Tonight’s meeting of North Staffs TUC decided to back this initiative of the National Shop Stewards’ Network. With a national campaign against the cuts launched and trades councils making the running in many localities, it’s time the TUC nationally took more responsibility for organising the resistance too. To this end, the NSSN is distributing a leaflet (text below) calling for a lobby of the TUC General Council on Sunday 12th September at 12 noon outside the Manchester Central Convention Complex. North Staffs TUC will be organising transport – if you’re local and interested please get in touch via the website. If you’re from outside the region but would like to know what the transport facilities are from your area, get in touch with the NSSN here.
TUC Must Call Demo
The Coalition government dominated by millionaires is driving a juggernaut over workers’ lives. They announce one lot of cuts after another. 25% becomes 40% cuts. Some schools could be privatised by September. The NHS is made ready for greedy private profiteers. Meanwhile profits keep rolling in for the banks and the rich. With each vicious attack on living standards workers ask what our trade unions are going to do about these threats. Unfortunately so far the TUC general council has been ominously quiet.
It’s time to break the silence. We cannot wait any longer – otherwise the government will draw the conclusion that we are buying into their idea of long-term poverty wages, unemployment and reduced pensions – and start piling on more cuts. We need a national demonstration to kick-start a mass campaign to stop this government in its tracks.
A national demonstration would serve two purposes. It would signal to the government that the organised unions will put up resistance; and it would act as a beacon to all workers that a fightback has begun.
• Demand that the TUC calls a national demonstration against the ConDem government’s vicious cuts!
• Join the lobby of the TUC General Council: 12:00noon, Sunday 12th September, Manchester Central Convention Complex
• Come to the NSSN Fringe Meeting at the TUC: 5:30pm, Wednesday 15th September, Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester (5 mins walk from conference venue).
Speakers include Bob Crow, RMT general secretary
Fight ConDem Cuts!
Hundreds of trade unionists, along with unemployed and retired workers, community campaigners and young people, attended the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) Conference in June just a few days after the Coalition budget was announced; the following statement was put as a guide to action:
“800,000 public sector jobs to go; child benefits frozen and housing benefit cut; pay frozen for three years; VAT increased to 20%.
No matter how they try to dress it up as “fair” and “progressive” this is a massive attack on the working class by the rich. These cuts will axe jobs and reduce services. Cuts will impact upon the lives of millions of ordinary people in every community and workplace up and down the country.
We say the working class should not accept these cuts, and we the NSSN will organise to assist in the fightback.
The working class should not and will not pay for a crisis caused by the bankers and the capitalist system.”
We appeal for maximum unity in defence of the public sector and support the PCS call for a national demonstration on October 23rd, supported by CWU and NUT, and further endorsed by general secretaries of FBU. BFAWU, NAPO, NUJ, POA, RMT, and URTU.
However, the General Council has so far not gone for this initiative. Instead it has proposed a week of activities around the Comprehensive Spending Review including a lobby of parliament on 20th October. Whilst the NSSN will do everything to help make these events successful and lively, they are just not enough!
We need a national demo in London on a Saturday with all TUC affiliates giving it top priority.
A national demo could set the tone for a one-day public sector strike, marking the beginning of a serious fightback against these vicious cuts.
We urge trades unionists and campaigners everywhere to lobby the General Council with us at the start of TUC in Manchester Convention Centre on Sunday 12th September at 12 noon.
North Staffs Trades Council (NSTUC) members travelled down to yesterday’s Unite Against Fascism (UAF) conference with colleagues from the North Staffordshire Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (NorSCARF). There were many trade unionists at the event, both in the 440 strong audience and amongst the inspirational speakers, including Communication Workers Union (CWU) General Secretary Billy Hayes, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) Deputy General Secretary Hugh Lanning, and National Union of Teachers (NUT) Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney. The importance of all trades unions placing anti-racist and anti-fascist work at the centre of their local and national agendas was stressed.
