A lively meeting of the Reading
Trades Union Council took place at the Quaker Meeting House, Church Street, Reading,
on 12 April. The meeting, which included a guest from the Berkshire
Antifascists, announced the re-launch of the RTUC’s Blog (www.readingtradesunioncouncil.blogspot.com)
and the creation of a Facebook Community Page for discussion and debate around
local trade union, workers’ rights and community issues (https://www.facebook.com/ReadingTUC/).
Local people, whether in a trade union or not, are encouraged to engage with
the Community Page, raising issues of concern to them and also understanding
the issues important to others in the Reading area.
In terms of local action, the
RTUC resolved to support the junior doctors’ strike action by fraternising at
the picket lines at the Royal Berkshire Hospital on 26 and 27 April. Funds were
voted for the production of RTUC-printed t-shirts declaring their solidarity
with the junior doctors in their fight to save the NHS and protect their pay
and working conditions.
In a show of respect to the
victims of the Didcot Power Station collapse of 23 February, in which one worker
was killed and three are still unaccounted for, the RTUC is sending a
delegation to Didcot to mark Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April.
As a major public event, the RTUC
also resolved to organisation a ‘question time’ style Q&A in May on the
subject of the European Union Referendum. Panellists both for and against
‘Brexit’ will be assembled and members of the public will be invited to
question them on the pros and cons of EU membership. The RTUC will be
announcing a date and venue in due course, though the objective is to host the
event soon after the May local elections.
To become involved in any of the
events mentioned here or to learn more about the activities of the RTUC, please
visit its social media sites or email its secretary, James Parker (jamesparker7@me.com).
