Sunday 9 September 2012

A joint meeting and social at the TUC Conference

Free to conference attendees

IER: Days of Action, Protesting Against Austerity.
with the United Campaign for the Repeal of anti trade union laws

Plus

GFTU: Transforming Lives: Involving the Young
with Ruskin College Northern College National Institute of Adult Education and Global Labour Institute

RSVP to cad@ier.org.uk to secure your fish and chip supper

About the Sunday Night Special

At the 2012 TUC Congress, the GFTU and IER are coming together for the first time to host a joint event at the Old Ship Hotel in Brighton. Combining the traditional GFTU Sunday night reception with the well established IER fringe, the event will start as the first day of Congress ends on Sunday evening. Both organisations will first host separate events in two adjoining rooms before joining together for a joint social event with live music and a fish and chip supper. The concept of bringing together the IER’s fringe meeting and the GFTU’s social may be new, but the issues are all too familiar.

The Institute of Employment Rights will be launching their publication Days of Action: the legality of protest strikes against government cuts, written by IER’s President and Chair respectively, Prof. Keith Ewing and John Hendy QC. In the run-up to the mass demonstration on 20th October, how much further could union action go in protest against austerity cuts? Len McCluskey, UNITE will join the platform to outline UNITE’s line of resistance.

At the same time, the General Federation of Trade Unions will be inviting dynamic young speakers to examine the challenges facing young people in today’s society. With youth unemployment devastatingly high, how can trade unions and educationalists engage with the next generation? And what benefits will better engagement bring to the trade union movement?

And as the refreshments are being served, the GFTU will launch its new journal Viewpoint – the first edition of which includes a powerful collection of articles looking at alternative economic strategies, with articles from economists, trade union activists as well as a report following a recent delegation to Greece.

The evening will continue with a fish and chip supper, refreshments and live music provided by the Musicians Union.

Location

The Old Ship Hotel
Regency Room/Paganini Room
Kings Road
Brighton
BN1 1NR

Speakers

Days of Action: Protesting Against Austerity

Keith Ewing, IER President

John Hendy QC, IER Chairman

Len McCluskey, UNITE

Chair: Carolyn Jones

Transforming Lives: Involving the Young

Dami Bernbow, Young Mayors' Network

Dara Farrell, British Youth Council Vice Chair

Joe Mann, UNITY