Demonstrate: Saturday 6 March 2010
Assemble 12 midday at The Level, Brighton
A demonstration has been organised by trade union activists and campaigners as a call to action to fight back against the unjustified job losses taking place across the city and the country.
Delegates and organisers put together plans for the demonstration at a meeting held by Brighton, Hove and District Trades Council and are urging trade union branches, students, the unemployed, workers and their families to take part in this important march which will take place on Saturday 6 March.
Assembling at The Level at 12 midday, the demonstration will march past significant workplaces and sites in the city effected by the current threat of job losses. It will march to Brighton town hall where a rally will be held to put forward demands to defend all jobs and prevent any public service cuts as part of a fight back campaign against these unjustified attacks on working people.
Across Brighton & Hove working people are being threatened with thousands of job losses as workplaces close down. The devastating news of 220 redundancies at manufacturing firm Edwards last week adds to the job purge currently taking place against workers.
Track maintenance crews organised in the RMT union will be balloting for strike action over 1,500 job losses on the railways. If these job cuts go ahead safety will be severely threatened for both workers and travellers with already overstretched services.
Hundreds of jobs at Borders and Threshers in Brighton have already gone, more than 600 redundancies have been announced across two Lloyds sites, Brighton & Hove City Council wants to shed 150 workers and Sussex University plan to axe nearly 200 jobs.
Brighton, Hove and District Trades Council general secretary Bill North said: "Billions of pounds are being handed out to bankers and chief executives of companies technically owned by the taxpayer at a time when more and more people are being thrown out of work with nothing being done to protect these jobs. This completely distorted and unjustified situation cannot continue any longer.
"In the Brighton area hundreds of working people are being threatened with a worsening situation as job losses mount up.
"However, time and time again it has been shown that strong, organised trade unions can and do make a positive difference, defending jobs and conditions when they are under threat.
"If you’re not in a trade union - join one. If you are - get active.
"There is huge anger at the alarming lack of protection for workers at the same time bllions in bonuses are dished out to the rich and this demonstration will give people the opportunity to make a stand and will send out a clear message to bosses and the government: we will not pay for your crisis."
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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.