Become a member / supporter. Get involved: Be part of it:
We have recently opened a ‘Grassroots Left’ bank account and are asking for donations/Standing orders [click here] GRL_Standing order form/Membership [click here]  GRL_Membership_form

1] Unite NEC Election Vote for ‘Lesley Mansell’ ‘LGBT’ seat x [Print off election leaflet here] Vote for Lesley Mansell LGBT NEC seat

Balloting begins 30th January forms must to be returned by 22nd Feb.
Challenges by Unite to Lesley being able to stand for one of the newly established NEC seats ‘LGBT’, which were in my view completely frivolous, have been knocked back. That means there will be 3 candidates, the other 2 may well be OK but Lesley is outstanding.

- She will be the only one that calls for the members to decide who represents them by the election of all officials.

- She will be the only one who calls for a fundamental change in Unites relationship with the Labour Party, funding only those MPs or councils who support our policies.

One million members will be getting a ballot paper and the election address, so this is our opportunity to engage with members with our unique arguments.
Please get the message out there ‘VOTE FOR LESLEY MANSELL’ X

2] Grassroots/Rank and File branch organisation
Join the communication list of organised branches email Jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk  -The objective: To co-ordinate branches with common issues, to can act collectively instead of individually–

We can do this immediately by adopting this resolution at your branch meeting for Policy conference.

‘We call upon Unite to immediately offer re-instatement to any employee or officer of the union when an industrial tribunal finds Unite guilty of unfair dismissal’.

3] Grass Roots Left NEC: Held in London on January 21st
The meeting went really well, thanks to all those who travelled to be there and make the debate both interesting and wide ranging, plus some fantastic reports of local GRL activities and campaigns. Email jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk  for a copy of the minutes available [when they are written up].

4] Simpson’s £’sss severance. It’s our money and we want it back.
No surprise but nonetheless still disappointing, we have had no response from Unite or the Trustees. So we plan the next step. Watch this space!

5] Rank and File ‘sparks’.
For the very latest at Visit Electricians Against The world http://www.jibelectrician.blogspot.com/ or email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

6] UCATT General Secretary Election
Mick Dooley has lodged a complaint with the ‘Certification Officer’ re: being debarred from standing. We support in his challenge and will keep you updated.

Get in touch about meeting GRL supporters in your union or sector
Email jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

 Tel 07817827912  www.unitegrassrootsleft.wordpress.com

 Twitter @jerryhicksUnite www.grassrootsleft.org

 Join the growing number of people who want to get the union/s back.
Be part of the Grassroots Left
Fighting for: Bottom up, member led, member controlled Unions.

Ballot papers gone out for BBES a yes vote is imperative for strike action to be able to begin on 9th February.

This week coming is ‘NGB’ week where Rank and File sparks are hitting ‘NGB’ sites countrywide. It’s time to up our game. This is an important week of demonstrations and it is imperative that we make a huge impression on as many sites as we can.

That means this Wednesday 25th Jan in London we will target Kings Cross Station, platform 9/10 at 645am.

Manchester has chosen the Town Hall Wednesday 25th Jan..

Whilst in Scotland they have a number of protests planned for NG Bailey Week listed below………

Monday 23rd Jan – Morrisons, Gallowgate, Glasgow at 7.30am then on to head office in Bellshill.

Tuesday 24th Jan – Gore Tex factory, Livingston at 7.15am.

Wednesday 25th Jan – Exhibition Centre, Edinburgh at 7.15am.

Friday 27th Jan – Aberdeen Royal Infirmary at 7.15am. Anyone want to travel to Aberdeen? Can you get in touch as soon as possible.

Saturday 28th Jan – Demo & Rally 10am Glasgow City Centre, John Smith House

Let’s have a huge turn out this week and show Baileys that we are not going away and show our support for the Bailey workers.

If you know of any ‘NGB’ site on your area please do your best to protest on the site, and hit it hard!

Unofficial action will also be needed to win this dispute and a total shutdown would be the answer.
We must prepare for this it’s a massive step because it will required if we are to give ourselves a greater a chance of winning. Also “If any stewards or workers are sacked during the coming weeks, a mass walkout must take place”.

