Next Trades Council Meeting: 28th September on Zoom

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, on Tuesday 28th September 2021, via Zoom.  All Eastbourne trade unionists are welcome to attend. 

Please register in advance by clicking here

A G E N D A 

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of any new affiliations.

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

4. Treasurer's Report

5. NHS CAMPAIGNING:  To update on affiliated unions' campaign for a decent pay rise for NHS workers, and against privatisation.  Speakers to include Lib Whitfield from GMB. 

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

7. Any other business

NHS "Data Grab": We hear from the National Pensioners' Convention

The Trades Council meeting this month heard from a National Pensioners Convention member about their concerns regarding the NHS "Data Grab".  The article below comes from the NPC.  You can read more about how you can get involved in the campaign at their website here. 

What’s this NHS Data Grab I’ve heard about? 

Photo 117291219 © One Photo | Dreamstime.com

The government wants to collect the confidential health records of every GP patient in England and put them into one huge new data pool. It says “third parties” will be able to access this pool, including commercial companies, but won’t say who or how. 

•  The scheme’s official name is GPDPR or ‘General Practice Data for Planning and Research.’
•  It will take 55 million people’s cradle-to-grave health records and put them in a central database – to be used by many different parties, for many different purposes. 
•  This is new. Under today’s system, requests for GP data are made on a one-off basis. GPDPR is far bigger and broader. It puts 55m health records in a single place that updates in real time. In the government’s words, it will ‘collect [your data] once, [but] use [it] many times’. 
•  A similar scheme, ‘care.data’, was tried in 2013, only to collapse over widespread concerns over privacy and corporate access. We don’t want to repeat the same mistakes today.

What’s wrong with that – surely the NHS using data better is a good thing? 

It isn’t just the NHS who will access data. You can’t pool the cradle-to-grave health records of all 55 million people in England without telling people and giving them a meaningful say in how the new system works. It’s undemocratic and could damage trust in the NHS. 

•  This huge change wasn’t explained to patients. Matt Hancock told Radio 4 that his aim was for patients to control their own data and “consent should be at the heart of it”. He also said he was “not against” writing to everyone in the country, or sending everyone a text message, like with the COVID vaccination programme, to inform them of the change. 
•  But this is the opposite of what’s happened so far. Instead, the change was posted on one NHS Digital website. How does that reach the millions over-65s who aren’t online, for example? 
•  The government needs to tell us why it wants to build this new data pool - and what it plans to do with the data. It should urgently explain who the “third parties” are who will have access to our data, and what standards they will need to meet. 
•  Matt Hancock needs to explain what alternative models he has considered for managing NHS data research. For example, openSafely, the data platform developed by Ben Goldacre during the pandemic takes research queries to the data itself - instead of grabbing the entire GP record. This might solve some of the problems with maintaining public trust.  

But NHS Digital says that “Data saves lives?” 

No-one is opposed to using health data for research that saves lives. But the data can also be used for profit. The plan must benefit the NHS and, crucially, maintain the faith and trust of patients. 

• Of course, data can save lives. But it can also make people a lot of money – and those goals don’t always support one another. 
• The government should be honest about this. Research shows that, compared to the NHS, people are less comfortable with private companies using their confidential health records to make a profit. 
•  Matt Hancock must set out in plain English on what terms companies could access this massive new pool of our GP data – and give people a choice. 

Isn’t this data anonymous? 

This data is not anonymous. It is pseudonymous. This is a really important distinction and is practically and legally different to anonymous. 

•  Government spokespeople have repeatedly mixed these up. It is pretty easy to identify people from pseudonymised data - often with only a few bits of information about you. 
•  The government says they may re-identify your data in certain circumstances - without fully explaining when they might do this. 
•  As for companies, to identify someone from pseudonymised data is illegal in most cases. But the body who handle those offences, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), is understaffed, underfunded, and unable to enforce against major breaches. 

There must be safeguards in place already to protect this data? 

The safeguards aren’t strong enough yet – there’s one expert body that doesn’t explain its decisions clearly, and the ICO hasn’t got the resources to police the law. And the government may be about to dilute the laws that protect your health data. 

•  A body called IGARD considers requests for data access. The minutes of their meetings are online, as is a record of requests for data. But the records of their meetings aren’t easily understood by the average person – nor are the standards they judge private companies on.
• Watchdog group medConfidential has published a list showing lots of third parties have broken the rules when they used medical data. And the ICO, as we said, just hasn’t got the resources to follow up every time the law is broken. 
•  The government’s also considering weakening legal protections for your health data. 

