Reading Trades Union Council at Pride

On 31 August 2019, Reading Pride marched through the town and took up residency on Kings Meadow. As is customary, trade unionists assembled, lining up alongside political and social marquees and stalls, from the NHS to the Reading & District Labour Party.

Rob Sterling (GMB), Nikki Dancey (GMB) and Kevin
Brandstatter (GMB) in the RTUC gazebo

Reading Trades Union Council parked its gazebo alongside that of its affiliated trade union, the GMB, and members of the RMT, Unite, the Musicians' Union, Unison, NEU and other trade unions promoted their campaigns and fraternised with members, prospective members and other sympathisers.

Cllr Rachel Eden (GMB), Matt Rodda MP (Labour, Reading
East) and Paul Sony (GMB) at the GMB gazebo

RTUC distributed literature on the minimum wage, transport policy and workplace equality and held conversations to promote the power of collective strength in defending minorities and other groups and individuals striving for equality.

RTUC would like to acknowledge the fine work done by Plan C Reading, Abingdon Queer Action and other groups which led a protest against the presence of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, the Ministry of Defence and the Conservative Party at Reading Pride, despite their support for arms trading with regimes which persist in criminalising homosexuality. Plan C Reading wrote up the protest as follows:

RTUC Joins Protest at Frimley Health NHS Trust

On 21 August 2019, Berkshire County Trades Association, represented by delegates from Reading Trades Union Council and Slough Trades Council, supported Unison, GMB and Unite members of Frimley Health NHS Trust in a protest against privatisation proposals.

Margery Thorogood (left, GMB/STUC) and David
McMullen (2ndright, GMB/RTUC)

The Trust's Deputy Chief Executive, Janet King (Janet.king18@nhs.net), attempted to brief staff at Wexham Park Hospital on proposals to create a wholly owned, arm's length subsidiary which would see non-clinical jobs at Wexham, Frimley and Heatherwood hospitals transferred from the NHS to a new company, affecting around 1000 staff. Her attempt to exclude trade union organisers from the briefing, however, led to a walk out by trade unionist members.

RTUC banner greets workers assembling in protest

The GMB Southern Region report of the meeting can be found here: https://www.gmb-southern.org.uk/news/gmb-members-walk-out-of-frimley-health-nhs-trust-privatisation-meeting.

The 'Morning Star' reports employer repression by Trust management here: https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/union-reps-physically-assaulted-by-senior-management-at-frimley-health-nhs-foundation-trust-privatisation-meeting-gmb-claims.

In addition to the principled opposition health privatisation, the trade unions, including GMB, Unite and Unison, fear the transfer will lead to job losses and worsened terms and conditions.

GMB members have staged lunch-time demonstrations against the plans and have launched a consultative ballot on the plans.

Reading Trades Union Council's banner joined the flags and banners of other trade unions, proudly sported by the RTUC secretary, Dave McMullen (GMB).

Reading's Coalition of the Left Protests Universal Credit

The issues at stake!

On 1 August 2019, from 18:00 to 19:00, a protest of about fifty people, plus many more passes-by, assembled at Town Hall Square, Reading, to share experiences about the trauma of Universal Credit.

John Partington (3rd left, TSSA) and Chris Reilly (far right, RMT)
with fellow Reading Labour Party Executive members

Reading Trades Union Council was well represented, with delegates present including John Gillman (Unite), Ginnette Hargreaves-Lees (Unite), Dave McMullen (GMB), John Partington (TSSA), Chris Reilly (RMT), Sue Taylor (PCS) and co-organiser, Jim Parker (Unite).

Ginnette Hargreaves-Lees (Unite) addresses the protest

The event was co-organised by Berkshire Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) and the Community branch of Unite the Union. Jim Parker took the lead in distributing leaflets while Merry Cross of DPAC opened the speeches and encouraged speakers to come forward.

John Partington (TSSA) speaks on Universal Credit and fear

RTUC provided two speakers, John Partington (TSSA), who referenced the fear Universal Credit applicants have in protesting or even being seen at protests in case their benefits are stopped, and Ginnette Hargreaves-Lees (Unite), who spoke of her own struggles accessing support.

Merry Cross (DPAC) leads the condemnations

With the new wind of change blowing through Reading & District Labour Party following its Annual General Meeting on 25 July, eight of its elected executive committee joined the protest, two of whom are RTUC delegates: Chris Reilly (RMT) and John Partington (TSSA).

Alison Peyton (ReadiFood) speaks

Cllr Rachel Eden, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate in Reading West, also spoke against Universal Credit before being joined after the speeches by Cllrs Micky Leng, John Ennis and Sarah Hacker to pledge opposition to Universal Credit and offer support for its scrapping once a Labour Government is formed.

Cllr Rachel Eden (Labour) supports the protest

Alison Peyton of Readifood, Reading's primary food bank, gave anecdotal evidence of the increase in food bank use in the town since Universal Credit was introduced for new applicants. Austerity is - according to the Tories - over, yet Alison sees more food bank users now than ever before.

Rona Topaz shares her experiences

Two further Universal Credit claimants rounded off proceedings. Rona Topaz spoke of the difficulty in accessing support under Universal Credit tests.

John Hoggett expresses anger through
call-and-response poetry

And John Hoggett, in his unique style, used art - in this case poetry - to condemn Universal Credit and to dignify welfare claimants, reminding his listeners that the means to a basic existence is a human right and rather than stigmatise them, we should celebrate benefits claimants for their resilience in the face of extreme hardship and deprivation.

Reading Labour councillors, Micky Leng, John Ennis, Sarah Hacker and
Rachel Eden pledge to support the scrapping of Universal Credit