NSSN Staffordshire Bulletin No.4
Building support across Staffordshire for 30 June!
We have recieved the following message of support for our Rally at Reardons from Brian Caton ex General Secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA)
"Sorry cannot attend due to hospital appointment - please pass on my fraternal greetings to all comrades present"
North Staffs TUC, Staffordshire Youth Fight for Jobs and North Staffs Against Cuts are all now supporting the Reardons Rally
It was agreed at the National Shop Stewards Network meeting on Wed 22 June to call on all those on strike and/or picket duty on 30th June along with supporters to Assemble in Albion Square, Hanley at 10.30pm in a united public show of strength and to march united together to the Rally later at Reardons at 11.30am.
This has since been endorsed by North Staffs Against Cuts.
So whether you are on strike or you want to demonstrate your support for those taking strike action get down to Albion Square Hanley for 10.30am
Of course anyone who wants to demonstrate their support at the many picket lines taking place earlier across the area would also be made very welcome (details below)
But there are still 6 days to go to continue building support!
Updated Leaflets and Posters are attatched so print some off and get them round your workplace, school, college, street or anywhere else you can think of!
Attached are updated leaflets and posters that can be downloaded, printed and given out. There is;
1) an A5 leaflet asking strikers and supporters to assemble at Albion Square, Hanley for the rally at Reardons
2) an A4 poster asking strikers and supporters to assemble at Albion Square, Hanley for the rally
3) an excellent A4 Classroom Teacher leaflet which explains to parents why teachers will be taking strike action and why parents should support the action. This is ideal to use outside schools when parents are dropping off kids at school
4) an A4 leaflet which is ideal to print on the back of the Classroom Teacher leaflet. It gives details of assembly and rally at Reardons but also the important march & rally that will take place in Birmingham on the same day. Obviously we want to encourage parents to come to our rally at Reardons but some may want to go to the Birmingham march & rally and that is great as well.
Update on Speakers at the Reardons Rally:
Pete Rofe - PCS DWP North Staffs Branch Secretary
NUT - local activist Chris Parton
Steve French (invited) - UCU Keele University
Andy Bentley - Staffordshire National Shop Stewards Network organiser
Simon Halstead - North Staffs TUC
Unison - awaiting confirmation of speaker
Unite - awaiting confirmation of speaker from their National Executive Committee
CWU - to be decided between local activists Maxine Tuck, Guy Hamnett, Andy Cawley, Neil Singh
This list will be updated as confirmations are recieved
Details of Picket Lines - This list will be updated as more info comes in
PCS - DWP Albion Square , Hanley (next to Radio Stoke)
HMRC Albion Square, Hanley (next to Albion pub)
Jobcentres at Huntbach St, Hanley - The Strand, Longton - Paradise St,
Newcastle
UCU - Stoke-on-Trent College, Newcastle College
NUT - With some teachers on strike (NUT members) and others not (NASUWT) the existence of picket lines is more uncertain. Some head teachers will be closing schools which also means pickets taking place may be more unpredictable as they may be seen by some (not us!) as unnecessary. You could ask to speak to the NUT rep at any school you where you would like to show your support to find out if and when a picket line will be taking place or you could email your local NUT Branch Secretary at secretary@stoke-on-trent-division.nut.org.uk or secretary@staffordshire.nut.org.uk
But don't forget all this information will be updated daily
Last Campaign Meeting before the co-ordinated strike action will be on Tuesday 28 June at the Sacred Hearts Social Centre, Regent Rd, Hanley at 7.30pm.
Please don't forget this important meeting. This will be our last chance to finalise our plans to maximise support for strike action and make the Reardons Rally on 30 June a success. Therefore your input is vital. If you can bring other trade union reps or members who want to help build for the 30th then that would be even better!
A variety of updated leaflets and posters (including those attached to this circular) will be available to pick up at this meeting but if you want to suggest any others that you think would be good then please get in touch asap. Any other suggestions, info about picket lines etc are also welcome.
