NextTrades Council Meeting 9th July

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 9th July 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 and matters arising.
4. Treasurer's Report
5. Campaigns Updates
6. Events-  Report on WMD and May Day; arrangements for Pride
7. Any other business

May meeting POSTPONED

APOLOGIES but tonight's Trades Council Meeting has been postponed.  New date will be set shortly.

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

Workers Memorial Day 2019

Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don't die of mystery ailments, or in tragic "accidents". They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn't that important a priority. 

Workers’ Memorial Day (WMD) commemorates those workers. Workers' Memorial Day is held on 28 April every year, all over the world workers and their representatives conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark the day. the day.

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.


The theme for 2019 Theme for the day is: “dangerous substances – get them out of the workplace”. The focus will mainly be on carcinogens but you can adapt the theme to whatever is most relevant in your workplace or area, as many substances can also cause illnesses such as asthma or dermatitis.

Two important issues are of course asbestos and diesel exhaust, and the TUC has useful guides on both of them, but other ideas may be cleaning fluids or dust in general - Asbestos - time to get rid of it (pdf), Diesel exhaust in the workplace (pdf), Occupational cancer (pdf)

As always, Eastbourne Trades Council will be leafleting the Town Centre on the day, and also writing to all of the places of worship in Eastbourne, asking them to commemorate the day.

Find out more at the TUC National Website by clicking here.

USDAW responds to speculation about Tesco job cuts

Shopworkers' union USDAW has responded to reports of plans to slash jobs at Tesco, including on bakery, meat and fish counters.

Pauline Foulkes - Usdaw National Officer said:

“Reports and speculation in the media about significant job cuts are distressing for Tesco staff and it is appalling that they should hear about the future of their jobs in this way. Usdaw is seeking an urgent meeting with the company to clarify the situation, to examine the details of what changes they are proposing and what this means for staff. Our priority will be to press Tesco to confirm the details of their proposed changes to stop any further speculation. In the meantime Usdaw’s officials and reps are on hand to support our members and further updates will be provided once we have further information”.

The BBC carried information about the rumoured cuts in an article you can read by clicking here.
The Mail on Sunday carried an article you can read here.

Our solidarity with USDAW and its members at Tesco stores in Eastbourne! 

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