Support the Greek cleaners

Support the 595 women cleaners in the front line against austerity in Europe Every so often a dispute arises which symbolises the mood of the time. The resistance by 595 sacked cleaners from the Ministry of Finance in Greece is such a dispute - arising directly from the austerity measures imposed on Greece by the Troika and the imposition of private sub-contractors for their work. The women refuse to give up and have continued a very public struggle for almost a year, attracting mass support. See further information  They are now calling for our support. We ask you to: Send a message of support to the Cleaners’ Co-ordinating Committee, via sonia.mitralia@gmail.com or put a comment on their website     Send a donation made out to the Greece Solidarity Campaign which we will transfer to Athens – by cheque to the above address or by bank transfer to Unity Trust Bank plc, Nine Brindley Place, Birmingham B1 2HB; a/c in name of Greece Solidarity Campaign; Sort code: 08 60 01; a/c Number: 20288734. Please email so we know your donation is for the cleaners  Support the International Day of Solidarity by joining us (with your buckets, mops and banners) when we Stand in Solidarity with the 595 Cleaners - from 09.30 to 11.00 morning on Saturday 20 September - outside the Hellenic Centre, 16 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London W1U 5AS Direct appeal from the 595 Greek Cleaners We, the 595 cleaners of the Economics Ministry, who had our jobs taken away from us on the 17th of September 2013, so that they can be given to private sub-contractors, have been fighting the last 11 months against the politics of austerity and against  those who are imposing it, ie the Samaras government and the TROICA. Every day we are on the street demanding our jobs and our rights, resisting police intimidation and government propaganda. Although we have been vindicated by the Greek judiciary system the government is refusing to implement the courts’ decision.  We are appealing to all residents associations, social movements, trade unions, women’s organisations, political parties and citizens of the world, all of you who don’t condone injustice and empathise with its victims, to express your solidarity with our struggle for survival and dignity, which is also your struggle. We are calling on you to join forces with us and to organise together The Cleaners campaign in Greece has inspired support from around the world, shocked by pictures of the women, many in their 50s and 60s beaten by riot police and moved by their determined and dignified struggle. Their case is going to court again on 23 September. That is why they have call now for international action in solidarity and will themselves be sending a delegation to join a demonstration at the European Parliament in Strasburg onSeptember 16/17 The Greece Solidarity Campaign in the UK is in direct contact with the Committee and in response to their appeal we are organising to mobilise a show of solidarity for their struggle on Saturday 20 September 09.30 to 11.00 morning outside the Hellenic Centre, 16 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London W1U 5AS. The Greece Solidarity Campaign was established by the late Tony Benn and endorsed by TUC Congress in 2013. A delegation to meet the trade union, political and social movement anti-austerity resistance, including the cleaners is taking place this October. If you wish to affiliate to the campaign please contact us or  website

Copyright © 2014 Greece Solidarity Campaign, All rights reserved. You are a supporter or have shown an interest in the Greece Solidarity Campaign, UK

Thailand: Drop the charges against labour activist

Subject: Thailand: Drop the charges against labour activist
From: ericlee@labourstart.org
To: wallddd@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 09:36:09 +0000

Andy's trial starts on Tuesday - please act today. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. British migrant rights activist Andy Hall faces 7 years imprisonment and $10 million in damages from lawsuits brought by Thai pineapple company Natural Fruit.  Hall's research for workers' rights NGO Finnwatch found serious abuses at Natural Fruit’'s pineapple factory including child labour, illegally low wages, confiscation of identity documents and violence. Rather than address issues, Natural Fruit tried to silence Andy with bogus lawsuits. The first of several criminal trials begins on Tuesday 2 September. Please support the online campaign demanding that the charges against Andy be dropped: (If you're having any problems with that link, try clicking here instead.) After you've done that -- and here's the important bit -- please try to get your friends, family and fellow union members to sign up as well. Thanks very much. Eric Lee

We need as many people as possible outside the main entrance of the V&A from *5 pm - 8 pm *on 29/8/2014 for a colourful protest with costumes and music.

Local PCS representatives at the V&A are taking their pay campaign to the
next level and targeting V&A’s late opening of the Disobedient
Objects exhibition– *‘the first exhibition to explore the powerful role
that objects play in grassroots movements for social change.’*

We need as many people as possible outside the main entrance of the V&A
from *5 pm - 8 pm *on 29/8/2014 for a colourful protest with
costumes and music.

If anyone can help please contact me by emailing* kat@pcs.org.uk
<kat@pcs.org.uk> or on 07788118004 <07788118004>.*

V&A staff are currently experiencing a real terms drop in wages and living
standards down 10% over 3 years. One V&A staff member told us,* "This sort
of pay cut is pushing staff at the V&A towards working poverty when London
rent prices, transport costs and the cost of food are increasing."*

You can help support the campaign by attending the protest above and by
emailing the museum’s director Professor Martin Roth and asking him to pay
his staff decent wages. To do this simply click on and share this link as
widely as possible www.pcs.org.uk/fairpayv&a

On 1/9/2014 V&A representatives are personally handing signed
copies of leaflets demonstrating the public’s support for a pay rise for
all V&A staff to the museum's director.

