Next Trades Council Meeting: 18th January- SOLIDARITY with the Eastbourne Bin Strikers

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.00pm, on Tuesday 18th January 2022, via Zoom.  All Eastbourne trade unionists are welcome to attend. 

Please register in advance by clicking here

The main item of business for the meeting will be hearing from the GMB about progress in the bin strike.  It is really important that we get the workers' case across, and other local union reps are in a great position to spread the truth in their workplaces and communities.  Please come along at least for this part of the meeting, even if you can't stay for later items. 

A G E N D A 

1. Introductions and apologies for absence and approval of any new affiliations.

2. EASTBOURNE BIN STRIKE:  Update from GMB Union representatives, how do we build solidarity, and what are the next steps for challenging low pay, poor conditions and bullying management in Eastbourne? 

3. Minutes of previous meeting (September 2021) and matters arising.

5. Treasurer's Report

6. Campaigning reports from affiliated Unions and other campaigning organisations.

7. Len Caine Award 2022

8. Any Other Business

Solidarity with Eastbourne Bin Staff

Trades Unionists in Eastbourne are standing firm in solidarity with GMB members employed by Eastbourne Borough Council (through an "arms length company owned by the council)  who are striking against poverty pay and appalling work conditions.

HGV drivers are on wages well below the industry standard, whilst other collection staff are on poverty pay, and pounds an hour below staff doing the same job in Lewes- employed by the same managers in the same council-owned "arms length" company.

After three days of strike action, the Lib Dem controlled Eastbourne Borough Council has resorted to issuing misleading statements and using their councillors to push anti-union lines to try and belittle the strikers' case, demonise the union, and turn the people of Eastbourne against their low paid workers.

Disgracefully, we have seen so-called "progressive" local councillors like former People's Assembly supporter Lib Dem Helen Burton now issuing Thatcher-like anti union statements, whilst Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Josh Babarinde issues weasel words about having met with "the workers" whilst then attacking the union officials.  Oldest union-bashing trick in the book! 

The elected councillors can't shift the blame to the "officers" or the "negotiators".  They need to show some leadership and direct the council managers-  managers directly accountable to the elected officials to negotiate seriously and in good faith. 

Today, the GMB announced that they would press on with 11 days of further strike action. 

"Ending walk-outs and stopping rubbish pile up was within the grasp of the council if they showed real willingness to meet," says GMB Union 

"Eastbourne refuse collectors will go ahead with a further 11 days of industrial action after the council refused to meet with GMB Union. The union says a face-to-face negotiation is vital to talks as the lead representative, Mark Turner, is visually impaired and struggles to use Zoom and similar online platforms."

Eastbourne Borough Council has so far ignored requests for a meeting on 12 January and a request for a meeting on 13 January has also thus far been left unanswered. Mark Turner, GMB B50 Branch Secretary said:

'The council’s only focus appears at this time is to try to break the strike and blames GMB for the inconvenience to the residents of Eastbourne. We hoped they might take responsibility for this mess - given they’ve moved the service back towards being in-house through an arms-length company. Since then they have done nothing to improve the poverty pay rates or welfare, health and safety of their workers. 

My visual impairment means that online meetings can be difficult for me and in person conferences allow me to be properly involved in the discussions - especially when they are so important.  Unfortunately this simple request appears to be beyond the council, so we have to waste our time chasing them to meet rather than resolving the dispute and bringing the strike to a conclusion. 

Ending walk-outs and avoiding rubbish piling up in the city’s streets was within the grasp of the council if they only showed a real willingness to get back around the negotiating table.'"

We Stand with our Three Lions!

 

Tonight's meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council sent a message of solidarity via the PFA to Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho; and all their colleagues who are standing against the vile racism they have been subjected to this week.

We stand with our Three Lions!

The PFA today said: 

"Over the past few weeks, our England team have demonstrated courage and class, on and off the pitch.  

They have been principled and dignified, and their determination to succeed and their performance got us to the final. Most importantly though, they have shown us what the best of England can be.

If you watch a football match, see players - who have stepped up to try and win the match for their country - miss a penalty, and you feel compelled to go on social media and racially abuse those players, you represent the worst of us.

When you abuse any of our players, you abuse all of us.

Racist abuse causes trauma. It will impact the targeted players, their teammates, and we know it will also affect their peers. It causes hurt to all the other fans who view online hate, and it will inevitably live with the next aspiring generation of young players. 

