Last Sunday, up to 300 union activists, including TUC Congress delegates, crammed into the National Shop Stewards Network Rally in Brighton, chaired by Janice Godrich, PCS National President.
They listened to Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and leaders of fighting unions as well as some of the main reps of the summer strike wave. So alongside Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey stood Unite strikers from the Birmingham Bins, British Airways Mixed Fleet and the Barts NHS Trust dispute as well as the London Bus safety protest that took place today. And speaking with BFAWU leader Ronnie Draper was a McDonald’s striker.
The main theme of the rally was the need for the public sector unions to fight together to defeat the Tory pay cap. Mark Serwotka from PCS called for co-ordinated strike ballots and said that “It’s now time for action.” The Congress passed the motion that called for joint strikes and a national demonstration against the pay freeze.
The NSSN says that the unions now need to immediately come together to put this into action by arranging the balloting proves and name the date for a national demonstration.
Speakers:
* Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell;
* Len McCluskey, Unite General Secretary;
* Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary;
* Steve Gillan, POA General Secretary;
* Ronnie Draper, Bakers Union (BFAWU) General Secretary;
* Sean Hoyle, RMT President;
* Terry Pullinger, CWU deputy general secretary;
* Amy Murphy, USDAW Southern Division NEC member (personal capacity);
* Richie Beddows, unite convenor of the striking Birmingham Bin workers;
* Zimeon Jones, British Airways Mixed Fleet;
* Lewis, a striking McDonald's worker and
* Len Hockey, Secretary, Unite Barts NHS Trust branch.
* Sean McGovern, an executive committee member of Unite;
* Moe, Unite bus workers' leader;
* Hugo Pierre, Unison executive committee (personal capacity)
* Linda Taaffe, secretary, NSSN;
* Rob Williams, chair, NSSN
** Chaired by Janice Godrich, PCS National President.