Corona Virus alert: at the time of writing we do not know if any or all of the events listed will take place. Please look out for notifications nearer the time. We DO know the UN anti-racism demonstration in London on Saturday 21stMarch has been cancelled. This might just be a record of what might have happened……
Monday 16th March Panorama TV BBC 1 “Britain’s Bus Crisis” 9pm in the comfort of your own living room!
Wednesday 18th March Sheffield Stop and Scrap Universal Credit community stall 11 till 1pm Manor Top. Help us give out leaflets, get our petition signed and talk to Sheffielders who are suffering under Universal Credit. Volunteers welcome.
Wednesday 18th March Sheffield Needs a Pay Rise meeting with Rohan Kon 6pm United Reform Church (room 3 upstairs) Norfolk Street, Sheffield. This meeting is going ahead but a video-link will be available for those not wanting to attend. Sheffield Needs a Pay Rise is gaining speed, organising with low wage workers across the city. This month campaigns have kicked off in fast food, cinemas, pubs and cafes – with workers forming unions, holding trainings, marching on the bosses and making public pledges to strike. We have lots to discuss, including coronavirus and sick pay. If you are self-isolating or unwilling to attend in person, there is the option to join via video call. Click on this link and follow the instructions to download Zoom to join the meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/598282753 Click attending on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2721680601202867/
We have an appeal to raise fund to pay for Rohan – please make cheques payable to Sheffield Trade Union Council and mark on the back “Union Organiser Fund”. See flyer
CANCELLED: Saturday 21 March UN Anti-Racism Day Stand Up to Racism is organising major marches in London and Glasgow as part of a global #WorldAgainstRacism coordination where demonstrations will take place all over the world, including across the US and Europe where the far right is on the rise. Sheffield SUtR will be organising coaches
Friday 20th March South Yorkshire Bus Commission report launch 11am till 12 noon Sheffield City Region Offices 11 Broad Street West, Sheffield S1 2BQ. Stakeholders who gave evidence to the Commission are invited to attend. A press conference is to be held beforehand. City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis asked Clive Betts MP to head up a Commission to look into the state of our bus services and come up with recommendations for the future.
Tuesday 24th March Sheffield TUC Delegate Meeting 7pm Trades and Labour Club 200 Duke Street Sheffield S2 5QQ. Speaker invited from ACORN. Non-delegates who are union members are welcome to attend as visitors. Please use side door on Talbot Street to access the Club before 7.30pm N.B. We have made no decision yet whether to cancel this meeting
Wednesday 25th march Sheffield Stop and Scrap Universal Credit steering committee 1230hrs til 2pm United Reform Church Room 3 upstairs Norfolk Street. Please join us on help plan activities and intensify the campaign to rid the nation of this punitive welfare regime that has put so many in desperate hardship.
Tuesday 31st march May Day planning committee 6pm till 7pm United Reform Church Room 1 upstairs Norfolk Street Come and help us plan the events and make Sheffield May Day on Sunday 3rd May a big success.
Thursday 2nd April Yorkshire Freedom Riders & Better Buses Campaign rally 12 noon Sheffield Rail Station then march to SYPTE Office, 11 Broad Street West, Sheffield S1 2BQ. Organised by South Yorkshire Freedom Riders and supported by Sheffield TUC, ACORN etc. Our bus services are a scandal as 30 years of privatisation and deregulation has taken its toll. Now we want our bus services back” The City Region Mayor’s S. Yorks Bus Commission report is launched on 20th March. We need to pile on the pressure for real change. See flyer attached
Friday 3rd April Global School Students Strike #YS4C Assemble 11am Devonshire Green then march through city centre to City Hall steps Barkers Pool. Details still to be confirmed. No decision yet made on whether to cancel. Greta Thunberg has called for a global school students strike to raise the pressure on world leaders to act now on the climate. Worrying new from the North Pole – glaciers are melting 6 time faster than in the 1990’s consistent with worst predictions on global warming.
Saturday 4th April and Sunday 5th April “Striking Feet” play about Shoemakers Strike 7.30pm Eyam Mechanics Institute. The play by Leslie Oldfield is about the two yearlong Eyam and Stoney Middleton Shoe workers strike of 1918-1920. The strike was probably the longest strike in British trade union history involving a group of women and I point out in the play the role by Sheffield trade unionists in supporting the strike.
Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 April 2020 Young Workers Organising Weekend Doubletree Hilton, Hull HU2 Yorks and Humber Regional TUC: If you’re a young trade union activist (35 and under) we’d like to invite you to our Young Workers Organising Weekend, which will run in parallel with our Regional AGM, and want you to be part of it! The weekend is dedicated to developing the organising potential of our young trade union activists through workshops and training sessions, delivered by some of the best practitioners in trade union and community organising.
✔ Join dozens of young activists who want to be on the front lines in our workplaces and communities, organising new workers and agitating together.
✔ Meet some of the best practitioners in organising from across the country and around the world.
✔ Take part in workshops including creative organising tactics, beating apathy, running a campaign, and training in digital organising.
✔ Organise with others in your union, industry, or campaign.
Face-to-face meetings to share tactics and swap notes are what this weekend is all about. You are invited to attend the daytime training on Saturday 4 April and also stay for dinner and overnight to participate in a panel debate on young workers in the trade union movement during the Sunday session of the TUC’s Regional Conference. We want to upskill our young activists and empower them to go out and start building their union! 💪
**Please note there is no charge for the Saturday and Sunday sessions however if you would like to stay for the dinner and overnight there will be a charge for this**
To find out more and to register your interest, click on the link below https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/young-workers-organising-weekend-organising-power
Thursday 9th April Unveiling of plaque to commemorate the life of Bill Ronksley 1130 outside Town Hall, Pinstone Street by the Memorial Tree. Unveiling and speeches by Mick Whelan ASLEF General Secretary, Cllr Julie Dore Council Leader, martin Mayer Secretary Sheffield TUC followed by short reception in Town Hall with memories, photos and recording of interview with Bill in 2016. Bill Ronksley died in November 2018 at the age of 94 after a long life of active involvement in trade unionism and politics. He was National President of ASLEF before becoming long-serving Secretary of Sheffield TUC. A lifelong Communist and internationalist, he is sorely missed. A life well worth celebrating. Photo of plaque attached
20 & 21 April; 18 & 19 May; and 1 & 2 July 2020 Stepping up – Women in Leadership course PCS Offices, Leeds city centre Back by popular demand, Yorks and Humber TUC are offering this very interesting and worthwhile course again to our women trade union reps in the region. The course is designed for those who want to develop their leadership position within the trade union movement or build their CV skills to advance into leadership roles within their organisation or community.
The course will aim to help you understand:
✔ what leadership is
✔ leadership skills
✔ leadership styles
✔ public speaking
✔ organising skills
✔ media skills
If this is something that excites you and you’d like to find out more, click on the link below! https://www.tuceducation.org.uk/findacourse/courses/102
Saturday 25th April Conference to launch YHPC Transport Manifesto 11am till 3pm (doors open 1030am) Central Methodist Church, St Saviourgate, York Y01 8NQ. Speakers include: Rachael Maskell MP, Phil Bown Unite the Union transport section, Jan Shortt General Secretary National Pensioners Convention, Mayor of Dunkirk (invited) Campaigners from across the North Yorks and Humber Pensioners Convention has published their Transport Manifesto on better bus services. Privatisation and deregulation of our local bus services has been a failure and led to huge cuts in services, appalling reliability and fares people cannot afford. With the climate emergency we need an affordable high quality public transport system like never before. Bringing buses back into public ownership would ensure the service is planned to benefit the passengers rather than the private companies! See flyer attached
Tuesday 28th April International Workers Memorial Day ceremony 1230 till 1.15 Outside Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield. Wreath laying ceremony with speakers from the Labour and Trade Union Movement. On this day we mourn for the dead and fight for the living. Health and Safety at work is a basic right but too many employers put profit before safety. Bring your banners and if possible a wreath to lay beside the Memorial Tree.
Sunday 3rd May Sheffield May day parade and rally 1130 Assemble Devonshire Green. 1230 Parade via city centre. 1pm Rally outside City Hall in Barkers Pool. Speakers include Richard Burgon MP. Followed by afternoon of music, food and political debate in DINA.
Saturday 16th May With Banners Held High festival in Wakefield “The past we inherit – a green future we build” All day event including evening social. 6 workshops. Them is trade unions and climate change. More details to follow