CONTACT: RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS:

Email: rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com Tel: 07881 520626

Write to: RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS - PO Box 4123, Rugby, CV21 9BJ.

CONVENOR and PRESS OFFICER – Pete McLaren.TREASURER – Julie Weekes TRADE UNION LIAISON –Martin Eversfield and Roy Sandison

Wednesday 29 September 2010

EUROPE IN REVOLT?

Europe marches against the cuts and austerity

From Lisbon to Liverpool and Dublin to Dubrovnik, the trade unionists and workers of Europe marched in Brussels today against the cuts. With them were the National Pensioners Convention and the RMT, along with other UK trade unionists. This is the people of Europe saying NO to the bankers and peddlers of austerity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upouT9DsTBA

They were joined by all of the Green MEPs and the Federtion of Young European Greens.

*Thanks for report from Joseph Healy - Member of Coalition Of Resistance (COR) national steering group and Green Party http://thecabbagesandkings.blogspot.com/

COVENTRY ORGANISING AGAINST THE CUTS

OVER 100 TRADE UNIONIST AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS FROM COVENTRY MET LAST NIGHT TO HEAR LOCAL AND NATIONAL TRADE UNION LEADERS SET OUT A STRATEGY TO FIGHT THE CUTS!

*Coventry Socialist Party Councillor Dave Nellist and former MP explaining the cuts planned by Coventry City Council and how they should be resisted!
*Coventry Trades Union Council are taking the lead in
organising the movement in Coventry
*Coventry Youth Fight For Jobs stall last night.
Youth need to be at the forefront of the campaign.

Monday 27 September 2010

Demonstrate at Tory Party Conference

Demonstrate at Tory Party Conference | 3 October BIRMINGHAM

Right to Work has called a national demonstration outside the Tory Party  annual conference on 3 October. David Cameron’s party are meeting in Birmingham. We will assemble at 12 noon and, after a rally, the march will set off at 1pm.
The demonstration is supported by:
The PCS, NUJ, UCU and CWU, NUS, ASLEF, the Labour Representation Committee, nationally, as well as many local trade union and campaign bodies.
3rd October sponsors
Speakers include:
John McDonnell MP, Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, Romayne Phoenix of the Green Party, Dr. Jacky Davis from Keep Our NHS Public, Birmingham Respect councillor, Salma Yaqoob, Linda Burnip, campaign co-ordinator Local Housing Allowance Reform Group, Dina Garane, Greek trade unionist and leading activist in general strikes, and Portuguese Left Bloc MP, Jorge Duarte Costa.

THESE ARE THE TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS TAKING PLACE IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UK.

Sunday 26 September 2010

JOIN THE RESISTANCE!

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS URGES YOU TO JOIN THE BIGGEST MOVEMENT SINCE THE ANTI POLL TAX STRUGGLE!

Already thousands of individuals, trade unions, community groups and well known personalties - including Caroline Lucas and Tony Benn have signed up to the statement. Sign today and say no to CON DEM cuts!

Add your name by going to http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/

JOIN RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS TODAY - rugbyagainstthecuts@gmail.com

THE STATEMENT OF RESISTANCE


  1. is a broad united national campaign against cuts and privatisation in our workplaces, community and welfare services, based on general agreement with the Founding Statement issued by Tony Benn in August 2010.
  2. is linked to no particular political party, but committed to open working in a non-sectarian way with all organisations seeking to co-ordinate resistance; and is dedicated to supplementing, rather than supplanting, trade union, student, pensioner and community opposition to austerity measures.
  3. is based on thousands of individual supporters, together with national unions, union branches, anti-cuts campaigns, student, pensioner, unemployed, youth and other organisations which affiliate.
  4. seeks to provide a national umbrella for a network of local and sectoral campaigns; and aspires to support, encourage, coordinate, and facilitate a transfer of experience rather than to command.
  5. invites affiliation from functioning local campaigns championing public services or fighting the cuts; encourages the establishment of new local campaigns where there are none; and offers local campaigns the opportunity to call themselves local Coalitions of Resistance if they wish.
  6. organises newsletters, a websitewww.coalitionofresistance.org.uk , meetings, conferences, lobbies, rallies, marches, demonstrations and other events.
  7. vehemently opposes all proposals to “solve” the crisis by discrimination or scapegoating on the grounds of disability, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation or identity.
  8. liaises closely with similar opposition movements in other countries and has issued a call for international resistance to austerity measures.
  9. encourages a wide debate on how to protect the welfare state and develop an alternative programme for economic and social recovery in line with its founding statement.
  10. is run by a steering committee meeting on a weekly basis and advised by periodic meetings of activist supporters of the founding statement until theFounding National Conference on 27th November 2010.

Friday 24 September 2010

PROTEST MEETING IN COVENTRY

TRADE UNIONS AND COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO FIGHT CUTS !

REPORT FROM THE MEETING TO SET UP ‘RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS’ 22/09/10

IN ATTANDANCE: Julie Weekes (ULU); Marcus Giles (FBU); Steve Roberts (FBU); Roy Sandison (Green Party); Pete McLaren (Socialist Alliance); Martin Eversfield (Rugby TUC); Peter Reynolds (Green party); Geoff Dewhirst (Unite); Dave Griffiths (Socialist Party)
Roy Sandison offered to Chair the meeting
APOLOGIES – Liz Peck; Dave Nellist
       
MAIN DISCUSSION: SETTING UP A LOCAL ANTI-CUTS GROUP
After a lengthy discussion about the role and title of a local group, it was agreed to set up Rugby Against the Cuts
         
ELECTION OF FUNCTIONAL OFFICERS
THE FOLLOWING WERE ELECTED:
CONVENOR and PRESS OFFICER – Pete McLaren                
TREASURER – Julie Weekes
TRADE UNION LIAISON – Martin Eversfield and Roy Sandison
It was agreed to rotate the Chair

CAMPAIGNING IDEAS 
It was generally agreed that we needed Public Meetings and other activities once the detail of the cuts became known, which would be after the Governments’ Public Spending Review was announced on October 20th.  It was agreed to encourage attendance at the Rally Against the Cuts in Coventry on September 28th where FBU Gen Sec Matt Wrack was the main speaker (Central Methodist Hall, 7.30pm), and, on October 20th, to encourage participation in protests outside Coventry Council House (5.30pm) and in London (Downing St 4.30 – 7pm).  There was also a possibility of a national demonstration in London on October 23rd. 

FINANCE
FBU and UNITE members present suggested their Unions may have finance available.  Julie Weekes and Pete McLaren agreed to draft a standard letter for trade union, community and political donations

AFFILIATIONS 
It was agreed to affiliate to the Coalition of Resistance which had been set up nationally by Tony Benn and others on the left, and to consider other affiliations to national anti cuts bodies positively.  It was suggested we ask local organisations, including trade unions, to affiliate to Rugby Against the Cuts – this to be discussed, along with affiliation fees, at the next meeting

WEB SITE
Roy Sandison offered to set up Rugby Against the Cuts Blog

DATE OF NEXT MEETING
It was agreed to meet again on Thursday October 7th.  The meeting was subsequently booked at the Three Horse Shoes, 7.30pm.  Pete McLaren volunteered to circulate a report from this meeting, establish an email network, and issue a Press Release announcing the formation of Rugby Against the Cuts to broaden attendance.  These were agreed.                       
                                                                                               
Pete McLaren 24/09/10