMD, Prides etc.

7. Any other business

The bar will be open afterwards!