25th January 6.30pm London Rank and File meeting in Conway Hall Holborn

The ‘recalled’ National Rank and File meeting Birmingham 4th Feb 1-4pm Carrs Lane Cantre, Carrs Lane, is a very important meeting, we should have the ballot result plus first strike date by then, so we need to get a plan together the actions to be taken the following week throughout the UK. If anyone needs assistance with travel costs to Birmingham please let us know as soon as possible. Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

In a change at the top of Unite, Kevin Coyne a National Officer [appointed] has been drafted in to assist Bernard McAuley, which is badly needed. 4 National rank and File Committee members will be meeting with him [Kevin Coyne] and we will be able to discuss dispute and to make our feelings very clear, on Thursday 26th January at the Unite head office in London at 5.30pm. Let’s hope this is a change for the better.

Finally, on a different note ‘Blacklisted’ engineer and ex UCATT member, Dave Smith had his Industrial Tribunal last week against Carrillion for blacklisting him. Despite the revelations coming out in the tribunal about police involvement and Carrillion admitting that they did indeed ‘Blacklisted’ Dave, the case was lost! The Tribunal ruled that Dave was not an employee but that he had worked for various agencies, so much for justice!
We believe this case will now go to the Courts in Europe. Good luck Dave, keep up the fight brother and you can count on our support!

For more details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit…..

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Spread the word ‘NO TO BESNA YES TO STRIKE ACTION’!

Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey has launched a stinging attack on the Labour leader Ed Miliband claiming that he {Miliband] is “leading Labour to destruction”. McCluskey lambasts the Labour leader for “failing to support millions of low paid trade unionists” and thereby “disenfranchising the party’s [Labour] core support”.

All this ire from a union leader so influential, and rightfully so, but McCluskey not once mentions that he supported Ed Miliband’s leadership bid, he urged 1.3million members to vote for him and gave Ed Miliband £100,000 of members’ money so he could campaign to become Labour leader.

Worse still, in my view, Unite and Len McCluskey ensured that John Mcdonnell would not get on the ballot paper, thus preventing members from having a real choice. Strange seeing as it is Mcdonnell not Miliband who has always mirrored Unite’s policies on repeal of anti union laws and has a record of unwavering support for workers in struggle.

At first glance of McCluskey‘s outpourings one might think that Ed Milliband has suddenly and out of the blue made a dramatic rightwards shift in his position.

Does McCluskey not remember a year ago in April 2011 Milliband’s ‘Blue Labour’ hit the headlines. Then weeks later in June he failed to support ¼ million striking public sector workers, some of the poorest paid workers, for what he called ‘irresponsible strikes’, insulting all those prepared to fight.

A month later in July he refused to speak at the Durham Miners Gala which is always attended by over 100,000 trade unionists and natural Labour voters.

By November last year the Labour leader surpassed himself even by his standards when not backing over one million trade unionists [Unite included] who were taking part in the biggest strike in recent history over cuts to their pensions.

McCluskey criticises aplenty and I agree with his comments, but he should have seen it coming, he has been slow to speak out, and he offers no alternative and no solution.

There is an alternative, and my position is clear and consistent. Unite should only fund the Labour Party when it supports our union’s policies. I say to McCluskey “Stop wringing your hands, stop moaning and stop funding them!”

This should be the day we say “Defy the cuts, confront the anti union laws and follow the lead given by construction workers, by supporting demonstrations, walkouts and occupations.”

The bosses of the banks and financial institutions caused this crisis. That is why we should not pay the price in cuts to jobs, pay, pensions and services. The very rich and big business owes us the debt and they should be paying the price. They have failed to pay £120 billion in non-collected tax. Tax the banking bosses’ bonuses along with the profits of big business. End the foreign adventures; bring the troops and warplanes home.

In times of crisis good judgement is crucial. Oh Len [McCluskey], I can’t seem to stop myself humming the ‘Con’[nie] Francis song ‘Who’s sorry now’?

ENDS: Notes to editors:
1) Jerry Hicks is thought of by many as being the alternative voice within Unite.
2) Jerry Hicks can be contacted on Tel: 07817827912

Email: jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

Unite have announced a new ballot timetable of BBES. Ballot papers should be going out in the coming days. The result should be known by 2nd February, then Unite by law [anti union] has to give 7 days notice before any strike action can begin, that would bring us up to 9th February.

We have no doubt that it will be a resounding YES vote again maybe with an even bigger majority than the last time. All being well [get it right eh!] we will be on strike this time with no challenges from Balfours.

However, Unite will not be balloting NGB or SPIE Mathew, they say that we “have not enough members yet” How can this be? What have the officials been doing for the last 6 months? Get your finger out and recruit!

