Brighton May Day Festival

Celebrate International Workers' Day with Brighton, Hove and District Trades Union Council and the Brighton and Hove TUC Unemployed Workers’ Centre this May Day.

MUSIC NIGHT - 7pm Sunday 3 May
- Chairman Wow! [Garage punk covers]
- Mike Terry [Rock'n'roll singer-songwriter]
- Pagan Wonderer Lu [Electro punk pop]
- Hollywood Assassins [Rock'n'roll surf]
at the Latest Music Bar
Manchester Street, Brighton

FAMILY DAY - 1pm Monday 4 May
Stalls, speakers, music, food and drink
at the Hollingdean Community Centre
Thompson Road, Brighton

Both events are FREE!

Join Brighton trade unionists and campaigners in remembering the heroic struggles of working people with hundreds of thousands of celebrations taking place this May Day weekend across the world.

The history and the achievements of the trade union movement can be seen today in almost all of our day-to-day lives. The creation of the National Health Service, pension rights, council homes, maternity and paternity leave, free education, disability rights, decent conditions at work, the eight-hour working day, along with many more, have all been fought for by mass movements of working class people. And while these public services are constantly under attack and threatened with privatisations and cuts, they are still in existance today because of the working class unity and fighting spirit offered by the organised trade union movement.

When Aneurin Bevan opened the first NHS hospital in 1948 he said the NHS will only continue to exist as long as their are people around to fight for it. Yet in this statement he spoke about all these social achievements won by the working class and the importance of continuing to fight for their survival and constant improvement.

With the threats of racism and fascism, changes in the labour market, debates over the future of public services and the unjustified effects of capitalism’s current crisis on the working class, the trade union voice in the community is as important as ever. The capacity of trades union councils to provide a local response and to organise trade unionists into coalitions with other progressive forces is crucial. This includes keeping local trade unionists up-to-date with developments within the wider trade union movement and by taking up relevant local industrial and community issues.

The usefulness of such a network has been demonstrated time and again over the last few months in Brighton alone. The strike of Unite workers at Sussex University over an attack on pensions; the strike ballot of bus workers over pay on Brighton & Hove Buses; the strikes in local government and the Civil Service by Unison and PCS members; the CWU Post Office workers strike last winter; the strikes of UCU lecturers in FE colleges; the action of the teachers in the NUT; the ‘wild-cat’ actions of the GMB organised refuse workers... Every action was a triumph in itself yet strengthened further by the organised support of the local trades council.

Come along and get involved in the celebrations this May Day and find out more about how the trade union movement can be built to fight for a better world.

Solidarity is strength!

Fundraisers!

This upcoming Sunday 26 April features two fundraising events for two important working class campaigns.

Brighton's local Keep Our NHS Public campaign group are holding a vegan Sunday roast during Sunday lunchtime between 1pm and 4pm to raise funds for the fight to prevent the privatisation of our publicaly-owned National Health Service. The campaign has been a primary frontline in Brighton for the last five years against the New Labour, Tory and Lib Dem neo-liberial attacks on health services. For more information visit brightonkeepournhspublic.blogspot.com. The event takes place at The Cowley Club, 12 London Road, Brighton (opposite Somerfield) and costs just £5 for a vegan roast and dessert! Bargain. Arrive early to avoid dissapointment!

Then on Sunday evening join socialists, trade unionists and campaigners for a fundraiser night with drink, music and information on the campaign to build for an historic electorial alternative to capitalism and fascism in this year's European elections. The No2EU Yes to democracy coalition plans to stand in all 11 regions including the Southeast. This could well be the opportunity for the formation of a new workers' party that will stand up and fight for all working people, not just in Britain, but internationally.

For more information come along to the gig. Meet 8pm at the Horse and Groom public house on Islingword Road. £5 entry. Visit no2eusoutheast.blogspot.com and www.no2eu.com

Youth March For Jobs success

On Thursday 2 March, 600 young people marched for 8 miles through the streets of London. The march, organised by the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign, took place as the leaders of the world's 20 richest countries met to discuss a response to the developing world capitalist crisis. With the prospect of the return of mass youth unemployment to Britain, the march's participants demanded the price of the crisis, not of their making, be paid by those who caused it - the capitalists and their political representatives. Click here to read on...

Brighton socialists on the TUC G20 demo Saturday 28 March 2009

Brighton socialists on the Youth Fight For Jobs and the RMT No2EU-Yes to democracy contingents marching as part of the 35,000+ strong TUC demonstration on Saturday 28 March in London. Click here to watch the video.

College teachers strike in Eastbourne

[By Phil Clarke, Lewes, Eastbourne and Wealden NUT Secretary - personal capacity]

NUT members at Park College, part of Sussex Downs college in Eastbourne, struck on 24 March over proposed changes to their contracts that would downgrade their positions.

The NUT teachers' union members are currently on Sixth Form College Forum-agreed terms but management are trying to move them onto lecturer contracts - on lower pay.

This comes at the same time the University and College Union (UCU) in the rest of the college are also in dispute over the management's refusal to pay a nationally agreed pay rise on the lecturer contracts.

The strike was originally to take place alongside a two-day strike by the UCU. This was suspended at the last minute because of new management offers. Despite this, the strike was very solid. The teachers are angered by the management's treatment of all staff. The local Socialist Party has been working in the local NUT and UCU branches to support the actions taken by both unions, and will continue to do so as the dispute continues.