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Other Reports to 2010 AGM |
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Written by Martin
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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 |
TYNE & WEAR MAY DAY COMMITTEE
The 2009 May Day had the usual mix of speakers and topics. Despite our concerns that the Police would not provide support to the march, for controlling traffic, they did so on this occasion; however, they have given notice that, owing to legislative changes, they will not give such support in future, and are encouraging us to seek a road closure order from the Council – at a cost of £1600!
The speakers in 2009 included Ian Lavery (NUM), Alan Mackinnon (Scottish CND), Sally Young (Keep Metro Public) and Betty Hunter (Palestine Solidarity Campaign). An additional dimension was an event at the Monument which fed into the main march. Entertainment at the Monument, on the march and at the rally was provided by the NUM North East Area Brass Band, The Stumbling Band, Charlie Hardwick, Mutandi, Making Waves Choir and Verbal Terrorists. Due to an increase in the number of stalls the marquee was much busier than in recent years.
This year’s event will be held on Saturday 1 May, most likely falling within the last week of the General Election campaign. The plan is to have the usual march and rally, and speakers so far confirmed include Jim Cousins, who is retiring as MP at the election, and Kathy Taylor from Northumberland CATUC and UCU NEC. We also hope to have a speaker from the Venezuelan Embassy. The timings and route of the march still need to be confirmed with the police, as does the whole question of our marching on public roads without police control of traffic. The Committee is urgently seeking volunteer stewards for the march.
JIM SIMPKIN
(UNITE Tyneside Engineering)
PEOPLE’S PRESS PRINTING SOCIETY
The 80th birthday of the Daily Worker/Morning Star, on 1 January 2010, was marked by a mass of greetings adverts from labour and progressive movement organisations (Newcastle TUC included) in the paper on the preceding day and by a special commemorative issue on the following Saturday, January 8.
In its first 12 years of its existence, the paper faced a ban by wholesalers, requiring activists all over Britain to get up at the crack of dawn to collect bundles of newspapers off trains and distribute them to newsagents and readers. In January 1941 it was banned by war-time Home Secretary Herbert Morrison – a ban which was only lifted in August 1942 as a result of a mass campaign of protest. This mass support was reflected in the decision by the Communist Party, after the war, to transfer ownership of the paper to a co-operative, the People’s Press Printing Society, in which individuals and labour movement organisations could buy shares. Currently, trade union organisations with a £20,000 share are entitled to a seat on the PPPS Management Committee.
The 80 years of the paper have been years of struggle, no less today than in the past. It exists to fight for the interests of working people, to make them aware that other options exist than the dreary capitalism loved by the Tories and adopted with enthusiasm by New Labour. It gives the lie to the distortions and half-truths pumped out endlessly by the tame titles of the capitalist media moguls.
As in the past, notable events within the region in 2009 were the distribution of 2000 free copies of the paper at the Durham Miners’ Gala (courtesy of the NUM) and the Northern Regional Morning Star Conference, “Fighting Back against the Crisis” at Gateshead Civic Centre on Saturday 28 November. Speakers at the latter were Mary Ferguson (PCS, Regional Chair), Shirley Ford (Green Party), Vicki Gilbert (Keep Metro Public), Bill Greenshields (Communist Party of Britain), Veronica Killen (Labour Representation Committee), Martin Mayer (Chair, United Left), Peter Pinkney (RMT Regional Chair) and Professor Nazir Tabassum (South Asian Peoples Forum UK).
MARTIN LEVY
(UCU Northumbria University)
TYNE & WEAR ANTI-FASCIST ASSOCIATION
One of the key negative features in the past year has been the election of Nick Griffin, the party leader, and Andrew Brons as MEPs for the BNP in the European elections. While this is undoubtedly partially due to a low turn out at the elections, there is no room for complacency. The BNP were able to get their supporters out to vote, they now have a platform like never before - which included a spot for Griffin on the BBC’s Question Time - and access to financial resources via salaries and expenses from the European Parliament. Some Labour MPs have given support to anti-fascist campaigning, but tragically, the Labour party has generally been as lax as the other mainstream parties in not taking the fascist threat seriously.
Searchlight magazine’s “Hope Not Hate” campaign, which was strongly supported by TWAFA in the region, has been a great source of information and inspiration against the fascists nationally. It has become evident however, that it is not enough to hold stalls and put leaflets through doors, vital though that is. Anti-fascists have to become more active in the many communities which have become disenfranchised and alienated through neglect and lack of investment. It is a tribute to the people of the North East and to the work of TWAFA and the “Hope Not Hate” campaign that the many neglected communities in the region have not fallen for the lies and duplicity of the BNP and other fascist apologists. This is despite the efforts of the Walker brothers from Spennymoor, two former teachers whom the education authorities recognised as being unfit to teach young people and who now have plenty of time to spend spreading fascist propaganda, most recently as employees of the two fascist MEPs. TWAFA has campaigned actively against the activities of the Walkers and other BNP organisers in the region, with considerable assistance from anti-fascist colleagues from County Durham and the Tees Valley.