Unfortunately, the abusive messages were all too predictable. However, the intervention from social media companies is insufficient, and it is allowing racist abuse to thrive on the platforms.

Social platforms must permanently ban all offending accounts and proactively compile evidence to give to the police to pursue prosecution.

We have collectively called out unsatisfactory policies and action around racist abuse for years – and still, it continues. 

There has been talk of strong commitments and tough measures from the social networks. Based on the evidence so far, we’re not buying it. 

Social networks, we need you to do better."      (Source: The PFA)

Next Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday 15th January

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 15th January 2019, 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. GUEST SPEAKER: SAM GURNEY- TUC Regional Secretary for London, East and South East

6. Other Union Campaigns:
(a) ESCC Core Offer cuts
(b) Education Update
(c) Retail Update
(d) NHS Update
(e) Other campaigns

7. Events- including Trades Councils National Conference
8. Nominations open for Officers for March AGM and Len Caine Prize
9. Any other business

'No confidence' in Fire Service Senior Leadership: FBU

At an emergency meeting, members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) East Sussex Committee, unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in the senior leadership team of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS). 

East Sussex FBU members working on the frontline, have continually raised concerns over ESFRS’s senior leadership’s plans to implement changes that seek to reduce both public and firefighter safety. 

In the latest in a series of judgement errors, the senior leadership team recently agreed to introduce small appliances, which carry less life-saving equipment. This latest decision has led to the vote of no confidence.

Mark Brown, FBU brigade secretary said:

“This is an ill-conceived plan that has not been properly thought-through. We have repeatedly raised concerns with senior leadership over many months, unfortunately rather than listen to the FBU, our safety reps and our members, they have instead chosen to agree a plan that will reduce the service’s ability to deal with emergencies effectively. The senior leadership team need to assess the risk posed to the public, before contemplating any plans that seek to reduce fire cover and/or reduce equipment available to frontline staff.” 

In June 2018 East Sussex FRS’s own staff survey, showed that only 13% of wholetime firefighters in East Sussex had confidence in the principal officers leading ESFRS. Since then the leadership team have failed to take on board the findings and have instead agreed plans and changes that further reduce confidence in them.

Mark Brown continued:

“This apparent lack of learning has left the FBU membership in East Sussex with no option other than to pass a ‘vote of no confidence’. Despite the ‘vote of no confidence’ the FBU remain committed to working with management to find solutions that enable ESFRS to provide a safe and efficient service for its staff and the public.”

Save our English Language Service!

NEU, Unison, GMB and NASUWT members in the English as an Additional Language Service need your URGENT help!

East Sussex County Council is proposing to close down the English as an Additional Language Service entirely- with all of its specialist teachers and bi-lingual support officers facing redundancy, and losing this wealth of expertise and experience to local schools forever.

The decision has come following a decision from the Local Authority Secondary Schools not to continue 'de-delegating' a fixed amount from their budget to EALS. These schools would almost certainly continue to purchase some services from the EALS service on a "buy in" basis however, as Academy schools already do.

The Local Authority Primary Schools have committed to continue funding the service- that's more than three-quarters of the existing budget. However the County Council are claiming that, even with this and the expectation of a buy-in from the Secondaries, that the service will not be viable.

Our members actually working within the Service disagree, and have made clear financial proposals that would keep the service open, and keep this vital support available to some of our most vulnerable children.

Please take a couple of minutes to help our colleagues in three ways:

1) Make a submission to the County Council's online consultation about the closure of the service. This is a very short survey and will only take a few minutes- but it is vital that we get a good number of returns from education professionals such as yourselves.

2) Send a short email to your local County Councillor. This decision is being made "in their name" and they have the right and responsibility to hold the senior management at ESCC to account. You can find who your local County Councilllor is, and their email, by clicking and inputting your postcode here.

3) Spread the word! Let your colleagues know this is happening. Ask your Head Teacher to lobby ESCC to keep a service open. If you have friends and neighbours who share your concern then ask them to add their voice. If you would like printed materials for your staffroom or friends, please let us know.

We will continue putting information about this situation on our dedicated website for the campaign:

www.SaveEALS.com

Solidarity with UCU at Sussex Univerity and nationwide!

