Around 200 people attended Trades Council’s demonstration on Wednesday evening, calling for our elected representatives to support a ceasefire in Gaza. Below are further activities around the war on Gaza which you and your members might interested in. Plus, a load of other local trade union news and events of interest to trade unionists.
The next meeting of Trades Council is on Wednesday 13th December - watch this space for full details!
Public Meeting - WHY WE CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA - HOW CAN PALESTINE BE FREE?
Next National Demonstration for Gaza - 25th November
More strike action at Pensions Regulator
PCS members are taking a further 12 days of strike action on
22,23, 24, 28, 29, 30th November, and 6, 7, 8, 12,13, 14th December.
Pickets from 8.30 to 10am daily at Telecom House, 125-=6§135 Preston Road (junction with Stanford Avenue).
They are striking against employer attempts to impose a totally inadequate 3% pay offer.
More strikes planned by Brighton and Hove Social Workers
After a successful first day of action on 7th November, further strikes are planned for 14th and 15th December. Look out for more details.
Marathon Strike at Brighton University comes to an end
Striking UCU members at University of Brighton returned to work on Friday 10th November after 129 days on strike.
Staff voted overwhelmingly to stage an indefinite strike in response to a plan to cut over 100 jobs – about 10% of the academic staff base. In May, 400 staff were declared at risk of redundancy, and after 80 took voluntary redundancy, the strike began on 3rd July to stop an additional 22 lecturers and researchers being made compulsorily redundant.
At this time, the University was already withholding 100% of the pay of staff participating in UCU’s national marking and assessment boycott (MAB) and continued to do so until the MAB ended on 6th September.
Despite the strike causing serious disruption to the beginning of the academic year, the University pressed ahead with the redundancies, with employment ending for the last of the targeted staff on 27th October. Some of the dismissed staff are still waiting for their appeals against redundancy and employment tribunals may follow.
Brighton UCU remained on strike to press for the dropping of disciplinary action against four branch reps targeted for picketing, to seek protection against victimisation on a return to work, and for a rebate on the punitive MAB deductions.
Members’ determination to continue the fight means that they return to work with an improved offer on MAB deductions without UCU having to end its campaign against the University’s disastrous management or sign up to their punitive conditions.
The dispute remains live with the focus now on defending the branch reps threatened with victimisation.
Everything Must Change - film showing 23rd November
Unite to Survive - 25th November
Book Launch - Capital Condensed 23rd November
Local activist Colin Chalmers is launching his book - Capital Condensed, a short guide to Marx’s Capital for our age of global crises - this Thursday.
Local activist Colin Chalmers is launching his book - Capital Condensed, a short guide to Marx’s Capital for our age of global crises - this Thursday.