Is it biased to refer to GPDPR as a “data grab”? 

What would you call taking the personal information of 55 million people – without asking for permission, presenting an informed choice, or, until our case, giving fair warning at all? It doesn’t seem an exaggeration to call that a data grab. 

•  Millions of people still haven’t heard about this system. Originally, NHS Digital set a deadline to opt-out of June 23. We think the new deadline is August 25. If you haven’t opted-out by then your GP data will be gone forever and you can only prevent future data being shared. Does that seem like a reasonable and fair system to you? 
•  Again – where is the public information campaign? Matt Hancock admitted that a “proper national debate” is needed but has done little to create one. We know the government can text the nation, can address the nation daily at teatime on BBC One. Why haven’t they? 
•  It’s not too late. The government could repair damage by slowing down and making a much bigger effort to consult people. Our data is there for the asking, not the taking. 

If giving private companies access to my data helps the NHS, what’s the problem? 

The question we always need to be asking is: who benefits? The collected data of the NHS is the most valuable resource of its kind in the world – but only because it has been created and paid for over decades by taxpayers and ordinary British people. 

•  Companies requesting access to health data tend to promise “innovation”. But there is evidence that using data in this way can make unfairness in healthcare worse, not better. 
•  “Innovative” medicines are often priced too high for the NHS to buy them, so how does that benefit the NHS? What if instead, access to our data meant the NHS got the final product for free or a share of any financial gain? Or the product could be made open source, so everyone can benefit. 
•  Most of all – we need to make sure that introducing a major profit motive in our health service doesn’t undermine the core value of the NHS: a universal service free at the point of delivery, with care of patients at its heart.

Find out more about how you can support the NPC's campaign on this, and other issues, by visiting their website here. 

Workers' Memorial Day 2020

April 28th is International Workers' Memorial Day, when we remember those who have lost their lives in the course of doing their job. 

Workers' Memorial Day has always been to "remember the dead: fight for the living" and unions are asked to focus on both areas, by considering events or memorial to remember all those killed through work but at the same time ensuring that such tragedies are not repeated. That can best be done by building trade union organisation, and campaigning for stricter enforcement with higher penalties for breaches of health & safety laws. Workers Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and is officially recognised by the UK Government.

Marking Workers Memorial Day in 2018.  Unite's Phil Mills,
Unison's Roy Noble, Ann Iordan from Unite Community and
Dave Brinson from National Education Union. 

In previous years, Eastbourne Trades Council has always had a visible street presence on WMD, raising awareness and asking the people of Eastbourne to remember.  In these difficult times, we will not be able to do this for 2020, but there is a great deal we can do to commemorate those who have lost their lives.

In particular this year, let's honour those NHS staff who have died from Covid-19, some of whom returned to work from retirement to help others during the crisis. And fight like hell for other staff in the NHS and Care sectors to get the proper PPE they need.

Please support the TUC's call for a minute's silence to remember those who have lost their lives in the course of doing their job. The Government is supporting this initiative, and many open workplaces are doing so too.

You can find out more about International Workers Memorial Day at the TUC's Website here. 

PROTEST for our Local NHS: Saturday 29th February

The East Sussex Save the NHS Campaign has called for a demonstration against proposals by the CCG to close the NHS Walk-in centre at Eastbourne Railway Station. 

The campaign told the Eastbourne Herald:

“We believe this potential closure is part of a wider picture of NHS policy decisions that are robbing our population of the healthcare services they have paid for and need.” 

“Our town has already lost some of its core services from the hospital, many of us have experienced a whole raft of problems when accessing NHS services and soon we will start to see even more changes in primary care.” 

“You [the people of Eastbourne] have shown how passionate you are about keeping the walk-in centre so please keep signing our petition but do also engage with the CCG’s public consultation. You really need to make sure you tell the CCG exactly what you have been telling us!” 

TAKE ACTION!   Join the protest-  ASSEMBLE outside Eastbourne Railway Station at 1.00pm on Saturday 29th February. 

SIGN the online petition here!   

TELL THE CCG- take part in the online consultation by clicking here. 

SEE THE FILM- the campaign are showing "The Great NHS Heist" a powerful documentary by prominent NHS campaigner, film producer and working GP, Dr Bob Gill at St Elisabeth's Church on Friday 28th February at 6.30pm. Click here for more information.

