A Labour Movement Day

 

This Labour Movement Day started at 9.30am with a virtual UNISON pre delegation meeting to the TUC London, East & South East TUC  (LESE) Regional Council. I had to leave it early to cycle to my Labour Councillor surgery in Stratford Library. After which I came back home to join the actual LESE meeting and listened to a very good panel debate on the rise of the far right. 

At 2pm I met local Labour Party activists and the Newham Labour Mayoral Candidate for May 2026, Forhad Hussain, to carry out a "street surgery" in my ward, West Ham. This involved knocking on resident doors, introducing ourselves and asking if they had any issues with the Council that they wanted to discuss with us. Forhad went down very well with residents. We made around 36 contacts and left cards for those who were out. 

The overall response was very good. People were generally pleased to see us and while some gave us the benefit of their very firm views about local problems with parking, street cleansing and also national policies, they were also willing to engage and listen to possible solutions and ways forward. 

Afterwards, we had coffee (and gossip) at a local cafe. 

A good day.

TUC LESE Regional Council AGM 2025

 

Due to a clash I arrived a little late to our Regional TUC AGM as a UNISON delegate. This is possibly the last such AGM to take place at Congress House which is being reluctantly sold to be replaced with a more modern and practical building. A real shame but was inevitable I think. 

The AGM went well on the whole but some odd surprises. A deeply moving speech and presentation by the National Centre for Domestic Violence, following which our new (covering Jo Galloway while she is on maternity leave) UNISON Regional Secretary, Sara Gorton, thanked the speakers and all workers who support Domestic Abuse survivors. 

I spoke in support of a great motion by RMT and Unite on investing in public transport and made some gentle suggestions to improve it. 

Hat tip pictures to our UNISON London Regional Convenor, Yvonne Green and Eastern Region delegate, Debbie Sahadeo Rowden, who has published a lovely reel about her day on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/r/12JEzjJUB1S/. Who says TUC conferences cannot be fun and cheerful!

TUC London, Eastern & South East Regional Council AGM 24

 

(Text largely from my twitter account @grayee) "At @The_TUC LESE AGM in Congress House, London (home of the British Trade union movement) which I am attending as a @unisonglr delegate.

After a minutes silence to remember comrades who have died in past year, the AGM starts with a Video message from @The_TUC General Secretary @nowak_paul & now verbal report from @TUC_LESE regional Secretary @GurneySam.

Bit of a shock that TUC Executive Council are considering whether they should remortgage Congress House & refurbish it to modern standards or sell it & move elsewhere.

Next @The_TUC President & GS @fbunational @MattWrack keynote speaker on ""meeting the challenges & organising to win". Matt speaks passionately about 7th anniversary of #Grenfell, the vote winning importance of @UKLabour #NewDealforWorkingPeople & 40th anniversary of #Minersstrike

@The_TUC Women's officer @louloupound gives update on workplan to build union capacity to tackle sexual harassment in workplace. Nikki does not dodge the fact that we need in our own #LabourMovement to get our House in order & address sexual harassment & discrimination.

Next update was by @TUC_LESE officer Adrian Ryan on the London union learning project Unionlearn

Now election results for @TUC_LESE executive council and elections for President, Vice Presidents, treasurer, SOC & auditors. New President @RMTunion Kathy Mazur thanks Jim Kelly & then moves RMT motion 1 "A better railway for London, SE and the East of England"

Motion passed unanimously. Now 2nd RMT motion "No more P&Os: A fair pay agreement for the ferry sector". Also passed unanimously.

Update by @TUC_LESE Laurie Heselden on "New Deal for Working People". Making it clear that this is a trade union policy as much as @UKLabour

Following some rather odd & negative comments from a couple of delegates Our @unisontheunion delegation leader @organiserjo makes the point in Q&A that the relationship of @TUC_LESE &
@UKLabour @labourunionsuk & the positive work that is done. While President @unitetheunion Jim Kelly gave a ringing endorsement of @SadiqKhan for his support 4 workers

Update by project lead Maria McCaul on London Unemployed Strategies

Final update by Daniel Shannon-Hughes on @TUC_LESE Bulletin. Only 3k out of 1.8 million trade unionists are current subscribers'. Scan to sign up! (top left of collage) or click here  https://tuc.org.uk/lese-news\

Final item Finance report. Meeting closed.

TUC Regional Council & then "on the knocker" in Plaistow North

 

Today was a Labour Movement day. In the morning I went as a UNISON delegate to the TUC London, East and South East Regional Council meeting at Congress House. It was good to be back in person at these meetings. 

There was an important panel discussion on the TUC #OurWorkerMatters campaign around organising and protecting outsourced workers. Our Regional Secretary Jo Galloway was on that panel and she told it as it is, about the dreadful way outsourced workers are treated and what UNISON is doing in our regions to fight this. 

I contributed to the debate as a outsourced worker under threat of losing his pension via fire and rehire dismissal and asked what the panel thought about the Labour Party "New deal for workers" commitments and in particular the prospect of sectorial bargaining over pay and conditions (this is potentially huge in my sector and many others) and what are we doing as unions to influence this. 

There was a mostly very constructive debate about the TUC General Council statement on Gaza and Israel and agreement to donate much needed funds to Medical Aid for Palestine. 

Afterwards I went to take part in the by election campaign in Plaistow North, Newham and met up with the Mayor, local Councillors, Party activists and our candidate, Akhtharul Alam. 

The "door knock" went pretty well and we had over 100 contacts and I also had some very good political and policy conversations (one via google translate) with residents about local issues, national and international issues. Most concern was about "bread and butter" issues such as fly tips, ASB and housing. 

Saving Sarah Chapman's Grave & a Statue to honour the Matchgirls strike victory

I am a UNISON delegate to the TUC regional Council (LESE) which meets this Saturday and amongst the paperwork I was sent for it was an update on the campaign to save Sarah Chapman's Grave in  Manor Park Cemetery (Newham, East London).

Sarah (1862-1945) was a grass roots trade union leader in the famous "Matchgirls" strike and victory over Byrant & May in 1888 and later a TUC delegate.  She is buried in an unmarked paupers grave in a privately run cemetery which is threatening "Mounding" her grave (to level the ground, remove all memorials and cover with top soil to create more space for future burials).

There is also a campaign to have a statue to honour the Matchgirls whose victory helped laid the foundations for the modern day health and safety, trade unions and the labour movement.

It is now incredible that they had to fight to stop their employer poisoning them with white phosphorus, which could result in workers developing a condition called "phossy jaw",  which had a mortality rate of up to 20%.

Sarah's great grand-daughter is helping to lead both campaigns. I have emailed to offer my support (and I have posted previously on this here and here)

There is a petition still open https://www.change.org/p/minister-of-justice-save-sarah-chapman-s-grave-a-leader-of-the-1888-matchgirls-strike-trade-union-heroine and an open day (see main picture) in Bethnal Green on 2 November 2019.

For many years I worked in Bow near to the Byrant & May site (which has now been turned into residential flats which commuters should recognise while on the train into Liverpool Street)  as a housing officer and I used to manage Annie Besant Close which was named after another leading figure in the Matchgirls strike. 

TUC LESE Annual Health & Safety Briefing – Respiratory Health – a Workplace Issue

TUC LESE Annual Health & Safety Briefing – Respiratory Health – a Workplace Issue

Friday 27 September 2019

Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

·        The central theme for this year is respiratory health, and asbestos past present and future will feature large.

·        This is an event for trade union health and safety reps and trade unionists interested in campaigning on health, safety and well-being issues at work or in the community.

·        Agenda and Guest Speakers to be confirmed  

·        Free event - please register: 020 7467 1218 / jowilliams@tuc.org.uk

Joanne Williams

Administrative Assistant

TUC London, East & South East

020 7467 1218

Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

tuc.org.uk 

Women of Westminster Walking Tour: 26 July 2018