February 2003

February 2003 Secretary`s Report  Wolverhampton, Bilston & District TUC www.wolvestuc.org.uk wolves.tuc@unisonfree.net

2003 Affiliates: Amicus-MSF 0758, Amicus MSF 13/D Craft, CYWU, FBU, GPMU, NASUWT, NATFHE(Bilston), TGWU 5/748, UNISON General, UNISON Healthcare – 9,200 trade unionists
Half of the branches are still to register, please send in affiliation forms asap

The NUT is setting up a Cuba Solidarity Group in Wolverhampton.
First meeting Monday 24 March at 7pm in the NUT office at the Graiseley Centre, Pool Street

NO to War demo Sat. 15th Feb., saw the largest number of people ever, go to a national demonstration from Wolverhampton. Organisers believed that 2 million took part, we never saw them though as we were still marching at 5.30pm in the dark, 6 hours after the two feeder marches started! There were 600 demos all over the world.
After much frantic coach booking and ticket sales we took 250 people on 5 coaches to London. We passed more people onto other coaches and the trains. The tremendous response was certainly helped by a lot of leafleting and also via the website. A successful PSC meeting was held at the beginning of the month that attracted 60 people.

Many thanks to UNISON General, Wolverhampton NUT, Amicus-MSF 0758 and Walsall TUC for their magnificent donations towards subsidising unwaged tickets on the coaches. Thanks also to the Lighthouse cinema whose film showing of `Not in My Name`, also raised over £200. Despite costs of £1500 and a £5 subsidy on every unwaged ticket, we haven’t made a big loss.

The government now has the mandate from the public that it needs, in order to change its stance and stand up against America’s desire for control of Iraq’s oil fields. If Britain wishes to be seen to impose democracy on Iraq, then show that we have it here, first. The British people do not want a war – that is clear now. People do not want the price of democracy to be the blood of hundreds of thousands of ordinary people in Iraq. Those people hate, and with good reason, their leader Saddam Hussain but they will end up dying in the same way as 9,000 civilians died in Afghanistan in the seemingly failed attempt to kill Osama Bin Laden.
If Blair believes that the public is with him then why does he not call a national demonstration in support of a war and see how many people turn up for that demo?

Workers Beer Company Festival Calendar 2003
Date Event Deadline for reply
24 /25 May Homelands, Winchester 14 April
26/7-29 June Glastonbury 16 May
4-6 July National Adventure Sports Show, Peterborough 24 May
18-20 July National Adventure Sports Show, Shepton Mallett 6 June
8-10 August RPM/BPM, Northampton 28 June
22-24 August Leeds Festival 14 July

Please publicise these dates, a leaflet will be produced and distributed to branches soon which can be copied.
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Extract from LABOUR RESEARCH FEBRUARY 2003 by Simon Sapper, Assistant Secretary, CWU

“Trades councils, many of which have been stagnating in recent years, have found in the internet a possible means of revitalising themselves….
But it is to the West Midlands that my unofficial award of trades councils internet champions must go. The region provides two fantastic but very different sites originating from Birmingham and Wolverhampton (www.wolvestuc.org.uk)
Birmingham’s front page is packed with news, information and hyperlink services. The density of material on the front page almost takes your breath away. It also provides information about the Opera 5 trade union enabled browser and how to download it.
Wolves looks Spartan by comparison, but don’t be deceived. It is concise, direct and pretty comprehensive. “