Lee Billingham from Worthing and Adur Unison reports on the Sussex Trade Union Network launch on 6th July, held at the University of Brighton.
45 people attended the launch event on Saturday of a new initiative,
"Sussex Trade Union Network - Uniting the Resistance". Trade unionists from across Sussex joined activists and campaigners to debate the best way forward for a united fight against austerity - and in particular how activists from unions Sussex can work more closely together and build the strength of organisation in the workplace which will be key to beating back the Tories.
Billy Hayes, General Secretary of the CWU, and
Liz Lawrence, Vice President-elect of UCU, joined PCS NEC member and South East Region Chair
Clive Bryant in an opening session which looked at the problems workers currently face, and the emerging resistance to these, both in the UK and internationally. The session was chaired by
Jonathan Gilhooly of Brighton City College UCU, and they were joined by Turkish journalist and socialist
Ronnie Margulies.
Ronnie electrified the meeting with a riveting account of the recent explosion in struggle in Turkey, its similarities and differences with the new phase of the Egyptian revolution and revolts elsewhere. Ronnie felt these have all shown that the most unlikely of issues can ignite a huge pool of bitterness to spark a mass movement for social justice. He said "I have some good news for you in the UK: in a country with a very popular right-wing prime minister and good economic growth, a mass movement broke out from nowhere".
Liz Lawrence talked about the need for trade unions to up their game, saying "we need union leaderships willing to start the fightback - we will not recruit if we dont stand up to austerity." She argued that to win we will need to "get serious" and push for longer and more coordinated action: "...many union members now see limitations of one day strikes. I do believe we can fight and we can win".
Billy Hayes was buoyed up by the recent ballot result of postal workers showing overwhelming opposition to the privatisation of Royal Mail and attacks on pensions and conditions. He made the point that this result alone had quicky led to a much improved, if still insulting offer from Royal Mail, but added, "On 31st July we're holding a special forum for our postal members, which we hope will lead to a move to industrial action." He also insisted unions have to emphasise the bigger picture, not just issues affecting their own members: "austerity is about shrinking the state, it's not just an economic issue for the Tories. By privatising everything, they hope they can make you think your problems are down to you, not down to this rotten society"
Clive Bryant talked about the difficulties which unions wanting to fight back had encountered in getting unity in action with other affected unions via the 'official' channels, and that this proved the need for those wanting to fight now to work together in groups like the People's Assembly. It's important unions link up with community campaigns. He referred to the national and local disputes likely to flare up again the autumn, and in particular the opportunity presented by the national NHS demo on 29th September, and said "PCS welcomes the development of a Sussex Trade Union Network. There could be an autumn of discontent, so this initiative is timely" An excellent discussion followed, with a wide range of issues facing trade unionists and campaigners raised.
After the opening session, people broke out into three workshops to discuss and plan action around Organising at Work, Defending Welfare, and fighting the privatisation of health and education services. These were led off by speakers including Disabled People Against Cuts, Defend the NHS, the Pop-Up Union at Sussex University and the Brighton Benefits Campaign.
The final session, chaired by Jonathan Lee of Hastings Trades Council, heard reports back from the workshops. It focussed on key recent local disputes, and what the Network might concretely do to unite resistance across Sussex, improve solidarity with those fighting back, and helping build the strength and confidence of trade unionists in the area.
Phil Clarke, secretary of both Brighton & Hove Trades Council, and of Lewes, Eastbourne & Wealden NUT, said he had been at a meeting with the County Council that morning around teachers' pay. He believed their 'offer' was likely to lead to teachers voting to take strike action in the autumn, and that among other excuses for the attack, the employers said that "this is what the 'customers’ [i.e. schools!] want". There have been a number of good campaigns against Academies in Sussex, including some successful ones, and another urgent task is to better coordinate and raise support for these, with education unions playing a leading role. Phil also welcomed 'STUN', saying “we should urge people to build the 'official' trade unions and trades councils, but there is also a clear "need for 'unofficial' networks like this which can avoid bureaucratic obstacles" to solidarity and the strikes that can win.
Charles Harrity, a senior organiser for the GMB on the South Coast, spoke next. His area includes CityClean workers in Brighton whose recent week-long action had been inspirational, and generated much solidarity across Sussex. His advice to trade union members is "don't trust your leaders but recognise that the union is the members". He understood people's frustration when their union leaders called off action or failed to give a lead, but said CityClean reps always stressed to members that "YOU are the union, not the officials". Their understanding that if they stood together they could not be beaten had been fought for and won over the course of many years. In this period, he said, there was need for “trench warfare, fighting every dispute and management attack, and remembering that the threat of industrial action is sometimes enough."
Lewis Nielsen, from Sussex University Against Privatisation, spoke about the fantastic recent occupation by Sussex students against the privatisation of catering services, and the debates there around how workers can fight including the emergence of the Pop Up Union. He argued that better links and common cause must be made between students facing fees and cuts, and education workers.
Tom Hickey, chair of event hosts University of Brighton UCU, spoke last to sum up the day's discussion and the tasks ahead. He said that the links between the attacks on us all are already plain to see, but too often people are fighting in isolation. Instead, the sparks of resistance must feed better into one another. The CityClean worker whose home is threatened by the bedroom tax. His or her daughter whose school is being turned into an Academy or who cant go to university because of tuition fees. We have excellent arguments against austerity but because we lack unity in action, then instead of one big message that the rich are to blame, and tax justice could clear the deficit, other ideas can creep in, leading to scapegoating and division. There is also a need to be more ahead of the game, not simply to react to the attacks once they happen. This too can build confidence and is another lesson from the CityClean dispute. "This network can renew the arguments against austerity & give those who want to oppose it the confidence to fight".
A steering committee to take 'STUN' forward was elected by the meeting, comprising the secretaries of all Sussex trades councils who wish to take part (Brighton & Hove, North Sussex, Eastbourne, and Hastings had all declared support already), plus another six people from a range of trade unions, including Unison, PCS, GMB, UCU and from across Sussex, including Worthing, Newhaven, Lewes and Hastings. The meeting also agreed to support and link up with the People's Assembly, the National Shop Stewards' Network, and Unite the Resistance.
Support was urged for the 27th July national day of action against the bedroom tax. A motion was moved by Janet Sang of Sussex Defend Our NHS and agreed, that the Network should play a leading role in coordinating the mobilisation for the national NHS demo in Manchester on September 29th, including urging Sussex trade unions and trades councils to help fund trains or train tickets up to the demo.
Rhys McCarthy, a Unite national officer will be our guest speaker at the meeting. Rhys was instrumental in organising workers in one of the earliest Living Wage campaigns amongst low paid workers in London's Canary Wharf, and recently organised the high profile campaign for a Living Wage for all Sainsbury's staff.
The conference was attended by delegates from trades councils from across Britain, and heard from guest speakers Frances O'Grady (pictured) the new TUC General Secretary, Bob Crow of RMT, and Bill Greenshields of the People's Charter.
The main topic of the meeting will be the NHS and the District General Hospital campaign, with speakers invited from the Save the DGH campaign, local Labour health action team, and others with information for trade unionists about the threats to our NHS. This is a great opportunity to hear about local health campaigns, and discuss how trade unionists and working people can mobilise to defend our health service.