Mr. Charalambous: 'Publish my reply in full'!

'Not a petition' maybe a woke manifesto?

 Editor:  Charles Charalambous has asked that we
publish his e-mail in full for our readers 
to judge.  In it he accuses us of making
'mispresentations of my views on your blog'.
Later on he goes further and suggests:  
'On reflection, I can only conclude that your 
misrepresentation of my views and communications 
with you are more likely wilful than not. Among 
other things, this goes against the principle 
of free debate in the labour movement.'  

We must leave it to our readers to decide if 
Mr. Charalambous views have been portrayed by us 
 either as 'mispresentations' or 'misrepresentations' 
or that we are further guilty offending 'against the 
principle of free debate in the labour movement.'  
As yet, Tameside Trade Union Council of which 
I am the secretary, has not signed-up to 
Mr. Charalambous's manifesto on Covid-19, but
we have at least published it in full on this Blog.

 ********************************

Brian,

I WILL take the time to make three brief points in answer to your blog postings that refer to me:


1. Clearly, you have either missed the point, or are deliberately choosing to miss the point (I won't suggest anything worse) in order to generate more content for your blog. The appeal to trade unionists (bit of a clue there) which you refer to is not a petition to the government, as is obvious from the part you quoted ("Let's come together to push for the basic emergency measures that democracy requires.") and from the introduction to the list of basic emergency measures, which you carefully avoid referring to or quoting.

2. You have chosen to only publish the first part of my last reply to you, which ended:

I am not interested in correcting the mispresentations of my views on your blog - not because of any supposed "chains around some brains" (an ambitious claim based on limited evidence, I'd say Les), but because I have better uses for my time.*

By all means, feel free to quote Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper, but I would be more impressed if you engaged more directly with what people are living through today in the UK and worldwide.

3. You continue to mispell my name, despite spelling it correctly in your earliest post about me, and even after spelling it correctly (once) in an entire piece devoted to musings on spelling and grammar. My name is in black and white in my communications with you. Do you have a learning disability, or are you just being childish?

On reflection, I can only conclude that your misrepresentation of my views and communications with you are more likely wilful than not. Among other things, this goes against the principle of free debate in the labour movement.

Please therefore publish this reply in full and stop using my name to make spurious points in your blog.

Regards

Charles Charalambous

*  We did in fact publish what Charles Charalambous said as a comment...

'I am not interested in correcting the mispresentations of my views on your blog - not because of any supposed "chains around some brains" (an ambitious claim based on limited evidence, I'd say Les), but because I have better uses for my time.'

Tuesday, 14 April 2020 at 10:02:00 BST

*******************

STATEMENT on Bolton student residence fire

STATEMENT  by GREATER MANCHESTER

TRADE UNION COUNCIL EXECUTIVE  

– Saturday 23^rd November, 2019

THE meeting of the Greater Manchester Association of TUCs [GMATUC] Executive (Saturday 23^rd November, 2019), was the first opportunity after the Bolton student residence fire to support the FBU statement (16^th November) and the Bolton TUC statement condemning the ‘complete failure’ of the UK fire safety system and relieved that no one was killed.

The fire at The Cube student residence was a disaster that should never have happened.

Along with Bolton TUC there are two points we want to make:

First, there is the question of flammable cladding and the unacceptable delay in enforcing the removal of all flammable cladding in all buildings, following the Grenfell tragedy.

The second point we want to make [the public aware of our] concerns of cuts to the Greater Manchester fire services. The fantastic response of fire fighters to the conflagration at The Cube would have been less effective if the proposed cuts across Greater Manchester had taken place. All cuts to fire services must be shelved.

Stefan Cholewka the GMATUC secretary said: “GM Mayor Andy Burnham on TV said that the building was red flagged previously as it did not conform fully to fire safety regulations even though it was not classified as a high rise. However, he still proposes to go ahead with additional Greater Manchester fire service cuts… Thankfully, Greater Manchester fire service had learned lessons from Grenfell and swiftly evaluated the building with the help of a students residents committee. It seems that everyone is learning lessons from the Grenfell tragedy EXEPT Andy Burnham!”.

…We fully support Les Skarratts, FBU North West executive council member, when he said: "Greater Manchester has lost more than 600 fire fighters since 2010 alone and, alarmingly, Andy Burnham is trying to cut another six fire engines, including one in Bolton. 
"We need to stop the senseless cuts to our fire and rescue service before we see another awful incident like this.”

**************************

Trouble Times Outsourcing by Wigan Council

Wigan Trades Council Press Release:

‘Unison Workers at Addaction will be on the picket lines again in Wigan and Leigh this coming Wednesday 9th, Thursday 10th and Friday 11th October and Wigan Trades Council is calling upon trade unionists to show their support by visiting picket lines, inviting strikers to their meetings, and holding collections for their hardship fund.

‘The strikes this week are a significant escalation of the dispute in the face of an intransigent employer which portrays itself as a charity but behaves in a way that is anything but charitable. And the support now being shown to strikers indicates that the Trades Council is not alone in this opinion.

