Season's Greetings!

Adapted from a cartoon in 'Millgate Monthly' December 1921 (part of the Working Class Movement Library Collection).

I wish all comrades and their families, a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Folk for the NHS – Our Health Service is not for sale!

Folk for the NHS – Our Health Service is not for sale

8.00pm, Friday 2nd May 

at The Railway Hotel
Clifftown Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1AJ

 

sponsored by Southend TUC – free entry

Mike Abbott - The Justice for Shrewsbury Pickets Campaign

Mike Abbott 29/3/39 – 27/2/14

The Justice for Shrewsbury Pickets Campaign has lost its founder and most lion-hearted champion. Mike re-kindled the campaign from dormancy when he retired in 2006, just as he promised Des Warren he would, when Des was dying from drug-induced Parkinson’s disease in 2004. For the first 5 years, the high profile that the campaign rapidly achieved was entirely down to Mike, who travelled the length and breadth of the country to build support. The intention was to persuade the TUC to organise a public inquiry to learn from the experience and overturn the 1970s criminalisation of mobilising solidarity action.

The campaign quickly became very popular, with a network of supporting organisations and individuals, all looking for a way to unite today’s campaigns against collective injustice with the unresolved issues from 1972 – casualisation, bogus self-employment, blacklisting of activists, poor H&S standards and inspection, and the behind-the-scenes ‘nod and a wink’ collaboration of employers, Tories, senior media, judiciary and police officials to prejudice public opinion against trade unionism. Wherever we went for support, it was forthcoming.

The campaign would not be where it is now without the National Committee that Mike recruited. He constantly reminded activists of Des’s statement from the dock, just before he was sent down for 3 years for conspiracy:- “Nobody here must think they can walk away from this court and forget what has happened here. Villains or victims, we are all part of something much bigger than this trial. The working class movement cannot allow this verdict to go unchallenged. It is yet one more step along the road to fascism and I would remind you — the greatest heroes in Nazi Germany were those who challenged the law when it was used as a political weapon by government acting for a minority of greedy, evil men.”

The National Committee organised a lobby of parliament, 2 Early Day Motions, fringe meetings at UCATT, TUC and Labour Party conferences; we lobbied traded union leaders and Brendan Barber; we produced a DVD with Platform Films which has been shown all over the country; we have spoken at numerous trades councils. We campaigned for both the hugely successful annual Shrewsbury Pickets marches, in Shrewsbury organised by Telford and Shropshire TUC.

In the summer of 2010, out of nowhere, some members from the North West began to divide the campaign, insisting that the only campaigning they would do was to seek legal redress for the 24 convicted pickets. Legal redress was not on the campaign agenda until convicted picket Arthur Murray requested it, and since then nobody opposed it. Walking away from the National Committee will not overcome the criminalisation of mobilising solidarity action.

Unlike Mike and others of his generation, today’s young activists have no experience of the mounting world-wide optimism and strength of the struggle for socialism in the 60s and early 70s. And they have no other trade union organisation which is trying to develop their understanding of how that optimism and strength arose and was subsequently undermined. It was undermined by the unprincipled manoeuvring of all manner of left-talking people and organisations, not just the official leaders of the Labour Party and the trade unions. These left-talkers blocked the mobilisation of solidarity action that could have prevented the criminalisation of trade unionism 40 years ago, just as the mobilisation of solidarity action brought down the Heath government and forced the release of the Pentonville dockers. Instead, the solidarity of the 1970s was broken down using the same unprincipled tactics that were used against the National Committee — dividing the different mobilisations against collective injustice instead of uniting them, by claiming they are not part of the struggle for socialism.

Mike continued to be active, turning out and speaking up for every mobilisation against collective injustice, until he was put on palliative care at the beginning of February. He went on cheerfully talking and joking right to the end, with barely a moment’s self-pity, despite the excruciating side-effects of the 3 courses of chemotherapy he endured over 3 years, until the doctors could do no more. Mike’s determination, integrity and fortitude are beyond question, a blazing beacon to all who knew him, just like Des Warren’s. Des refused to allow himself to be called a hero, and Mike felt the same. Nevertheless, all those young activists who take up the struggle against collective injustice will honour people like them, and be inspired by the qualities of unyielding principle and self-sacrifice that they embodied.

Why join a union?

Why join a union?

