Could you be an anti-austerity candidate in the May 2021 elections?

The paperwork has begun to flow; TUSC authorisation forms for 6 Rotherham candidates have been sent in for inspection, but there's still time to get your forms in. We hope a few more of you will decide to stand with us, AGAINST CUTS. If so, please get in touch with us, and we'll get it sorted!

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) was established to stand candidates under a common anti-austerity banner.

TUSC candidates will:

- Oppose all cuts and closures to council sevices, jobs, pay and conditions

- Support all workers’ struggles against government policies that male ordinary people pay for the crisis

- Fight for united working class struggle against racism and all forms of oppression

- You can read our full policy platform at www.tusc.org/policy

You can read our minimum core policies that we ask all candidates to sign up to here http://tusc.org.uk/policy.php

If you agree with what we stand for, apply to be a candidate using this form http://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/431.doc.

The next deadline for applications is the 14th March.

SSONHS 'White Paper' press release

Following from a previous post from Sheffield Save Our NHS Chair and SYSP member, Mick Suter about the SSONHS AGM (10TH MARCH 7pm), here is a press release from the campaign in response to the Government's new 'White Paper' on the NHS.

Invitation to Sheffield Save Our NHS AGM

A message from "Sheffield Save Our NHS"(SSONHS) Chair, our very own, Mick Suter. SSONHS "are a grassroots movement of people from all walks of life. We also strongly oppose the creeping privatisation of the NHS by successive governments". We should encourage similar groups in Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster!

"Dear Supporters,

All welcome and please circulate to friends, colleagues, workmates, flat mates and family.

INVITE TO SHEFFIELD SAVE OUR NHS (SSONHS)   ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WEDNESDAY  on 10TH MARCH 7pm  ZOOM MEETING

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83146223801?pwd=ZTVkeDRTOU9adFFOaW52U3RLSndwUT09

Meeting ID: 831 4622 3801

Passcode: 909123

Discussion:

ONE YEAR ON FROM THE START OF THE PANDEMIC

LESSONS FOR THE NHS

Speakers:

Mike Forster - Co Chair Health Campaigns Together

Holly Johnson - Nurses United and Sheffield NHS workers say No

Care Worker – TBA

Covid deaths have gone over 100,000, and the UK has recorded the highest per capita death toll in the world. The endless squeezing of NHS staff pay and conditions has led to enormous staff shortages and now, as the pandemic reaches new heights, 46,000 hospital staff are off sick with Covid-19. The shocking deaths in care homes, now recorded as over 25000, and the incompetent Government response in sending care patients back to homes and lack of PPE must not be forgotten or forgiven.

Millions more have been thrust into poverty during the pandemic. The misery of the pandemic clearly isn't universal. Oxfam calculates that the combined wealth of the ten wealthiest men in the world increased by £400 billion from mid-March to the end of 2020 - more than enough to vaccinate everyone in the world against Covid and reverse the increase in poverty it has caused!

The total wealth of billionaires hit £8.8 trillion in December - the same amount the G20 governments have spent on Covid recovery. What are the lessons of the pandemic on the NHS?  Did this have to happen? How do we respond to the future of the NHS? The Tory Government in February has proposed a draft white paper to reorganise the NHS in England - What are these plans ? What does it mean for the staff and public who rely on the NHS? Come along and discuss these important issues.

ALL WELCOME

The SSONHS  Annual General Meeting will also receive reports on our activities for the past year and elect the officers for the next year.

AGM AGENDA

7pm - ONE YEAR ON FROM THE START OF THE PANDEMIC - LESSONS FOR THE NHS

8.30PM – OFFICER ELECTIONS AND REPORTS

9.00PM – CLOSE

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

We will be electing 4 officer positions – CHAIR, SECRETARY, TREASURER AND PRESS/MEDIA SECRETARY. If you would like to be considered for any of these positions please send your nomination to mickpsuter@gmail.com by 5pm Monday 8th March.  If no nominations are received for any position, we will take nominations from the floor of the AGM."

