SERTUC activities and news February and March 2016

Also Oxford International Women's Festival, Friday 4 to Tuesday 15 March 2016: links here:

https://oxfordinternationalwomensfestival.co.uk/festival/

https://oxfordinternationalwomensfestival.co.uk/events/

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Megan Dobney

SERTUC activities and news

Paddling furiously. Equality survey launch…

On Tuesday 8 March at 4.30pm at Congress House SERTUC is launching our tenth survey of equality in trade unions. To respond to the government’s attack on trade unions we need to be in the best shape possible. Are we? Join us to find out. With a glass of wine and a peanut… Let Joanne Williams know you are coming please at jowilliams@tuc.org.uk

SERTUC’s Creative & Leisure Industries Committee conference

With Show Culture Some Love and PCS Culture Group on Saturday 12 March 11am at Congress House, covering Campaigns, Equalities, Art & Protest, No to Cuts, and more. Full details and register here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/show-culture-some-love-no-to-austerity-arts-budget-cuts-tickets-21203096031

Airbus 8 acquitted

I’m not saying the two events are connected, but following the SERTUC meeting on 12 February with comrades from CC.OO and UGT in Madrid, the Airbus 8 have been acquitted! Details are here http://www.industriall-union.org/spain-judge-acquits-the-airbus-8

Regional unemployment figures

·         East of England 124,000 (down 8,000) 3.9%
·         London 294,000 (down 3,000) 6.3%
·         South East 179,000 (down 1,000) 3.9%

Burston Strike School Rally

Sunday 4 September with Mick Whelan ASLEF, Steve White and the Protest Family  https://burstonstrikeschool.wordpress.com/2016-rally/

SERTUC Pensioners Network seminar: Crisis in care and caring

Tuesday 15 March 10.30 at Congress House, with Barbara Keeley MP (Shadow Minister for Older People, Social Care and Carers) andJan Shortt (Vice President of the National Pensioners Convention). Details here https://sertucresources.wordpress.com/sertuc-events/

TUC

#heartunions week Big Workplace Meeting

YouTube of TUC GS Frances O’Grady with Eddie Izzard is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFKhlTLfqwI&feature=youtu.be

Disputes/union actions

Unite International Women’s Day events Tuesday 8 March

Unite House, London

·         12 noon What Next for Women? Public meeting with Kate Osamor MP, Diana Holland Unite AGS, Siobhan Endean Unite Women’s Officer, Jane Stewart Unite Women’s Committee chair. All welcome, Lunch provided
·         2pm Caring & Campaigning: Bloomsbury Women Walking tour with Blue Badge guide Rachel Kolsky. Places limited. Free to Unite sisters, other unions can attend if places are available £5. Register at bridget.clemson@unitetheunion.org
·         6pm Irish Women of Resistance 1916-2016 Public meeting with Bernadette Devlin McAliskey Irish socialist and republican, Liz Deasy and Karen Gearon Dunnes Sotres strikers, Kelley Temple Abortion Rights, Theresa Moriarty Irish socialist historian. All welcome. Refreshments provided

Equity: English National Opera strike ballot

Ballot over 25% proposed pay cut, coverage here http://www.equity.org.uk/news-and-events/equity-news/eno-chorus-what-the-papers-say/ and petition here https://campaign.goingtowork.org.uk/petitions/english-national-opera-negotiate-with-equity-to-keep-a-full-time-chorus-and-save-the-eno

PCS: V&A Museum campaigning against privatisation

Petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/no-backdoor-privatisation-at-v-a-museum

Richmond NUT London Elections Question Time event

Thursday 17 March 6.30pm with Kevin Courtney NUT DGS, Merlene Emerson LibDems, Andree Frieze Green, Martin Whetton Labour. Register and details here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sw-london-education-question-time-tickets-21448637452?aff=ebrowse

Unite Community South East

Supporting the Stand Up to Racism demo on 19 March (12 noon, London) with a coach from Southampton, contactjoe.dukes@unitetheunion.org

Unite London & Eastern Region public meeting

Thursday 25 February 6.30pm “Big Brother, who’s spying on you. Police spying on trade unionists” with John Lang Wapping Striker, Matt Wrack FBU GS, Helen Steel author, Mark Metcalf political activist, Jim Kelly Unite chair. More info mcmetcalf@icloud.com 

