Medway Trades Council: 25 DAYS TO CHANGE MEDWAY

We need volunteers and supporters to help organise and take part in the following:

Medway Unite against Fascism will be holding a meeting on Thursday 12 April 2007 at the Sunlight Centre, Richmond Road, Gillingham, from 7.30 until 9.00pm. This will be an organising meeting to plan leafleting and activity against BNP candidates standing in the local elections – 3rd May. The Trades Council and UAF will be leafleting and we need your help, for more info email Ralph @ hb006h4663_2@blueyonder.co.uk

18th April: Trades Council meeting 7.00, Chatham Rail Union Learn Centre, minutes and agenda to follow. Primarily this meeting will deal with countering BNP activity and organising for the Love Music Hate Racism festival

Date yet to be arranged: though between 18th and 28th: planning meeting for the PCS strike: to organise picket duty, leafleting and solidarity action and options.

28th Love Music Hate Racism festival 2pm – 11pm flyer attached, members required to distributed leaflets and man the stall

1st May, probably on of the most important strikes of the year, all civil servants will be out: DWP, Immigration, Learning Skills Council, SEEDA and MOD. Council members required for picket detail, will need cars to drive round to each, rally will follow in RAFA club time yet TBA, if you are unable to take part in the day please send messages of support. Council will be contacting unions and branches who might be in contact with workplaces like CWU requesting picket lines be observed.

We will also be producing a newsletter to bring all these points together volunteers required to feed into newsletter, NHS issues, PCS and anti-BNP activity

Volunteers required for leafleting prior to the elections

What are Trades Union Councils?

Trades Union Councils, Trades Councils or local TUC’s operate in towns or a cluster of towns. They aim to bring together trade union branches and activists from across their geographical area, working together in solidarity and campaigns to improve the conditions of their members. After several decades of decline trades council have witnessed a resurgence of interest, activity and reformation and the Medway Trades Union Council is no exception reforming in 2005. Historically trades councils occupy a unique place in trade union and working class history forming and organising locally from Friendly societies, Guilds and early trade unions some like the Chelmsford TUC date back to the 18 centaury. As trades councils and trade unions began to grow, so did the need to link up and work together; in 1822 John Gast formed the ‘Committee of Useful Classes’, seen by many as the first attempt to create an organisation of national Trades Union Councils. In 1866 trades councils from Sheffield and Yorkshire created the United Kingdom Alliance of Organised Trades and by 1897 this organisation held a conference that agreed to create the Trade Union Congress the present day federal body for trade unions and trade union councils.

How are Trades Union Councils Organsied?

Trades Councils are organised into local branches each mapping a geographical area, local trade union branches and activists affiliate to the council and send nominated delegates to show support for other unions and cooperate around campaigns and activity. Each branch pays a fee based on a formula of their membership levels, the Medway Trades Union Council is branch membership multiplied by 10 pence. The trade’s council like trade union branches will hold monthly meetings, for delegates to come together and discuss issues. The Medway Trades Union Council meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Redstar Learning Centre Chatham accessed via the car park opposite the entrance to the station. The Council has membership from the following affiliated unions and branches: Unison NHS logistics, UCU West Kent College, GMB North West Kent, Community Steel Works, PCS north West Kent, PCS Passport Office, Aslef Gillingham, Aslef Jubilee line, Unison East Kent Mental Health, Unison Kent County Council, RMT Slade Green Signals, RMT Gillingham, NUT North Kent. Along with monthly meetings the trades council is structured around a governing executive, this executive through the presentation of motions is mandated to organise and act in the interest of the affiliated branches inline with council rules. The executive members are: Chair: Jacquie Berry (Community) : Jacqui_berry@hotmail.co.uk Secretary: Jon Clark (UCU) : jonclark@wkc.ac.uk Events/ Social organiser: Vince Mapall (PCS) : http://by125fd.bay125.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/addresses?&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000%2d000000000001&a=0bace26fc234ca944c5657d3bfd7d17bab37c6db3b140ac6759a7eb2005904b1## Treasurer: Tom Buttler (Community) Community Organiser: (GMB) : Sofie Toronto : http://by125fd.bay125.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/addresses?&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000%2d000000000001&a=0bace26fc234ca944c5657d3bfd7d17bab37c6db3b140ac6759a7eb2005904b1## Industrial Organiser: Steve Wilkins (GMB) : http://by125fd.bay125.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/addresses?&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000%2d000000000001&a=0bace26fc234ca944c5657d3bfd7d17bab37c6db3b140ac6759a7eb2005904b1## Press officer: Chas Berry (Unison) : http://by125fd.bay125.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/addresses?&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000%2d000000000001&a=0bace26fc234ca944c5657d3bfd7d17bab37c6db3b140ac6759a7eb2005904b1## Equalities officer: Stephen Hetterley (PCS) : http://by125fd.bay125.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/addresses?&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000%2d000000000001&a=0bace26fc234ca944c5657d3bfd7d17bab37c6db3b140ac6759a7eb2005904b1## General enquiries can be made through: medwaytuc@hotmail.co.uk

Medway Trades Council

25 DAYS TO CHANGE MEDWAY

Purchase our badge here.

Links

What are Trades Union Councils?

How are Trades Union Councils Organsied?