Monday 31 October 2011

Please support the Zapatas

From: Eastern Region
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011 05:34 PM
Subject: MOVEMBER 2011 - The team Zapata's
 
Dear all,































November is almost upon us this year for the third year running the Team Zapata’s will embarking on a month of moustached madness growing various lengths, thicknesses and styles of moustache to raise much needed funds and awareness of male cancer specifically prostate cancer and other forms of men’s cancer.
 I would be very grateful for any donation you can manage no matter large or small it will all go towards the team pot and hopefully a successful final amount. Please find attached a poster regarding Movember 2011 with details of how to donate, two times donation forms and a link below to donate directly to the site online.
 http://uk.movember.com/mospace/299330/
My thanks for considering a donation to the team and I we all look forward to the final Mo, looking a bit daft and raising awareness of men’s cancer.
Thanks once again,

Paul  
Paul Moffat
Eastern Regional Secretary
Communications Workers Union
Tel: 01908-218197
Mobile: 07912-945417
E-Mail: easternregion@cwu.org

Brilliant CWU join anti EDL demo in Birmingham

Saturday 29th October 2011 will live long in my memory. It was a day when delegates to the CWU Black Workers conference joined Unite Against Fascism, CWU branches, trade unions and community groups to protest at the presence of the EDL in Birmingham. I'm so proud of you all. You can watch video of the event on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150355855764143&saved#!/photo.php?v=10150355855764143&set=vb.553909142&type=2&theater
















Thursday 27 October 2011

Support CWU members in Virgin media, Liverpool. Help save their jobs.

From: North West Region
Sent: 27 October 2011 15:51
Subject: THE CWU CAMPAIGN TO KEEP THE VIRGIN MEDIA SITE OPEN IN LIVERPOOL

 CWU's campaign in the North West in defending the 435 jobs in the Virgin Media call centre based in Liverpool’s Albert Dock is hotting up with the launch of an on-line petition. Click here to sign! Then please forward to your friends!
It only takes you a minute to show you support:
Just click on the link below then scroll down and fill in the blank boxes and press sign. Alternatively you can also sign the petition by clicking on the Facebook and twitter logos after following the links.  It only takes a minute, so click here NOW
http://www.petitiononline.co.uk/petition/stop-the-closure-of-virgin-media-liverpool-site/3781
Why not forward this email to your friends and work colleagues; put it on your Facebook page, Tweet it to your mates: we need your support.   

Carl Webb
Communication Workers Union
North West Regional Secretary
302a Barlow Moor Rd
Chorlton Park
Manchester
M21 8AY
Tel: 07850 019 602
Email: northwestregion@cwu.org
Website: www.cwunorthwest.org


Love the Difference - stop the EDL in Birmingham

"Love the Difference" event called by the UAF and local community groups, trade unions, and faith groups Assembles 12 noon, Saturday 29th October, Chamberlain Square central Birmingham.
Delegates to the CWU Black Workers Conference will be going to this event for 1hour on Saturday from12.30 - 1.30 to show the EDL Birmingham is proud to be multiracial, multicultural city and the EDL are not welcome. Please come along and show your support.

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Elections to Advisory Committees, Members Auditors.

No. 900/11Ref: TK/PM/snDate: 26/10/2011
 To: All Branches
 Dear Colleague
 Election of National Delegations & National Representative Positions - 2012
 · Women’s Advisory Committee
· Race Advisory Committee
· Lesbian and Gay Bisexual and Transgender Advisory Committee
· Disability Advisory Committee
· Members Auditors
· Independent Review Body The NEC has agreed the 2012 election arrangements for the National positions listed above. Accordingly please find enclosed the regulations and nomination forms for these elections.
Branches will wish to note that the term of office for these positions is for a 2 year period commencing from 1st January 2012. Additionally branches should be aware that in respect of the Equal Opportunities Advisory Committees that the number of members to be elected is now 7 Postal Constituency members and 6 TFS Constituency members.
The rationale behind these changes is that as you will be aware CWU General/Special Rules Revision Conference 2011 agreed that the NEC and Industrial Executives will now hold office for a period of two years. In order to try and introduce consistency to such positions the NEC believe that a two year term of office is appropriate for members of the advisory committees and this has been incorporated into the regulations.
You will also be aware that the NEC proposed and was successful in making reductions to the size of the NEC and Industrial Executives as well as reducing the number of CWU officers by one. Clearly against a background of membership reductions this was both a logical and prudent course of action and was accepted by CWU Conference and therefore in line with this principle similar reductions have been made to the Advisory Committees.
The Timetable for the elections is as follows:-
Nominations open 27 October 2011Nominations close 7 November 2011 (14:00)Despatch ballot papers 14 November 2011 Ballot closes 28 November 2011 (14.00)
 Also attached for you information is a list of the scheduled dates for each of the relevant advisory committees.
 Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237 or email address sdgs@cwu.org.
 Yours sincerely

Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

Tuesday 25 October 2011

CWU Education course for new activists 2012.

UNION SKILLS 1 Course

The essential 5 day course for all new CWU activists.

This course is aimed at new workplace activists and representatives. During the five day programme you will receive a thorough grounding in:
...
• Your role as union activist
• Communication skills
• Problem solving skills
• Understanding the support and facilities that are available to reps
• Disciplinary procedures
• Recruitment and organising
• Representing members

This course is designed to ensure that everyone gets the chance to participate fully through working in small groups, taking part in group discussions, role play and practical exercises. You do not need to have any qualifications or previous experience to attend this course.

RELEASE

Please note that this course attracts PAID RELEASE from most BT, Openreach, Virgin Media, Parcelforce, Post Office Limited, ROMEC, O2 and Royal Mail Group.

DATES

The following Residential Union Skills 1 courses are currently scheduled to take place at the CWU Education and Training Centre at Alvescot Lodge.

• 16 – 20 January 2012 (Closing date for applications – Thurs 1st Dec)
• 26 – 30 March 2012 (Closing date for applications – Thurs 9th Feb)
• 30 April – 4 May 2012 (Closing date for applications – Thurs 15th March)
• 2 – 6 July 2012 (Closing date for applications – Thurs 17th May)
• 23 – 27 July 2012 – FOR YOUTH MEMBERS (Closing date for applications – Thurs 7th June)
• 10 – 14 September 2012 (Closing date for applications – Thurs 26th July)
• 8 – 12 October 2012 (Closing date for applications – Thurs 23rd August)

Application forms should be returned to: Trish Lavelle, Head of Education & Training, CWU Education & Training Centre, Alvescot Lodge, Alvescot, BAMPTON, Oxon OX18 2PY. Telephone: 01993 843373; Fax: 01993 840960: e-mail: mtodd@cwu.org

Monday 24 October 2011

A million could lose Council Tax Benefit

More than a million families could lose out in Council Tax Benefit changes

More than a million families could lose over 16 per cent of their council tax allowance under government proposals to replace the universal Council Tax Benefit (CTB) with local authority-run schemes, says the TUC today (Wednesday). Under the new plans, from 2013-14 the national CTB allowance would be scrapped and local authorities would decide who should pay less council tax and how much they should pay.

The government wants these changes to cut 10 per cent from CTB spending, but the TUC is concerned that parameters to the scheme - such as excluding pensioners and disabled people and ensuring that those in work are not worse off - mean that local authorities will have little option but to create significant hardship for families.
In total, 5.8 million people receive CTB. As pensioners and disabled people will be exempt from the changes and many in work will be ineligible to have their benefit cut, the TUC has calculated that those remaining groups of people will have to take at least a 16 per cent cut to bring the overall bill down by 10 per cent.
As 1.6 million families with children currently receive CTB it seems very likely that - even with the lowest estimates - more than one million families with children will face a cut of at least 16 per cent. This will inevitably increase the number of children living in poverty around the UK.
CTB for those under 65 is £15.74 a week, or £818 a year. Losing 10 per cent would bring the benefit down to £736 a year - and a 16 per cent cut would see it fall to just £687.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Everyone who receives this benefit does so because they live at the very least on the verge of poverty.
'Excluding pensioners, disabled people and many in work from this 10 per cent cut will simply exacerbate the problem for those remaining. The planned reforms will force local authorities to push vulnerable families deeper into poverty and debt.
'The government is already set to miss its child poverty targets and this change will only make things worse.'
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The TUC's full response to the consultation by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on the localisation of council tax support in England from 2013-2014 is available at www.tuc.org.uk/tucfiles/107/localisingcounciltaxsupport.pdf
- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
Contacts:
Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk
Press release (500 words) issued 19 Oct 2011

