Building for the 20th October demonstration from Greater Manchester

Update note:  The meeting on 24th July advertised below is cancelled.
Update 2:  Greater Manchester Association of TUCs have organised a replacement meeting which is 6pm on Tuesday 31st July at Methodist Central Hall, Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JQ.  Facebook event here.

The TUC demonstration on 20th October is crucial for all of us.  After the magnificent build-up of opposition last year, from the half-million strong demo on 26th March to the strike on 30th June and the huge strikes and protests on 30th November, the opposition to the government's disastrous austerity policies really seemed to be building up.  But the leaders of the trade union movement wasted that momentum with delays, dithering, and shoddy deals.

The "A Future That Works" demo on 20th October is part of a push to get the momentum back.  Some unions are already planning strikes around that date, and students are planning their own demonstration in the autumn too.

We need to make sure the demo on 20th October is bigger and stronger than the 26th March and that it gives people confidence to fight back.  This is quite possible.  The 26th March was the first trade union mobilisation on that scale for a decade.  While it was magnificent there were many lessons learned - and if we learn them it should not be hard to make 20th October far far bigger.  Amongst those lessons were the need to organise and book transport earlier and the need for better coordination between different organisations involved in building the demo.

Unite's "Manchester Area Activists Committee", which covers Greater Manchester, decided to initiate an meeting to help build for the demonstration and is sending a letter out to other unions, trades councils and community campaigners to invite them to take part.  Below is the text of the letter (I've removed the contact details to avoid spam - please contact me if you have any questions).

To: all trade unionists and community campaigners across Greater Manchester

The TUC has called a national demonstration in London on 20th October to send the message that

AUSTERITY ISN'T WORKING

·         spending cuts threaten a lost decade

·         invest for jobs and growth

·         defend quality public services

The aim is to make this demonstration even bigger than the one on 26th March 2011, and to achieve this we need to organise - now.

Unite's Manchester Area Activists Committee, which covers the whole of Greater Manchester, decided to initiate an open organising meeting to build the maximum turnout for 20 October from Greater Manchester and to approach other unions, trades councils and campaign groups to take part.

This open organising meeting will take place:

6:30pm, Tuesday 24th July

Unite the Union, Merchants Quay, Salford Quays, Salford, M50 3SG

Free car parking is available and the Unite office is a few minutes' walk from Salford Quays Metrolink stop

We hope you will be able to attend the meeting and to publicise it through your own networks.

TUC materials to help build for the demonstration are available from www.afuturethatworks.org.

If you have any questions about the meeting please contact me, Jimmy Carter --- or Ian Allinson ---.

We look forward to seeing you there and working with you to make 20 October a resounding success.

In solidarity

Jimmy Carter

Secretary, Unite Manchester Area Activists Committee

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Emergency Motions from UNITE Policy Conference 2012

A few people have been in touch asking for the text of the Emergency Motions discussed last week.

I've scanned Emergency Motions 1-13 and posted them here.


As they were scattered across the days of conference, I've gathered the decisions on them here:

• Emergency Motion 1 Carcinogenic Diesel Engine Exhaust: Carried
• Emergency Motion 2 Coup d'etat in Paraguay: Carried
• Emergency Motion 3 National Collective Bargaining: Carried
• Emergency Motion 4 Withdrawal of Tax Credits for Strikers: Carried
• Emergency Motion 5 London Bus Strike injunctions: Carried
• Emergency Motion 6 Egypt: Carried
• Emergency Motion 8 Legal Aid Bill: Carried
• Emergency Motion 10 A Tax On Young People: Carried
• Emergency Motion 11 Hidden Agenda of the Localism Bill: Carried
• Emergency Motion 14 Failure to Negotiate on NHS Pensions: Carried

The remainder were remitted to the Executive Council for consideration along with other business that had not been dealt with when conference closed:

• Emergency Motion 7 Labour & Immigration
• Emergency Motion 9 Remploy
• Emergency Motion 12 Spanish Miners General Strike
• Emergency Motion 13 Closure of Coryton Oil Refinery

Update: A colleague has kindly sent me the text of Emergency Motion 14 Failure to Negotiate on NHS Pensions:

This conference deplores the action taken by the Secretary of State for Health: he has written to the Chair of the Staff-side for NHS Pensions Schemes effectively imposing the Government proposals on NHS pensions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In his letter dated 27th June 2012, he states;

“It is a matter of regret that two unions are still engaging in industrial action. They are also aware that the reason they can take this action without the Government withdrawing this offer is because of the responsible stance taken by the majority of NHS unions in their member’s interests. It is difficult to see how these unions can participate in partnership working implementing the new scheme whilst they are going down the route of confrontation.”

This appears to be misleading and untrue, we condemn this action. We ask the Executive Council to hold immediate talks with the TUC and other Health Sector unions to demand the full negotiation recommences with all recognised Trade Unions.

This Draconian approach will otherwise affect all current Public Sector union negotiations

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UNITE Executive Council June 2012

I haven't yet posted my report on the Executive Council meeting which took place 11-14 June 2012.  In the meantime fellow EC-member Sara Bennett from the Graphical Paper and Media (GPM) sector has posted a report on her new web site.

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