Please share this widely and show your support to help end poor pay and pay
cuts in our arts sector. 
Thank you for your support

*Kathryn Dyer*

*PCS Industrial Officer*

*Culture Sector*

the next UCU London Retired Members branch meeting etc

TUC March and Rally Saturday 18th October Please put this in your diary, the branch banner will be there. September 15th Walk Details of the September Walk, can be downloaded from here... And the next UCU London Retired Members branch meeting will be on Thursday September 25th, 2pm-4pm at the union's Carlow Street offices. Directions from here...

Copyright © 2014 UCU London Retired Members Branch, All rights reserved. UCU London Retired Members Branch - members and supporters Our mailing address is: UCU London Retired Members Branch 53 Fladgate Road Leytonstone, London E11 1LX United Kingdom

NW London GMB backs TTIP fight ahead of Saturday's Day of Action

Monday, 25 August 2014 from Wembley Matters

NW London GMB backs TTIP fight ahead of Saturday's Day of Action

The campaign organisation 38 Degrees LINK is holding a Day of Action on TTIP (Transatlantic
Trade and Investment Partnership) on Saturday August 30th. (More information below) There
is more about TTIP and video of a public meeting on the issue on the excellent Haringey Green
party website. LINK

Here in North West London the GMB has called for a campaign of opposition in a motion passed
last month:

This North West London GMB branch notes with alarm that an EU/US Transatlantic 

trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is being negotiated by the EU Commission on

behalf of the EU member states  - and due to be partly completed by December 2014.

TTIP, if signed, will give multinational companies the right to sue governments over

regulations that the companies object to - under 'investtor-state-dispute-settlement'

(ISDS) rules - outside and above the courts and parliaments of the EU member states.

TTIP focuses on removing the regulations covering labour laws, food contents,

environment standards and protections, working conditions and state-provided health

           and education services.

The TTIP negotiations, secret up to now, are a direct threat to existing standards

and Trade Union collective bargaining. They signify privatisation on a massive scale

and threaten the most essential rights won by the working class after generations of

           struggles.

This North West London GMB branch calls on the GMB leadership to help animate a

national campaign of opposition to TTIP and stimulate all GMB affiliated Labour Party

branches and Trades Councils to do the same.

This GMB branch resolves to send this resolution to all its own affiliated Trades Council

and Labour Parties.

The 38 Degrees website has published useful downloadable campaign materials.
This is from their blog:

If you’ve volunteered to get the word out on TTIP (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership) during the 38 Degrees day of action on Saturday 30th August, you’re not alone
 – and here are all the important materials you’ll need.

Thousands of 38 Degrees members will be handing out leaflets, getting petition signatures
and making sure people know about this terrible trade deal between the EU and the US. 
There are over 200 events happening across the UK and there’s still time to get involved.

Here are copies of the leaflets, posters, stickers and badges you can hand out on the day.
Everyone who has signed up to volunteer will also get a pack of these in the post late next week. 
There will be 100 leaflets plus a poster, badge, sticker and petition in each posted pack.

To download copies of these online, please click the links below:

A5 leaflet

A3 poster

Badge

Bumper sticker

Petition

Feel free to print out or photocopy any of these. There is also a Welsh language flyer
coming soon  If you want any extra materials posted to you, please just drop the staff
 team an email.

If you can’t download the PDF versions of the materials below, here are JPEG copies:

A5 flyer front
A5 flyer back
A3 poster
Badge
Bumper Sticker
Petition front
Petition back

LOT Polish Airlines has sacked Andrzej Jeżewski,

LOT Polish Airlines has sacked Andrzej Jeżewski, the Vice President of its cabin crew union, in an attempt to disrupt ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.

This is a brazen violation of trade union rights -- and is part of a broader offensive by Polish employers which are now the subject of three ongoing LabourStart campaigns.

Please show your support for Andrzej Jeżewski and his union
http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=2452

GPTU Fun(d)raiser 23/8/2014

Green Party Trade Union group

 

Fun(d)raiser 

Social/quiz/raffle/auction

Almost Amazing prizes

 

Some refreshments (byo)

 

Saturday 23/8/2014   7.00pm

at  Development House,

56-64 Leonard Street,

London EC2A 4LT

(Old Street Tube)

Climate campaigners are supporting actions for fair fares and public ownership,

Dear Friends

On Tuesday 19 August, we will find out how much our already over-priced train tickets will increase in the New Year.  In order to combat global warming  it is necessary to invest in railways.  85% of global CO₂ transport emissions  come from cars, planes and trucks.  Planes produce eight to eleven times the CO₂ of high speed rail and lorries emit about six times more CO₂ than trains for every ton carried. Radical improvement to the rail services are required if we are going to replace air and road travel.

