Protest Vigil to save Our NHS – 5th September

This event has been called jointly by Southend Against The Cuts and Keep Our NHS Public.

Meet from 6pm on Monday 5th September outside Southend Hospital, Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff-on-Sea

This protest is part of a national campaign to stop the government’s Health and Social Care Bill from breaking up and privatising our National Health Service. This Bill goes back to Parliament on 7th Septmber  join our protest to help make sure politicians know we will defend our NHS!

Burston March & Rally - 4th September 2011

BURSTON STRIKE SCHOOL RALLY

The annual Burston Strike School Rally will be held on Sunday 4^th September. The march and rally commemorates the continuing struggle for trade union rights, working class education, democracy in the countryside and international solidarity. There will be speakers from the Labour Movement plus music and entertainment.

The Southend TUC has organised a coach to Burston, near Diss, Norfolk. The pick up points are White Horse 7.15 am, Queensway 7.25 am, Prince Avenue Tesco 7.35 am , to arrive at Burston by 10.30 am. The return journey from Burston will start at 4.30pm.

The cost is £5 per person with children travelling free.  This low price is thanks to subsidies from UNISON and PCS. Contact Rachel Heemskerk for tickets/information via e-mail on rachel.heemskerk@gmail.com

Burston Strike School – the Longest Strike in History

In 1^st April 1914 the pupils of Burston School marched in support of their two dismissed teachers, Tom and Kitty Higdon. The Higdons were closely associated with the Agricultural Workers’ Union which brought them into conflict with the squirachy and the Church of England which was responsible for the education of children in the countryside.

Association with the farm workers’ union and Tom’s election to the Parish Council as a Labour member had prompted the dismissals. The school children, 66 out of 72, had gone on strike. This was to be the first day of the longest strike in history.

The Strike School, the alternative to the CofE County School from where the Higdons had been sacked, was at first located in the blacksmith’s workshop and latterly in purpose built premises erected on Burston Village Green by Labour Movement subscription.

The Strike School continues to function until the beginning of the Second World War. Tom Higdon died on 17^th August 1939 and the school closed a few months later. Kitty, then in her seventies, was unable to carry on alone and the remaining pupils transferred to the County School. Kitty died on 24^th April 1946.

In 1949 the Strike School was registered as an educational charity. There are 4 trustees who, with the support of UNITE, manage the school and try to develop it as a museum, visitor centre, educational archive and village amenity.

Since 1984, an annual; rally has been held in Burston to commemorate the first rally held in 1914 and celebrate the struggles that took place in Burston in the first half of the 20^th century – celebration of a challenge to the old rural order that has yet to be completed, but continues to be inspired by the struggle that began in Burston.

As the current government pushes forward its policies of free schools and academies to reduce the democratic accountability of education services to the community, we should not forget the lessons from the struggle of Burston.

Your Tax Office Services Reduced "To Save You Money"

HMRC recently announced they would be reducing the days and hours of many of the ‘Face to Face’ Tax Enquiry offices nationally.

Southend Tax Enquiry Office will from 13^th June have the following opening days and times

New Days Opening:  Monday, Wednesdays and  Fridays only

New opening times: 9.30am –  4.00pm

According to HMRC, these changes will ‘introduce more efficient working processes, requiring fewer staff, to provide an improved customer service but at a reduced cost.’

What this 22 hours weekly reduction actually means to you is

·        inconvenience of reduced opening days

·        more queues and waiting times to get appointments

·        poorer customer service, as fewer staff will be available to help you

This will especially affect the elderly and those who cannot afford lengthy and costly telephone calls to the department’s tax enquiry contact centre.

This won’t be the end of the cuts either. While HMRC continues to reduce services ‘to make efficiencies,’ the free ‘phone helplines available in tax offices will be the next service to be cut ‘to improve customer service!’ 

If you are unhappy about any of this, please make your concerns known to your local member of Parliament by writing to them at the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA:

Southend East & Rochford -  James Dudderidge MP

Southend West -  David Amess MP

Rayleigh & Wickford –  Mark Francois MP

Castle Point –  Rebecca Harris MP

OR contact your local Councillor or Citizen’s Advice.