Bromley Unite Library Campaign

Unite is protesting outside Bromley Community Links (the organisation chosen to run 6 Bromley libraries) 24 and 25 February, 2 and 4 March – contact onay.kasab@unitetheunion.org for further details

PCS petition against BIS Sheffield closure plans

Petition here https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/120406

Trades Council actions

Peterborough International Women’s Day festival

Saturday 5 March 11am with Megan Dobney SERTUC, Nicola Oldfield Civil Engineer, Sophie Antonelli Green Backyard, Gillian Beasley Peterborough City Council, Charley Genever and Keely Mills Poets, plus info and craft stalls, refreshments, traditional dancing and exhibitions. http://www.ptuc.co.uk/2016/01/international-working-womens-day-5-march-2016/

GLATUC celebration: Reclaim International Women’s Day

Saturday 12 March 2pm in London, with Megan Dobney SERTUC, Sarah Jackson author, Christine Blower NUT GS, Louise Raw author, Kate Smurthwaite comedian. More information here http://www.glatuc.org.uk/news_detail1.php?id=243 and register heres.aitouaziz@hotmail.co.uk

Other actions/events

University of Greenwich seminar on China, Russia and the Unions

Wednesday 9 March 1pm with Professor William Brown (Cambridge), Professor Richard Croucher (Middlesex), Margaret Renn (Witwatersrand). http://www2.gre.ac.uk/about/news/articles/2016/a3602-china,-russia-and-the-unions-public-seminar-at-greenwich Register atwg08@gre.ac.uk

Cambridgeshire Keep Our NHS Public public meeting

Wednesday 24 February 7pm with Dr John Lister, Val Moore, a Junior Doctor. Details cambskonp@gmail.com

Women’s rights campaigners in East London, oral history project

Eastside Community Project is promoting East End women’s history as a response to the Jack the Ripper museum on Cable Street. Do you know anyone willing to be interviewed on the subject of working women’s rights? Contact Kirsty Parsons Kirsty@ech.org.uk

Stand up to Racism public meeting

Goldsmiths College Tuesday 1 March at 7pm with Imam Shakeel Begg, Denis Fernando, Vicky Foxcroft MP, Mary Goodfellow journalist, Laurie Heselden SERTUC, Shakira Martin NUS, Marcia Rigg, Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild more info laraginfo@yahoo.co.uk

Kill the Housing Bill march

Sunday 13 March 12 noon https://killthehousingbill.wordpress.com/

Ruskin College International Women’s Day

“Over the Top” Friday 11 March 7pm two-handed performance about a forgotten Wiltshire heroine Dorothy Lawrence, more info https://oxfordinternationalwomensfestival.co.uk/events/ and contact twalsh@ruskin.ac.uk 

Marx Memorial Library

·         Film night “Struggles of the 1960s and 1970s” Saturday 27 February 3pm The UCS Struggle and Film from the Clyde £5http://www.marxlibrary.org.uk/education
·         Education classes Trade Unions and Power Tuesdays 1, 8, 15 March at 7pm at MML London £30 http://www.marxlibrary.org.uk/education
·         International Women’s Day benefit gig Monday 7 March 7pm with Maddy Carty, Nia Wyn, Kate Smurthwaite £10http://www.marxlibrary.org.uk/index.php?option=com_civicrm&task=civicrm/event/info&Itemid=218&reset=1&id=68
·         Explore Radical Clerkenwell walking tour etc Friday 6 May 1.30pm £12/9 http://www.marxlibrary.org.uk/index.php?option=com_civicrm&task=civicrm/event/info&Itemid=218&reset=1&id=69
·         Book Sale Saturday 12 March 11am http://www.marxlibrary.org.uk/index.php?option=com_civicrm&task=civicrm/event/info&Itemid=218&reset=1&id=66

Independent Working Class Education Network

The Labour Movement: where’s it from? Where’s it going? Day school Saturday 19 March 10am Norwich £10 http://iwceducation.co.uk/images/PDFfiles/Norwich%20flyer%20final.pdf

People’s Assembly Against Austerity national demonstration

Saturday 16 April, 1pm Gower Street, London http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/hhje

Ruskin College BA and MA beginning in October 2016

·         BA International Labour and Trade Union Studies http://www.ruskin.ac.uk/BAILTUS
·         MA Global Labour and Social Change http://www.ruskin.ac.uk/GLOBALLABOUR

 

To add to this newsletter contact mdobney@tuc.org.uk