Message from Ken Muller (NUT) on calling for a Joint planning meeting to coordinate activities around possible united public sector strike action this summer

Dear Colleagues/Sisters/Brothers/Comrades,

Back in the autumn of 2011, in the weeks before the  fantastic 2.5 million united public sector strike against the Coalition’s austerity policies in November,  reps, officers and activists from a number of Islington public sector unions met up at a number of planning meetings and organised a successful joint unions rally in the town hall.

Now that it looks likely that a number of unions, including the UNISON, GMB, NUT, UCU and possibly the PCS, will be coming together again to call national action this summer – possibly on 10 July - Islington NUT would like to propose that we do something similar this time.

To this end, we have booked Islington Town Hall Committee Room 6 from 6.30 pm on Monday 9th June for a planning meeting to discuss how we can coordinate our actions locally - especially whether we should organise a public meeting / rally prior to 10 July - and, if so, who we should invite to speak. (In order to reserve a venue for such a rally, should it be agreed, we have taken the liberty of provisionally booking the large Committee Room 1 at the town hall from 7-9 pm on Wednesday 2 July. Of course, this can be changed if necessary.)

So far, the planning meeting – and possible rally – has been backed by the Trades Council, GMB and NUT and we are waiting to hear from UNISON and other union, including UCU, PCS and FBU.

Representatives of public sector unions currently considering action this summer in defence of their pay / conditions / pensions are especially welcome. But the planning meeting is open to any workers who are – or have recently been – in dispute with their employers or other activists who want to discuss how we can best build solidarity with we hope will this time be a serious fight against the Coalition government’s austerity policies.

Such a united class fight, of course, would be the best possible antidote to the disgusting racism peddled by UKIP and those who are following them to the right on immigration.

Looking forward to seeing you on 9 June.

In solidarity

Ken Muller

Assistant Secretary

Islington NUT