National Gallery: Important Update WE ARE APPEALING FOR URGENT SUPPORT ALL OUT STRIKE ACTION

Subject: National Gallery: Important Update
Reply-To: Clara Paillard via Campaigns by You

Dear supporters,

The National Gallery has now appointed the private company Securitas to run their security and visitor services but the PCS campaign to stop privatisation continues with staff going on a all-out strike from tomorrow. 



WE ARE APPEALING FOR URGENT SUPPORT ALL OUT STRIKE ACTION
The National Gallery have decided to bring forward the date to sign the contract with Securitas before the new director takes up office so we have brought forward the date of our all out strike which is now starting on 11 August.
PCS members are intent on continuing to fight against the privatisation plans and to demand guarantees about their future. Join our events:

ALL OUT STRIKE FROM TUESDAY 11 AUGUST
Picket 9-11am each day plus Friday 5-6.30pm


SOLIDARITY SOCIAL FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 6.30pm
Silver Cross Pub Whitehall


PICK A DAY- PICK A PAINTING!
We are inviting trade unions or campaigns to adopt a day of strike action during August.  If you can’t come to the picket line please show your support in other ways. Strikers will help adapt a suitable painting from the National Gallery collection to help publicise your solidarity. See the choices different campaigns and unions have chosen here:
Wed 12 August 2.30-3.30pm: Equity
Thurs 13 August 9-10am: London Universities and college unions (Unison and UCU)
Fri 14 August 5-6.30pm: PCS London DWP
Fri 14 August 5-6.30pm: Disabled People Against Cuts
Sat 15 August 9-11am: London council workers (Unison)




URGENT REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL HELP
Thank you so much for your support so far. We are still appealing for help to raise sufficient funds to ensure that National Gallery strikers can afford to keep fighting.
A collection sheet is here if you want to organise a fundraiser. 
or you can donate via PayPal.

More ways to donate on our blog here.



The future of arts & Culture

Our campaign is part of a bigger fight to preserve access to art & culture as a public service. Other museum workers are also fighting the impact of budget cuts across the country. Please sign their petitions in solidarity:

Tate privatised workers on zero hours contracts fighting for decent pay
Welsh Museums workers striking to stop a pay cut up to £3,000

All the best,


Clara

The ITUC is organising an international meeting of Trade unionists & environmental campaigners

From Trade Unions for Energy Democracy and the climate jobs campaigns in Norway, South Africa, UK, Philipines, New York, Canada, and Portugal:

The ITUC is organising an international meeting of Trade unionists & environmental campaigners for the first time ever on 14-15th September. This is a unique opportunity to discuss some important initiatives already involving Trade Unions and Climate. On Sunday 13th September (11am - 530pm), we are therefore organising discussions & workshops on the themes of Climate Jobs and Energy Democracy. We hope you can join us to discuss the way forward, how we extend those initiatives and to network with like-minded activists.

There will be 3 sessions. More details soon with exact venue in Paris

POSTS

the first ever migrant workers strike in this country?

Martin Francis  Francis Sealey

Using social networks like facebook thousands of Polish people working in Britain are expected to take part in the first ever migrant workers strike in this country later this month. The protest, planned for 20 august 2015 is the result of discussions on Polish internet forums by people angry at immigrants being blamed for Britain's economic problems.

And the unofficial strike, which does not involve any trade unions, is being backed by the Polish Express newspaper which has created a Facebook group to promote the event. A red t-shirt produced for the protest states: “Enough! Stop blaming us.”

The suggestion of a strike came from one of their readers, claimed Tomasz Kowalski, editor, Polish Express. “It’s just a way to show people in the UK that immigrants are an important part of Britain. We want to make the point that we are here and that we want to feel appreciated,” he said.

At more than 680,000 people, the Polish community is one of the biggest in Britain. Around half a million Polish workers are relied upon in areas such as construction, healthcare and catering.

Maybe this is the way of protest in the 21st century when Government is fast eroding the rights of trade unions. Strike and protests may well spring up spontaneously and through social networking rather than through organisations like trade unions that can be held legally liable by increasingly repressive governments.

Of course this strike may not work but it may signal a method or organisation in the digital 21st century that could be replicated again and again with growing and greater success.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/thousands-of-polish-workers-to-take-part-in-the-first-ever-migrant-workers-strike-in-britain-10445970.html

Thousands of Polish workers to take part in the first ever migrant workers strike in Britain www.independent.co.uk Thousands of Polish people working in Britain are expected to take part in the first ever migrant wo...

The next Green Party Trade Union Group meeting ( + quiz and fundraiser),

GREEN PARTY TRADE UNION GROUP

The next Green Party Trade Union Group meeting ( + quiz and fundraiser), will be on 26/8/2015 at 7.00pm at Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4LT

This will be a short meeting followed by a Fun Fundraising QUIZ conducted by Noel Lynch GPTU Chair. All GP members welcome. Details noellynch@lineone.net

The biggest climate summit of the decade is just four months away

200,000

191,567

191,567 have signed. Let's get to 200,000

A leading scientist just broke down in tears during an interview on carbon pollution, describing a dark future where the oceans are ruined. Whether her nightmare comes true depends on us.

