February 09

WB&DTUC February 2009 Secretary’s Report
2009 affiliated branches: ATL, Community(Hall Palm), CWU (Wolverhampton), CWU (W.Mids & Worcs), FBU, GMB X13, NASUWT, NUT, PCS Midlands CPS,UNISON PCT, UNISON University and Unite branches 3210M, CYWU, 5/748, 5/836 and 5/998.
Branches NOT affiliated who affiliated last year:
ASLEF, ASPECT, POA, UCU City College, UNISON General, UNISON Health, :UNITE 0758M,

THURSDAY 5th MARCH 6pm
“FAIR TRADE FOR BANANA WORKERS?”
Prosper Kwasi Tamakloe, ORGANISER GHANIAN AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION
Jacqui McKay, BANANA LINK
Millennium building, room 331 (3rd floor), Wulfruna Street WV1 1LY
a chance to hear from a trade union activist from Ghana on workers conditions and how fair trade should and can work for the benefit of workers
light refreshments provided organised by UNISON General & UNISON University

Shrewsbury 24 meeting – Thursday 12 March 2009 Assemble on College Green, opposite House of Lords @12.30 MEETING (after lobby) inside House of Commons @ 4pm Speakers: MPs, Arthur Scargill and Ricky Tomlinson. What really lay behind the Shrewsbury trials? What lessons can be drawn for today’s struggles?
Branch donations welcome Justice4pickets@yahoo.co.uk www.shrewsburypicketscampaign.org.uk

Sat March 28th – The TUC has joined with a broad coalition of development, faith and environmental groups to organise a demonstration in London for the Saturday before world leaders jet in for the G20 summit. We are aiming for at least 30,000 people and hope for considerably more. www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk
We are aiming to make the march as lively as possible with music and entertainers. At the other end of the march in Hyde Park, rally for 2 hours speakers, music and comedians. Local Transport will be arranged – TUC regional secretaries to co-ordinate transport.

Activity in support of Gaza in last few weeks:
Boycott Israeli Products – leafleting of Waitrose supermarket took place – Sainsburys & Asda to follow
No Arms Sales to Israel – Lobby of Pat McFadden MP at his surgery All Saints Community Centre, took place before constituents attended the surgery to urge him to call for an embargo on British arms exports to Israel. He said that he agreed Britain should continue to arm the Israeli state. Ken Purchase and Rob Marris, the other two Wolverhampton MPs both disagree with that view.

Stafford Road roundabout mass vigil over 200 people took part at short notice.

Council lobby to save Sweetman Street. UNISON is running campaigns to save this home, Underhill House and fighting to save hundreds of threatened job cuts in the council. A petition is enclosed in the mailing.

Anti-BNP Searchlight has launched an email based campaign to get more trade union members to vote in the euro elections to stop the BNP getting elected – postcard included in mailing – as it is a PR election under 11% could mean they get a £250k/year euro MEP to fund their racist activities.