GREEN PARTY TRADES UNION GROUP. MINUTES 6/9/2006

1. Minutes/report of last meeting 5/7/2006
   1. Agreed for accuracy
   2. Matters Arising

      Finances, need to know state of finances and to meet NW to sign cheques for GPTU Conference hall hire and £25 to ST (£10 GPTU Conference and £15 local stall)

2. GP Conference
   1. Stall booked ST and PM can person this throughout , but other help would be appreciated. Agreed to carry Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, if they are unable to get their own stall. Barry White of CPBF invited to speak briefly at GPTU fringe.
   2. Speakers for GPTU fringe. PM approaching speakers from NUT and UCU. ST to email Penny Gilbey of Brighton Uni
   3. Future of GPTU conferences (support from GPEX? Jointly with G.Left?) need to be discussed at Fringe if possible.
   4. Competition for design for new shorter leaflet to be run at conference, PM to look for suitable prize.
   5. GPTU supported motions with provisionally proposed speakers
      • TU RIGHTS J.Healy , Sue Tibbles
      • HE DISPIUTE Richard.Clarke@newport.ac.uk/ Sue Miles/P.Murry(res)
      • YAHOO/GOOGLE BOYCOTT J.Killock/P.Murry
3. Other events
   1. Burston, seems unlikely that anyone from GP’s in E.Anglia will be able to go Further details at http://www.burstonstrikeschool.org/
   2. Grunwick Anniversary; see below

       

      30 Years since the Grunwick Strike - A Commemoration

       

      In August 1976, a group of mainly Asian women workers walked out of the Grunwick film processing plant in North West London in protest at the working conditions. The strike, for union recognition, was to last two years and become a cause celebre for the trade union movement. Over 600 people, including Labour Cabinet ministers, were arrested on the picket line. The role of the police and local magistrates became notorious and the law was invoked to stop postal workers refusing to sort and deliver Grunwick's mail. A group of strikers went on hunger strike in protest at the TUC's lack of support. A special Cabinet Committee was even set up to discuss the strike, which got wide media coverage. The issues raised by the strike are still relevant today, and Brent Trades Union Council is organising this commemoration to celebrate the courageous stand of the strikers and highlight these issues.

       

      Sunday 17th September, 11am - 5pm, Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road , NW6

       

      Speakers include:
      • Jayaben Desai, one of the leaders of the strike;
      • Jack Dromey, secretary of Brent Trades Council during the strike, now Deputy General Secretary of the TGWU;
      Arthur Scargill, organised mass support for the strikers as President of Yorkshire Area NUM;
      • Derek Walsh, District Organiser of the Union of Postal Workers at the time, fined by his union for blacking Grunwick's mail;
      • Jeremy Corbyn MP.

       

      We will be showing two films of the strike made by independent filmmakers, ´Stand Together´ and ´Look Back At Grunwick´.There will be an exhibition of archive material of contemporary press coverage. Indian food will be provided (both meat and vegetarian). Because of the restriction on numbers, entry is by ticket only, price £7 including lunch, which must be bought in advance.

      For enquiries about tickets, requests for leaflets and posters, email ben.rickman@gmail.com

      Further information on the event and the strike can be obtained by Visiting http://tinyurl.com/o9uy2

   3. 8/10/2006 Anniversary of Battle of Cable St (more details needed)
   4. NOVEMBER 4TH 2006 next CLIMATE DEMO: The Green Party in London plans to take part in the Campaign Against Climate Change march which will feed into the STOP CLIMATE CHAOS demonstration.
   5. GLATUC meeting 14/10/2006
   6. NHS dispute more details needed, details of Oxford campaign from Sue Tibbles set@bodley.ox.ac.uk .
   7. SE Region TUC (SERTUC) is organising against BNP in Barking abd Dagenham and may be involved in Robert Tressel commemoration in Hastings (has http://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/regions_contacts_southeast.cfm).
   8. Organising for Fighting Unions Conference 11/11/2006 Shoreditch town Hall 10-3 £10 needs official union delegates. (Respect organised?)