ROTHERHAM MAY DAY MARCH!!!

An A4 leaflet for the Rotherham May Day March on 5th May; Gather at 1030am outside Rotherham Town Hall, march at 11 to a rally in All Saints' Square (1130).
May Day 2012

N30 - Day of Action - Pensions Strike / Protest

A video made by Rotherham GMB giving some context for the strikes and then showing Rotherham's finest marching and at the rally!

NOV30! 300+ in Roth!!!

According to estimates, the number of people at the Rotherham March and Rally in support of the pension strike was over 300! Many then joined the thousands in Sheffield! This article taken from the Rotherham Advertiser.

Photo by Jason Emerson

"MORE than 300 striking public sector workers marched through Rotherham today after the biggest mass walkout for decades.

Refuse workers, probation staff, teachers, nurses, lecturers and civil servants were among thousands across the borough who joined nearly three million workers in a one-day strike against government plans to change their pensions.

Scores of pickets were out at Rotherham General Hospital, council buildings and the town’s main college.

 

Speakers from the UNISON, GMB, PCS, NUT and UCU unions addressed a rally in All Saints’ Square.

Photo by Ralph Dyson.

Eric Battey of the GMB said: “The facts are clear—we’ll work longer, pay more and get less.”

Ministers say public sector pensions are unsustainable and condemned the strike as irresponsible because negotiations were ongoing and would cost the economy £500 million."

Many on the march and rally were calling on the TUC to call the next date.

NOV30: Route change!

The route of the March in Rotherham November 30th to support the strikes in the public sector has been changed.

The march in Rotherham has been shortened, though the start time and assembly point is the same: instead of continuing past the RCAT Eastwood building and turning left on to Wharnecliffe Road, the march will turn left after the RCAT Clifton Building, down Howard Street. The map below shows the new route.

10am: After pickets, gather outside town hall.
10:30am: Start the March around Rotherham.
11am: arrive for a rally in All Saints Square
11:15am onwards: Board coaches and head to Sheffield to join the regional demonstrations.

Also this Saturday there will be Union and RAC activists leafletting in Rotherham Town Centre outside Halifax/Boots/Market entrance.

MARCH DETAILS: - March begins outside Rotherham Town Hall
- March behind Job Centre along Stanley street
- Turn left, down the hill, along Mansfield Road
- Turn left and march along Wellgate
- Turn right, up the hill, along Doncaster Gate
- Turn left along Howard Street
- Turn left, down the hill, along Howard Street towards Halifax/Boots/Market entrance
- Turn Left, march along Effingham Street towards All Saints Square
- Rally in All Saints Square

Nov 30 - March and Rally in Rotherham!

Rotherham is to hold a March and Rally on November 30th to support the stikes in the public sector.

In a meeting organised by Rotherham Unison branches, with representatives from many unions, community groups and campaigning groups, the following action was agreed in order to promote and to support the strikes:

10am: After pickets, gather outside town hall.
10:30am: Start the March around Rotherham (details + map below - red line marks the route of the march).
11am: arrive for a rally in All Saints Square
11:15am onwards: Board coaches and head to Sheffield to join the regional demonstrations.

Also there will be 'Action Days' held on Saturday12th and 19th November, leafletting and promoting the strike and the march. Stalls will be organised in All Saints Square and outside the Market/Halifax Bank/Boots.

MARCH DETAILS: - March begins outside Rotherham Town Hall
- March behind Job Centre along Stanley street
- Turn left, down the hill, along Mansfield Road
- Turn left and march along Wellgate
- Turn right, up the hill, along Doncaster Gate
- Turn left along Howard Street/Eastwood Lane past RCAT
- Turn left, down the hill, along Wharnecliffe Street/ Drummond Street past the Markets and Rotherham Central Library
- Turn Left, march along Henry Street/ Effingham Street towards All Saints Square
- Rally in All Saints Square

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!

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!

NSSN lobby of TUC Congress: 11 September

NSSN Lobby of TUC Conference

Three quarters of a million went on strike on June 30th in a massive show of strength against a concerted attempt by the Tory and Liberal Democrat partners of this millionaire government to make workers pay for the bankers’ greed. Powerful demonstrations up and down the country brought thousands, including many young workers onto the streets in big cities and small towns, many for the first time, determined to defend pensions, and to stop the immediate huge pay cuts that pension changes would mean.