After a period without a worker, TWAFA again has a full time employee, who is proving to be as valuable an asset to the organisation as previous workers. While all credit must be given to the executive committee and some individuals in particular for maintaining TWAFA’s work and the organisation’s presence, it really does make a huge difference having a dedicated employee to do this vital work.
TWAFA DELEGATE
CHRISTMAS DANCE FOR PEACE AND SOLIDARITY
The 2009 Christmas Dance was held at the Newcastle Arts Centre, Black Swan Court, on Thursday 17 December. It was the first evening of the severe winter weather and paid attendance was only just over 100. The entertainment, on the other hand was excellent: Rob the Rub, Doctor Neptune and the Soul Psychologist, Beckleberry, the Newcastle Kingsmen and the Emperor’s Dentist. Proceeds of £260 were split evenly between AMURT’s Philippines Disaster Appeal and the Centre Against Unemployment.
MARTIN LEVY
(UCU Northumbria University)
TYNE AND WEAR COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF TRADES UNION COUNCILS
Probably the high point for the CATUC during the year was the AGM, at which Tom Mellish from the TUC spoke about the Organising Agenda. His presentation indicated just how urgent this issue is for trade unions: 6 million members were lost in 18 years, and at the current rate it will take us 240 years to get back to the 1979 level; there are 3 million workers in unionised workplaces who are not in membership; 32% of public sector workers are not in membership; and the majority of trade union members are over 45 years old. Trade unions are having to shift more resources into organising, to develop active members and active reps and stewards. An active trades union council, he said, needs to: survey affiliates; identify common issues; co-ordinate a local campaign around the key issues; liaise with local groups, producing union information around issues; and take the lead and respond to the economic crisis by emphasising the need for unions.
In the course of the year the CATUC has sought to highlight a number of issues: privatisation of the Metro and other public services; welfare “reform”; the People’s Charter; the situation faced by the Centre Against Unemployment; trade unionism in the community; the role of the Northern Asbestos Support Group. On some of these issues, sharp divisions have developed with the Northern Regional TUC.
The CATUC did work with the Regional TUC in organising and promoting the regional trades councils conference in Middlesbrough in February, at which Val Duncan (National Assembly of Women) spoke on the Charter for Women, Sally Young spoke about the Keep Metro Public Campaign and Kevin Flynn spoke on the TUC’s “Active Communities, Active Unions” campaign. In July the CATUC promoted a further, informal, meeting in Middlesbrough with a view to rebuilding bridges with the Regional TUC. Subsequently, representatives of the different CATUCs met the Regional TUC Secretary, and this did yield some positive outcomes, especially in terms of a joint appeal to support One Fund for All. John McCormack, the regional delegate to the national Trades Union Councils Joint Consultative Committee, is currently drafting this.
MARTIN LEVY
(UCU Northumbria University)
NORTHERN REGIONAL TRADES UNION CONGRESS
During the course of the year the Regional TUC has been much preoccupied with the impact of economic crisis. In January 2009 it organised “Crunch Talks: a Trade Union Economic Summit”, with UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis among the speakers. At the Annual Conference in May there were composites and other motions dealing with various aspects of the crisis, but nothing controversial. Indeed, the only motion in this area which challenged the economic orthodoxy of New Labour, specifically the one on the People’s Charter from UCU, was ruled out of order because it demanded nationalisation of the banks and this was not national TUC policy! Of course, the Annual Congress of the TUC in September did turn that round by overwhelmingly endorsing the People’s Charter, so it should now be regional policy as well.
There is much good work done by the Regional TUC, on combating racism and fascism, on building solidarity with the peoples of Colombia, Sierra Leone, Cuba, Palestine and Burma, on raising equality issues and on supporting workers in struggle, such as the CWU members at Royal Mail last year. However, the many motions passed at the Conference amount to something of a wish-list as there is little action prescribed to back them up. This is reflected in the Work Programme, which is now so devoid of detail as to mean all things to all people. Furthermore, as at the national TUC, there is a somewhat blinkered perspective on the European Union, seeing it as a means of defending workers’ rights when in fact the EU is the main threat, through the posted workers’ directive and European Court of Justice decisions in the Viking, Laval, Ruffert and Luxemburg cases.
Trades councils will not change the TUC – only the affiliated unions have the strength and influence to do that. But, as the recession continues to bite, and the promised public spending cuts take hold, trade unions and trades councils will need to work together to defend jobs, services and communities, and to campaign vigorously for different solutions.
MARTIN LEVY
(UCU Northumbria University)
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 February 2010 )
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