Even so the on February 9th we should be seeing strike action at BBES, that being the case, we must hit every Balfour site in the country no matter how big or small, even if they have no workers directly employed, they love an agency do Balfours.

Unite must give full backing to the ‘rank and file’ by providing us with buses to ferry pickets around, seeing as Unite have members who are bus drivers we can’t go wrong!

A strike fund must be set up as well as supplying us with ‘flags’ ‘banners’ and ‘placards’. Every single construction officer should be on standby for picketing, get your donkey jackets out of the cupboard, even a few oil drums, and get the fires going, set up proper picket lines. United as one to defeat the BESNA 7!

If things kick off with BBES in February, no doubt other sites will support the BBES strike, and walkout in solidarity with their brothers. We need to and can escalate the strike to a national stoppage.

Rank and File national meeting report………..

Last Saturday 14th there was a national ‘Rank and File’ meeting in Birmingham, with more than 80 in attendance, including sparks from, Scotland, London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle. Gail Cartmail Unite AGS [appointed] gave an update on the dispute, the ballot, and plans for the future.

A proposal was put to Cartmail by the meeting for: An ELECTED rank and File member to be taken on by Unite’ in every region as organisers for the dispute.

The aim would be for them to visit sites informing workers about the dispute, and recruiting as many new members as possible. There are some brilliant activists ex shop stewards who are blacklisted an unemployed who we know would do a fantastic job for Unite.

Cartmail agreed that she would put the proposal to the General Secretary Len Mcluskey.

The meeting of ‘rank and file’ also agreed to target NGB across the country week beginning 23rd January. They [NGB] have a sites in nearly every big City.

The biggest decision with the greatest potential effect was when the meeting agreed that “If any stewards or workers are sacked during the coming weeks, a mass walkout will take place”.

The meeting concluded with a decision to meet again in Birmingham on 4th February, where we can plan around the strike action [pending the result].

Spread the word ‘NO TO BESNA YES TO STRIKE ACTION’!

Some planned demo’s/Protests to look out for…..

18th wed January London 645am T Clarks, Park House, Oxford Street

18th Wed January London 630pm Construction Branch Meeting Conway Hall

18th wed January Cardiff 7.00am Spie Mathew Hall, Llandough hospital

21st Sat January Cardiff 10.30 Rank & File meeting Unite HQ Cathedral Rd

25th Jan London 6.45am NGB Cross Rail Kings Cross Station Platform 9/10
* NATIONAL PROTESTS ON NGB SITES THAT WEEK DETAILS TO FOLLOW *

25th Wed Jan London 6.30pm Rank and File Meeting Conway Hall Holborn

2 Feb Wed January London 6.45am GRATTES Victoria.

We need to build up numbers on all the protests so spread the word, don’t sit in doors expecting others to fight the fight, we owe it to our class, our children and grandchildren.

The rogue 7 are determined to get this BENSA through, we must be even more determined and resolute to force the contract where the sun don’t shine.

Then sort out the whole JIB agreement by starting a fresh. And perhaps getting a national rate across the country for all sparks no more ‘London waiting’ or ‘country rates’ how about £25 an hour as a starting point.

We should push for elected ‘Rank and File’ members to be part of a negotiating team and then a vote on a new deal.

No more sweetheart deals thank-you very much!

For more details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit…..

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Get involved: Find out more: Be part of it.

From Jerry Hicks – some stuff that’s going on:

1] Grassroots Left National Conference
…was held in Birmingham on November 5th and was a great success. Debate, discussion and decisions including the election of a Chair [Jerry Hicks]: Secretary [Gerry Downing]: and a Treasurer [Ian Scott] and an NEC, all to serve for 12 months.

2] Unite NEC Election
…for the 2 additional NEC Equality seats. Grassroots Left supporter Lesley Mansell far exceeded the required number of nominations required to stand for the equality seat in the forthcoming NEC election. Outrageously however she has been informed that Unite are challenging her eligibility to stand. We are on to it and will contest the challenge. Lesley’s letter to branches, when seeking nomination struck a real chord with members. In my view it is the principles and politics including the call for the election of all officials and for confronting anti union laws that has led to Unite seeking to debar Lesley from standing, to stop getting to our million plus members with that message.