Climate campaigners are supporting actions for fair fares and public ownership, in London and at railway stations around the country with alongside  friends at Action for Rail , Bring Back British Rail, We Own It, the People’s Assembly,  and the All on Board Compass campaign.

The following stations have actions planned for August 19:

·         Bedford station, Bedfordshire: 5pm – 8pm

·         Burton-on-Trent station, Staffordshire: 4pm – 5.30pm

·         Carlisle station, Cumbria: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Chelmsford station, Essex: 7.30am – 9am

·         Cross Gates station, Leeds: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Derby station: 7.30am – 9am

·         Dewsbury station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Doncaster station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Exeter Central station: 7am – 9.30am

·         Exeter St Davids station: 7am – 9.30am

·         Farnborough station, Hampshire: 7am – 9am

·         Garforth station, Leeds: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Guildford station, Surrey: 7.30am – 9am

·         Hebden Bridge station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Hexham station, Northumberland: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Harlow station, Essex: 6am – 9am

·         Keighley station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Ilford station, East London: 8am – 9am

·         King’s Lynn station, Norfolk: 7.30am – 10am

·         Leeds station: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Liverpool Lime Street station: 7.30am – 9.30am

·         London King’s Cross station: 7.30am – 9.00am

·         Manningtree station, Essex: 6pm – 8pm

·         Newcastle station: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Norwich station: 6am – 10am

·         Preston Park station, East Sussex: 6.05am – 9.15am and 5.45pm – 7.50pm

·         Redcar Central station, Redcar & Cleveland: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Southampton Central station: 5.30am – 8.30am

·         Sheffield station: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Stafford station, Staffordshire: 7.30am – 9am

·         Stoke-on-Trent station, Staffordshire: 7.30am – 9am; 12noon – 1pm; 4.30pm – 6pm

·         Sudbury station, Suffolk: 6.15am – 8am

·         Thornaby station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am

·         Wareham station, Dorset: 8am – 10am

·         Weymouth station, Dorset: 6.45am – 8.45am

·         Woking station, Surrey: 5pm – 6.30pm

·         Wolverhampton station, West Midlands: 7am – 9am

·         York station: 7.30am – 8.30am

Action for Rail are updating the list regularly so please do keep checking on theAction for Rail page, and updated on the Facebook page.

In addition to handing out leaflets the plan is to have several A2 card placards at each station linking then railways and the climate change issue. See the attached. If you would like some sent to you please contact AfR@campaigncc.org and let us have your postal address.

Care UK strikers bring pay dispute to London

08 Aug 2014 15:23 from http://www.unison.org.uk/news/care-uk-strikers-bring-pay-dispute-to-london

Care UK strikers bring pay dispute to London
More than 30 striking Care UK workers from Doncaster brought their pay dispute to London for the second time, today.

The delegation represented some 70 UNISON members, who are in the middle of a two-week strike. They are demanding a "meaningful" pay rise for staff transferred from the NHS under TUPE, and the living wage for all others.

Their intention today was to meet Care UK' parent company, Bridgepoint Capital, to push the company for a positive response to their claim.

But Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Jim Bell said that when they arrived at Bridgepoint’s central London offices, the doors were locked against them.

"I think they were tipped off that we were coming,” he said. “But although Bridgepoint refused to see us, we’ve demonstrated to them that this dispute is not going away any time soon."

The delegates also called on the Department of Health, where they presented a letter outlining their grievance.

The pay claim is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute that started when a contract for the NHS service was handed to Care UK.

Staff have already taken 34 days of action earlier this year, over Care UK's attack on their terms and conditions, notably enhancements - which meant for some a pay cut of 35%.

Mr Bell said that bringing the dispute to London was "a tremendous boost to morale" for everyone involved.

"This a solid group of workers. They love being together and they love taking action together. And they realise they’re not going to get anything without a struggle."

see also http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/09/care-workers-private-equity-targets-the-nhs?CMP=twt_gu

GET ORGANISED! Getting a new generation organised and unionised at Green Party Conference.

Get Organised !
Join a TU

https://www.facebook.com/events/460012804136357/

Join

A fringe jointly organised by Young Greens and GPTU. With zero hour contracts, youth unemployment, cuts in Education, unpaid internships and a race to the bottom in employment rights, Young People are finding employment tougher than ever. How can young people organise and what can the Trade Union's offer them?
Chair: Romayne Phoenix
Fiona Edwards: Student Assembly
Ellie Drake: Women's Officer for NUS-USI
Lorna Jane Tooley: RMT and Young Green

Launch of the Young Green Young Worker Campaign GET ORGANISED!