[OccupySheffield] agenda: unemployed/other workers union

[Mark Barrett]

Hey Everyone

Please can this idea ( for an Occupy-driven unemployed and diverse
'other' workers union) be raised at the national gathering ?

Mark

some more responses to the union for unemployed / other thread

"From: Mike Evison <sunset74 at btinternet.com>
Date: 24 December 2011 23:16
Subject: Re: [OccupySheffield] I think this warrants serious consideration

If funding is required then the TUC should levy the other unions for
financial and material assistance in the interests of fraternity. One
day those who are now unemployed will be looking for a union."

>From B2B: "Thanks for this uplifting contribution!  Yes, a lot of us
who are long term
unemployed, the fact that some of us have additional needs/challenges should
be beside the point...

The thing that puts me personally right off, is groups such as the DPU focus
almost solly on the fact that: 'dis-abled people are having their benefits
cuts, rather than, portraying us as able"

Hey Rick B and Mike - I agree 100% with this. It's exactly what Occupy
UK should be focusing on imo. The right to decent, liberating and well
paid work for everyone goes to the very heart of what will one day
make a great, productive and enlightened society. I know there was an
unemployed workers union of some kind (possibly of SWP origin) coming
out of Salford and Manchester a while back but what's needed now is
something high profile, ambitious and r'evolutionary -  just the kind
of thing Occupy should be generating on a national level. Personally I
would happily flier at my local job centre and do other local
activities on this front. Also the universal benefit initiative of IDS
will need a collective response. Mark B  PS I wrote a short piece on
the future of work ( in a real democracy ) earlier this year, here:
http://righttowork.org.uk/2011/07/real-democracy-and-the-future-of-work/
which people may or may not agree with!   ;-)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mike Evison <sunset74 at btinternet.com>

The following email from Rick B needs serious consideration because at
present the unemployed and the disabled have no official
representation and have become the whipping boys for the Con-Dem
government who are the 1% representatives.

They are all in vulnerable situations and have no way of defending
their rights, what ever they may be at this present time. If they are
left to wither and die through ignorance from those who are still
fortunate, then another group will be chosen to be picked off and so
the process will go on until we have no rights in this country.

Mike

Rick B email:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rick B <soisthesun at gmail.com>
Subject: [OccupySheffield] unemployed workers union
To: occupysheffield at email-lists.org

Hi camp,
I'm fed up with being unemployed and disabled and being pushed and
pulled by rich politicians. I'm trying to make contact with someone
from the Unemployed Workers Union, do you have any contacts? If there
are no Sheffield branches, it is something I am considering setting
up. Would there be support for such a union within your camp?
It strikes me that the unemployed and disabled are getting trampled on
more than any other group in society due to not having adequate
representation. The mainstream unions are pretty much looking after
their members and not representing the interests of the less well off.
The mainstream political parties are all 'in it together' with the
bankers and multi-nationals. Maybe 3 million angry unemployed and
disabled people in union and on a mission will send them a message
hard to forget.
Thanks, happy Xmas
Rick


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