3] Grassroots/Rank and File branch organisation
……..I have sent a letter to all those branches that nominated [me] in the last General Secretary election, floating the idea of a Grassroots/rank and file branch organisation. All too often when a branch contacts the union they are completely ignored. So our objective is to co-ordinate branches with common issues, to can act collectively instead of individually. I can say that I have already had an excellent response. Please let me know if you want to be involved. Jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

4] Reinstate Unite organiser ‘Kevin Robins’
…….We believe he has been unfairly dismissed, in fact victimised by Unite simply for doing what Unite officials should be doing – Standing up for workers. Kevin is a Grassroots Left supporter, a member of Unite and the GMB union, as many of Unite’s employees are. However, throughout Kevin’s 12 months suspension and 7 months imposed “garden leave” followed by his sacking, his requests for help and support as a Unite member were denied.

Our demand is that Unite should reinstate him immediately. Notwithstanding that, if Kevin is successful in what almost certainly will be a tribunal case against Unite, then the union should honour the tribunals’ decision and reinstate Kevin. Please raise this at your branch/workplace and write to Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey. We need to investigate why Unite is letting down members and attacking employees who want to improve the union.

Kevin can be contacted on (mob) 07952321675 or by his email ks.robins@virgin.net

5] Grass Roots Left NEC: Saturday January 21st 12pm to 4pm
…….. Upstairs in the Cock Tavern, 23 Phoenix Road, London NW1 1HB -       Everyone welcome [though only elected members can vote, should that arise].

6] Simpson’s £’sss severance. It’s our money and we want it back.
……To give Unite one last chance to ‘do the right thing’ I have written to the Union’s Trustees setting out the case and method by which to pursue and retrieve the £1/3 million of our money. If you would like a copy of the letter [6 pages] let me know jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

7] GRL leaflets ‘DIY’
….Many ‘Grassroots Left supporters’ are raising their own leaflets on issues affecting them, e.g. in Birmingham, Northampton and most recently London GRL have raised leaflets around two separate buses disputes and also for the recent PCS Left Unity conference. Let me know if you would like me to email copies of the leaflets jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

8] Rank and File ‘sparks’ National meeting
……….14th January, Birmingham, 1pm-4pm, Carr’s Lane Centre, Carr’s Lane. Only 10mins walk from New Street Station. All welcome. For details of the dispute and dates for demos/protests take a look at Electricians Against The world http://www.jibelectrician.blogspot.com/ or email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

9] UCATT election for General Secretary
…took place without Mick Dooley as a candidate, who was disgracefully debarred from standing. He is challenging that decision; we offer him our support in his challenge and will keep you updated.

Finally, we have recently opened a ‘Grassroots Left’ bank account [Just waiting for the paperwork / account details] and will be asking for donations very soon.

See you on the next demo or at the GRL NEC January 21st……….

 Be part of the Grassroots Left
Fighting for a bottom up – member led - member controlled opposition
Not in Unite? Come along or get in touch about meeting GRL supporters in your union or sector
Contact us:
Email jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

Tel 07817827912
Twitter @jerryhicksUnite

www.unitegrassrootsleft.wordpress.com

www.grassrootsleft.org

]]> http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/grass-roots-left-some-stuff-thats-going-on/feed/ 0 jerryhicks4gs http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/sparks-wont-sign-away-their-livihoods/ http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/sparks-wont-sign-away-their-livihoods/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:49:08 +0000 jerryhicks4gs http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com/?p=516 ]]> We won’t sign away our livelihoods.

No matter what pressure we are put under by the rogue 7 we must not sign the BESNA contracts. BBES workers in Scotland have been returning the new contracts unopened to BB head office as have sparks at Spie Matthew Hall along with many others around the country.

On the 4th January ‘Rank and File’ committee members from London, Scotland, Wales, Newcastle, and Manchester met with Unite General Secretary Len Mcluskey to discuss dispute and to get the backing we deserve from Unite.

At the meeting he [Mcluskey] promised full backing for our dispute including financial support, he also said that all construction officers would be committed to the dispute.

We told him that we have been badly let down by FTO’s in most cases, and that new members were generally not impressed with unites part in this dispute.

Mcluskey said this would be addressed, but can we trust him? After all the last General Secretary ‘Derek Simpson’ promised lots of things and then ran off with over £500,000 of our money!

Hopefully Mcluskey will be true to his word, time will tell and there ain’t much of that left!.

A campaign strategy was put forward and a follow up meeting between the Rank & file and Mcluskey was agreed for 3 weeks time. A rank & file ‘sub committee’ was elected by those there to ensure we hold Mcluskey to account at the follow up meeting.