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

Next Trades Council: Tuesday 20th November

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 20th 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. EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL- THE IMPACT OF THE "CORE OFFER" CUTS 

6. Other Union Campaigns:

(a) Derecognition of NEU at East Sussex College Group

(b) RMT ongoing safety dispute at Southern

(c) Retail Update

(d) NHS Update

(e) Other campaigns

7. Events

(a) Tony Benn film- report

(b) Engels Plaque etc. update

(c) Early Planning for 2019 events

8. Any other business

Next Trades Council Meeting: 3rd July

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 3rd July, 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 (May) and matters arising.

4. Treasurer's Report

5. Anti-Cuts Campaigns: Updates on the various campaigns including the Unison campaigns at ESCC and NHS, the campaign to save the Music Service, the East Sussex Save the NHS Campaigning, and the demonstration against cuts to SEN Children's Services.

6. Other live union disputes and campaigns:
(a) GMB Dispute at Eastbourne DGH
(b) Teachers' Pay Dispute
(c) RMT safety dispute at Southern
(d) Retail Update

7. Events:
(a) Eastbourne Pride: To agree arrangements for the stall on the day, and to encourage trade unionists to march.
(b) Modern Slavery campaign- possible link with the Co-op Party campaigning
(c) "Will and Testament"- proposed Eastbourne showing of the Tony Benn film by local Labour Party
(d) Engels Plaque update

8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

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

East Sussex says: SAVE OUR NHS

The Launch meeting of an East Sussex Save the NHS Campaign to unite people, who care about the NHS, across the region covered by East Sussex Healthcare Trust will be held on Monday 9th April.

Our NHS is now suffering its deepest crisis since the birth of the service nearly 70 years ago. Unless we unite to fight against the politics that is creating this crisis we face a bleak future where healthcare will become a luxury and not an automatic right.

This will be a speaker event that will try to explain what is happening right now to our cherished service and what we can do to try and protect it. There is good reason to feel hopeful that a public campaign to fight for local services could be successful. This has already happened in many other areas.

Speakers for the evening will be:

Dr Carl Walker;
Madeleine Dickens from Sussex Defened the NHS,
Lloyd Russell Moyle, Labour and Co-operative MP.

There will be a Q&A session towards the end of the evening.

The meeting will be held in the Central Hall at the View Hotel, where there is disabled access. Doors will open at 6.30pm.   Admission is free, but attendees are asked to register in advance by clicking here. 

Happy Birthday NHS

The NHS has its birthday on the 5th July, and members of the East Sussex Save our NHS Campaign will be out in the town centre collecting signatures for birthday cards from the public which will be delivered to the DGH on the 5th July. 

The NHS IS NOT FAILING- IT IS BEING FAILED. It is only the dedication of the NHS staff that stops the NHS from failing. These cards will also say thankyou to those staff.

You can sign a card and help collecting signatures on:

Friday June 30th 12pm-2pm

Sunday July 2nd 12pm-2pm

both at Bankers Corner in Terminus Road (map)

Back and Marching on May Day!

After nearly 30 years, we brought back the May Day union parade today- marching through Eastbourne to a rally at the Wish Tower slopes. Our banner proudly joined by NUT, RMT, Unite and Musicians' Union, plus East Sussex Co-operative Party and Workers' Memorial Day.

Setting off from NUT HQ

Dave Brinson, Trades Council and NUT Secretary compered the proceedings, noting that it was nearly 30 years since we'd had a May Day march in Eastbourne.  Paul Howard of Eastbourne People's Assembly (also an NUT member) spoke about the campaign against Austerity, and linked up the effects of this on a range of services.

Len Caine at the centre of our banner

Lucette Davies, a journalist and NUJ member  spoke about the newly formed East Sussex Save the NHS campaign, and how the STP plans are the latest attempt by the Government to run down NHS services to soften them up for full-on privatisation. She urged trade unionists to support the local campaigns.  There was a shout out for the Save the DGH campaign too- with stalwart committee members Jake Lambert and Lee Comfort in the crowd.

Line up at the Lawns!

Keith Mitchell of East Sussex Coastway RMT talked about the ongoing struggle from his members against Driver Only Operation and the removal of a safety critical member of on-board staff.  He contrasted the two days of training for the new, cheaper On Board Supervisors, compared with the months of training and then year of probation for the properly trained and licensed conductors.  He also raised the scandal of disabled passengers potentially having to request assistance 24 hours in advance if they want to travel from unmanned stations- scandalous and potentially illegal under Equality Act 2010.