Eastbourne trade unionists stand in solidarity with the University and College Union members taking strike action in defence of their Final Salary Pension scheme, in the face of proposals that would lead to a hit of between 20 and 40% to their pensions.

UCU members at the University of Sussex will be taking action on:
Thursday 22 February, Friday 23 February, Monday 26 February, Tuesday 27 February, Wednesday 28 February,
Monday 5 March, Tuesday 6 March, Wednesday 7 March, Thursday 8 March, Monday 12 March,
Tuesday 13 March, Wednesday 14 March, Thursday 15 March and  Friday 16 March.

The UCU explain...

WHY WE ARE STRIKING:
We are university staff and members of the University and College Union (UCU) and we are taking strike action to defend our right to a fair pension. University employers want to end guaranteed pensions and reduce retirement income for all.

PENSIONS UNDER ATTACK:
University staff have always accepted pay levels that are lower than comparably skilled professions, partly because we had a decent pension. Now our right to a well-earned retirement is under attack.

WHAT EMPLOYERS’ HARDLINE PROPOSALS WOULD MEAN:

• Final pensions would depend on how the stock market performs not on contributions.
• A reduction in retirement benefits by between 20% and 40% depending on grade and length of service. A typical lecturer stands to lose around £10,000 a year.
• The worst pensions in the education sector, far worse than those available to both school teachers and staff in ‘new’ universities.
• A recruitment and retention crisis as staff seek better financial security elsewhere

STRIKING IS ALWAYS A LAST RESORT:
No education professional wants to strike but we also deserve long-term security and our students deserve staff who are able to focus fully on the job. We have called for extended negotiations with the employers but, disappointingly, talks ended with the changes being imposed. Staff feel angry and betrayed but even now we call on university leaders to work with us to find a solution and avoid widespread disruption for our students.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR STRIKE

UCU members voted overwhelmingly for this action on the highest turnout this union has seen. We have been left with no choice but to take strike action and to withdraw the goodwill that the university relies upon but that has been taken for granted.

Visit the UCU's website for more information by clicking here.

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 !

Remembering the Miners' Strike

Brighton Trades Council and the Sussex Labour Representation Committee present an afternoon of music, politics, memories & laughs,  1.30pm-4.30pm, Saturday 8 March (doors 1pm)  at Friends' Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton 

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1984/85 Miners' Strike and mark International Women's Day with Sussex LRC, Brighton & Hove District Trades Council, representatives of the Kent miners, Women Against Pit Closures, and some top speakers, musicians and comedians at Brighton's Friends' Meeting House from 1.30pm - 4.30pm on Saturday 8 March.  Doors will open at 1pm when Anne's delicious refreshments will be available - a great start of an afternoon of music, politics, memories and laughs.

Our headliners include Bob Crow (RMT), Manuel Cortes (TSSA) and Simon Weller (ASLEF) – reflecting the great solidarity shown by railway workers to the miners during the strike, representatives from Betteshanger NUM and Women Against Pit Closures, with Joy Hurcombe from Labour CND, as well as singer/songwriter Robb Johnson, comedian and activist Kate Smurthwaite, and the Malthouse Duo with Don Walker on sax and Robert Deering on keyboards.

As this event is a fundraiser for the Kent Miners' Festival and the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign, we want to ensure the Friends’ Meeting House is full to capacity.  Wherever possible, please email us to buy your tickets in advance - only £5 waged or £3 unwaged.  Tickets will also be on sale at the Brighton & Hove LRC meeting on Thursday 27 February and can be bought in person from Sussex LRC's Chair, the President of B&H Trades Council, Andy Richards, and some others.

If you are coming from outside Brighton and aren't familiar with the Friends' Meeting House, you can find directions to it and much more information via  http://www.brightonquakers.co.uk/about-the-building-2/map-directions  If you are travelling from outside Brighton, I strongly recommend buying your tickets in advance.


 

A Tribute to David Mottley

Dave Mottley- long standing Chair of Lewes Trades Council, and NASUWT local secretary lost his battle with a brain tumour earlier this month. Dave was an inspiring socialist and trade unionist, and his long-standing friend and comrade, Bill Ball pays this tribute:

Dave (seated) surrounded by his family.

Rarely but occasionally we are privileged to encounter someone who transforms our life through inspiration and makes us look differently at the world.

David Motley, who has died, was such an individual.

