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Action rolls on across groups
Article appearing in the Birmingham Post 29th April 2013 by
on Griffin
Government cabinet member Iain Duncan-Smith has
been accused of dodging angry anti-cuts protesters after
pulling out of a visit to Smethwick Jobcentre.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union
rounded on the Work and Pensions Secretary after his
scheduled visit to the jobcentre was called off last Thursday.
The union had warned that members would stage a
protest at Governent cutbacks to coincide with Mr Duncan
Smiths visit.
They targeted the minister after he claimed he could
survive on 53 a week if he had to in a huge row over
benefit cutbacks.
He said in a radio interview: I have been unemployed
twice in my life so I have already done that.I know what it is
ike to live on the breadline.
But Andrew Lloyd, Midlands Regional Secretary for the
PCS, said: Mr Duncan Smith avoided being confronted by
protesters.
Instead of seeing the Smethwick protesters he was
sneaked into the Child Support Agency in Dudley without
virtually any staff.
Staff at Smethwick had been told that Mr Duncan
Smith was visiting to thank
them for being a
high-performing office
because of the number of
benefit claimants it gets off
benefits.
"As well as ducking the
Smethwick protesters, Mr
Duncan Smith is developing a
habit of ducking issues.
"Recently nearly half a
million people signed an online petition asking him to live on
53 a week for a year, in response to his claim that he could
live on benefits.
Mr Lloyd said Jobcentre workers had threatened to tear
up 25 Marks and Spencer vouchers received for getting
claimants off benefits as part of a DWP carrot and stick
approach.
He said: The carrot is a small one and a number of PCSmembers from Smethwick were considering tearing up their
vouchers in front of IDS to show their feelings over the
matter.
Mr Duncan Smiths Parliamentary office failed to
respond to requests for a comment.
IDS ducks visit after threat of walk out
Lincoln TUC unity against racismfight the cuts not
each other demonstration 8th June
After Woolwich we will not be divided
Women chainmakers festival
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The ninth Women
Chainmakers festival took place on
Bearmore Park, Cradley Heath on
Saturday 8th June. The festival is
growing year on year.The first commemoration was
organised at the Chainmakers
Monument in Mary Macarthur Memorial
Gardens complete with a re-enactment
from key moments in the Womens
struggle.
TUC President, Lesley Mercer headlined
the speakers and led the second banner
procession along Cradley Heath High
Street to the festival.
Jean Cooper from the PCS
Midlands office oversaw an expanded
community tent. Thanks to her hard
work and personal commitment it saw
many more local organisations and
traders on the site than before.
Local artists performed in the Left-
field marquee, and there were newattractions such as the Birmingham
University Archery Club, thanks to Paul
Hawkins, also from the regional office.
There was also a martial arts
display from young people and a paper
chain produced by children amongst
dozens of other exciting activities and
engagements in the family tent.
PCS activists and staff handed out
literature on our stall on the theme of
Britain needs a pay rise along with ouralternative campaign booklets on
welfare and austerity. We also collected
dozens of signatures for the Shrewsbury
pickets campaign.
The Women Chainmakers is a
family festival to commemorate the
women who took a stand against being
duped out of a minimum wage for the
chains they made in the their backyard
wash houses.
In the 18th and early 19th century
Cradley Heath was the centre of chainmaking. This was a cottage industry, and
many heavy and industrial chains were
made by women in sheds in their back
yard. This was heavy hard and dangerous
work. A woman had to hammer up to
5,000 links a week to earn the equivalent
of 25p.
The women raised their children
whilst making the chains. In 1909 the
Government introduced legislation to
increase the wages in exploitative tradeslike chain makers, but as most of the
women could not read the employers
tried to trick the women by getting them
to sign an opt out so they did not have to
increase their wages.
The women that refused to sign
were told there was no work for them.
The Women went on strike, and their
cause was filmed by pathe news and
shown in 600 cinemas in the country.
The chainmakers not only wontheir rights October 1910. After the
women's victory, there was still sufficient
in the strike fund to build a Workers'
Institute, a two-storey building known as
the "Tute."
The Women Chainmakers Festival...celebrating the anniversary of when the women chainmakers of Cradley
Heath struck, won and made the first minimum wage a reality
Photo courtesy of Nikki Cooper DollyMix Media www.dollymix-media.co.uk
Photo: Nikki Cooper DollyMix Media www.dollymix-media.co.uk
Photo: Nikki Cooper DollyMix Media www.dollymix-media.co.uk
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1. Why do members go on strike?