‘Wigan is a working-class town that as such has suffered disproportionally under the Tory and Lib Dem heel of austerity, producing a range of terrible consequences for which workers at Addaction are picking up the pieces.  Their work in the rehabilitation of adults and young people who have drug and alcohol misuse and related problems, is a vital service that was once under the NHS. Its privatisation has resulted in more pressure on workers and the service, and the going back on promises made on wages and conditions by Addaction.

‘Wigan Council commissioned Addaction to undertake work that should always have been performed by our NHS. In awarding contracts all privatised services are required to sign up to Wigan Council’s ‘Deal’. This ‘Deal’ clearly doesn’t require companies to honour agreements on pay and conditions and neither it seems does the ‘Deal’ require Addaction to honour recognition agreements with trade unions. To date, Addaction doesn’t recognise unions anywhere in the country. Clearly the ‘Deal’ is designed to benefit employers over Wigan’s labouring classes.

‘Wigan Trades Council will be supporting the strikers for as long as the dispute lasts and we will support all initiatives that give justice and respect to Addaction workers for the important and vital role they play in our communities.

‘Picket lines will be on from 8.00 am at Coops Building, Dorning Street, Wigan and Kennedy House, Brunswick Avenue, Leigh.’

**********************

Death or life sentences for Indian trade unionists

13 TRADE UNIONISTS IN INDIA FACING DEATH SENTENCES OR LIFE IMPRISONMENT

SAVE THE LIVES OF THE MARUTI 13!

Letter to his Excellency Y.K. Sinha
High Commissioner of India in London:

We the undersigned are writing to you regarding the Indian trade unionists at the Maruti Suzuki car factory in Haryana State, an Indian plant of the Japanese Suzuki multinational corporation, who were arrested and charged in connection with incidents that took place at this factory in 2012, in which a factory manager died, have just been tried in court. (1)

117 of them were acquitted and 31 were convicted of various offenses, including 13 who were convicted of murder -- which in India is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Finality of the quantum of punishment will be out on March 17.

Of the 13 convicted of murder -- convictions in which no evidence was produced to prove their guilt -- 11 were leaders of the MSWU, the independent union that was formed in Maruti and that management sought to break through violence.

SAVE THE LIVES OF THE MARUTI 13!

Excellency, we ask you to communicate the following demands to the Indian authorities:

FREEDOM FOR ALL THE IMPRISONED WORKERS!
DROP ALL THE CHARGES!
(1)  This car factory was first privatised in 2002, and the consequences that flowed from this notably included making 50% of the monthly salary variable, depending on the level of production, and having the workers lose around 25% of this part of their wages if they were absent for a day due to sick leave! In order to defend the employees’ rights, an independent trade union, the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union (MSWU), was set up in 2011. This was nothing more than the application of recognised provisions under the international Conventions 87 and 98 of the ILO. However, the company’s management stated attitude was that it was not even worth trying to set up a trade union, and it then resorted to deploying armed thugs around the factory.