An NASUWT rep,he was a teacher par excellence, spending many years of his career teaching KS2 at Newick Primary School. In the course of a 37 year teaching career he enriched the lives of countless youngsters with his compassion & enthusiasm. 

But it was as a union activist that I came to know him.  He became a delegate to the old Ouse Valley Trades Council, now Lewes Trades Council, some 26 years ago. The movement was still reeling from the defeat in the miners` strike and the crushing of the print unions at Wapping. Our Praetorian Guard had been wiped out in the space of two years.   Thatcher was waging relentless class war against the left and organized labour. Trades Councils were going to the wall right across the county: Bexhill, Rye, Haywards Heath, Uckfield. It was an uphill battle just to get a quorate meeting each month. It was also an achievement.

It was not an auspicious moment to get involved in the local Trades Council movement. But Dave Motley took to it with his characteristic unflappability. The fight for survival for Ouse Valley TC was not going to be easy, but  Dave`s arrival meant that our extinction was put on hold.

Under Dave`s chairmanship the Trades Council fought back. We became ever more audacious, organizing events that should have been way beyond our punching power.

When John McDonnell made his pitch for the Labour leadership, the Trades Council organized a public meeting at Lewes Town Hall to support him. John shared the platform with Tony Benn. 500 people packed into the hall. Standing room only. Dave, the consumate teacher was taking the biggest class of his life. But he chaired the meeting with his normal relaxed and gentle humour.

In 2008, under Dave`s leadership, we became the first Trades Council in England to mount a four event festival of socialism & trades unionism. Jack Jones in his last public appearance opened an event celebrating the fight against fascism in Spain.

Our second festival was held in Lewes in 2011.  But by then Dave was ill. A cancerous brain tumour, that had haunted him like Mephistopheles throughout his working life, kept in the shadows by medication, had flared its defiance and begun to grow again.

He was taken into the Royal Marsden & the monster was zapped with massive doses of radiation over a two month period. It seemed to have worked. He emerged with a new lease of life & an energy that seemed boundless.

A third Lewes Festival of Socialism & Trades Unionism was planned.  Dave ploughed ahead with the zeal of someone who felt that his time maybe short and should not be wasted. In retrospect I suspect that he knew that he would not live to see the fruits of his labours.

And the cancer was not to be denied. When it awoke from its irradiated sleep, its ravaging revenge was swift and complete. I last saw Dave in the hospice in North Chailey. With difficulty he tried with little power of speech to tell me what needed to be done for the festival.

The doctors had given him four weeks to live. He took four months. The union rep had brokered his last deal. Sleep well old pal. You touched many lives for the better. We`ll never forget you.

Regional Events and Actions

The following events and campaigns around the region may be of interest to Eastbourne Trade Unionists who want to get involved, attend or just show solidarity !

MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES

Unite Against Fascism public meeting "Don't let the racists divide us" London Monday 3 June 7pm with Jeremy Corbyn MP, Ava Vidal comedian, Owen Jones author, Daniel Trilling New Statesman.

National Pensioners Convention Greater London Region 10th Anniversary Celebrations Saturday 10 August 1.30 with Banner Theatre cabaret, Megan Dobney SERTUC, Dot Gibson NPC call barrytodman@tiscali.co.uk 020 8668 2840 for details or e-mail here.

NUJ open meeting (but must register) "Turning the page on media sexism" Wednesday 26 June 6pm NUJ HQ London with Joan Smith, Reni Eddo Lodge and Object contact Lena Calvert lenac@nuj.org.uk

Supporting Confronting the Climate Crisis conference Saturday 8 June London with Manuel Cortez TSSA, Chris Baugh PCS, Graham Peterson UCU http://climatetradeunion.eventbrite.com/ 

Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign AGM and Solidarity Day Saturday 13 July London http://www.nicaraguasc.org.uk/events/index.htm 

TSSA "Organising for better transport" strategy launch London Saturday 8 June 11am https://www.tssa.org.uk/en/campaigns/community-organising/political-conference.cfm 

DEMONSTRATIONS AND LOBBIES

Unite Against Fascism demonstration "Don't let the racists divide us" Woolwich Saturday 1 June 12 noon http://uaf.org.uk/2013/05/dont-let-the-racists-divide-us-unity-demonstration/

London Hazards Centre national H&S lobby Tuesday 11 June 1pm http://www.lhc.org.uk/http:/www.lhc.org.uk/national-health-safety-lobby-of-parliament-11th-june