Sunday 23 October 2011

Help save the NHS

Dear Friend

It’s a moment to seize. This Thursday at 2pm, 38 Degrees will meet with key Lib Dem members of the House of Lords. [1] They’ve asked us to bring along our independent legal experts to discuss the alarming impact the government's plans could have on the NHS.
But that’s not all we will bring to the meeting. We will hand in a copy of the Save our NHS petition to make them realise how many of us expect them to act to protect our health service. It’s the numbers of us involved with the campaign that forces politicians to listen.
Can you help grow this petition right now, by forwarding this email to friends and family? Ask them to click below to add their signature by 2pm Thursday:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
Thursday's meeting could be crucial. If we can persuade senior Lib Dems to demand big changes to Andrew Lansley's plans, we could stop some of the worst damage to our health service. [2] The legal experts we paid for together will set out the legal details. But what will really convince the politicians on Thursday is the huge tidal wave of public support.
Our job is to let the senior Lib Dems know this isn’t a technical issue to be left to lawyers alone. There are hundreds of thousands of us determined to protect the future of our NHS. We all rely on the NHS. We can show the Lib Dem Lords we will work together to defend it as long as it is under threat.
It’s the numbers in this campaign that compel them to sit up and listen. So let's present them with a petition bigger than they’ve ever seen. We’ve already got 443,251 signatures. Will your friends and family join in and help take it over half a million?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
We had a disappointing result in the first round of voting in the House of Lords last week, when the government's plans scraped through to the next stage. [3] But a 38 Degrees member named Richard summed it up when he said, “It is not yet over and any opportunity that presents itself must be used to pressure and attack Lansley’s plan for the NHS.
Suzie, another 38 Degrees member, added, “This is just another skirmish. We may have lost this one but now we need to re-group and go forward again!”
So many of us have already signed this petition, because we know the NHS is worth defending. Together generations of British people have built and maintained a health service that looks after all of us - rich or poor, whenever we need it. The NHS isn’t perfect, but it does an incredible job. We can't afford to let it be damaged or destroyed.
Please forward this message to family and friends and ask them to sign the petition right now, before 2pm Thursday:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
If you use Facebook you could also share the petition on your profile:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/NHS-facebook-share
If you are on Twitter you could also send a tweet:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/NHS-twitter-share
Thanks for being involved,
Johnny, Hannah, David, Becky, Marie, Cian and the 38 Degrees team
P.S. Let's show the senior Lib Dem Lords that there isn't just independent legal evidence behind our worries. Nearly half a million petition signers have put their name to concerns such as increasing competition from private health companies and scrapping the Secretary of State's "duty to provide" health services too. Please press forward on this email and ask your friends and family to add their voice:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
NOTES
[1] The meeting will be with Baroness Jolly (the Lib Dem health spokesperson in the Lords), Lord Marks QC (a leading Lib Dem legal expert) and their political adviser.
[2] The plans go into committee stage in the House of Lords, a chance for 'line by line examination' and detailed changes, next week: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/healthandsocialcare.html
[3] You can read more about what happened last week, and 38 Degrees members' reactions to it, here: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-lords-vote-result


Tuesday 18 October 2011

CWU/Royal Mail talks update.

Dear Colleague

National Talks – Update
  Under the terms of the recent Joint Statement the Royal Mail Group and the Union committed to a series of national talks covering the following:-
...
- Issues arising from the Postal Services Act.

- Issues affecting employees in the Royal Mail Group (pensions and ColleagueShare).

- Issues associated with Business Transformation.

Since the publication of the Joint Statement, although there have been a number of meetings it has been difficult to build momentum. Initially, this was due to the summer leave period and subsequently, because the complexity and wide ranging nature of the talks has required a lot of positioning from both parties. However, in the last couple of weeks talks have intensified and there is a two day meeting planned for the 19th and 20th October, which will focus on the Business Transformation element of our talks.