  HMRC said they consulted the public about these changes:

          Make sure you have had YOUR  say now!

PCS South East Essex Branch (R&C)

Fighting unnecessary cuts to YOUR Public Services!

UCU, NUT, ATL and PCS Strike Rally -

Unite The Resistance!

 Thursday 30th June 2011

12:30 at Victoria Circus, Southend on Sea SS1 1TJ

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Speakers include Hector Wesley PCS NEC member Doug Rouxel UCU NEC member plus other speakers from PCS, NUT, UNISON and  Southend Against The Cuts

Unless the government does an about-turn on its plans to force public sector workers to work longer and pay more for much less pension in retirement, this first joint strike will include 750,000 public servants.There is also a very real prospect of hundreds of thousands more workers joining the dispute later in the year.

Vote to strike over pensions, pay and job cuts

PCS members have voted by a clear majority in favour of strike action and action short of strike, in the dispute over pensions, pay and job cuts.

61.1% of members voted in favour of strike action and 83.6% in favour of action short of strike, on a turnout of 32.4%.

The PCS result follows yesterday’s announcement of votes in favour of strike action by teaching unions. The PCS NEC has agreed to co-ordinate action with education unions, which will lead to the biggest strike in a generation.

The NEC has agreed unanimously that unless there are significant concessions from the government, a 24 hour strike for 30 June 2011 will be called. This will be followed by an overtime ban throughout July.

Further information will follow shortly. Find out the latest at http://www.pcs.org.uk

 

PCS ballot for industrial action on 30th June

by Kerry Fairless, President of PCS R&C South East Essex Branch

PCS is working with several teachers unions to take co-ordinated action, possibly on 30th June. Throughout the summer we expect other public sector unions to start balloting members. Len McCluskey, General Secretary of UNITE, made a commitment to PCS at National Conference that his members will come to the party soon. Hopefully UNISON can get their membership records in order, so they too will be able ballot.

Our General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, has made it clear that our proposed action isn’t political posturing or a demonstration against our employers. Our action is designed to win. The action on 30th June would only be the start.

So, why are we taking action?

PensionsThe Hutton Report demands that the Civil Service Pension contributions will need to go up by 3%. Instead of a Salary Ending payment, future pension payments will be based on career average.

The media myth is that our pensions are gold plated. They are not. The average Civil Service pension pays out at just over £6000 a year.

PayThe Government has implemented a 2 year pay freeze for Civil Servants. At the same time the bankers who created the economic collapse are still receiving excessive and grotesque bonus payments. Inflation is running at 5%, food and fuel prices are escalating at a higher rate. It is expected that gas and electricity will rise by between 15% and 25% before the year is out. We are already paying 2.5% extra VAT than we used to.

JobsThe Government cuts agenda continues unabated. Civil Service jobs are being slashed left, right and centre. HMRC are due to face somewhere in the region of an 18% cut. It could be you! In Southend we had the most pre-surplus staff in the country until recently. All of our jobs could be done elsewhere in the country or by private companies. None of us are safe. The local Job Centre has few jobs, mostly in the driving, nursing and catering sectors, all at minimum wage and mostly part time.

This Government only cares about the rich, the bankers, and big business. They do not care, nor represent, people like you and I. We are merely collateral damage. Statistics on a balance sheet.

We know this Government is weak and made up of uneasy bedfellows. We have seen them squabble with each other like children in the playground. We know they can be split and divided. Our response must be as a united front. It must be unequivocal.

Leigh Folk Festival - 16th - 19th June 2011

Leigh Folk Festival  

The Largest Free Folk Festival in the Country

16th - 19th JUNE 2011

MARTIN CARTHY
 TOM PALEY, JOHN OTWAY,
EMILY PORTMAN TRIO, CASS MEURIG & NIAL CAIN,
STEVE TURNER, LUCY WARD, LUCY & JACOB FARRELL, LONDON BULGARIAN CHOIR,
MODESTE, KLEZMER KLUB, PHILLIP HENRY,
O'HOOLEY & TIDOW, PAMELA WYN SHANNON

The Southend TUC is supporting the festival again this year. We strongly urge all members to go along, with friends and families, to enjoy the great atmosphere of the festival.