The biggest climate summit of the decade is just four months away, and our leaders could agree to a revolutionary target to get the world off fossil fuels. It would be a guiding star to navigate away from climate catastrophe, signalling to politicians, boardrooms and stock-markets everywhere that the era of dirty energy is over. Winning won’t be easy -- but if we make leaders feel the power of this movement then we can win.

Last year our community helped create the biggest climate mobilisation in history at the People’s Climate March. Now, on November 29th -- hours before leaders arrive at the Paris climate summit -- it’s time to go even bigger!

Click to say "I’m in" for this year’s People’s Climate March -- and Avaaz will get in touch by phone or email with updates on how to get involved in your city!

sign up at https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_date_rb_imt/?bSCAIab&v=62897

No TTIP & Stop TTIP meetings Every other Wednesday Next meeting Wednesday 5th August 2015, 7pm

                                                                                                          

Let’s defeat TTIP together!

Fed up with what amounts to censorship on TTIP in the UK media, when some proponents hope that TTIP will be signed before the end of the year?

Do you feel that Unions in the UK could be doing more to raise awareness of the dangers of TTIP among their members?

* if you are in a trade union, ask your union to be more pro-active about raising awareness of TTIP

* send information to trades councils in your local area?

* encouraging other GP members to use social media to spread awareness on TTIP.

 Do you have any other ideas as to how to use social media effectively to stop TTIP?

Let’s defeat the silence in the UK media on TTIP!

Here is a list of links to various documents on TTIP.

Please spread these around, so that as many people as possible can send these far and wide!

 TTIP and SMEs

moreforsmesthanttip.wordpress.com/library/five-q

TTIP and Local Government

http://barnetalliance.org/2015/03/24/ttip-on-your-doorstep/

Written by Thomas Fritz of Campact, Berlin.

There is another study  which has more information  specifically on British local government and TTIP by  Marc Scrivener from Global Justice Network.

http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/local_authorities_briefing_0.pdf

TTIP and the NHS:

http://www.peoplesnhs.org/ttip-2/

Why the ring fencing around the NHS is not safe with TTIP/

Demo in Berlin 10.10.2015

Why not one in London at the same time?

http://www.ttip-demo.de/home/

More infos on www.foe.co.uk/ttip and

http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/resources

TTIP and labour rights

http://classonline.org.uk/blog/item/labour-rights-to-be-ttiped-out

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/nick-dearden/labour-and-ttip-things-just-got-worse

No TTIP & Stop TTIP meetings  Every other Wednesday

Next meeting Wednesday 5^th August 2015, 7pm

Institute of Education bar, Russell Sq, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL

CONTACT Phil Fletcher (Barnet Green Party)

philfletcherx@yahoo.es

@philfletchx  mobile: 07962 98 31 31

Subject: Green Party GLA candidate calls for Fight against vindictive Trade Union Attack

Subject:  Green Party GLA candidate calls for Fight against vindictive Trade Union Attack


Noel Lynch the favorite candidate to head the Green Party GLA is calling for a fight of 'Progressive Forces' against the Tory governments plans to further restrict Trade Unions ability to withdraw their labour and strike, possibly even criminalising striking!

Noel said, "I am horrified at this governments plans to further curtail trade union rights which are already the most restricted in Europe. Trade unions are the largest democratic movement in our country, of which I am proud to count myself among more than six million. With wages miserably failing to keep pace with prices, we need a growing and active trade union movement to be collectively bargaining against otherwise unchecked corporate greed on members behalf."

"The mayor wants to completely rewrite tube workers contracts for a 24 hour tube without thinking about the effects on the staff members family, wellbeing and passenger safety. Rightly the unions are withdrawing their labour until tfl put forward reasonable proposals, that is a fundamental  democratic right. Likewise why should bus drivers doing the same job for different companies be paid less in some than others, especially when tfl regulates these bus companies.

The Green Party believes that collective bargaining through trade unions is a very basic democratic right, as is the ability to withdraw your labour. The most productive economies are those who recognise the importance of trade unions and see them as a force for good, such as in Germany where trade union reps sit on boards. Instead we have this ideological hatred of them by a right-wing Tory government. I will fight tooth and nail against these undemocratic, anti-worker attacks on the trade union movement."

For more information
Noel Lynch noellynch@lineone.net
02083407759

Press Officer
James Youd jamesbcy@yahoo.co.uk
07761242146

nb video clips of the Green Party GLA with statements from all gp candidates in the selection for gla candidates are at http://brentgreens.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/green-party-greater-london-assembly.html