Last week there was a tripartite meeting with Royal Mail and the Government, which concentrated on the pension changes proposed under the Postal Services Act. There was also a separate meeting with Royal Mail which covered current Business Performance, EU State Aid, Colleagueshare, POL separation and employee ownership.

On Colleagueshare, the company reaffirmed it is unlikely the scheme will ever return to a positive valuation. In response to the Union’s claim for alternative remuneration the company stated that they are prepared to look at new incentive arrangements and they committed to putting their ideas forward over the next few weeks. However, the Union left the company in no doubt that unless they are willing to put money on the table as a replacement for what was due from Colleagueshare, then this would inevitably damage the prospects of concluding Business Transformation.

In preparation for the meeting on the 19th and 20th October, we have been exchanging views with the company on where we currently are with deployment of the BT Agreement. These recent exchanges have confirmed that both parties have real concern that we appear to be running into major difficulties.

From our perspective, the Union has told Royal Mail that we see growing evidence of management reverting to old behaviours, that border on bullying (e.g. unagreed absorption), in pursuit of unrealistic local budget savings. In particular, we have seen evidence that in some delivery areas these local budget savings are being pursued as an alternative to the agreed approach in Business Transformation. This is resulting in frontline employees being placed under unacceptable pressure on a daily basis.

For their part, the company are saying that they are disappointed with the overall progress in delivery and that they have not been achieving their anticipated savings or the level of targeted revisions. The company also claim that the focus at local level for savings is part of ‘a business as usual’ approach and is being driven by their financial position. However, the Union’s view is that in many cases these managerial activities are outside of the terms of our agreement. They appear to be running in tandem with other Royal Mail unilateral delivery initiatives that have been the subject of communications from Bob Gibson the Outdoor Assistant Secretary.

At the meeting on the 19th and 20th October, the Union will be explaining that we cannot accept a so called ‘business as usual approach’ that is in reality placing unfair pressure on our members and is outside the terms of the agreement. We will be making it clear to Royal Mail that they must decide whether or not they remain committed to the national agreement and if so, whether they want to work with the Union, at all levels, to resolve some of our current difficulties.

A further update on the outcome of the two day meeting will be provided in due course.

In the meantime, we would ask all Branches to ensure that the content of this LTB is conveyed to all local representatives and our members in the workplace.

Any enquiries on the general content of this LTB should be directed to the DGS (P) Department, enquiries on specific functional activity should be directed to the relevant Assistant Secretaries.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward Ray Ellis
Deputy General Secretary (P) Assistant Secretary


