GPtu REPORT to Green party regional Council 2010 by Joseph Healy

New committee elected at conference with Andy Hewett and Teresa Delaney (London) elected as Co-Chairs, Pete Murry (London) as Secretary and Joseph Healy (London) as Treasurer. Regional reps also elected. Other officers are: Campaigns & Events officer: Sue TibblesMembership Secretary: Noel LynchYouth &: Students officer: Zain Sardar,Disability Rep: Alan WheatleyRegional Reps:Romayne Phoenix (London), Phelim Mac Cafferty, (Brighton & South) and Elise Benjamin. (Oxford ) Also Paul Frost (E.Mids)elected during 2008/9, Peter Allen (NW), Andrew Collingwood (NE), James Youd (E. Anglia)

Fringe meeting organised at conference on Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom with NUJ speaker. Video clips of conference fringes on the website.GPTU very involved with campaigns in London for migrant workers rights and for Latin American trade unionists sacked by banks and London University for organising workers. Also joined picket lines at Heathrow airport for UNITE cabin crew and pickets and marches for UCU members protesting against education cuts. I addressed a picket line at King’s College London of UCU members.

Also joined picket lines during PCS strike of public service workers – in Brighton six Green councillors on picket line and Caroline Lucas also. Centrally involved in organising the March for Jobs in Brighton where Caroline Lucas was also marching. Cllr Phoenix in Lewisham has been in contact with Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary. PCS literature is giving positive coverage to Greens in general election etc. Phelim Mac Cafferty and Pip Tindall have been very active in Brighton.

GPTU is writing a new leaflet on workers’ rights and is also very involved in today’s march to save the Welfare State and the NHS organised by the trade union movement. We asked for a speaker at today’s march but were told that no political party speakers could address the rally only trade unionists.

FBU made a contribution to London Green Party and contacts with other unions continue. Housmans bookshop in London have also agreed to have a link to our website on theirs and vice versa – they are a long established radical bookshop near Kings Cross station.

Conferences Committee being asked to try and have trade union stalls at future conferences. I attended South East Region TUC LGBT History Month event (new films) at Congress House. Teresa Delaney spoke at an event for International Women’s Day in Oxford on ‘Fashion, Beauty and the Market’, where Sue Tibbles also played a role. Members also involved in a major demo in London to save the A&E at the Whittington Hospital in north London.
Members also attended the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Conference in Camden, London and speeches from this are on the website. Messages of support have also been sent to support trade unionists being oppressed in other countries (Iran etc).

Website is http://gptu.net/pssess4X/3c/hpage.shtml

Next meeting is May 25th in London.

Joseph Healy (GPRC Rep for GPTU)