Finally, Betty Gallacher, veteran Unite activist and Chair of Bourne Out LGBT spoke about her years of campaigning for equality work as the first female union secretary on London Transport buses, and then as Convenor of 6 major garages. Betty has organised the Eastbourne Mardi Gras festival which will be Eastbourne's first Pride in July.  Local trade unionists are urged to support and attend a celebration of diversity.

The sun came out for our picnic afterwards, too. A big thank you to those who braved early rain to join us. Let's make it bigger and better next year!

It was great to get such comprehensive coverage from the Eastbourne Buzz news website- Sharon and Dave came with us all the way on the march.  Watch their report below- and please share!

AGM 2017- priorities ahead!

A good turnout at the 2017 AGM saw trade unionists discuss the challenges facing the movement in the coming year.

Guest speaker Bob Ellis, head teacher of Seaford Head School and an activist in school leaders' union ASCL, spoke about the FlatCashEd campaign by East Sussex head teachers and governors against the massive funding cuts facing schools in our area. The title refers to the government's pledge to protect school funding at 2015 cash levels only- no funding for additional wage, national insurance or utility bills.

Lucette Davies spoke about the new East Sussex Save the NHS campaign- seeking to bring local campaigners together, particularly to campaign against the implications of the so-called Sustainability and Transformation Plans that seek to cut billions from the NHS.

The officers elected for 2017-18 were Chair: Valerie Thomas (NASUWT), Vice-Chair: Mick Litchfield (TSSA), Secretary: Dave Brinson (NUT), Assistant Secretary: Chrissie Parsons (Unison) and Treasurer: Gordon Dyer (Unite the Union)

The Len Caine Award was presented to Keith Mitchell of the RMT. Keith has worked tirelessly to support his members in Eastbourne, in a year that has seen considerable hardship and struggle to defend passenger safety through the vital safety-critical guard on our trains. The meeting sent solidarity to RMT members, and saluted Keith's energy and commitment to his members.

Next Trades Council Meeting: 27th September

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 27th 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 any new affiliations.
3. Minutes of previous meeting (August) and matters arising. 
4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer
5. NHS Campaigns Focus:  To include GMB Passenger Transport situation, Junior Doctors' Action and DGH Update.  A speaker from the GMB and/or BMA may be able to report (awaiting confirmation)
6. Any other Union and related campaigns, including Rail campaigns.
7. Any other business

The bar will be open afterwards !

Trades Council AGM: Tuesday 22nd March

The AGM of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 22nd March, at the View Hotel  (formerly T&G/Unite Centre) , 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 2015
3. Adoption of Rules for 2016 (proposal is same as for 2015) and new affiliates.
4. Officers' Reports and Accounts
5. Election of Officers for 2016

a) Chair
b) Vice Chair
c) Secretary

d) Assistant Secretary
e) Treasurer
f) Additional non-officer members of the Executive Committee, if required

6. Speaker on the Junior Doctors' Dispute  (tbc)

7. Campaign Updates- including local and national Union campaigns,  County Association of Trades Councils, Eastbourne People's Assembly etc.

7. Pattern of meetings for 2016
8. Campaign Contacts for 2016

9. Presentation of the Len Caine Award

No To Sussex Ambulance Outsourcing

GMB Warn That Sussex Clinical Commissioning Groups Are Taking Huge Risks In The Outsourcing Of Patients Transport Services.  Failure to ensure that proposed incoming private ambulance contractors are fit and capable to provide this vital service from April 1st is unforgivable says the Union.

GMB, the union for the ambulance service, has discovered that Hampshire based VM Langford's and Essex based Thames Ambulance Group have been appointed by Coperforma to deliver Patient Transport Services in Sussex.

Coperforma were awarded the contract to provide non-emergency patients Transport Services across Sussex from 1 April 2016. The provision for Patient Transport Services in Sussex has been split between Thames Ambulance Services who will service Brighton, central Sussex and the north Sussex corridor and VM Langford who will provide patient transport services across both East and West Sussex.

All current South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) ambulance service staff will be transferred to their new provider with 97 going to VM Langford.
GMB members are raising concerns that, with 6 weeks to go, locations of ambulance base stations have still yet to be announced.

Gary Palmer, GMB regional organiser, said “Outsourcing and sub-contracting by The Sussex Clinical Commissioners Group and Coperforma, could lead to disaster for Patient Transport Services in Sussex through the appointment of VM Langford’s and Thames Ambulance Group to deliver transport services across Sussex. Patients and front line NHS professionals, who currently deliver a caring, responsive, first class service to the public across the county, will suffer.