Please call/text 07845893607 with any suggestions
* * * * * PLEASE FORWARD THIS BULLETIN TO ANY OTHER TRADE UNION REPS OR ACTIVISTS THAT YOU KNOW * * * * *
NSSN Staffordshire
Friday 24 June 2011
Saturday 18 June 2011
Thursday 16 June 2011
BUILDING SUPPORT FOR CO-ORDINATED STRIKE ACTION ON 30th JUNE
Trade union reps and members from the PCS, NUT, CWU Postal, CWU Telecoms, Unison, GMB and Unite met last night in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent to plan how to build support for workers taking strike action on 30 June.
The meeting was organised by National Shop Stewards Network Staffordshire activists with PCS DWP North Staffs Branch Secretary Pete Rofe playing a key role. Speaking from the platform Pete explained why PCS members are angry and have voted to strike on 30 June. He also stressed the need to build maximum support for the strike action.
Guy Hamnett, Chair of the CWU North Midland Branch, highlighted the decision by CWU conference to call on the TUC to organise a 24 hour general strike as the way forward.
Chris, from the NUT, also speaking in a personal capacity told the audience how the Con Dems attack on pensions would see some teachers losing hundreds of pounds a month. He also explained that the teachers in his school were mainly NASUWT members and that many of them were angry that they hadn’t been balloted for strike action.
National Chair of NSSN, Rob Williams, explained that RMT London Underground workers and Unite and Unison council workers in Southampton would also be taking strike action on 30 June along with NUT, PCS, ATL and UCU members.
All the platform speakers mentioned above and everyone else at the meeting agreed on the need for a 24 hour general strike of public and private sector workers.
But this meeting wasn’t just about discussing the way forward it also planned how we will build support for workers taking strike action on 30 June.
Speaking from the floor Unison member Joanne reflected the mood which exists among many workers when she explained that she had booked a day off work on the 30 June so that she could actively support those striking on the day.
Hundreds of posters advertising the NSSN Staffordshire public rally on the 30 June were taken by those attending. Speakers from all the unions on strike will be speaking at this rally.
Public sector workers will be taking strike action against the attacks on pensions but this is just one part of the increasing anger of all workers facing job losses, cuts, closures and privatisation.
Workplaces not on strike will also be leafleted explaining why they should support the action being taken and all those affected by the strike, like parents of school children, will be asked to offer their support as well.
Motions will also go to local branches of unions like Unison who are not striking on 30 June calling on them to join future co-ordinated strike action.
The meeting was organised by National Shop Stewards Network Staffordshire activists with PCS DWP North Staffs Branch Secretary Pete Rofe playing a key role. Speaking from the platform Pete explained why PCS members are angry and have voted to strike on 30 June. He also stressed the need to build maximum support for the strike action.
Guy Hamnett, Chair of the CWU North Midland Branch, highlighted the decision by CWU conference to call on the TUC to organise a 24 hour general strike as the way forward.
Chris, from the NUT, also speaking in a personal capacity told the audience how the Con Dems attack on pensions would see some teachers losing hundreds of pounds a month. He also explained that the teachers in his school were mainly NASUWT members and that many of them were angry that they hadn’t been balloted for strike action.
National Chair of NSSN, Rob Williams, explained that RMT London Underground workers and Unite and Unison council workers in Southampton would also be taking strike action on 30 June along with NUT, PCS, ATL and UCU members.
All the platform speakers mentioned above and everyone else at the meeting agreed on the need for a 24 hour general strike of public and private sector workers.
But this meeting wasn’t just about discussing the way forward it also planned how we will build support for workers taking strike action on 30 June.
Speaking from the floor Unison member Joanne reflected the mood which exists among many workers when she explained that she had booked a day off work on the 30 June so that she could actively support those striking on the day.
Hundreds of posters advertising the NSSN Staffordshire public rally on the 30 June were taken by those attending. Speakers from all the unions on strike will be speaking at this rally.
Public sector workers will be taking strike action against the attacks on pensions but this is just one part of the increasing anger of all workers facing job losses, cuts, closures and privatisation.
Workplaces not on strike will also be leafleted explaining why they should support the action being taken and all those affected by the strike, like parents of school children, will be asked to offer their support as well.
Motions will also go to local branches of unions like Unison who are not striking on 30 June calling on them to join future co-ordinated strike action.
Thursday 9 June 2011
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