The next monthly meeting of Hackney TUC will be held on Wednesday 8 September @ 7.30pm, at Marcon Court Community Hall at the junction of Marcon Place and Amhurst Road.
The September meeting will be a forum for trade unionists, 'What next for Labour representation?'. Speakers include Christine Shawcroft (Labour Party National Executive), Glenroy Watson (Political Officer, RMT Finsbury Park branch), Eddie Barns (former Labour Councillor), Kate Ahrens (UNISON National Executive) and Brian Debus (Branch Secretary, Hackney UNISON). We have also invited speakers from PCS, CWU and FBU.
Trade unionists and working people were glad to see the back of the Tories and welcomed Labour's election in 1997. Since then, the Labour government has given us some reforms: the minimum wage, extended rights to union representation, and some extra protection at work.
However, the record of Labour in government also includes: accelerated privatisation, the war in Iraq, attempts to humiliate public sector unions, keeping most of the Tories' anti-union laws, and the racist scapegoating of asylum seekers.
Many trade unionists believe that there is a crisis of working-class representation. The policies that we support - public ownership, decent wages, workers' rights, international peace and solidarity - have very few advocates in mainstream politics. There are some Labour MPs who continue to work closely with trade unions and actively represent our members and our policies. But the Labour leadership has increasingly distanced itself from the trade union movement, and acted against us in government.
One consequence of this is that increasing numbers of working-class voters, feeling abandoned and seeing no alternative, are tricked into giving their vote to the fascist British National Party.
As trade unionists, we do not want to see the Conservative Party return to power. But that does not mean we should be silent when a 'Labour' government acts against the interests of our movement.
Earlier this summer, trade unionists, concerned Labour Party members and others formed the Labour Representation Committee, with the aim of reasserting working-class, socialist politics within the labour movement.
Following this significant development, Hackney TUC is organising a meeting in September to encourage discussion locally on the issue of working-class political representation.
We will welcome to this meeting all trade union members who are interested in the political representation of working class communities and the role of trade unions in representing their members' wider interests.
The purpose of Hackney TUC calling this meeting is to create the space for an intelligent and considered exchange on how we should go forward. We will have platform speakers representing various unions and political perspectives, and there will be time for contributions from the audience.
All trade union members are welcome.
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John Page
Secretary, Hackney Trades Union Council
PO Box 44656, London N16 5YX
Tel: 07703 335115
john.page@unisonfree.net [1]
www.hackneytuc.org.uk [2]