Coperforma led a drawn out, secretive and badly handled search for private ambulance service providers, which resulted in nearly all of their preferred choices pulling out on consideration of what we can only presume to be a financially disappointing and unfavourable contract.

GMB has raised concerns to both the CCG and Coperforma that they have produced nothing to lessen our member’s concerns that VM Langford’s will be unable to provide the necessary base equipment and the vehicles necessary to mobilise and commence service provision on April 1st.  As future employers they have yet to convince transferring staff that they are committed to NHS values and that the current agenda for improvements to terms and conditions won’t be under threat.

GMB and SECAmb had arranged a second meeting with VM Langford’s to fully layout their deployment plans. This was cancelled at their request and rearranged for the 25th February. A further two weeks potential consultation has been lost and that is not acceptable.

It’s time for the CCG to come out publicly about the concerns it has shared with GMB and SECAmb in recent meetings about VM Langford’s and their ability to deliver any sort of service for the people of Sussex together with an acknowledgement of the real fears and concerns of staff over their appointment and ability to deliver an NHS standard service.

GMB are calling for the CCG to halt the rush to force this privatisation through and to push the transfer process commencement date back by at least 3 months. It is vital that we ensure that the patients, staff, public and unions involved can be confident that patient lives, the jobs of our members and the effectiveness of the service as a whole are not put at risk. Ensuring the capability and long term stability of those involved in the contracts mobilisation is an absolute necessity. 

GMB will not stand by and allow our members, together with the patients and public of Sussex to receive a substandard service and detrimental treatment off the back of inexperienced providers looking to make a fast buck.” 

Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday 26th January

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 26th January, 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.

We are pleased to welcome local campaigner Marcie Clarke, from Eastbourne Welcomes Refugees. Marcie was a key organiser for the superb campaign in the town for food and clothing for the camp in Calais, and has recently returned from visiting the camps in person.

THE AGENDA WILL BE:

1. Introductions and apologies for absence
2. Approval of new affiliations.
3. Minutes of previous meeting (November) and matters arising. 
4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer
5. SPEAKER:  Marcie Clarke from Eastbourne Welcomes Refugees.  We have also invited a speaker on the BMA Junior Doctors Dispute
6. Anti Cuts Campaign: Including preparations for the rally in Eastbourne and the demonstration at County Hall
7. Report from  East Sussex County Association of Trades Councils
8. Any other Campaigns: Colleagues invited to provide information on their Unions’ local and national campaigns, and any support that the Trades Council could give.
9. Any other business including arrangements for the March AGM

The bar will be open afterwards !

Support the Junior Doctors' Strike !

The British Medical Association is not (yet) affiliated to the TUC, but we are nonetheless proud to offer our support and solidarity to them in their contract dispute with the Secretary of State for Health. Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis, Member of BMA Junior Doctors Committee National Executive writes:

Junior Doctors across England will be commencing industrial action on Tuesday 12th January. We are opposing this government’s attempt to impose an unsafe new contract on the medical profession. It is our view that the proposed contract represents an existential danger to the NHS as an institution.

You may be aware that the BMA had initially suspended its planned industrial action at the start of December and returned to talks with the Department of Health. That decision was made in good faith. However, over the last few weeks, in the course of negotiations with Government we have encountered only intransigence. It is clear that the government perceives our contract issue as pivotal for its attempt to “reform” the NHS towards a neoliberal, commercialised system. It is therefore evident to us that we have no choice but to transform our 98% ballot mandate into action. The developments of the next few months will have consequences stretching far into the future. This government is wilfully putting at risk our patients' safety, the tolerability of our working lives as NHS workers and the very viability of the NHS as a publicly-funded, publicly-provided service.

Why we need YOU

The coming period will be the ultimate test of the BMA’s resolve as a Union. However, we remain mindful of the fact that the BMA is not an abstract entity operating in isolation from wider political developments. There is no way that we can win this on our own. We need all concerned citizens, activists and trade unionists to stand alongside us in this fight. Over the last few months we have been in dialogue with many trade unionists throughout the country and we have been enormously grateful for their support both at a local and national level. The public messages of support from our allied health worker colleagues, the firefighters, the teaching unions and the TUC and TUCG unions have galvanised junior doctors. We are therefore well aware that all eyes are upon us and that the institutions which represent the wider working class stand with us in solidarity.

