UCU London Retired Members' Branch Meeting September 17th 2019 Speaker - Sam Mason, , on "Climate Change and a Just Transition"

UCU (The University and College Union) London Retired Members' Branch Meeting September 17th 2019 Speaker - Sam Mason, Political Officer PCS (The Public and Commercial Services Union), on "Climate Change and a Just Transition" UCU (The University and College Union) London Retired Members' Branch Meeting September 17th 2019 Speaker - Sam Mason, Political Officer PCS on "Climate Change and a Just Transition" url:https://youtu.be/it90iKtEezk UCU (The University and College Union) London Retired Members' Branch Meeting September 17th 2019 Speaker - Sam Mason, Political Officer PCS on "Climate Change and a Just Transition" : Questions and discussion url:https://youtu.be/NQdFxwbN4R0

Waltham Forest TUC support for 20/9/19 Climate action

Brent FoE/ TUC meeting 11/9/2019:"Green Jobs and Economy"

Brent FoE/ TUC meeting 11/9/2019:"Green Jobs and Economy" Introductions Ian Saville (Brent FoE) and Mary Adossides (Brent TUC) url:https://youtu.be/5DhSDoGzA3c Sarah Wooley of The Bakers and Allied Food Workers Union (BFAWU) url:https://youtu.be/sB1TkD_MCds Aaron Kiely of Friends of the Earth url:https://youtu.be/S9TRpD0NTOs Councillor Roxanne Mashari (Brent) url:https://youtu.be/6GsHZgK9DPo John Youel of Labour Green New Deal url:https://youtu.be/qcYyzLliHbk John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer url:https://youtu.be/aVnDWLCU_YA Questions and discussion chaired by Ian Saville (Brent FoE) url: https://youtu.be/nIo8ElpowX4 Closing remarks from the Panel url:https://youtu.be/G1HfmPDjfEM

TUC conference has today unanimously passed a motion to support the school student Global Climate Strike on 20th September & LONDON COUNCILS SUPPORTING CLIMATE STRIKE

As the statement below makes clear, we want to thank everyone who worked to get this through, in particular UCU.

I'd like to add the words of Jill Eastland as well, who spoke in favour of the motion from Artists Union England: "We need to be courageous and imaginative to turn the agreement of this motion into something bolder... be visible and strong and proud"

Claire

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TUC conference has today unanimously passed a motion to support the school student Global Climate Strike on 20th September and has called on TUC affiliate Unions to organise a 30 minute work day campaign action to coincide with the school students strike on 20th September.

We congratulate the delegates at TUC who have voted to recognise the significance of the Global School Students strikes, initiated by Greta Thunberg and the need for adults and especially the Trade Union movement to stand alongside young people, to ensure they do not stand alone in fighting for the urgent action needed to tackle climate change and ecological crisis and to deliver Climate Justice.

We ask all Trade Unions to now turn words into action and get organised to build on the fantastic examples of Trade Union solidarity action already in place for 20th September. 

The 20th September is already set to be the biggest turnout of working people many organised through their Trade Unions in the UK uniting in solidarity with young people. But it can be even bigger and we still have two weeks to deliver solidarity action to put hundreds of thousands of Trade Unionist onto the streets.

We would like to salute the young people who have led the action and also the UCU NEC members who put forward the motion to TUC conference calling for a 30 minute stoppage. They have been bold enough to recognise the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for Trade Unionists to not only respond to the call for Trade Unions to join them but to be bold in their actions and demands. The support for the UCU statement with over 2000 Trade Unionists and over 100 organisations backing the call for solidarity and a 30 minute workplace stoppage on 20th has also shown us the appetitive that there is for climate action within the Trade Union movement.

We ask all Trade Unionists to do everything they can to match the boldness required of us by the urgency of the Climate Crisis. We have just under two weeks now to build maximum solidarity on the 20th. 

This is just the beginning and we will need to continue the work of building solidarity, fighting to ensure our unions have the most progressive policies which match what the science tells us that we need to do and to continue to demand the Climate Jobs and a Green New Deal which can deliver the Just Transformation that we need.

