STRONGER UNIONS

Labourstart Oscars – Finalists – Vote Now!

Anna — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:20:02 +0000

Labourstart has produced a list of finalists from over 200 entries for this great competition.

Voting has begun to choose the first-ever global Labour Video of the Year.

The distinguished panel of judges have selected a shortlist of six films out of more than 200 submitted. They’ve found six extraordinary films.

Watching these very short videos will make you laugh and they will make you think. And they will remind us why we are trade unionists.

I promise you: you are going to love seeing them — and then showing them to your friends, co-workers, family members and fellow trade unionists.

The important thing is to spread the word that there are some great little films out there and we should be making sure they get seen by thousands of working people. And not only by union members!

Click on this link to view the films and to make your choice.

Voting ends on 31 March 2010.

Please — pass this message on.

Eric Lee

Special Organising Edition of ‘Union Hour’

Carl — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:06:45 +0000

The North West TUC produces an audio magazine ‘Union Hour’ for union activists, organisers and officers based in the region. This month ‘Union Hour’ focuses exclusively on organising and features audio articles on amongst other things; resources for reps and activists, organising young members, organising case studies (incl. taxi drivers, retail workers, migrant workers and school support staff).

It’s an excellent production that is right up to date with current organising priorities and practices and is relevant and should be of interest to all reps, officers and organisers regardless of where they live or work. Thanks go to two great trade unionists, Ann and Dave McCall who produce ’Union Hour’ and to all the reps and organisers who took part in this special edition.

You can listen to this edition at the link below;

North West TUC ‘Union Hour’ – Organising special edition

links for 2010-03-05

strongerunions — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:07:02 +0000

Temp staff in Asda supply chain win equal pay with union deal

A significant success for UNITE's organising efforts in the food processing sector

(tags: UNITE, organising)

Michael Foot

Carl — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:33:44 +0000

“It’s impossible to write the history of freedom in this country without telling how trade unions have contributed to it.”

Michael Foot, 1976

Equality reps, a valuable cog in the wheel of trade union organising

Anna — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:56 +0000

Please do take a look and take some inspiration from this fabulous 60 second creation from Unison’s Equality Unit, promoting the role of Equality reps in the workplace. Diana Veitch of Unison as always has a wonderful imagination and creative mind, and her and Lucien along with an animator have produced this absolutely fabulous 60 second film to promote the role of equality reps in the workplace, using the cogs themes. Cut and paste this link into your browser: http://www.unison.org.uk/video/video.asp?did=10858

Unions beyond the election

Paul — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:19:25 +0000

Over the next few months unions will understandably focused on the General Election. Labour Party affiliates will be busy mobilising people and resources to try and deliver a Labour victory; and unions more broadly will be working hard to ensure that the priorities of union members and their families are reflected in Party manifestos.

Whatever the outcome of the next election, two things are clear. Firstly, unions and the TUC will want to ensure that government takes on board the issues that matter to working people and their families. Secondly – and perhaps most importantly – we will need to step up our efforts to ensure that unions have the capacity and the resilience to do the bread and butter work of representing our members effectively in the workplace and beyond.

On March 16 Unions 21 will be hosting a conference exploring some of these key issues — you can find out more and register for the event here.

Activism makes you happier!

Carl — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:31:19 +0000

So says research recently published that looked at the link between political activity and well-being and reported on in todays Guardian G2.

The study was conducted at a number of levels – firstly investigating levels of political engagement and happiness and optimism amongst students – then studying the effect of taking part in a campaign on the well-being of another group. One group was asked to take part in a letter writing campaign asking for tastier food in the college cafe, whilst another group was asked to conduct a similar campaign but this time demanding that local or Fairtrade produce be served.

In relation to the first part of the study, the researchers found that those they interviewed who were more inclined to be politically active were also the happiest. In relation to the second part of the study, those involved in the more ‘political’ Fairtrade campaign tested most positively for vitality – they were more alive and enriched than those who merely wanted tastier food.

You can read the article at www.guardian.co.uk/brainfood

Act now – solidarity with Zimbabwe’s farm workers’ union

Owen — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:40:53 +0000

Please do what you can to defend the farm workers’ union in Zimbabwe, GAPWUZ. Just in case you thought Zimbabwe was a problem that had been solved, GAPWUZ is under attack for publishing a report (If something is wrong) which reveals the huge cost to black farm workers of continuing farm seizures. Far more black farm workers are beaten, thrown out of their homes and left without a job than the white farm owners that Robert Mugabe says are his main targets. Now GAPWUZ General Secretary, Gertrude Hambira, is in hiding, and Assistant General Secretary Gift Muti and President Manjemanje Munyanyi were arrested last week during a raid ontheir offices by security services. Amnesty International and the TUC have called an urgent action – please encourage people to join in the protest. An attack on unions anywhere is an attack on unions everywhere.

For further information, see what the IUF and ITUC have to say.

Save Hornsey Nursery

Anna — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:38:41 +0000

Max Watson of WLRI has made this excellent campaigning video. Max recently attended the TUC course Lights, Camera, Action, which helps to teach trade unionists how to make short films for youtube, for use in campaigning and organising work. This campaigning video has been produced by Max to help ‘Save Hornsey Road Nursery’, the last remaining nursery at London Met University, which is threatened with closure, leaving students and staff who are parents without a local nursery. This campaigning video is helping support the campaign to keep this vital service open, and shows the power of film as a medium to support campaigns. Watch the short film (5 min.) and pass it on, there is also a Facebook group ‘Save Hornsey Nursery’:



Act now for workers’ rights in the sportswear industry
Owen — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:49:29 +0000
Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics are over, and attention is turning towards London 2012. The Playfair 2012 campaign, backed by the TUC, Labour Behind the Label and many others, has launched a website and a first campaign action, aimed at multinationals Adidas, Nike and Pentland (makers of speedo), urging these three major suppliers of sporting goods to commit to workers’ rights in their supply chains. You can see how they’re doing – gold medal, silver, bronze or wooden spoon – on the campaign website, and make your voice heard to make life better for workers in developing countries.