TRAINING COURSES AND SEMINARS

SERTUC hosting national seminar "Reaching Out - organising new workplaces" with Carl Roper TUC national organiser Thursday 4 July 10am to 1pm Congress House, for more details contact Darren Lewis dlewis@tuc.org.uk

SERTUC Health & Safety Reps Seminar "The Healthy Workplace" note the date now: Thursday 31 October Congress House 10am, more details in due course sertucevents@tuc.org.uk  

SERTUC trade union education courses http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/sites/default/files/FINAL%20SE%20Courses%20SEPT%202013-JULY%202014%20v5.pdf or tucedse@tuc.org.uk

Solidarity with the NUT in Hastings

As you may have heard, NUT members at William Parker Sports College in Hastings will be taking strike action tomorrow, in protest at their transfer to the ARK Academy chain, which does not recognise School Teachers Pay and Conditions.

While Hastings is not in our Trades Council area, a number of members live in Eastbourne- and the actions of East Sussex County Council in this saga do not bode well for trade unionists in Eastbourne schools !   While only NUT are taking tomorrow's action,  all of the TUC-affiliated unions in the school (NASUWT, ATL, UNISON and GMB) are firmly opposed to Academy status, and the way that East Sussex have imposed the ARK chain without any debate or consultation with staff, unions, parents or the local community.

(ARK, incidentally was set up by hedge fund managers, and run by a board of trustees including fund managers, bankers, the Tory Party treasurer and a former News International executive.)

The NUT  had productive talks with East Sussex County Council and ARK last week, and were willing to postpone the strike action to allow for further talks. Under trade union law, this would have required the employer to request an extension to the negotiation time.  EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL REFUSED, ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS, TO TAKE UP THIS OFFER.  

 

If the county believe that they can call members' bluff over this, they are sorely mistaken. Members gave a 100% yes vote for action, and are angry at the intransigence of the County Council.

Messages of solidarity can be sent via Dave Brinson, East Sussex NUT Division Secretary.  The campaign has a website where these will be displayed alongside other information about the dispute.  View the site here.

Regional Events and Actions

The following events and campaigns around the region may be of interest to Eastbourne Trade Unionists who want to get involved, attend or just show solidarity !
 
PETITIONS AND ONLINE LOBBYING:
 
CWU defending the Royal Mail universal service obligation, Early Day Motion 818 .  Encourage Stephen Lloyd to sign- write to him here

Shrewsbury 24 Campaign  sign the petition for full disclosure of all Government documents relating to the 1972 building workers strike and the conspiracy trials at Shrewsbury.

PCS supporting Jon Bigger, dismissed by the Home Office. Jon is also the Secretary of SERTUC's International Committee.  Please write to the Home Office Permanent Secretary, see here

PCS supporting Kevin Smith, dismissed by the Home Office. Petition here 

UCU and Unison defending suspended members. Petition here 

MEETINGS AND ACTIONS

National Pensioners Convention RPI Action Day Monday 8 April. Details here

SERTUC Public Services Committee & International Committee conference "Resisting Austerity in Europe and the UK" Saturday 16 March. Flyer, more details and registration: Joanne Adams jadams@tuc.org.uk 020 7467 1218  

SERTUC Disabled Workers Committee with SERTUC Young Members conference "Young Disabled People, employed and empowered?" Saturday 6 April  keynote speaker Paralympian gold medal swimmer Tara Flood

Brighton & Hove trades council AGM Wednesday 27 March 7.30pm guest speaker Matt Wrack FBU, E-mail for more details-  brightontradescouncil@googlemail.com

Campaign for Trade Union Freedom launch rally Saturday 23 March 1.30-4.30pm Friends Meeting House London. With Len McCluskey Unite, Bob Crow RMT, Billy Hayes CWU.  
 
Action for Rail day of action Wednesday 27 March (the 50th anniversary of the Beeching Report). Stations covered will be circulated shortly - but if trades councils want to take action at stations within their own community please inform Matt Dykes

Burford Levellers' Day 2013 one day programme of speakers, presentations, exhibits, workshops (on the theme "Learning the Lessons of History") and a march around Burford Saturday  18 May more information soon confirmed speakers Dr Nick Mansfield (University of Central Lancs), John Hendy QC, and Professor Mary Davis, chair Megan Dobney SERTUC

Venezuela Solidarity Campaign national conference Saturday 27 April London. E-mail for details here.