We believe that 30th June was the opening salvo. To win we need to turn this three-quarters of a million into 4-5 million in the next round of industrial action in the autumn, involving all public sector unions, and thereby scuppering the machinations of the government to drive a wedge into the trade union movement between the NUT, UCU, ATL and PCS and the other three big unions Unison, Unite and GMB. Defence of pensions has proved a unifying factor so far, and one of our best opportunities to all come together and collectively force Cameron and Clegg into a massive U-turn.

We, the undersigned call on the TUC Conference on September 11th and the General Council to agree to call a one-day strike of all public sector unions as the next step in this struggle. We pledge to do all in our power to help make such an action a real success.

This petition will be presented to the TUC at Congress House on 11 September on the eve of their conference. Join us on the march and lobby: Assemble at 1:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London NW1

Manchester for the Alternative: 2nd October!

Strikes - Pickets and Rally report!

RAC activist turned out to pickets at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology (RCAT) as well as the Rotherham Jobcentre.

A fine morning saw RAC activists join the UCU/NUT/PCS/ATL pickets in Rotherham town centre from 7- 9. Although mainly at th RCAT site, activists visit Rotherham Job Centre to lend support and show solidarity.

After the pickets (and a brief coffee break) activists handed out literature and helped gather numbers for the Rally in All Saints Square at 11am.

Around 50 people turned out to the rally, where speakers addressed the crowd standing proudly between Union banners. Messages of determined solidarity and commitment were well recieved before many of the assembled continued over to Sheffield to join the demonstrations there.

Another positive and encouraging turn out for RAC, the unions and all Rotherham folk show that the fight back is growing and solidarity and resistance is growing!

Further reports and pictures to follow!!!

Civil servants vote for strike over cuts to pensions, jobs and pay

"More than a quarter of a million civil and public servants today joined teachers in voting for a strike over cuts to their pensions, as well as jobs and pay." Expect to see RAC activists on the pickets. This article appears on the PCS website.

In a national ballot 61.1% of PCS's quarter of a million civil and public service members voted for a strike and 83.6% voted for other forms of industrial action, on a 32.4% turnout.

Meeting this afternoon, PCS's national executive committee confirmed the union will prepare for a strike on Thursday 30 June and will work with the National Union of Teachers, Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the University and College Union to co-ordinate any action. This will be followed by a month-long ban on overtime.

Unless the government does an about-turn on its plans to force public sector workers to work longer and pay more for much less pension in retirement, this first joint strike will include 750,000 public servants. And there is also a very real prospect of hundreds of thousands more workers joining the dispute later in the year.

The union says the government's slash and burn approach to tackling the budget deficit will mean vital public services are axed, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers will be thrown out of work, and those that remain will have their pay and pensions cut.

Ministers have fixed the terms of negotiations over public sector pensions to seriously undermine the possibility of an agreement being reached. They also admit that money cut from pensions will go to the Treasury to help pay off the deficit, not into pension schemes, which the union says amounts to a tax on working in the public sector.

They have accepted Lord Hutton's proposals - which mean members of civil service pension schemes face a doubling or tripling of their contributions as well as having to work longer for less pension - and have ruled out any negotiations on their decision to use the CPI measure of inflation to uprate pensions instead of RPI.

The government is sticking to its proposals despite the National Audit Office, Lord Hutton himself and most recently the Commons public accounts committee confirming public sector pensions are affordable now and sustainable in future.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This result shows that public servants, who provide vital services from the cradle to the grave, will not stand back while everything they have ever worked for is taken from them.

"The government admits that money cut from pensions will go straight to the Treasury to help pay off the deficit in what is nothing more than a tax on working in the public sector. The very modest pay and pensions of public servants did not cause the recession, so they should not be blamed or punished for it.

"Unless ministers abandon their ideological plans to hollow out the public sector, they will face industrial action on a mass scale on 30 June and beyond."

Failure in bid to save cashier service

RAC were present at the lobby of the Council Cabinet. This article from The Rotherham Advertiser describes the protest and demonstration, and the implications of the council's failure to listen to the demands of the people.

PLANS to shake up council payment services have been given the green light despite protests from thousands of people.

Almost 4,000 people signed a petition in objection to sweeping changes which union bosses claim will see the loss of two thirds of all cashiers’ jobs at Rotherham Borough Council’s neighbourhoods offices.

UNISON have warned that removing the option to pay council bills at the district offices would also make life harder for service users.