We are in no doubt that Osborne, Cameron and Hunt will use the proposed doctor’s contract as a tool for achieving the destruction of safe terms and conditions throughout the NHS and throughout the public sector. The Conservative Party is attempting to stretch the NHS into an ostensibly 7-day elective service whilst simultaneously launching the biggest assault on NHS resources in its history. The politics of austerity represents a clear and present danger to the nation’s health.

A victory for the Junior Doctors would signify the first real crack in the entire edifice of austerity in the UK. Please stand with us. And when you need us, ask us. We will stand by you.

On behalf of the entire BMA we thank you all for your incredible support so far. Many of you will have seen the details with regards to the planned action and I will reiterate them below. We invite you to come out and display your visible support for us on
the days of action.

• The action will begin with an emergency care-only model, which would see junior doctors provide the same level of service that happens in their given specialty, hospital or GP practice on Christmas Day. It will then escalate to full walk-outs. The action as proposed is:   Emergency care only — 24 hrs from 8am Tuesday 12 January to 8am Wednesday 13 January;   Emergency care only — 48 hrs from 8am Tuesday 26th January to 8am Thursday 28 January;  Full withdrawal of labour — from 8am to 5pm Wednesday 10th February
• The aim is to picket all major hospitals in England on all three days of proposed action. Pickets will be in the vicinity of the main entrances and will start at 8am, continuing until at least 12.30pm. However, many picket sites will continue into the evening, especially at the larger hospitals.
• Along with the pickets there will be parallel “Meet the Doctors” events at nearby transport stops or public spaces. We will direct you to these events from the picket.
• Please turn up on the days of action, and give us your support. We will then inform you if other local events are planned on the day. If you are an allied health worker, trade unionist or campaigner please do consider bringing along the banner representing your organisation, your working uniform or similar. We would appreciate it however if banners in explicit endorsement of specific political parties are not displayed and that any selling of campaign literature such as newspapers is relatively discreet.
• On the days of action, please do debate us, educate us and invite us to address your colleagues in your workplace or trade union branch.

We will update you on specific arrangements for Eastbourne DGH as we are informed of them.

Eastbourne: Poverty Pay in the Public Sector !

EASTBOURNE BOROUGH COUNCIL: 42% of staff paid less than Living Wage

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL: 27% of staff paid less than Living Wage

EAST SUSSEX  HOSPITALS (DGH): 11% of staff paid less than Living Wage. 

As it is Living Wage week, we were keen to look at the situation for workers in Eastbourne. Eastbourne has many staff employed in the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors, all of which have traditionally been low-paid- although Morrisons and Lidl have recently joined the ranks of Living Wage employers. A number of other employers active in Eastbourne have also signed up to the Living Wage foundation's Living Wage accreditation, paying all staff over 18 £8.15 or more. You can read these here

Brighton and Hove City Council is accredited as a Living Wage employer, and Hastings Borough Council pays all of its directly employed staff above the Living Wage rate. So the public sector is setting a good example, yes ?...... Sadly not in Eastbourne !

East Sussex County Council employs a total of 16,200 people (many are part time and/or casual- the full time equivalent is 8,717 )   Of these, a staggering 4,373 were paid below the living wage rate- then £7.85-  in August, that's 27% of the council's workforce.

Eastbourne Borough Council employed 741, and 314 of these were paid less than the living wage. This equates to just over 42% of the council workforce.

Of those, we established that 27 were under 18 (the age at which the Living Wage Foundation expects their accredited employers to pay the Living Wage.)

Shockingly, the Borough Council still takes advantage of the lower rates within the national minimum wage to pay under 21's even less:  47 staff were paid less than the adult national minimum wage of £6,50 !

Perhaps the NHS would be better ?

Sussex Community NHS Trust, the main provider of NHS community health and care services across West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and High Weald, Lewes and Havens area of East Sussex has been paying the Living Wage since 2013. Sussex Partnership NHS Trust which provides services for those with mental health problems, learning disabilities or an addiction to drugs or alcohol have agreed to do the same at Board Level and are currently looking at the logistics around implementation.

As for the good old East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Eastbourne DGH- not such good news..... as we reported earlier, of a total workforce of 7314 across the trust (including the Conquest Hopsital in Hastings) 790 people were paid less than the Living Wage: around 11% of the workforce.

Trades Council secretary, Dave Brinson recalls: "I was in a meeting a couple of years ago, when an official of the Borough council berated me for suggesting that the town was a 'low wage' economy, This would seem to prove a point- and the Borough Council itself is at the forefront of perpetuating it !"

Source for EBC and ESCC information: FoI request by Dave Brinson, covering August pay period. Source for NHS information, FoI request by Unison.