By Dave Crouch

More than 100 trade unionists packed into the London Welsh Centre on Thursday night to hear the NUJ’s general secretary Jeremy Dear and a host of leading union activists call for a powerful protest in Brighton next weekend at Labour party conference.

Fresh from the TUC in Liverpool, Jeremy spoke about the government’s lack of political will – unemployment can be beaten, but it means a change of priorities from the banks to working people, he said.

Mark Flower from the Vestas occupation got a standing ovation before he even spoke. He went on to describe how he and 16 other workers had thrust climate change to the top of the agenda in the union movement, in the face of lies from his bosses, police aggression and government inaction.

Sasha Callaghan of the UCU said now was not the time to stay silent and not “rock the boat” as the election approached – we had to shout now for an alternative. Kevin Courtney from the NUT executive picked up this theme and made a passionate speech for unions to co-ordinate immediate action for jobs.

Lyndsey German for the Stop the War Coalition made the connection between the current crisis and the billions wasted on criminal wars and the Trident nuclear weapons system. The hall applauded the TUC’s historic decision to call for a boycott of Israeli goods.

LSE student Estelle Cooch from Right to Work talked about how her economics lecturers apologise to students every day that what they are about to learn is being proved totally wrong by the recession.

Finally Richard McEwan of the UCU at Tower Hamlets college brought the hall to its feet in solidarity with the all-out strike of teachers there, which is now into its fourth week.

I came away with leaflets, posters, stickers, papers and other material to distribute at work. As well as tickets for Brighton. Please email me on david.crouch10@btinternet.com if you need any.

Posted by Rich Simcox

Tags: cuts, Dave Crouch, job cuts, Labour party, National Union of Journalists, NUJ, protest, solidarity