As an individual worker your relationship with your employer is not one between equals. By joining with other workers in a union you are much better placed to claim your rights.

Joining a union is about standing up for one another. On your own you have very little power to influence decisions made by your employer. Uniting with your colleagues in the union means you can make a difference.

Workers form unions so they can have a voice on the job to improve their lives, those of their families and their communities. In every part of working life unions make a difference.

Pay

For comparable jobs, workers in unions are paid around 8% more than non-union workers. You are twice as likely to be in a low paid workforce if you are not in a union.

Job security

Non-union firms sack two and a half times as many workers as those where unions are recognised. When redundancies take place they are more than twice as likely to be compulsory where there is no union.

Health and Safety

Across the UK there is a network of union appointed Safety Representatives who ensure that health and safety in the workplace is monitored, evaluated and improved. These representatives are highly trained and supported by other union specialists. In non-union workplaces, workers are on their own.

Fair treatment

Unions also represent members when they have a problem at work. If an employee feels they are being unfairly treated he or she can ask the union representative to help sort out the difficulty with the manager or employer. If the problem cannot be resolved amicably, the matter may go to an employment tribunal. Members can ask their union to represent them at industrial tribunals. Most cases that go to employment tribunals are about pay, unfair dismissal, redundancy or discrimination at work.

Unions also offer their members legal representation. Normally this is to help people get financial compensation for work-related injuries or to assist people who have to take their employer to court. Without a union you are on your own.

By joining a union you can help everyone get fairness at work.

National ATOS demonstration - Wednesday 19th February

 National Demonstration against ATOS

On Wednesday 19th February, protesters will gather nationally outside Atos centres to peacefully protest the inhumane treatment of people receiving employment support allowance, and its predecessors incapacity benefit and the severe disablement allowance.

The protests will be spearheaded by disabled activists who have had to bear the brunt of the cuts made by the government of millionaires.

A key demand of these protesters is that the government no longer uses ATOS to perform these assessments.

Campaigners come from a wide diverse section of society ranging from disabled people who are directly affected by the changes in the administration of benefits to concerned citizens worried about the treatment of the most vulnerable in society.

Protesters are also calling for an apology from Iain Duncan Smith and Thierry Breton, Chairman and CEO of ATOS to the six families of benefit claimants who took their lives following decisions made by ATOS.

Locally, there will a demonstration from 8.00am outside the Southend Assessment Centre, 11 Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff SS0 0RX.

PLEASE JOIN THE DEMONSTRATION!

Message of Support to the RMT

Dear comrades

 

On behalf of the Southend Trades Union Council, I wish to express our solidarity with your members in London Underground who are taking strike action against job losses and the closure of ticket offices.

 

We applaud your stand against the reduction of services to the travelling public in London, and hope that your action will a success.

 

With best wishes

 

Fraternally

 

Ian Pope

Secretary

Southend Trades Union Council

Annual Report 2013

Secretary’s Report for the year ended 31 December 2013

Introduction

During the year the Southend TUC:

·         Held 9 general meetings with an average attendance of 7 delegates

·         We received affiliation fees from 11 branches from the following unions :
CWU, PCS, RMT, UNISON, UNITE

·         Affiliated to the Essex County Association of Trades Councils.

·         Work of the Year

·         Cuts and Public Services

·         Throughout the year we have supported the activities, including the street stalls and public meetings organised by the Southend against the Cuts campaign group

·         We expressed support for the strike action by unions in the public sector in defence of public sector pensions and opposing privatisation of services.

·         Trade Union Solidarity

·         During the year I sent a number of messages of solidarity to trades unionists in struggle, both in the UK and internationally.

·         We organised a mini-bus to the Burston March and Rally on 4^th September

·         Community Involvement

·         We maintained our support for the Leigh Folk Festival, and held a stall at the festival over the weekend of 22^nd and 23^rd June. The Trades Unions have now been recognised as the major sponsors of the Festival.

·         On 4^th September, we held a public meeting to encourage workers at Southend Airport to join trades unions which was addressed by our Regional Secretary, Megan Dobney.  We were able to meet a group of workers, already trade union members, and offered them advice on their issues.

Summary

During 2013, the Southend TUC has supported the ongoing campaign against the austerity policies of the Government. We have maintained our profile both within our local community as well as in the labour and trade union movement. We are in a good position to continue our campaigning activities during 2014.

Ian Pope

Secretary