As you no doubt know, the TUC is organising a national March and Demo on Saturday 18 October 2014.  Please find below further details of this event, which we hope will help you to mobilise.  We would be grateful if you would share this information as widely as possible, and keep us informed of any relevant regional activity.

Logistics
The march will assemble from 11am on the Embankment near Blackfriars. 

The march will move off at noon and march, via Northumberland Avenue, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly to Hyde Park for the rally.

This is a slighter shorter route than previous marches, and it is hope that it will allow more people to get to Hyde Park in time for all, or at least a good part, of the rally.

Website
The website will be the main information resource for the event and you will be able to download all you need to help to publicise the march, both in print and on-line.  As soon as this is active, I will send out details.

If you are producing your own material, the artwork files (ranging from those you can use to photocopy a few leaflets to professional format hi-res artwork for high quality print) are available.  Please read the brand guidelines on the website.  Any print or design queries should go to Rob Sander on rsanders@tuc.org.uk

You can also order A5 leaflets from the TUC, at cost price, using the order form on the website.

We are also asking people to pledge support on-line and to use social media to promote the event to their friends and contacts.

Transport
Coach places have been booked in Wembley, New Covent Garden and the 02.  Coaches will not be able to drop off or collect from central London on the day.

We will shortly be able to let people know how to book the parking – as with previous years, Wembley spaces will be done directly via their website and Covent Garden and the 02 via the TUC.  Coach companies or unions can book spaces to suit.  NB Please find attached specific information for Trades Union Councils regarding booking coaches to travel to the rally.

Nearer the day, the False Economy web site will offer a facility for coach organisers to offer spare seats.   NB Anyone wishing to offer spare coach seats can also do so through the regional TUC office at y&hregsec@tuc.org.uk

The TUC will offer advice for those making their own way to the event on the website.

The key message that we want to get out early is that form-up is close to Blackfriars so that people arrive from the rear of the march.  The key tube stations will be Blackfriars, Southwark and St Pauls.  Temple is likely to be closed as it is small and easily overcrowded.

Stewarding
It is hoped to improve on the number of stewards for this event, and we would very much welcome some of the same people who volunteered previously if they could help again.  The demo in October 2012 went very well and it is envisaged that there will be a similar amount of people attending this year.

There will be two main types of steward:

·         Senior Stewards – who will be place along the route of the march (or in other locations such as the form-up and in Hyde Park).  It is intended to make individual unions responsible for each section of the route, and the national TUC will be talking directly to unions about this.  Senior stewards will be expected to attend a training session in advance, in either  Glasgow or London.

·         Route Stewards – who will move with the march.  Many will be recruited by unions or other supporting organisations to look after groups of members.  They will need to register in advance, complete and on-line training exercise and wear a TUC provided hi-vis jacket (not that of their own organisation).  The TUC will shortly be providing a sign-up facility on the website.

While route stewards are helpful and welcome, the priority is to recruit and train senior stewards, to ensure that all of the march is stewarded.  In order to ensure that we have sufficient numbers, we ask unions to recruit most of the senior stewards by the end of June 2014.

The TUC chief steward is Carl Roper cropper@tuc.org.uk and all queries should be directed to him.

Access
1.       There will be a short march for those who are not able, or do not wish to do the full route.

2.       There will be an assembly area for wheelchair/scooter users on the Embankment for which we will be able to arrange drop-off through road closures.

3.       There will be a viewing platform (larger than in previous years) in Hyde Park for wheelchair/scooter users.

4.       Please let us know, as soon as possible, if any of your members require British Sign Language Interpretation at the rally.

5.       Please let us know of any other issues, and we will do our best to help.

Content of material and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act

The demonstration takes place in the “regulated period” for the next general election, but as the march is not intended as any kind of electoral intervention we do not consider that this counts as third-party campaigning and therefore we do not need to account for spending on the event to the Electoral Commission.

Unions that follow the general line of TUC material should have no difficulties.  If in doubt, then Nigel Stanley may be able to provide guidance (though not legal advice).  Contact him at nstanley@tuc.org.uk

Attendance Numbers
Early mobilisation is important.  Unions are asked to let us know approximate attendance numbers as this information will inform planning and will impact upon the number of police and other services at the event.  Please let Michelle Gregory know by providing monthly updates to mgregory@tuc.org.uk and copying in the regional office on y&hregsec@tuc.org.uk

Stalls
If your union would like a table top stand at the rally, then requests should be submitted to Stephanie Pugsley by 2 September 2014 at spugsley@tuc.org.uk

Keeping in Touch
The national TUC has already organised the first meeting for national union organisers at which a number of helpful points were raised.  The rally will be placed on t he agenda of the Y&H TUC Executive Committee on 5 June 2014, where information can be shared.

A Google group for union officers involved in organising the event has been set up: if you want to join or add colleagues to the list, please let Alen Mathewson have the email addresses at amethewson@tuc.org.uk.

Many thanks to the unions who have already provided their key contacts: please provide this information if you have not already done so, to ensure that you are kept up to date with the plans.

Development grant report form
TUC Reserved Funds for supporting demonstration – application form