Bob Gibson Joe Malone
Assistant Secretary Acting Assistant Secretary

CWU Disabilities Conference Report and pictures









Disabilities conference report - Paul Donovan
Hate crime against the disabled and anger at ATOS, dominate Disability Conference agenda
The issue of hate crime against the disabled and anger at the role being played by private company ATOS in assessing fitness for work dominated the agenda at the Disability Conference on Saturday.
National Equalities Officer Linda Roy raised the issue of bullying and harassment against disabled people.
She recalled the case of David Askew, who died of a heart attack at the age of 64, after being harassed by 26 different people. One 19 year old was convicted of harassment rather than murder and hate crime. He got 16 weeks. "Some of the agencies involved took action but there was no joined up approach, no checking of repeat victimisation.
The police dealt with the incident in isolation, " said Linda, who questioned why so many people in society think of people with disabilities as different. She then cited the Panorama programme on Southern Cross as highlighting the danger of private sector companies, driven only by the profit motive, operating in the care sector.
Linda attacked the process of the private company ATOS - that is assessing individuals capability for work for government - as fatally flawed. "The high success of appeals against decisions prove it," said Linda, who highlighted how much worse it is for people with disabilities in a discriminatory jobs market where already there are five people chasing every one job. "The CWU know that the disabled are under-represented in work and civil society," said Linda.
Guest speaker Stephen Broakes, MBE, co-ordinator of the Disability Hate Crime Network, told how the study, Hidden in Plain Sight, revealed the high levels of hate crime being directed at disabled people.
Disability hate crime is defined by the Crown Prosecution Service as "any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's disability or perceived disability."
Stephen, who had been involved in compiling the report for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, called on people to stand up to the bullies who felt it was ok in society to practice this form of discrimination against the disabled. He gave a couple of personal examples of how he had suffered some abuse on a bus and at a London Underground station. As a result of his reporting the incidents to the requisite authorities corrective actions were taken to address the problem. "Hate crime needs confronting. If we don't stop hate crime, then there will be an escalation," said Stephen, who believes that "there are not more cases now just more reporting of bad incidents."
Stephen revealed that the police believe that 90 per cent of disability hate crimes are not reported."They are not reported due to fear of not being taken seriously and fear of reprisal," said Stephen, who believes failure to stand up on these issues will see more injuries and deaths involving the disabled. "There is also the danger of a fast return to the institutionalised model of disability seen in the past," said Stephen.
Chair of the Disability Advisory Committee Tony Sneddon highlighted the criticism there has been of ATOS, pointing out that 40 % of the decisions had been challenged in England and 70 % in Scotland.
Tony suggested that the higher levels of employment in Scotland and the Equalities Act 2010 had given workers greater confidence to challenge ATOS decisions in that country.
He called on members to use the Equalities Act 2010 to take on employers who knowingly discriminate against employees.
During the debate of motions, there were strong feelings expressed on the role being played by ATOS, both in terms of the work it does for government in assessing those on incapacity benefit relating to fitness for work and in its role working for companies like Royal Mail.
Sandy Best of South West Number 7 called for "ATOS to be made much more accountable."
"If ATOS are not providing the service they should be brought to task," said Sandy.
Addressing the same motion, which called for the union to conduct a full investigation of ATOS and the services they are providing, Andy Hide of Kent Invicta criticised the way that the company dealt with people's problems via telephone interviews.
Tony Pedel of York and District Amal also criticised the telephone interview technique and suggested that some companies use ATOS's services as a way of removing people from work.
There was support for a motion calling for a renewed effort to increase awareness of the dangers of ongoing undiagnosed diabetes. Efforts were made with the help of the CWU under the BT Workfit campaign last year but there was a recognition that the increasing levels of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles in the UK today make diabetes that much more likely to occur.
The campaign had found that a quarter of those working for BT who had diabetes were unaware of their condition.
Chic McGlynn for the DAC described diabetes as "the silent assassin."
Globally 20 million people die from diabetes related causes. "The evidence shows that if people are given the information they will act on it," said Chic.
A motion calling for a joint working party to be established with Royal Mail to deal with ongoing problems for disabled members due to the lack of training for managers was passed.
There was also strong support for work to be done with employers to ensure that their adverse weather policies were up to standard. Reports ensued of injuries to workers who had been sent out regardless of adverse conditions on the streets caused by weather.
Somewhat surprisingly a motion calling for choice to be allowed relating to assisted suicide was passed without debate.
Proposing the motion for the DAC, Anne Marie McCall recalled her own experience of having to watch her brother in law suffer and die at home. She agreed the issue was controversial and drew parallels with the question of abortion when it first came up. "It is about having choice," said Anne Marie.
The essence of the motion was that at present the upper classes, who have the means, can fly to Switzerland and visit specialised euthanasia clinics. This is a choice denied to the poorer in society who don't have that chance.
Seconding for the DAC, Dave Curtis described assisted suicide as an equality issue.
There was also strong support for a motion calling for better coverage of the Para-Olympics in the media.  

Thursday 13 October 2011

Wednesday 12 October 2011

TUC public sector equality toolkit

The TUC has produced a new public sector equality duty toolkit which is available for download from:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-20159-f0.cfm
The toolkit includes:
- a brief overview of the new equality duty in s.149 of the Equality Act 2010 which requires public authorities and those carrying out public functions to have ‘due regard’ to equality in all that they do
- a section explaining what having ‘due regard’ to equality means in practice, drawing on case law decided under the former race, disability and gender equality duties
- an ‘FAQ’ section
- checklists for union negotiators when dealing with a public authority that is making a decision which will impact on equality and when negotiating implementation of the new duty
- a draft letter which can be adapted and sent to public bodies who are not intending to carry out equality impact assessments.  
The TUC has worked with John Halford of Bindman’s solicitors, who has successfully run public duties cases, and Barbara Cohen, independent discrimination law adviser, in developing this toolkit and we thank them for their contribution.  
We hope you find this toolkit useful and will circulate within your union. Please contact me if you are interested in having hard copies for distribution.
Best wishes,

Sally Brett
Senior Equality Policy Officer
TUC
Tel: 020 7467 1210

Is there anything you can do for carers?