The coming weeks will be make or break for us, let’s get ready for mass walkouts countrywide. The dispute is on a knife edge and could go either way. It is winnable as long as sparks are prepared to take unofficial action if anyone is sacked for not signing new contracts.

Then we will we see if Mcluskey and Unite will give their full backing.

The rogue 7 have been bullying workers into signing since Xmas whilst also offering promises of overtime and longer hours, but actually we need to shorten the working week to 35 hours just like the RMT have done, and they are paid a far superior wage to construction workers. They had to fight for it and construction workers must do the same, one out all out!

It’s ‘do or die’ for us and time to stand up and be counted.

Some planned demo’s/Protests to look out for…..

January 11th London BBES Blackfriars at 6.45am

January 11th Hartlepool power station at 6am

January 11th Manchester NG Bailey Town hall at 6.30am

January 11th Wales Landough Hospital at 7am

January 13th Grangemouth BBES at 630am

January 16th Aberdeen NG Bailey Royal infirmary at 6.30am

National Rank and File meeting January 14th Birmingham 1pm to 4pm Carrs Lane Center, Carrs Lane. Only 10 minutes walk from New Street station.

rank and file PDF Birmingham meeting details

Finally, if you need help with expenses to cover producing leaflets or hiring rooms for meetings etc then please contact us.

For more details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit……………

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

The methods of the BESNA 7 are outrageous and a disgrace. It is absolute utter blackmail, they [the BESNA 7] say “sign up to BESNA and face a drop in wages by £240 a week or you will be sacked. Unite officials wouldn’t allow it to happen to themselves so why are they so lacklustre in fighting for us?

Surely this has to be fought with every weapon that Unite has, it cannot go unchallenged?

Unite should be giving 110% backing their members at the coalface, not hiding behind pointless and frivolous tribunals, which, as we and Unite know, have no powers of re-instatement in the event of wrongful dismissal.

This smoke screen in fact only means offering some form of false hope, whilst wasting member’s money again.

To give ourselves a chance of defeating BESNA ‘Rank and File’ sparks and others have to respond by withdrawing our labour and downing tools. If we don’t we are finished and the JIB agreement will be gone forever as other firms are sure to follow the rogue 7 [who have got all the big work]. Anyway you probably won’t get a job on the cards anywhere else.

Agencies will drop the rates as well. Then other trades will have their wages slashed and NAECI will be next for the chop.

Then it may spread into other industries like, engineering, railway maintenance, road works and factories. Would Unite respond any differently to those attacks to our member’s conditions in such circumstances.

We hope they would respond with strike action, instead of p**s balling about like they have done with us in the JIB.

We stand at a cross roads, and there are only 2 directions to go.
‘The road to hell’ or ‘the road to victory’!

We face the biggest challenge to construction workers in our living history, the need to stand firm, solid and determined has never been greater.

Unite must wake up soon and support their members in a meaningful way [strike action!] until they do the ‘Rank and File’ must take on the BESNA 7.

Our class and livelihoods need us more than ever!

Some dates to focus on are……[If you have actions planned please let us know]

January 4th, when the Rank and File committee [from across the regions] are meeting Unite GS Len Mcluskey.

Also on the 4th January 06.45am, there will be a protest in London at a Grattes site in Victoria Howick Place, behind House of Fraser Store. NGB site also close by.

January 4th Welsh sparks demonstrating at Spie Mathew Hall job in Cardiff.

January 9th looks the most likely date for the next ‘big day of action’ details to follow soon.

*January 14th* [to be confirmed] Birmingham, Rank and File meeting.
Reminder: Australian Electrical Trade Union [AETU] have invited for 2 rank and File members to go to Australia in New Year to speak at site meetings. [They will pay for flights and accommodation] any takers? Please let us know.

French construction workers have made contact with us and are looking to participate with solidarity action where some of the BESNA 7 have contracts in France.

Finally, if you need help with expenses to cover producing leaflets or hiring rooms for meetings etc then please contact us.

For details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit……………

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Anti Trade union laws brought in by Thatcher under the Tories and left unchanged by Labour under Blair and Brown, never fought by the TUC and Union leaders. It meant that workers were criminalised for doing what was right, that is fighting for pay, pensions and jobs.

So what can be done eh?…….. Rank and file action, that’s what.

Today [7th Dec] the biggest most widespread unofficial action in decades is seeing 1000’s of Balfour Beatty electricians [and others from the rogue 7 companies] taking part in walk-outs, protests, demo’s, and occupations, across England, Scotland and Wales. From Cardiff to London, from Glasgow to Liverpool to Hartlepool and many more besides.

