The next Southend TUC meeting - 2.11.2011

NOTICE OF NEXT SOUTHEND TRADES UNION COUNCIL MEETING

Date :             Wednesday 2^nd November 2011

Time :             6.30pm

Venue :         Labour Party Office, 268 Sutton Road, Southend on Sea

AGENDA

1.         President's opening remarks

2.         Apologies for absence

3.         Minutes of last meeting held on 5^th October 2011& matters arising

4.         Campaigning activities:

·         Day of Action - 30^th November

·         Southend Against the Cuts

5.         Branch Reports

6.         Financial Report

7.         Correspondence

8.         Any other business

9.         Close of meeting - by 8.00pm

Yours fraternally

Ian Pope

Secretary

Public Meeting 6th October - Defend Public Services

Come along and hear the debate as millions of trades unionists prepare for mass industrial action in November over the issue of public sector pension reform,

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