 But councillors approved the scrapping of the cashier service at Wath, Greasbrough, Rawmarsh and Kimberworth Park despite the petition and lobbying ahead of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting at the Town Hall.

A council spokesman denied union claims that the move would lead to up to 17 job losses, adding: “We will, as much as possible, try to implement the improved services to customers without the need to look at losing staff on a compulsory basis.”

The spokesman said that a number of staff had already enquired about voluntary redundancy and others could be redeployed.

Val Broomhead, convenor at UNISON Rotherham, said the union was disappointed by the move.

“This service is a lifeline for many people as a source of advice and support and two thirds of staff are now threatened with losing their jobs,” she said.

Mrs Broomhead said that the proposed changes to the cashier service had been approved despite limited consultation with staff, service users and trade unions, adding: “We will be looking at the legal implications of that.”

Householders will be asked to make payments at PayPoints, online, or by travelling to other council offices.

The council is working with its IT partner RBT and council housing firm 2010 Rotherham Ltd to introduce payment facilities at more than 140 new outlets across Rotherham—and more beyond—using customer service centres, post offices and PayPoint locations.

Union Lobby of Council Cabinet Report

RAC activists support UNISON Lobby of Council Cabinet

RAC activists gathered outside Rotherham Town Hall with a small number of UNISON members, protesting against "Rotherham Council Plans to close the Cashier Service at four neighbourhood offices at Wath, Kimberworth Park and Munsborough."

UNISON members were happy to sign petitions, but were reluctant to provide email addresses for the RAC mailing list.

The following statement was issued on the UNISON Rotherham website:

"SAVE OUR CASHIER SERVICES

ROTHERHAM COUNCIL PLANS TO CLOSE THE CASHIER SERVICE AT FOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD OFFICES AT WATH, RAWMARSH, KIMBERWORTH PARK AND MUNSBROUGH.

PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO TRAVEL TO PAY RENT AND BILLS, WILL BE AT GREATER RISK OF GETTING INTO ARREARS AND WILL HAVE TO COUNT HUNDREDS OF POUNDS AT OPEN PAYPOINTS IN SHOPS. TWO THIRDS OF STAFF WILL GO AS WILL THE ADVICE AND SUPPORT THAT THEY PROVIDE. ONCE THESE COMMUNITY SERVICES HAVE GONE THEY WILL BE GONE FOR GOOD.

WE HAVE GOT OVER 1,000 SIGNATURES FOR OUR PETITION AGAINST THE CLOSURES IN JUST TWO WEEKS.

PLEASE SHOW YOUR OPPOSITION TO THESE CLOSURES BY MEETING OUTSIDE ROTHERHAM TOWN HALL ON WEDNESDAY 8 JUNE 9.30-10.30AM AS WE LOBBY COUNCILLORS.

IF YOU COULD SPARE JUST AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ATTEND THE STRONGER OUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD.

FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT UNISON ROTHERHAM ON 01709376933"

June 30th: Posters and Leaflets

Some leaflets and posters for the June 30th strikes.

Dates for your Diary! Campaign Stall, Meeting and Lobby details...

Stall: Saturday 4th June - RAC Meeting: Tuesday 7th June - Lobby of Council Cabinet: Wednesday 8th June

This Saturday (4th June) Rotherham Against the Cuts will be petitioning in All Saints Square, Rotherham Town Centre at 11am. Please come down and help build the movement.

The next Rotherham Against the Cuts meeting will be at Talbot Lane Methodist church on Tuesday 7th June at 7.00. More information about speakers etc will follow...

On Wednesday 8th June at 9:30, RAC plans to join council staff who are to lobby councillors over the threat to two thirds of cashier jobs under proposals to remove the service from four neighbourhood offices.

UNISON leaders have warned that the planned changes to council payments services will make it harder to pay bills and result in 17 job losses.

Please help build the movement: Join the Facebook page, come along on Saturday, come to the meeting!

Rawmarsh teachers march against cuts

 An article taken from The Advertiser documenting the first Rotherham Against the Cuts demonstrationinMarch 2011.

TEACHERS fighting job losses at a Rotherham secondary school led a march against the cuts through Rotherham on Saturday.

NUT members from Rawmarsh Community School, who staged a series of strikes earlier this year, were joined by young people protesting at youth club closures, council workers, lecturers and Unison health workers from Rotherham General Hospital.

The march was organised by the Rotherham Against the Cuts campaign and Rotherham Trades Union Council.