Rotherham Socialist Party Support the GMB Union and Striking Engineers.

Last night, Del Mansell of the GMB (General Municipal Boilermakers" Union) representing striking British Gas Engineers in Rotherham, spoke at our meeting to outline what they were striking about, how the campaign was going and to answer any questions about how they could be supported.

What he told us about what British Gas were trying to do beggared belief, and he was quick to point out that if the company were succesful, it would not be end with British Gas; other companies are certainly watching, waiting to implement similiar policies.

Engineers are facing 'fire and rehire' policies and were presented with an ultimatum to agree to terms, and accordingly voted to strike:

GMB Strikers in Wickersley

"The strike ballot of GMB members returned an overwhelming 89% vote in favour of industrial action. Alongside the 4,500 service and repair gas engineers being called out on to strike will be 600 central heating installers, 540 electrical engineers, 170 specialist business gas engineers, and 1,700 smart metering engineers."(1)

Del echoed what had been reported recently in The Socialist, regarding the incompetence and arrogance of British Gas management.

He was eager for any help from the public, stressing the importance of sharing Social Media posts as widely as possible (especially using hashtags #stopthebritishgasfire #nowayoshea), showing public support for the striking workers in anyway and said that we would be welcome to join the pickets to show support and solidarity, "even if it's just for half an hour".

Members of Sheffield SP branch have managed to get to the pickets in Rotherham, where they first met Del, and the ongoing dispute with British gas continues to be followed in The Socialist.

(1) The Socialist 6/1/2021

TUSC Local Elections Conference

A few bits from the last few weeks:

TUSC LOCAL ELECTIONS CONFERENCE

Hannah S (T), Clive H (M), Pete M (B)

Last Sunday saw the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Local Elections conference.

Around 550 (reportedly peaking at around 575) people joined the TUSC conference, to hear opening
remarks from Jared Wood (RMT), Hannah Sell (Socialist Party), Clive Heemskerk (TUSC National Steering Committee), Pete McLaren (TUSC individual Members Rep) and a representative from the Resistance Movement.

Many contributions came from the floor, and many more weren't able to speak because of time constraints, even though most comments were able to stick to a 3 minute time limit!

Around a dozen SY/SP members attended the meeting.

The general feeling was that although TUSC doesn't aim to be THE new working class party, the current 'post-Corbyn' political situation really presented a chance for TUSC to be deeply involved in the process of winning political representation of ordinary working class folk, and the elections in May were seen to be a major and important step for the development of the movement. 

More reports are sure to follow, but the agenda and propsed amendments to the draft core policy platform can all be found online.

Branch report 3/2/2021

Last Wednesday's meeting was due to be introduced by a speaker reporting back from the national women's meeting, but unfortunately was not able to attend the meeting at the last minute. Another member of the branch had attended a talk given by the original speaker and was able to stand in on her behalf and kick off a good discussion.

More general discussions about TUSC in the second half of the meeting, and a reminder for all possible to attend the TUSC conference on Sunday 7th.

TUSC/SP at RMT Doncster meeting.

On Monday 1st Feb, SP members were given the opportunity to address Doncaster RMT as TUSC representatives and to try and build up links.

We were received warmly, and although there weren't many questions or contributions from members present, the chair did express interest and a willingness to offer any help asked for, allowing it is sanctioned by the National Executive.

"If you think bus and rail services are crap, sign our petition to take them back!"

Over the next few weeks, we'll be posting bits and pieces about what we've done over the past years. This week, an article from one of Rotherham's own that appeared in The Socialist early last year (2020).

"The actions of these profiteering companies have direct consequences on people's lives. They neither realise nor care about this as long as the shareholders are in pocket.

We say take them back."

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/1070/30148/22-01-2020/if-you-think-bus-and-rail-services-are-crap-sign-our-petition-to-take-them-back