Hopefully they go on strike because they believe in the issues
we are campaigning on. They may have voted Yes or No but
for many members they will not have voted at all but are open
to persuasion to join the action. We cant get away from the fact
that some members join the strike yes from a supportiveposition but seeing it as a day away from work that they can do
other things, spend time with families etc. Our job as activists is
to persuade these members as many as possible to be active
with PCS on the day, either on the picket line or doing other
things. Its this issue of what can be done on the strike day that
will determine if we can persuade members to join us in activity
on the day.
2. How active should the picket line be?
As active as possible is the short answer.
Traditionally we hold a picket line from early in the morning
with the aim of stopping the post going in and hopefully talking
to any members that are intending to break the strike and try to
persuade any non members to join the Union
We therefore need a good turnout enough to cover every
entrance. The more members on the picket line the more
enjoyable it is likely to be. Some branches bring a bar b que
to feed the pickets, many have leaflets aimed at non members
and members going in, some have collection buckets for the
hardship fund, some stay just long enough to cover the time
staff come to work whilst others stay much longer to leaflet thepublic. We need to make members aware that picketing can be
fun and not something off a TV documentary from a 1980s
miners strike (although having stood on many NUM picket lines
I can say they truly were an interesting experience)
Overall I believe we need to use the picket line to talk to people
going in talk not yell with the aim of trying to persuade them
of the cause we are striking for. Some reps may feel its not
worth talking to some members / non members who regularly
cross picket lines but I would say try, try and try again. I would
have leaflets too, membership forms and a bucket for donation
to the hardship fund.
3. What should be done for the rest of the strike day?
Traditionally we have held a lunchtime rally which means that
those pickets normally have a couple of hours to kill waiting for
the rally to start going for a collective breakfast could pass the
Making the most of strike days
As strikes rolled on across groups, Steve Battlemuch,
Midlands Regional Organiser, explores how to make
he most of strike days.
APEX Court reps from ACAS and Natural England join Independent Living Fund strikers on their picket line in solidarity
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me but in reality many use this time to slip off home or gohopping.
Why not use this time to do some public leafleting and
etitioning in a shopping area? In the recent DWP and HMRC
rike the Nottingham branches did just this and they really
njoyed it. They did this instead of holding a rally where in
eality they could have just been speaking to themselves.
ublic lunchtime rallies work best with the maximum amount of
eople involved, especially when other unions are involved too.
aving a PCS only event with small numbers can be dispiriting
ometimes.o to conclude try to do something public that involves people
nd makes a difference. Set clear times where people can join
ou if they have not come picketing. If your MP is in town that
ay and is supportive (rare I know) then use them, if not
upportive visit them or their office and take the local paper
nd radio with you! Regional office can help with these plans.
ets not see strike days as a day off but as a day of
ampaigning.
Birmingham Trades Council joins City Centre House picketNottingham Budget Day public strike rally
The media joins Selly Oak JCP picket as horns mark the start of the walk out
R&C picket, Castle Meadow Nottingham 5th June regional strike
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Sian RuddickPCS Midlands Regional Chair
The Next Phase of the Campaign
Protests on 27th
June 2013The next part of the National campaign will see
protests across the country on the 27th
June. We all need to
make sure these protests build on the action we have taken
so far. Full details of the events are not yet known, but what I
will say is the protests on the 30th
November 2012 were a
resounding success in many workplaces. It did a number of
things. It allowed members to get together and send a
message to the employer they were hacked off with the way
they were being treated, and of course members didnt
sacrifice a penny.
We should be proud of the action we have taken so far;
2 days in a couple of months is more than most unions take
in a decade. I am proud of my union and the members and
the way in which we refuse to be bossed around by this
government.
The protests will coincide with the start of Teachers
union strikes, other unions are also considering their own
action. The FBU and the CWU are either in the middle of
action or holding a ballot. It is obvious to say, but we should
link up with other unions as much as we can. The Teachers
strikes will happen in our region in September / October, the
NUT above all has been very supportive to us both nationally
and regionally. I was pleased to hear that Kit Armstrong NUT
regional secretary spoke at our rally in Birmingham last week.
As we go to print on our newsletter, Unison local
government is also balloting their members over a 1% pay
increase offer, if rejected Unison has said they will move to a
ballot for action!
Finally, can I say to any doubters out there that our
campaign is not working, just look at how the employers and
government have reacted to it. They have tried to useinjunctions, taken 3 hours 42 minute deductions when some
have only be out for a few hours, used all the propaganda
they could to derail the action. This proves the action is
hurting them, otherwise they would ignore it!
Finally, finally, whilst personally I do not condone bad
language I have heard that there are dozens of members and
members of the public wanting to buy a drink for the mystery
claimant who spotted IDS. After the minister avoided
Smethwick Job centre, he was spotted in another West
Midlands Job centre, and a claimant told him to in the biblical
sense, go forth and multiply, and also that he was abanker. Apparently IDS was deeply offended by the term
banker and was hoping that it was a mispronunciation!
