We hope you all had a merry Christmas and we wish you all a happy new year on our 120th anniversary!
And straight to business!
The January meeting of Trades Council (technically an EC meeting, but open to all TU members) will be at 8pm on Wednesday 6 January (2010), at The Stag, Upper Bedford Street, Kemp Town, Brighton. It will be a very important planning meeting, with 3 major items on the agenda: Proposed demonstration against job losses; RMT report on campaign against job cuts; 2010 Trades Council AGM and further items no doubt.
1. Proposed demo against job cuts. Hope you saw the article in the Argus - if not, try: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4787530.Mass_demonstration_planned_against_Brighton_job_cuts/ The proposal for a march - in the first quarter of the new year - originally came from a mass meeting/rally at Sussex University. I hope you'll agree that this is something the TC should take up. The Argus says that "thousands of workers could march in the city": for once, let's hope they're correct in their prediction! BUT it will only happen if TU branches mobilise their members, and that'll start by making sure that as many branches as possible are represented at this meeting. Almost certainly your Branch won't have a meeting between now and the 6th January, but please contact your branch secretary NOW and arrange for the march to be discussed at the next branch meeting or branch committe.
2. RMT campaigns. I've attached a letter from Greg Hewitt from the RMT, which is self-explanatory. (I've made a minor change, where I think Gregg mis-typed the salary of Network Rail board members - if I've got it wrong that's my fault, not Greg's.)
My Name is Greg Hewitt from the RMT trade union. I am writing to you to request that you allow a speaker from my union at your next Trades Council meeting. As you may be aware Network Rail have announced 1,500 redundancies on top of which they intend to attack my members terms and conditions of employment. They wish to extend the boundaries of maintenance and inspect track assets less frequently. My members are struggling now to maintain a safe railway and are under increasing pressure to perform greater productivity. Last year we did this and took a 30% cut in funding. Now a further 21% is proposed. That's a 51% budget cut over two years. Meanwhile Ian Coucher, Chairman of Network Rail, continues to draw his £830,000 salary and bonus that takes him up to £1,24 million a year. The board continue to draw their salaries of £350,000[? BN] plus bonuses and only last night they met in the luxury of a 5 star Langham hotel at £400 a night. We are demanding that not one job should be lost until the Chairman and board hand back their bonuses. We are opposed to any job losses, be they voluntary or compulsory. My union is mounting a public campaign to make them aware of the inherent dangers to safety if the job cuts go ahead. As part of that campaign I am requesting we address the trade council. Thank you. Yours fraternally, Greg Hewitt. We have no right to believe that freedom can be won without struggle
3. Trades Council AGM. This should take place on the third Wednesday in February. We need to sort out a venue, who's doing reports, and EC members need to decide who will be awarded the Miners' Lamp for the year.
Hope to see you all there.
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@brightonhovetuc
Meeting Dates
Meetings take place on the second Wednesday of the month
We alternate between executive committee meetings and full trades council meetings. All delegates are encouraged to attend full meetings and any trade union member may attend as a visitor.
Email BrightonTradesCouncil@gmail.com to be informed of meeting dates and times.
How to get involved
Contact: In the first instance contact the General Secretary Andy Richards at brightontradescouncil@gmail.com
Trades union councils consist of representatives of trade unions or branches of trade unions which meet within the area covered by that council, or which have members working or living in the area. A union branch will normally affiliate to the trades unions council in the area in which it meets.
Trades union councils consist of representatives of trade unions or branches of trade unions which meet within the area covered by that council, or which have members working or living in the area. A union branch will normally affiliate to the trades unions council in the area in which it meets.
Who are we and what do we do?
Trades union councils bring together trade unions to campaign around issues effecting working people in their workplaces and local communities.
Trades Union Councils consist of trade unions or branches of
Trades Union Councils consist of trade unions or branches of
trade unions which meet within the area covered by that council, or which have members working or living in the area.
A union branch will normally affiliate to the trades union council in the area in which it meets. Each branch will then send delegates to the trades union council's meetings. These branches pay an affiliation fee. Their delegates elect officers from amongst themselves to represent the views and priorities of the constituent branches and to take responsibility for working for and supporting the policy of Congress and the Trades Union Council (TUC) General Council. This is because trades union councils are registered with the TUC, rather than being entirely independent bodies. The Annual Conference of Trades Union Councils takes place over a May weekend.
Brighton Hove & District Trades Council was first formed in the function room above The Eagle pub in Gloucester Road, Brighton in 1890.
Aims and objectives
> Raise public awareness of rights at work and the union role in enforcing those rights.
> Promote organising and recruitment drives to build union membership.
> Support union and community campaigns for dignity and respect in the workplace and beyond.
With the threats of racism and fascism, changes in the labour market and debates over the future of public services, the trade union voice in the community is as important as ever.
The capacity of trades union councils to provide a local response and to organise trade unionists into coalitions with other progressive forces is crucial. They do this by providing services which keep local trade unionists up to date with developments within the wider trade union movement, and by taking up relevant local industrial and community issues.