North Somerset UNISON members on the march for A Future that Works

On 20th October the branch took 2 coaches full of members and their families to London for the march against Austerity and for A Future that Works. Coaches left Weston super Mare at 7 am and picked up members in Clevedon and Portishead.

Highlights of the day, apart from the march itself of course, were picking up a BECTU hitch hiker at Reading service station, the boat ride from Lambeth pier to Blackfriars, seeing the Shard for the first time, the bands on the march, meeting Ed Hall who made our beautiful branch banner, and a really welcome pint of lager at the end of the day.

A big thanks to our fabulous coach stewards Robbie Gill, Lucinda Holdsworth, Helen Davies and Helen Thornton.

Here are some photos from the day. If any of our members would like to share their photos of the day please contact the branch office: 01934 634759 or just put them on a disc or memory stick and bring them in to us.





Rachel's picture:



Chrissie's picture:

David from Southampton UCU Retired Members sent us this photo - a big thanks to him.

 

People's Petition Against Austerity

The Coalition of Resistance has launched a People's Petition Against Austerity. It will be handed into Downing Street in June 2013 when they will be hosting a People's Assembly in London to discuss and debate the strategy for resisting austerity.

Over the next few months they want everyone to encourage as many people as possible to sign. A printable version of the petition to take around your workplace, for use on street stalls or to ask family and friends to sign can be downloaded here.

The letter to the Guardian launching the petition reads:

"Austerity is not working. The deficit is growing and the economy flailing. The coalition government remains hopelessly committed to cuts on a scale not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The impact is grotesquely unequal. The rich are getting richer even as the living standards of the majority are cut, and the public services on which they rely are shut down or sold off.

Europe suffers. Greece shows us the future: the European Union, ECB and IMF austerity measures have shrunk the economy by more than 20% in just three years, with a quarter of Greeks now unemployed.

Austerity is an economic catastrophe. The government must be forced off its current course. Hundreds of thousands are set to join the TUC march on 20 October. To coincide with this, we are launching a People's Petition for an Alternative to Austerity. The petition will be handed in to 10 Downing Street in June 2013, when we will be holding a People's Assembly in London to bring together all those opposed to cuts and debate a strategy for opposing them.

Everyone who wants to save the welfare state and resist spending cuts should sign and support the petition and the People's Assembly as a step towards creating a mass movement against austerity."

Click here to sign the petition

March for a Future that Works - Coaches from Weston, Clevedon & Portishead

Our coaches to the March for A Future that Works in London on 20th October are almost full.

Coaches leave Weston super Mare Locking Road car park at 7 am sharp, and pick up at Clevedon Castlewood at 7.45 am, and Portishead Police HQ at 7.45 am.

If you want to book the last few seats then go to: http://marchforafuturethatworks.eventbrite.co.uk

Or contact the branch on 01934 634759 or unison@n-somerset.gov.uk. Bookings are free for UNISON members, with a small charge for non-members.