Monday 31 October 2011

Join the Jarrow March in London

The final leg of the Jarrow March will pass through London on the Saturday 5th November, from the Embankment to Trafalgar Square.

There will be a coach going from outside Paternoster Row (near Train Station, outside Showroom Cinema) on Saturday 5th November at 0800 in the morning, so if you fancy joining the marchers please get in touch with Alistair Tice on 07706 710 041!

Here's what the Jarrow March 2011 blog has to say about the 5th November March and Rally.

"After marching 330 miles the Jarrow March for Jobs arrives in London. Following in the footsteps of the 1936 Jarrow marchers who walked to London against unemployment. Assemble Temple Place on Embankment 12noon! Come and join the end demostration and rally in Trafalgar Square. 

Speakers Include: 
Matt Wrack FBU General Secretary 
Bob Crow RMT General Secretary 
Paul Murphy MEP Socialist Party Ireland 
Lizi Gray Great-grandaughter of 1936 marcher 
 Stephen Hepburn MP for Jarrow 
US Occupy Wall Street Activist 
Jarrow marchers
Day-Mer Youth 
Socialist Party 
Young Deacon performing his rap about the riots called ‘Failed by the System’ 
Ed Marsh NUS 
London Slutwalk Activist Maddy Carty performing her track ‘CONDEMn AGE’
Dennis Skinner MP for Bolsover + More!

Thursday 27 October 2011

Education workers lobby their MP's in London.

Yesterday, 26th October 2011, thousands of education workers went to London to lobby their MP's against the education cuts. RAC's Ralph Dyson went down and provided a few pictures. 

Ralph Dyson - on the left!
The following articles are taken from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and University and College Union (UCU).

"Thousands of teachers, lecturers and support staff visited Parliament today (Wednesday, 26 October) to lobby their MPs about pension cuts in the education sector.

Over 150,000 petition signatures were handed to the government.

Staff from the maintained, academy and independent sectors in England and Wales as well as from colleges and post-92 universities, lobbied their MPs and handed in petitions from their workplaces.

This lobby and the large number of petitions returned should serve as a wake-up call to the Government. If Ministers don’t recognise that pensions are both affordable and sustainable, many teachers and lecturers will be left with no option but to take further action, including supporting the planned TUC day of action on 30 November."

"Thousands of members of the UCU and other education trade unions will descend on parliament today to lobby their MPs about potential changes to their pensions.
The joint action by seven education unions is part of attempts by unions to resolve the pensions dispute without the need for further industrial action. To avoid disruption to classes, the lobby has been organised in the half-term holiday.

As well as speaking to their MPs, union members will hand a petition in to the schools minister, Nick Gibb MP, at 10.30am at the department for education.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We are meeting with MPs today to dispel government myths about the need for pension reform. Our members are unlikely militants but they will not stand by while their pensions are raided to pay for a crisis they did not create.'"

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Planning Meeting for TUC Day of Action 30th

Planning meeting, organised by Unison-Rotherham, for the November 30th Day of Action. 

Rotherham UNISON Health Branch and Rotherham UNISON Local Government Branch have provisionally agreed to hold a March & Rally in Rotherham on Wednesday 30th November as part of the TUC (Pensions Justice) Day of Action. We are keen to plan & co-ordinate the event with all the local trade unions/organisations representing Public Sector workers as well as the wider Labour and trade union movement. 

We therefore cordially invite you to attend a meeting on Wednesday 2nd November at the Unity Centre (St. Leonard's Road), Rotherham at 6.00pm to discuss and help plan the event. 
 

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Ashes and Diamonds

A tribute to the mining industry and the people who fought to defend it.

An exhibition, that has already been displayed at Hurst House adult education centre, Abercrombie Street, Chesterfield, will move to Wortley Hall, between Sheffield and Barnsley, on the week commencing November 6. Organiser John Dunn said: “Our day release course with Sheffield University used to be held in Hurst House, and Wortley Hall was the venue for our weekend schools and longer courses. (Quotes taken from Sheffield Star article).


Friday 14 October 2011

Meeting for workers and unemployed people

PCS Sheffield are holding "a campaigning and organising meeting for workers and unemployed people at 6.30 pm, Wednesday 19th October at the Quaker Meeting House, St James Street, Sheffield.



Thursday 13 October 2011

Jarrow March: Rotherham Leg!

The Jarrow March passed through Rotherham yesterday! RAC members were there to encourage the marchers!

Around 30 young people passed through Thorpe Hesley yesterday. They stopped for their lunch at the Masons Arms, and had food paid for by donations from RAC and Rotherham NUT. Marchers were filmed by TV crews and interviewed by numerous journalists!

Around 20 supported turned up to welcome the Marchers into Rotherham, bearing banners and flags, and a few joined the Marchers on their way to Sheffield!

Here are a few videos taken from the internet - one of which inlcudes an interview with Rotherham's Kerry Hitchen!

Thursday 6 October 2011

RAC Jarrow March Welcoming Rally

1145am - Thorpe Hesley Recreation Ground... Greet the Marchers!


The Jarrow March is inching closer to Rotherham... today the march was featured on Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 programme - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014x4zd#clips

We invite everyone, and hope for as many as possible, to meet at the recreation ground in Thorpe (for directions follow link below) at 11:45 to welcome the Jarrow Marchers!

Directions to the ground:

We'll be gathering on the corner of Barnsley Road and Chapelfield Road... For those not driving, the number 66 bus from Rotherham Interchange stops at the terminus at the Recreation Ground:

Link to 66 timetable:
http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/south_yorkshire/journey_planning/timetables/timetable.php?day=1&source_id=2&service=6%2F66%2F77&routeid=2878461&operator=26&source=sp

Please bring banners, placards and noise making devices... Once the marchers arrive they will be stopping for their lunch at the Masons Arms pub - who have very kindly arranged to provide the marchers with pie, peas and chips (and cheese sandwiches for the veggies!) with money raise by RAC and Rotherham NUT!

Link to Masons Arms:
http://www.masonsarmsthorpehesley.co.uk/

Here is the Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=220108728053290

Please tell as many people as possible and give the Marchers the best lunchtime reception of the march!!!

Monday 3 October 2011

Jarrow March Under Way!

The Jarrow March 2011 is under way and is getting good coverage from the Mirror newspaper!

As the Jarrow March 2011 winds it's way through the country, preparations are under way in Rotherham to greet the Marchers as they pass through our area!

The Jarrow march will be passing through THORPE HESLEY on the 12th October at around 1200. They will be stopping for an hour or so for a lunch break and RAC will be donating some funds and helping to organise food and refreshments for all the Marchers! A 'Welcoming Rally' will be held from 1145 at the Recreation Ground in Thorpe Hesley - which can be reached on the number 66 bus from either Rotherham or Sheffield... 

We would like to invite and encourage as many people, community groups and trade unions as possible to join us at the 'Welcoming Rally' and to join the Marchers as the march from Rotherham to Sheffield! Bring banners, placards and noise-making tools!!!

You can keep up with Jarrow March progress at the Jarrow March 2011 blog and the Mirror newspaper website -and see if you can find RAC's Kerry Hitchen, representing us on the March!


RAC at the Tory Party Conference!

RAC members were part of the 35,000 strong, TUC-backed March for the Alternative at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester! 


Rotherham's finest flying the flag in Manchester!