Support the protests on the 27th
; lets make sure our
campaign wins!
Land Registry, Nottingham picket 31st May
Nottingham Parliament Street DWP picket
Wolverhampton R&C picket
R&C East Midlands and Nottingham DWP
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Myth busting leaflets can be found
at pcs.org.uk/campaigns/national-
campaigns/welfare-reform/
index.cfm
Welfare isnt about strivers vs
scroungers.
But you wouldnt know it fromeading the papers. Media coverage
usually ignores the large numbers of
people who work and rely on
benefits. As public servants our
members are often poorly paid and
many of them depend on these in-
work benefits to get by. Thats why
were stepping up our campaign for a
welfare system that gives people the
upport they need and offers realoutes out of poverty.
30 billion cuts
Supportive social security systems
based on dignity and respect help
ndividuals, families, communities and
he wider economy.
But this government has launched
the biggest attack on the welfarestate for generations:
Individual benefits for children,
housing and health have been
frozen, cut or abolished.
People with disabilities and
unemployed workers face
punitive new systems based on
conditionality, sanctions and low
benefit levels.
Action now
Because we believe that this
approach is fundamentally wrong our
welfare campaigning aims to tackle
this governments divisive and
uncaring approach head on. Join us.
Take action now to defend welfare.
Ideological cuts
increase costs
143M
39MClosing the Independent LivingFund for severely disabled
people will also cost more than
it saves.
Extra costs in housing benefits
even if just one in six households
hit by the bedroom tax is forced
to move to private rental
PCS is spearheading a united campaign against welfare cuts alongside other trade
unions and charities.
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PCS union along with the NUT and
GMB backed a weekend of free events
and activities at the newly opened
Birmingham LGBT centre during Pride.
The events took place following
the Birmingham Pride parade watched
by an estimated 70,000 people.
Students, trade unionists and
community groups joined together toform a Pride is a Protest block chanting
We will not be quiet, Stonewall was a
riot!
As all three unions represent
members in the Education sector, the
events at the centre started with a
workshop on challenging homo, bi and
trans phobia in schools. 70 teachers,
student teachers, education workers
and activists took part in our workshop
which proved very popular.
One tweet from a student teacher
following the event simply said
I now feel confident to go
into teaching
The workshop launched a lesson
plan for schools which bring alive LGBT
history with an activity linked to the back
-to-back houses in Birminghams Hurst
Street.
This was followed by a debate onSection 28: the toxic legacy with a key
note speech from Elly Barnes from
Schools OUT!
In conjunction with the centre,
PCS also supported an older persons
quiz and a film showing GenSilent about
older LGBT people and aging.
Unions make a difference at Birmingham Pride
The English Defence League and
the British National Party are seeking to
exploit the horrific murder of Lee Rigby
by whipping up hatred and division. This
has already seen violent reprisals against
the Muslim community, including a
series of arson attacks on mosques. The
governments hotline is reporting thatslamophobic hate crimes are at ten
times their usual rate.
Anti fascist activists from different
communities, cultures, faiths and trade
unions came together swiftly and
decisively over the last few weeks. They
nsisted that we must not give a quarter
to those who would judge an entire
religion, race or nationality by the
actions of a few and that we will not be
divided by racism and fascism.
On the 1st of June, Unite Against
Fascism mobilised in Leicester,
Birmingham and Coventry
outnumbering the EDL on all occasions.
In London, the PCS national
banner was clearly seen as part of the
blockade to stop around 100 BNP
members reaching the cenotaph along
with 1000 anti-fascists.
On the 8th of June the people of
Sheffield mobilised for a second week in
a row. The Unite Against Fascism and
One Sheffield Many Cultures
outnumbered the EDL by 2000 to 270.
But the Midlands played a vital
role too on the day confronting the EDL
in Lincoln and Shrewsbury.
Nick Parker reports Lincoln TUC
mobilised hundreds of local people to
oppose the far-right East Anglican
Patriots. Our protest rally was
publicised under the slogan Unity
Against RacismFight the Cuts not
each other.
Opposition to the far right is
part and parcel of building strong trade
union organisation to unite working
people against cuts and austerity.
Lincoln TUC calls for decent jobs, homes
and services to combat the social
conditions behind the re-emergence of
the far right
Against a backdrop of economic
crisis and rising Islamophobia these
actions are important in driving a wedge
between the fascists and those pulled by
racist ideas in this period.
Thanks to the work of activists
across the Midlands the TUC reports
that no BNP candidates were victorious
in any seat in the local elections in May
in the Midlands. This is despite the BNP
standing 56% of their candidates
nationally in our region.
After Woolwich: We will not be divided by
racists and fascists