INFO ABOUT LONDON COUNCILS SUPPORTING CLIMATE STRIKE

In Camden UNISON have an agreed lunchtime rally on 20 Sept outside the main council building. On the day before the strike an all staff briefing will give a slot to Camden UNISON Branch Secretary to join Council officials to talk about the Climate Emergency and the rally and protest on 20th. Camden UNISON is organising a delegation to join students at the central London protest. 

Hackney 12.00 Rally at Town Hall with school strikers and Mayor expected. Council workers negotiating time off to join Central London demo in the afternoon

Lambeth Unison - Rally at Town Hall 12.30 moving on to central London demo (council workers negotiating time off)
Southwark 12pm rally outside London College of Communication, Elephant and Castle, 1pm rally outside Southwark Council offices, then to central London

Support low paid food workers in Park Royal

Support low paid food workers in Park Royal

Mary Adossides, Chair of Brent Trades Council forwarded this email  re Bakkavor food plant based in Park Royal.   

GMB CALLOUT FOR PAY PROTEST  AT FOOD FACTORY, PARK ROYAL

The workers at this major food manufacturer in Park Royal have overwhelmingly rejected 2 pay offers from management.

The GMB union has a £1/hr more campaign running and we are now at the stage of doing an indicative ballot for industrial action.

This is the first time that this workforce has been asked to take industrial action.  

Workers are mainly from Gujarat, Sri Lanka and Goa. There are many women workers. They make houmous and ready-meals for all the major supermarkets.

Most workers have worked there for many years and still only earn around the minimum-wage.

This is a major employer in the area, covering 3 factories and 1 warehouse and almost 4000 workers.

A fight here would send an important signal to all the low-waged migrant workers in London! Enough of poverty wages!

They need your support!

Workers are scared and unsure about the next steps.

This is why we want to increase their confidence and tell them ,"You can do this!"

Please come and show solidarity with us! (Hindi speakers especially would be useful).

The more the merrier!

***FRIDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER, 2019***

3.15pm - 5.15pm (shift leaves 3.30pm and 5pm)

BAKKAVOR, 40 CUMBERLAND AVENUE, NW10 7RQ

***MONDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER, 2019***

2.15pm-5pm

BAKKAVOR, 304-306 ELVEDEN PLACE, NW10 7SY 

***WEDNESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER, 2019***

4.15pm-5.15pm 

BAKKAVOR 269 ABBEYDALE ROAD, HA0 1TW 

Brent Green Party and London Federation of Green Parties send support and solidarity to the workers of 

BAKKAVOR food manufacturers in Park Royal. Their work is important and deserves to be properly paid, we also support the GMB in representing these workers. Unions have a vital role to play in organising workers in this sector where exploitation often happens.

P.Murry Trade Union Liaison Officer for Brent Green Party and London Federation of Green Parties

Hospitals and the nhs depend on Porters, cleaners, ward hostesses and kitchen staff

As Trade Union Liaison Officer for Brent and London Region Green Parties I would like to send Green Party support to the striking Medirest staff at Northwick Park Hospital. 

Hospitals and the nhs depend on Porters, cleaners, ward hostesses and kitchen staff who play a vital and grossly undervalued role in patient care and keeping hospitals hygenic, these workers deserve decent treatment and proper reward for their dedicated work NOW! 

in solidarity Peter Murry ,Trade Union Liaison Officer for Brent and London Region

https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2019/09/medirest-staff-to-protest-outside.html

Wednesday, 4 September 2019

Medirest staff to protest outside Northwick Park Hospital on Thursday 5 September over issues of wages, bullying and over work

Staff working for Medirest at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow are set to protest outside the hospital on Thursday 5^th September from noon to 4pm over poor wages and what they say is overbearing management and heavy workload. 

Porters, cleaners, ward hostesses and kitchen staff who are employed by the multinational facility management company Medirest say that they have had enough.

A recent meeting organised by GMB heard many workers from the 80 strong crowd tell of how their workloads have increased and that many were being paid the National Minimum Wage £8.21 an hour.

Other concerns over a bullying supervisor were raised following the GMB presenting a petition signed by over half of the staff of 400.