NEWS RELEASE
Carers Campaigner Dave Warren is pleased to report a number of Important developments
# Crusaders Rugby League Club being admitted to the League Championship 1 for next season.
This means the club have been saved and Daves' offer to purchase a season ticket for a young carer
can become a reality.
# Constructive discussions with Reading Green party council group leader Rob White have resulted
in Rob confirming his interest in attending a cross party meeting with Dave to discuss social care.
# Positive responses from the other three parties to Daves proposal for the cross party meeting giving
real hope that his proposed meeting can become a reality.
# Discussions with national carers group Carers UK about the campaign and joint working to raise
the plight of carers.
# BBC Radio Berkshire confirming Daves appearance on their breakfast show on Wednesday 12th
October.
Commenting on the above Dave said 'Things are really started to happen and i am really hopeful
that can we can continue to build on this progress. I know times are tough but i believe there are
lots of things we can do to help carers'
Dave Warren
warren_david@hotmail.co.uk 
Dave went on to repeat the call he made recently on BBC Radio Berkshire ' i am doing something
to help carers is there something you can do?

Sunday 9 October 2011

Crusading for Carers

Please support this initiative which was founded by former CWU NEC member Dave Warren.
NEWS RELEASE
A campaigner for Carers has offered to facilitate cross party discussions on the future of adult social care in Reading.
  Dave Warren who has been a full time carer for a number of years and recently launched 'Crusading for Carers' wants the politicians in Reading to put aside their differences to work together in an attempt to make improvements in the boroughs adult social care service.
  Commenting on this initiative Dave said 'as a full time carer i have tried speaking to social workers, management in adult social care and various other agencies to try to resolve the issues but a resolution appears to be outside their control'.
  Continuing Dave added 'the system needs to be reformed, the level of waste and inefficiency is phenomenal if we could eliminate this then that money could be spent on front line services.'
  'I firmly believe you have to experience things as i have to actually see how crazy the system can be. The workers in social care are trying to run a department that is failing in some many ways but of course they don't make the rules'.
  I called for cross party talks on this during my recent BBC Radio Berkshire interview. I am up for it I hope the politicians are too.' 
  D Warren 
I can be contacted via warren_david@hotmail.co.uk or on 01189 567421.

Friday 7 October 2011

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Jarrow March for Jobs arrives in Leeds and Wakefield.

The Jarrow march for Jobs arrives in Leeds this Friday. Friday 7 October. Here are the details.

Jarrow March for Jobs 2011
Friday 7 October
Marching between Harrogate to Leeds
4:30pm rally at Leeds Trinity
5pm Meeting at Leeds University with a guest marcher
speaking
8pm reception at the Wellington Pub, Leeds
Saturday 8 October
Demonstration through Leeds City Centre
Assemble 12 noon at Leeds University Parkinson steps
6pm Yorkshire PCS Young Members Network social at the Fenton, Woodhouse Lane
Monday 10 October
Marching between Leeds and Wakefield
4pm Rally at the precinct by the cathedral
4:30pm meeting at the Wakefield Labour Club (also known as the Red Shed)
7:30pm gig at the Wakefield Labour Club (also known as the Red Shed)
Please come along and support the marchers especially on Saturday as I understand the EDL may be making an unwelcome appearance. I hope to see you all there.

Sign up to support the march and find further details here http://www.youthfightforjobs.com/home

Workplace nurseries squeezed for all but MP's

Interesting article about workplace nurseries which highlights our fight to stop the closure of Mount Pleasant's creche. While my members are facing the threat of having this facility withdrawn it appears that our elected and unelected politicians have a new nursery in the Houses of Parliament. I wonder how much it's costing us all?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/sep/30/workplace-nurseries-squeeze?INTCMP=SRCH