Tag: Barnsley

Barnsley anti-racist meeting

Unite Community activists John Dunn and Stuart Crosthwaite we among the speakers today at the Barnsley Anti-racist meeting. The meeting was organised to galvanise support for next Saturday’s Anti-fascist protest in the town.

Our new banner was on display too, the first of many outings no doubt! Thanks again to the organisers of the meeting. United we are strong!

The group’s Facebook page can be found here.

Barnsley Don’t Bomb Syria Rally

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A very last minute protest against the war in Syria in Barnsley tonight saw about fifty activists and Trade Unionists gather outside the Town Hall, to make there feelings known. Not in our name! How come we have got millions for a pointless destructive war effort but no money for housing, the NHS or to defeat poverty?

Junior Docs’ Picket, Tuesday 1st December

Barnsley junior doctors will be picketing at the main Gawber Road entrance to Barnsley Hospital on Tuesday, 1st December from 8am to 12.30. It would be great if you could get along to show your support. Please bring banners, placards and even goodies for the starving docs!

Here is a video of junior doctors singing for the NHS!

https://www.facebook.com/kiri.tunks/videos/1013743101982423/?fref=nf

Stand Up To Racism

A message to those opposed to the South Yorkshire Casuals demonstration:

The nature of the South Yorkshire Casuals has been emphasised by the letter in this week’s Chronicle supporting them sent by Daniel Cooke.

Daniel Cooke is a long standing member of the BNP who posed with a replica gun at a BNP St George’s Day party in Rotherham in 2011. In the same year the Chronicle reported that he had been found guilty of criminal damage; he had given an address in Skelmanthorpe but denied knowing the woman who lived there who said she was his girlfriend.

Cooke has always been an unpleasant fantasist so he fits in well with the South Yorkshire Casuals.

The antagonism to the Casuals’ demonstration continues to grow so the meeting we are having in the library on Saturday 5th December at 11am will be important for getting together people who want to make the counter demonstration as large as possible.

A leaflet for both events is attached. Please spread the information as widely as possible.

View the flyer here: Refugees welcome here public meeting 5 Dec

Brian completes ESOL course

Barnsley Unite Community Centre Activist Brian Clarke has just finished a weeks training on the ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) facilitators Course in Eastbourne. See pictures attached, this will help with our ESOL classes every Wednesday which are still overstretched with demand! Thanks goes to Brian and all the other activists for there continued passion and efforts. United we bargain Divided we beg.

Barnsley Peoples Assembly events

At last nights meeting of the Barnsley People’s Assembly we decided to support a number of important events taking place over the next few weeks:

Meeting “Refugees are welcome here” – this is now supported by the Trades Council and by Stand Up to Racism.  It will take place on Saturday December 5th at 11am in the central library on Wellington Street. You may be aware that the South Yorkshire Casuals, a far right group, are planning to demonstrate against immigration outside the Town Hall at 2pm on that date. Their slogan is “Its not immigration its an invasion” and they are clearly trying to create divisions and hatred in our community.

An open meeting has been organised for Tuesday November 10th at 7.30 in the YMCA on Blucher St (just up from the post office) to discuss how those of us opposed to racism can show that these people do not represent the people of our town. The meeting is supported by People’s Assembly, the trades council, Stand Up to Racism and others. Please do your best to get along and be part of the discussion on how we can build a broad coalition of resistance to these racists.

Public meeting “No Fracking in Barnsley” – Thursday Nov 12th, YMCA 7.30, hosted by the Green Party and Frack Free South Yorkshire – all welcome.

Regional People’s Assembly Sunday Nov 15th in Leeds, 11 till 5.50. We are entitled to 5 delegates to the day. 3 people are already planning to go (by train) – please let me know if you would like to attend.

Sat Dec 5th is also the date of the People’s Assembly National conference in London. Obviously this clashes with the important anti-racist activity detailed above, but we would be glad to see someone delegated from Barnsley.  Again please let me know if you would like to attend.

Our next planning meeting will be Wed Dec 2nd 5.30 Barnsley library. All welcome.

If you are in touch with other networks/individuals who may be interested in these events, particularly the events on 10th Nov and 5th Dec please feel free to circulate this information.

Barnsley Trade Union Bill Protest

2015-11-02 anti union protest 1Barnsley Trade Unionists gathered outside of the town hall on Monday to protest against the Tory Trade Union Bill, in solidarity with the protest held simultaneously outside of the House of Parliament.

The rally also drew attention to the case of Sandy Nicoll, a Unison activist at SOAS University of London, suspended by SOAS management on charges of “gross misconduct”. They accuse Sandy of facilitating a student protest that briefly occupied the directors office.

Next things for Freedom Riders

Another large Freedom Ride meeting this week agreed on the following:

Monday 2nd November 5pm – some of us to join a protest by trade unions in Barnsley against the Tory anti-union laws. This will be at Town Hall by the steps under the fountains. Unions have given us a lot of support, this is a chance to show support for them

Monday 9th November – a small delegation of Freedom riders to meet with First Bus in Rotherham to discuss extending Stagecoach free early hospital travel to First Bus as well.

Saturday 14th November – Group of Freedom Riders to go to Unite the Resistance conference in London. If anyone else wants to join that group please get in touch as soon as possible.

Wednesday 18th November 7pm Miners Hall, Victoria Road, Barnsley – a Barnsley Trades Council Public Meeting against the Tory anti-union laws.

One of the main speakers is Tosh McDonald – one of our major national supporters. He spoke about Freedom Riders at the Labour Conference this year.

Wednesday 25th November 11am – Black Balloon release in Barnsley precinct.This will be the day the government announces how many pensioners died of cold last Winter. Groups across the country will be doing balloon releases to show how little the government does to stop pensioners dying every Winter.

We also agreed to try to get Sheffield supporters together to have a more effective group there.

John Baker is keen to have a meeting in Sheffield of Freedom Riders. If you are interested in helping this then get in touch with John by emailing: jonjoepeel@yahoo.co.uk.

Our next full meeting is Thursday 12th November 11am Barnsley Library.

Fighting The Tory Anti-Trade Union Bill: defending the Steel Industry.

The next few weeks are critical in both these battles. Listed below are some of the events which you can get involved in.

1. Wed. Oct. 28th 5.30pm – Barnsley Town Hall, Barnsley Trades Council meeting. Ian Davies, Community (steel union) Scunthorpe convenor will be coming to speak. We want to get as many as possible there to hear him. Please come and spread the word widely.  [should be about 30 minutes]

2. Monday Nov. 2nd. – TUC Demo and Mass Lobby of parliament over Trade Union Bill.
5pm Barnsley protest, outside Barnsley Town Hall. Bring banners and placards.

3. Tuesday Nov. 10th. Barnsley College UCU on strike as part of a national one day strike for £1 an hour rise.  Support their pickets.
Demonstration in Scunthorpe assembling from 12pm opposed to steel redundancies. (details to follow).

4. Sat. Nov. 14th. Unite the Resistance conference, London. Speakers include Ian Hodson and Matt Wrack as well as John McDonnell MP and Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party. Transport going from Barnsley leaves Eldon Street 7am. (Let me know if you want to register and get a seat on the coach).

5. Wed. Nov. 18th  7pm.  Barnsley Trades Council public meeting, opposing the Tory anti-Trade Union Bill. Flyer attached. A great line-up of speakers including Steve Turner (Assistant Gen. Sec UNITE); Tosh McDonald (ASLEF National President); Jane Aitchoison (PCS and Unite the Resistance); Brian Steele, Trades Council sec.