Diary of Events January – May 2019

Thursday 17th January Universal Credit Campaign Meeting
12 noon till 1330hrs. venue to be confirmed. Sheffield TUC is bringing together all the organisations who want to join together and fight this pernicious welfare “reform” which will leave up to 80,000 Sheffield households worse off. We need support from union branches, welfare campaigns etc.

Saturday 19th January BARNSTORMER 1649 – WAKEFIELD
7.30pm Balne Lane WMC, Benjamin Street, Wakefield WF2 9AN
Its Atilla the Stockbroker, and his new punk band with early musical instruments telling the story of the Levellers, the Diggers in revolutionary England post Charles I. A celebration of working class history organised by Wakefield & District TUC
‘Restoration Tragedy’ is the new album by Barnstormer 1649 – and it doesn’t sound like anything else! It mixes early music and punk in 58 minutes of songs and instrumentals set around the aftermath of the English Revolution of 1649, when Charles 1st was beheaded, the country became a republic, the ‘world turned upside down’ and unprecedented radical ideas spread across the land. Tickets £10 available through Eventbrite and on the door.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/barnstormer-1649-wakefield-tickets-53683081542?aff=eemailordconf&utm_campaign=order_confirm&utm_medium=email&ref=eemailordconf&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=viewevent

Tuesday 22nd January Sheffield Trades Council delegate meeting
7pm Trades and Labour Club, 200 Duke Street S2 5QQ. Also open to trade union members as visitors.

Monday 4th February Sheffield Save Our NHS AGM
1845hrs United Reform Chapel, Norfolk Street, S1
DEFEND THE NHS – IF WE FIGHT WE CAN WIN
“We would like to invite trade unionists to our AGM to discuss the issues facing the NHS.
Despite the Governments promise of £20bn of extra funds, this will only bring the NHS back to pre-2016 figures. The Government is continuing to force through privatisations, cuts in services and no plans to fill huge staff shortages. South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw are consulting on a Hospital Services Review which outlines cuts to Maternity. Paediatrics’ and Mental Health services”. Mick Suter – Chair SSONHS
Come along and discuss these issues with our 3 speakers;
Cllr Chris Peace – Sheffield City Cabinet member for Health and Social Care
John Campbell – Branch Secretary Unison Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
Mick Suter – Chair SSONHS
Tuesday 5th February NEU Public Meeting on Palestine (to be confirmed)
1930hrs St. Mary’s Community Centre, Bramall Lane S1.
The NEU is hosting a public meeting on Palestine with speaker Louise Regan from our national executive, who Louise has been on past NUT delegations and will speak from experience.
Labour Friends of Palestine and other Palestinian groups are invited- It will be an open meeting. The situation in Palestine is dire. Yesterday a private members bill proposed withdrawing British funding from some Palestinian schools that the Government disapproves of. Meanwhile Israel threatens to demolish Palestinian schools and uses military law against children.

Tuesday 12th February MAY DAY Planning Meeting
6pm to 7.15pm Small room upstairs, United reform Chapel Norfolk Street
“Sheffield Trades Council is organising a May Day rally and festival in Sheffield this year – for the first time for 20?/30? Years!! We can’t do this on our own, nor do we want to. This must be a joint effort with the wider labour and trade union movement. We are delighted that Sheffield Labour Party branches, trade unions, various campaign bodies and left organisations are joining us to help plan and organise the day’s events”. Martin Mayer Secretary
Is your organisation involved? Can you send a representative? This meeting will finalise some of the above arrangements and begin to look at how we publicise the event and maximise the appeal to the people of Sheffield and the wider area to attend

Sunday 24th February NICE ONE CYRILLE!
Kick off at 2pm and finish at 7pm. U-Mix Centre off Bramall Lane
Football Unites, Racism Divides and Stand Up To Racism are jointly organising a tribute to former West Brom and Coventry striker Cyrille Regis, the inspirational black footballer, who fought racism and helped change football, with an anti-racist event on Sunday 24th February 2019 – the day after the WBA v SUFC planned fixture – and just over a year since his untimely death in January this year.
The event will take the form of three football tournaments – for young people, women and older people – followed by speeches and personal recollections about Cyrille’s life. The focus will be the fight against racism in football today and how we combat the growing threat from racists and fascists organising through the (Democratic) Football Lads Alliance and Tommy Robinson supporters.

Tuesday 26th February Sheffield Trades Council AGM
7pm Trades and Labour Club. Guest speaker Roger McKenzie UNISON Asst. General Secretary. Followed by elections of all officers and executive committee. Please ensure your union branch is affiliated for 2019!

26th Feb to 2nd March – ‘Rouse, Ye Women!’
7.30pm The Lantern Theatre Sheffield. A new folk ballad by Neil Gore and John Kirkpatrick telling the true story of Mary Macarthur and the women chainmakers. he role of trade unionist and strike leader Mary Macarthur will be performed by Scottish folk singer Bryony Purdue. Purdue is an outstandingly versatile and charismatic performer and has sung with UK Opera companies Opera GlassWorks, Longborough Festival Opera and touring ensembles VoxCollective and Transatlantic Ensemble.

Thursday 11th April ‘Rouse Ye Women!’
7pm Rotherham Underground. Organised by Rotherham TUC. See above for details of this Townsend Production about the women chain makers strike.

Saturday 4th May Sheffield MAY DAY Rally and Festival
Assemble 12 noon Devonshire Green. March through city centre then rally at 1300hrs on City Hall steps, Barkers Pool. Confirmed speakers include Len McCluskey UNITE General secretary and Rebecca Long-Bailey MP Shadow Cabinet. Plus, events at DINA in afternoon and social with live music from 8.30pm

Friday 10th May “The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist”
Rotherham venue and time to be confirmed. A Townsend Production. Organised by Rotherham TUC

Saturday 18 May 2019 “With Banners Held High” Wakefield TUC
A day of workshops, music, speeches and debate with the theme “A Land Fit for Heroes?” “We will consider the aftermath of World War One from the perspective of the working class, trade unions and Labour Movement as a whole and by harnessing contemporary social and political injustices as comparison, we will explore how the fundamental issues which were present within the inter-war period, are still visible today. Moreover, the event will welcome the Labour Party pledge to repeal the Trade Union Act 2016 – an Act which originates from the inter-war period (1926) – and that the implementation of such, could and should, be our ‘Red Friday’. Martyn Richardson Chair, WBHH
With Banners Held High 2019 will bring together the entire Labour movement to support those in struggle today, to reunite old comrades, and to inspire our younger generations. It is with this expansion in mind that I ask for your support.
As previously, we will acknowledge all unions who support WBHH2019. Cheque donations can be sent to With Banners Held High at the above address, or by BACS transfer to With Banners Held High: sort code 55-70-23, account number 83299874. We are also running an advertisement package within our souvenir brochure which you may want to take advantage of. The cost of this is £50 for a quarter page advertisement, £75 for a half page advertisement and £150 for a full page advertisement. If you would like any further information, please email us at withbannersheldhigh@outlook.com.