No to BESNA:    No to ACAS:  No to cuts in pay and conditions:
Defend the JIB and then improve it:

And I say: Let’s have elections for all union officials where the members decide who represents them and we can hold them to account!

Let’s end the appointed jobs for life!!

Let’s have a Unite General Secretary on an average wage not a six figure salary!!!

Let’s get the Union back where it belongs, with the grass roots, rank and file members!!!

And Victory to the sparks!!!!

We got the ballot result 81.6% in favour of strike action on BBES magnificent!
Then shamefully Unite when they were ‘threatened’ with an injunction, bottled it and have decided to re-ballot.

The new result won’t be announced until 6th January 2012.

It was said not all BBES workers were not balloted believed to be 100 or so even if these people vote it wouldn’t have changed the result.

There was also talk of going to ACAS, we ain’t even had a strike yet for good***s sake!

The Rank and File have told Unite what they think of that by carrying on regardless and called for a day of action on all BBES sites Wednesday 7th December.

In Glasgow on Saturday Rank and File sparks invaded an NG Bailey site, nice one!

Also in Scotland at a Rank and File meeting it was agreed following a vote to walk out on 5 BBES sites.

At the London Rank and File meeting on Saturday £311.17 was collected for siteworker and it was agreed to have mass protest at Blackfriars Wednesday 7th December, so spread the word and do your stuff lads.

Some other stuff that we know of ‘action and meetings’ ……………

Hartlepool: Monday the 5th December 7 pm planning meeting in the Bell Vue Club to discuss national walkout of BBES sites.

Hartlepool: Wed 7th Dec 6:30 am Heerema, Vic Dock, Northgate. Followed by a march to Greenland Road entrance.

Liverpool: Wed 7th Dec 6.30am Demo at St Cath’s Hospital Laurel Road CH42 0JA

Liverpool: Thurs 8th Dec 7.30pm Rank and File meeting, Friends Meeting House.

It’s time for action and time we did what the TUC advocated, ‘Civil disobedience’ before our agreement gets torn up in front of our very eyes.

We cannot let this happen it’s not on! We are calling on other unions to help in our struggle as well as occupy movement and students anyone fancy getting up a tower crane or chaining themselves to site gates.

The fight goes on it seems the only way to win this dispute is mass walkouts with solidarity action across the UK…………………………I guess we all knew that anyway!

For details of demos protests and meeting near you please visit……………

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

We need more meetings everywhere. Get in touch and we will help
Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Everyone deserves a decent pension. [Sent to letters pages]

Advances in medical science, and better lifestyles, means that on average people are living longer, great news.

After a lifetime of work, a long and happy retirement is what we hope for family, friends and ourselves.

During this long and happy retirement, we will need to have an income. This is why we pay into pension funds.

There are those that say that because we are living longer we can’t afford to pay the same pensions any more. That’s utter nonsense.

We will be told of gold plated public sector pensions. Utter rubbish. The Local Government scheme (LGPS) average pension is £80.00 per week.

There is an alternative to cuts in pensions, pay, services and jobs. It is about making choices. Who pay’s and where does the money come from.

Here’s what I think……………..

Let’s have a financial transaction tax, raising billions.

Let’s tax the ‘banking bosses bonuses’ raising another 2 billion.

Let’s scrap Trident saving £75 billion.

Let’s bring all the troops home where it’s safe.

Spend the money on building council houses, hospitals and schools creating 100,000 jobs for construction workers, teachers and nurses.

By rejecting nuclear power and instead building a ‘Severn Barrage’ we would create 3/4/5 times the number of jobs than a nuclear power station build and produce clean safe energy.

As in Germany we could create 100,000 apprenticeships and up to one million green jobs by harnessing wind, sea and solar power. All those workers paying income tax back in to the nations coffers!

Of course the Con-Dem government will attack those taking action on 30th November. They will present it as Public sector (on strike) versus Private sector (at work). But this debate is much broader than private or public sector; everyone deserves a decent pension in retirement.

We live in the sixth wealthiest nation on the planet. There is enough money available to fund all our pension needs. It’s a case of choice and successive governments chose to put too much money into too few pockets.

People fighting back, like those in the public sector are to be supported and if the rest of us take up the fight all things are possible.

Jerry Hicks: Unite trade union member.

Bristol BS6 5QE

Te: 07817827912 email jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk