Industrial Relations Committee

Transcription

1 Industrial Relations Committee reference title author status summary & recommendations IR(16)07 Donations and affiliations Lloyd Bowen For discussion A summary of the external organisations (non TUC related) and campaigns that ERUS supported during IRC members are requested to: 1. note the report and consider if they would like to volunteer to be a liaison between any of the groups and the CSP. 2. Specifically referring to the Greece Solidarity Campaign: if there is an ability to help source equipment for the Piraeus Solidarity clinic? If so how does the IRC recommend we do this? To decide if the IRC want to seek a volunteer to be a link/liaison to help to drive this work forward. 1. Organisations the CSP supported during 2015 Below is a list of the organisations that the CSP, via ERUS, supported during I have included a brief description of the rationale for each group. Ongoing annual support. The organisation s listed below we support on an annual and ongoing basis. Agreement to support these organisations was made by previous IRC members in previous years. Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) ACTSA is a membership organisation campaigning with the people of Southern Africa for justice, democracy and development in the region. L Bowen 03/02/16

2 Amnesty International Amnesty International is the foremost campaigning organisation in the field of human rights. It campaigns both for individual victims of human rights abuses and on broad human rights issues such as violence against women. Baby Milk Action - 50 The primary aim of this very small campaigning organisation is to stop misleading advertising of breast milk substitutes by companies -such as Nestle- which targets women in the third world. Because I am a Girl (Plan UK) - 50 Because I am a Girl is a campaign that aims to transform the lives of the world's poorest girls. Burma Campaign UK Burma Campaign UK campaigns to stop human rights abuses in Burma, which include forced labour and using ordinary citizens as human minesweepers. Campaign for Trade Union Freedom The Campaign for Trade Union Freedom was established in 2013 following a merger of the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions and the United Campaignt to Repeal the Anti Trade Union Laws. The CTUF is a campaigning organisation fighting to defend and enhance trade unionism, oppose all anti-union laws as well as promoting and defending collective bargaining across UK, Europe and the World. Child Poverty Action Group The goal of the CAPG Poverty is to eradicate child poverty in the UK. Although in the last decade the number of children living in poverty has reduced, progress has not been fast enough for us to reach the goal of ending child poverty by 2020 that all the main political parties signed up to in the Child Poverty Act. Cuba Solidarity 100 The purpose of Cuba Solidarity is to raise awareness of the situation in Cuba and promote respect for its sovereignty and independence. Greece Solidarity Campaign The Greece Solidarity Campaign (GSC) is an independent campaign and non-party political organisation, established in response to an appeal by Tony Benn in February 2012 for solidarity with the people resisting austerity in Greece. Hazards Campaigns to improve conditions for workers across all industries. Hazards are supported almost entirely by donations. 2

3 Institute of Employment Rights The IER is funded by trade unions and individual donations. Its aim is to provide a wide variety of high quality publications to stimulate debate and analysis about employment law policies and legal developments in industrial relations. Justice for Colombia Justice for Colombia (JFC) is a British Non Governmental Organisation that campaigns for human rights, workers' rights and the search for peace with social justice in Colombia. Established in 2002 by a group of British trade unionists, JFC was created in response to the appalling human rights crisis in Colombia - and particularly the abuses committed against trade unionists. In that year alone, 184 trade unionists were assassinated and Colombia remains the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist. Liberty Liberty campaigns to protect basic rights and freedoms through the courts, in Parliament and in the wider community. We do this through a combination of public campaigning, test case litigation, parliamentary lobbying, policy analysis and the provision of free advice and information. Maternity Action Maternity Action works to end inequality and promote the health and well-being of all pregnant women, their partners and children from before conception through to the child's early years. National Assembly for Women - 60 The National Assembly of Women was founded in 1952 to work for full social, economic, legal, political and cultural independence, equality for women irrespective of age, race, religion, philosophical belief, sexual orientation or nationality. National Pensioners Convention The National Pensioners' Convention campaigns and lobbies on the issue of pensioner poverty. Stonewall Stonewall was formed to put the case for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on the mainstream political agenda. Stonewall provides research into discrimination in the workplace, homophobia including bullying in schools. Tolpuddle Martyrs festival The Tolpuddle Festival is the annual event commemorating one of the formative events in the historic struggle for trade union rights in Britain. Consisting of a summer youth academy for young trade unionists from the UK and abroad, a rally, theatre and music the event is regularly attended by CSP members. The CSP send a donation each year towards the costs of the festival. 3

