Fair Pay Fortnight- Well Done Eastbourne

Eastbourne Trades Council is proud to have supported the TUC's Fair Pay Fortnight, campaigning for a Living Wage and against exploitative zero-hours contracts in Eastbourne and across the country !


Our dedicated Fair Pay for Eastbourne website has carried information about the Living Wage, advice on Zero Hours contracts, and how and which Union to join.

We have published a list of known Living Wage employers operating or employing staff living in Eastbourne.

We literally kicked off the fortnight by mobilising football fans in Eastbourne to join the 38 Degrees campaign for Fair Pay for ordinary staff such as ground staff and cleaners in Premiership football clubs. Only one team (Chelsea) is currently a Living Wage employer.  We promoted the excellent 38 Degrees petitions- one for each team in the Premier League. These are still open, and you can find your team and sign here.

We have helped the local Citizens Advice Bureau promote their survey into zero-hours or variable hours contracts in Eastbourne, and have circulated important campaigning information around combatting zero-hours contracts to union activists across the town.

We were proud to promote the work of the Citizens UK I Care about Care campaign, which is calling for a charter of rights for staff working in the social care sector. This affects many working people in Eastbourne, many of whom are not just paid under the Living Wage, but many have contracts that mean, in practice, they are being paid less than the National Minimum Wage.  We promoted Unisons' petition calling for this exploitation to end.

Stephen Lloyd MP is a vocal champion of the Apprenticeship scheme, but also a conspicuous defender of the disgraceful £2.73 per hour minimum wage for apprentices. The excellent report from the National Union of Students- entitled Forget Me Not blows apart some of the myths around the Apprenticeship scheme, and we proudly promoted this.

We have encouraged local trade unionists to support a range of national Fair Pay campaigns, including:-

• Living Wage and BECTU  union recognition for Picturehouse Cinema workers- including at the Duke of York's in Brighton.
• Amazon- Pay your staff and Pay Your Taxes- a campaign run by the GMB
• Church of England- practice what you preach- after the letter from Bishops about the Living Wage exposed failings in a number of C of E employers !

The fortnight may be over, but the campaign goes on.  We will continue to update our Fair Pay for Eastbourne site, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

Equality training opportunity- Autism in the Workplace

Free! A one day briefing on  Autism in the Workplace  for reps, officers, and members of all trade unions sponsored by Simpson Millar Trade Union Solicitors, which will address;

           

• What is autism? Realities and myths 
• Autism issues at work
• Making the workplace more autism – friendly
• Workers with autism, carers and the law

 

Thursday 9th January 2014   -   9.30a.m – 4.30p.m, at WEA Trade Union Learning Centre,  96 – 100 Clifton Street, London EC2A 4TP  (short walk from Old Street/Moorgate/Liverpool Street/  Shoreditch stations and on lots of bus routes)     Sandwich lunch provided.

 

This one day briefing is for all union reps, officers and members who want to find out more about the Autistic Spectrum (including Asperger Syndrome) and become more confident in dealing with related issues in the workplace. The day will consist of a mixture of presentations and activities, speakers to include John McDonnell MP on autism, politics and the labour movement, and

Simpson Millar on the legal aspects.

 

Please note   -   this briefing is not aimed at people whose work is with clients with autism, but for trade unionists who are organising and representing members in the workplace.

 

To apply please contact  mgort@wea.org.uk  or for further information please contact Monica on email or 0207 426 1976 Autism in the Workplace.

 

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

Labour and Trade Union History Course: Brighton

The Brighton Free University, in conjunction with the Plebs League, are running a course on Labour and Trade Union History at the Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton, on Tuesday 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th April, and Tuesday 7th May. Course Tutor is Terry McCarthy.   For more details contact Terry by clicking here.  Admission Free The Brighton Free University offers many more courses For more details visit their website here.  

Regional Disabled Workers Conference

All local trade unionists are invited to apply to attend this conference, jointly run by  SERTUC Disabled Workers Committee with SERTUC Young Members Network conference. Places are free, but application in advance is essential !

"Young Disabled People, employed and empowered?" is on Saturday 6 April from 11am to 3pm  at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London.

Sessions include:-

• Further and Higher Education: the specific challenges facing disabled young people with Jawanza Ipyana, National Union of Students
• Panel Discussion: Employment, Policy and Good Practice in the workplace with Rob McCraken CWU and Jonathan Naess CEO Stand to Reason
• Question Time: How the Paralympics' dream was destroyed by the cuts with Tara Flood, Paralympic Gold Medallist and Director of Alliance for Inclusive Education, Penny Pepper and Roger Lewis Disabled People Against Cuts, Rob McCraken and Jawanza Ipyana

This conference is free to attend, but registration is essential - please register with Joanne Adams at jadams@tuc.org.uk

NHS for Beginners- Seminar Friday 18th Jan

The Socialist Health Association (a campaigning group and an affiliated society to the Labour Party) is inviting trade unionists and others to a seminar to explain how we can get more involved in their  NHS.

The NHS For Beginners project is intended to help more people get involved in their local NHS. Most people have very little idea about how the NHS is organised. We plan to run classes across England directed at people who are not currently involved in the NHS.

What is the NHS exactly?
If we want to defend it what are we defending?
How could we defend it?

There are various opportunities for lay people to be involved in the running of the English NHS.

• There is local Healthwatch – to be launched in April 2013.
• You can be a member, or be elected as a Governor, of Foundation Trusts.
• Local councils have increasing involvement in the running of the NHS, taking over Public Health responsibilities in April 2013 and establishing health and wellbeing boards as well as the existing Health Scrutiny arrangements.
• Clinical Commissioning Groups have various arrangements for involving patients and the public, and so increasingly do local GP practises.

This seminar will consider what the possibilities for using these mechanisms to defend the NHS .  It will take place at the Brighthelm Centre, Brighton, from 2-4pm. There is no charge, but you must book.

Click here to learn more and book your place.
More information can also be found by downloading the UNISON guide to influencing the new NHS

Ending the Low Pay Culture- a SERTUC Seminar: London, 3rd November

South East region TUC is hosting a morning seminar in the wake of the TUC's mass demo for 'A Future that Works' on October 20^th.

Looking at ending the low pay culture, the seminar will address: 

• Trends in workers' pay since 1975,
• Increasing workers' pay- negotiating success
• How the government's proposals for regional/local pay are not evidence based
• How workers' wages are a critical pillar of the trade unions' alternative economic strategy.

Chaired by Tony Lennon, SERTUC vice president, guest speakers will include Duncan Weldon, TUC senior policy officer, Helen Kersley of the New Economics Foundation, Heather Wakefield, head of local government for Unison and Enrico Tortolano, national research officer for PCS.

The seminar is FREE and directed towards reps, activists and union officers.

Date: Saturday 3 November

Time: 10am - 1pm (followed by lunch)

Venue: Congress House, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LS

Cost: Free to attend but registration is essential

MEET THE NEW TUC GENERAL SECRETARY

There is also an opportunity to hear Frances O’Grady TUC general secretary designate address the  SERTUC Regional Council meeting. This will be just one week after the March for a Future that Works.

All trade union members from the South East may attend as observers to the meeting to hear Frances, although advance registration is essential. Congress House 10am on Saturday 27 October. Contact Darren Lewis at SERTUC-  dlewis@tuc.org.uk