Tahir Bhatti, GMB Regional Organiser said:

Last year we started to speak to the Medirest about increasing the wages from the minimum wage, as well as other issues.

Medirest have a lot of staff paid only the minimum wage, staff who clean up after patients, transport deceased patients and make sure the hospital functions. We feel that there should be respect and fairness for all Medirest workers. 

The union are calling for equal wages and a root and branch investigation into the concerns of the workers. 

Workers will stage a respectable protest outside the main entrance to the hospital.

GREEN PARTY CONFERENCE (WHICH WILL BE IN NEWPORT IN OCTOBER) BETTER SAY SOMETHING

GREEN PARTY CONFERENCE (WHICH WILL BE IN NEWPORT IN OCTOBER) BETTER SAY SOMETHING

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-49557415/tata-newport-stomach-sinks-at-plant-closure-blow

Newport: 'Stomach sinks' at plant closure blow

Workers have spoken of their shock at the news that a Tata steel-making plant in Newport is to close.

There has been a factory at the site since 1898 but Orb Electrical Steels has not been in profit for the last four years.

Up to 380 jobs could go although Tata hopes to offer jobs elsewhere in Wales.

The factory, which makes electrical steel used in power transmission, was put up for sale in May 2018, with Tata wanting to concentrate on its core steel business.

Jason Sims, Matthew Grande and Paul Spencer, who have 55 years' experience at Orb behind them, said despite rumours over the last year there was "devastation" at the news.

Meanwhile, Paul Horton, a plant union official with Community, said it would be hard to replace such well-paid jobs in the area.

Tata Steel Europe said the plant had been struggling for the last 10 years to deal with competition from China.

A spokesman said Orb was not sustainable "at a time when the European steel industry is facing considerable challenges."

History does not repeat itself but

History does not repeat itself but Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament reminds us of how fast the anti-Parliamentary decisions by German Chancellors opened the door to the Nazi Party taking power in January 1933.

Johnson’s intention to prorogue Parliament has disturbing similarities with events starting in March 1930. As in Germany, events unfolded over a couple of years. First, there was May’s failed intention to bypass Parliament and trigger article 50 by invoking an ancient crown prerogative. In 1930, the right-wing Centre Party Chancellor, started to rule almost entirely through the decrees of President Hindenburg, not through the Reichstag. Then, in June 1932, the next Chancellor, Von Papen, another Centre Party member, under the influence of the Nazis, persuaded Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag altogether and lift the ban on the SA. Using Presidential edict, Papen also cut the payments to the unemployment and arranged tax cuts for corporations and the rich.

In November 1932, Von Papen reached an agreement with Hitler that Hitler become Chancellor, soothed by Hitler’s strategy of emphasising legality and frightened by the strength of the organised working class. As now, the wide spread disillusionment with the main political parties and with the parliamentary process itself encouraged a sympathy with the Nazi Party, just as today the vote and support for Brexit is partly rooted in political disaffection. On January 30, 1933, President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany.After the next, election, it is highly likely that Johnson will form a parliamentary alliance with the Brexit party to hold onto power.

What firstly distinguished the Nazi’s rule, was their abrogation of bourgeois democratic rights. Proroguing Parliament also is an abrogation of bourgeois rights and we must not let it happen. On the night Hitler became Chancellor, neither the exclusively focused parliamentary Social Democratic Party or, the ‘after them, us’; Communist Party, demonstrated, or called for a general strike. It was as if January 30th was just another day. This time, let us organise to stop the slide towards barbarism.

Demonstrate: see https://www.anothereurope.org/events/ and

Tuesday 3rd September 

6.00 - 8.00 pm

Parliament Square

London

Speakers at the London Rally include:

Tariq Ali - Author and Activist

Laura Pidcock MP

Richard Burgon MP

Dan Carden MP

Laura Smith MP

Kevin Courtney -  NEU General Secretary

Mark Serwotka  - PCS General Secretary

Eddie Dempsey -  RMT Executive Committee member

Ash Sarkar - Journalist and political activist 

Owen Jones - Journalist and political activist

Dr. Sonia Adesara - Keep Our NHS Public

Aaron Bastani - Co-founder and Senior Editor at Novara Media 

Lindsey German  - People's Assembly