Burston Strike School Rally 2013 note the date Sunday 1 September confirmed speaker Mark Serwotka PCS.

ARTS

London St Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday 17 March there will be a trade union section, assemble 11am Green Park, contact Austin Harney

London Irish Women's Centre first screening of documentary film of its history Friday 15 March 5pm. More details here, or phone  020 7354 5248

"The Tailors' Last Stand" at Barons Court Theatre 19 February to 10 March new review here. 

Photographic exhibition Mariavittoria Scala "Faces and voices of the informal economy" 1
to 15 March

Unison supporting Mary Seacole fundraising night in Brixton, with jazz musician Courtney Pine Wednesday 10 April tickets from Gail Adams gail.adams@unison.co.uk or online here

UpRise 2013 festival will be all over Peckham Sunday 29 September note the date !

 

New Year- New General Secretary !

Click to read the new year message and priorities from the newly elected General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Frances O'Grady.

Brighton Trades Council- Summer Action

Our colleagues in Brighton Trades Council have a number of important campaign events coming up over the summer. Eastbourne trades unionists are welcomed and encouraged to support.

Tuesday 17th July: Defend the NHS Public Meeting
Called by local NHS Union Branches and supported by Keep Our NHS Public 7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Brighton.

Tuesday 7th August: Brighton Stop the Cuts Organising Meeting 
7:30pm King and Queen Pub.

Sunday 9th September:  Lobby the TUC for Co-ordinated Strike Action Against Austerity! Organised by National Shop Stewards Network, and supported by Brighton Trades Council. A march to the lobby will begin at 1pm at the Level. A rally addressed by Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary) and Bob Crow (RMT General Secretary) will follow the lobby.

Saturday 22nd September:  No to Austerity Government! Lib Dem Conference Demonstration  Meet at the Level Midday then march to Conference Centre. Organised by Stop the Cuts and the Brighton Trades Council

Saturday 20th October: Mass TUC Demo, London  A reserved train from Brighton is being co-ordinated by the Brighton Trades Council. Contact your own union branch in the first instance to book a place. Non-union member booking info to follow

Save the DGH- mobilise on 28th July !

There is a public “consultation” meeting by the hospital trust on the future of services in Eastbourne on Saturday 28th July at the Congress Theatre. Local campaigners from the cross-party Save the DGH Campaign will be mounting a demonstration outside, from 10.00am to show the strength of local support for a full range of services to remain at our local hospital !

Liz Walke has led a superb campaign over many years to protect the ongoing threats to maternity, cardiac and even Accident and Emergency services at our local hospital. The Save the DGH campaign is supported by all three main local political parties, the Trades Council, churches and many other community groups, as well as thousands of individuals in our town.

All local trades unionists are urged to go along on 28th July and show your support- 10.00 am at the Congress Theatre.

Politics and Trade Unionism on the Brighton Fringe

The 2012 programme for Sussex Labour Representation Committee has been launched- with a number of meetings bringing politics back to the Brighton Festival Fringe, that will be of interest to local Trade Unionists:

1) 2pm, Sat 12 May - Tony Benn in conversation with John McDonnell MP & Owen Jones, author of "Chavs"

2) 2pm, Sat 19 May - Teresa Pearce MP, Andy Winter (Brighton Housing Trust) & Andrew Fisher (LRC National Secretary & founder LEAP) discuss how Britain can afford to provide decent housing for all and a welfare state.

3) 7pm, Tues 22 May - we discuss how to stay united and fight racism, hatred and prejudice with Jeremy Corbyn MP, Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary), Zita Holbourne (PCS National Executive & Black Activists Rising Against Cuts), Michael Abatan (Justice for Jay), Nic Eadie (Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group), Chris Whitwell (Friends, Families and Travellers) and Stafford Scott (racial equality campaigner and founder of the Broadwater Farm Defence campaign in 1985).

The above three meetings will all be at the Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD. These meetings will be ticketed at £5 concessions or £10 waged. However, if you come to all three meetings you can get your tickets for £12.50/£25; ie, come to 2 meetings and get your third meeting half price!

You can contact Sussex LRC for tickets or buy tickets via the Fringe box office, although the LRC has to pay a fee for every ticket sold by the Fringe.