Endorsers - pers cap

John Sweeney trade unionist, Member of the Mumbai Conference Continuations Committee; Mike Calvert, Deputy Secretary Islington Unison ; Ian Hodson, National President Bakers and Food Workers Union (BFAWU) ; Steve Hedley, RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary ; Jane Doolan, Secretary Islington Unison ; Nick Phillips Secretary Southwark Trades Council pers  ; Ronnie Draper General Secretary BFAWU ; John McNally National Vice – President Public & Commercial Services Union  ; Dave Auger Unison NEC; Adrian Kennett Unison NEC; Dean Ryan Islinton Unison  ; Dean Kirk Hull Unison  ; Keith Dunn Tottenham CLP ; Rachel Harris Halesowen and Rowley Regis CLP- USDAW ; Tam Dewar CWU- Labour party; Alison Birmingham Norfolk County Unison; Mina Rodgers Unison Retired members Secretary Leics Health Branch NPC National Committere; Tony Goss Trade Union Managers in Partnership Organiser , Torbay CLP; Rachael Harris, Halesowen and Rowley Regis CLP and USDAW; Michael Calderbank, Brent Central CLP; Cllr Mouna Hamitouche, Islington Labour Councillor; Jo Cardwell, Islington Unison; Mark Still, RMT; Jane Gebbie Bridend CLP Unison NPT; Geoff Jelly. Unison; George Binette Camden UNISON Branch Secretary & Camden Trades Council Chair; Steve Campbell Unite Community & Unison Retired; Liz Davies, UK barrister, Honorary Vice-President Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers; John Dennis Secretary Dumfries Trade Union Council & Secretary; Terry Luke, Islington Unison; Alex Wood, Unison; Richard Gill (Islington Unison); Claudia Calvino. Labour member Heeley CLP. Unite; Fiona Monkman  Islington Unison, Mike Arnott Dundee Trades Council; Stefan Cholewka Greater Manchester Association of Trades Councils ( GMATUCs) ; Doreen McNally Unite Liverpool Community Branch; Raymond Mennie Unite Dundee; Dave Green National Officer Fire Brigares Union FBU ; Islington Unison BC; Roger Silverman Newham NUTNewham Momentum; Brian Lawton,  Unite , London IT branch; Harry Smith UNITE;  Vinothan Sangarapillai, Camden Unison; Ayten Selcuk RMT; Kath O'Connor unison; Neil Parry  Unison Welsh Government Branch Secretary Cynon Valley CLP; Roger Lewis Lambeth Unison assistant branch secretary; Victoria Cuckson PCS; Michele Marshall UNIT; Richard Knights NUT; Peter Durrant, Unite. All members of Islington Unison Branch Committee: Isabel Handovsky. ; Andrew Berry; Denise Facey; Ghile Ghebrenegus ; Kevin Perkins; Angela Faventi; Tina Clayton Unison; Alison wood West Yorkshire; Adrian Kennett Unison NEC; Sue Dockett president Wisbech/March TUC; Lucia Collins, Nipsa General Council Member, (pers cap); JON ROGERS unison nec; Eddie Dempsey RMT NEC; Sean Fox Haringey UNISON Joint Branch Secretary; Richard Gerrard, Camberwell + Peckham CLP (pers cap); Oliver New, president Ealing TUC; Seema Chandwani Tottenham CLP; Tony Church PCS DWP Leicestershire/ Secretary Leicester and District Trades Union Council; Lee Cooper, Socialist Party; Katrina Coomber UNISON Health Branch; Jane Gebbie and Kerry Jones Unison Ymlaen Branch; Katie Hall. Unison. Cardiff University Branch; Danuta Kulisa; Jonathan Dunning UNISON NEC; Tara Styles-Lightowlers UCU;Findlay, Mark, Unite, Brighton Pavilion CLP; Ann Whitton CWU; Maggie Simpson, unison Cardiff County Branch; Pam Woods, Islington South and Finsbury Labour Party; Alison Bushell, Member Felixstowe CLP and Momentum; Gerry Downing;
Mike Hogan; Jim McFarlane; Bobby Clelland; Phil Buyum Jackson Tottenham CLP; Naomi Fearon Wythenshawe and Sale East CLP Socialist Educational Association Equalities Officer , NUT rep; Councillor Peter Rees, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Chair of joint Council for Wales,
Arlene  Chaves,   GMB,  neath Port Talbot County Borough Council,
LYNNE Doyle, unison Neath Port Talbot Council Borough Council,
David Smith,  unison cwm taff  local government branch; Jan Davies, UNISON, Monmouthshire Local Government Branch; Cheryl Morgan, UNISON Torfaen Local Government Branch; Peter Garland UNISON Newport Local Government Branch; Jackie Griffiths GMB Swansea County Council;?Dorothy Gordon GMB Swansea County Council; Mick Hutchinson GMB Powys County Council; Alwyn Rowles Unite North Wales Wales Branch; C Rogers Unite North West Wales Wrexham CLP;James David Unite Wrexham County Borough Council; Gary Simpson Unite Wrexham County Borough Council; Jane Isles UNISON Bridgend County Borough Council; Alyn Thomas GMB Wales and South West Region;Karen Evans GMB Denbighshire Composite Branch; Glenn Pappa UNISON Vale of Glamorgan;Tina Greaves GMB Vale of Glamorgan; Tommy Bower Unite Pembrokeshire County Council; Jo Rao UNISON Cardiff County Council Branch; Gwyn Roberts GMB Vale of Glamorgan Council; Owain Davies UNISON Ceredigion County Council; Lesley Davies Unite Rhondda Cynon Taff; David Andrew Williams Unite Caerphilly Council; Mark Preece Unite Carmarthenshire County Council;

Martin Larkham's Funeral

Dear Brothers & Sisters

The Memorial Service for Martin Larkham will take place at ROCHDALE CEMETARY & CREMATORIUM - 

555  Bury Road Rochdale Lancashire OL11 4DG

on FRIDAY 13th  JANUARY  @ 1.40 pm

Family flowers only.

Donations to Macmillan Cancer Support

Stefan Cholewka:  GMATUC secretary

Family flowers only please, donations, if desired, for Macmillan Cancer Support may be sent c/o The Co-operative Funeralcare at 95 Manchester Road, Rochdale, OL11 4JG; Tel 01706 653622.

The Wake will be held after the funeral at “The Flying Horse”, 37 Packer St, Rochdale OL16 1NJ  http://www.theflyinghorsehotel.co.uk/

 In Solidarity

Stefan Cholewka:

Secretary of the Greater Manchester County Association TUCs.

Orgreave Truth at Stockport TUC

21st September 7.30 pm

Open Meeting All welcome

Stockport Labour Club

2 Lloyd St, Stockport SK4 1QP

STOCKPORT TRADES COUNCIL 

No Justice, No peace

Barbara Jackson, secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) is coming to Stockport to talk about the pickets at the now infamous coking plant which provided fuel for Britain’s steel industry.

Miners, many in shorts and stripped to the waist in the hot summer sun, were unaware of the carnage to come — vicious and unprovoked police violence which turned the countryside into a battlefield.

Launched in November 2012, OTJC wants an independent public inquiry into what happened at Orgreave. It wants the police and the government called to account.

We will be showing the film 'Battle for Orgreave' made in 1985 by Yvette Vanson , part reconstruction and part original footage.