4 Trade Union Disability Alliance TUDA is an organisation of disabled trade union members. It aims to bridge the gap between the trade unions and disability movements and lobbies to ensure trade unions make their services accessible to members. TUC Pride A donation toward the TUC LGBT conference to help promote networking opportunities for delegates and towards the Pride fund. TUC Black Workers conference 50 Donation made towards the chosen appeal for the 2015 conference. Unite Against Fascism Unite Against Fascism is a new national campaign with the aim of alerting British society to the rising threat of the extreme right gaining an electoral foothold in this country, in particular the British National Party (BNP). War on Want War on Want is a trade union supported development organisation fighting poverty in developing countries. One off donations and offers of support The organisations below received a small donation of support from the CSP. These were agreed with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the IRC. Mary Qualie club 75 donation towards the costs of a play about Mary Qualie ( ). Mary was a major figure in the TU movement in the first half of the 20 th century. The play was a way of making her life and work better known to people. North West TUC 100 donation towards the anti TU bill in the North West campaign Robin Hood Tax Campaign 200 donation towards the operations of the campaign. The RHTC seeks to establish a Robin Hood Tax which would be a tiny tax on the financial sector that could generate billions of pounds annually to fight poverty and climate change at home and abroad. TUC Disabled workers committee 50 donation towards the conference to help promote awareness and share networking opportunities. Recommendation: IRC members are asked to note the above and consider if they would like to volunteer to be a liaison between any of the groups and the CSP. 4

5 2. Greece solidarity campaign In 2015 ARC carried a motion on the health service in Greece. Two specific actions were requested. That the CSP affiliate to the Greece Solidarity campaign and that we set up links with physiotherapists in Greece to offer what support we can. Affiliation was sorted and has been renewed but the second point has been harder to action. In May we ed the Greece solidarity campaign to ask if they could help us set up links but received no reply. However this year when they ed about re-affiliating they also said that they were urging affiliates to consider formal links with solidarity clinics and similar community and trade union bodies in Greece and said they could help facilitate this. We replied saying that we would like to make stronger links to Physiotherapist in Greece. In their reply they say We are pleased that the CSP would like to explore making stronger links to physiotherapists in Greece and also seeing what support CSP members may be able to give more directly. In Greece the trade unions are organised in a different structure to the UK. We do however have many contacts in the health sector, unions and the social solidarity clinics which are staffed by volunteer medical staff including physiotherapists, so we will investigate and get back to you about possible links for CSP. As you know 3.3 million people do not have access to health care and thus a network of solidarity clinics and pharmacies has been set up across the country which provide free health care and free medication. There is a new exciting development which I learnt about when I visited Athens taking funds in November. The Piraeus Solidarity Project is developing a new Therapy Centre which they are establishing in a building which they have renovated. They discussed with me what equipment they will need - including physiotherapy equipment and they will be sending me details in the near future. I wondered if CSP members would be interested in helping source what is needed - the volunteers at the Piraeus Solidarity Centre stressed that second hand equipment would be fine. There may be opportunities for voluntary placements in Athens too. I will let you know of developments. In the meantime, is this something CSP could explore with members? Recommendation: 1. The IR committee is asked to decide if there is an ability to help source equipment for the Piraeus Solidarity clinic? If so how does the IRC recommend we do this? 2. To decide if the IRC want to seek a volunteer to be a link/liaison to help to drive this work forward. L Bowen 02/02/16 5