Blogs

April 21-24: Unite to Survive

We're supporting the Extinction Rebellion call-out for the 'BIG ONE' mobilisation, involving more than 200 groups and organisations gathering around Parliament 21-24 April

It's clear that the multiple crises we face are interlinked: irreversible climate breakdown, spiralling cost of living and poverty, and attacks on fundamental rights to protest and strike. So let's make sure this message is heard with plenty of trade union banners and placards on the action!

Friday 21 April

'People's pickets' outside government departments, with many different groups coming together to organise these. CACCTU will be at the "Department for Energy Security and Net Zero" (DESNZ), along with other groups including Fuel Poverty Action, Stop Rosebank, Just Stop Oil and Biofuelwatch and more. 

Activists will be there from 7am to allow engagement with workers as they arrive. The 'pickets' will continue throughout the day until 6pm, though key times are likely to be12 noon to 2pm when workers are coming and going, and activists coming for the day are most likely to be around.. At 3pm there will also be an 'opening ceremony' in Parliament Square.

PCS Union are supporting the action but will not be asking members to come out during core hours, only at lunchtime. Note that "People's Pickets" are to be inclusive and accessible, and won't block access to the buildings.

Some trade unionists will be planning to attend other picket sites with their local groups or specific campaigns. There is a map showing the locations of the different government departments.

Saturday 22 April

The trade union hub will be opposite the south end of the Houses of Parliament, just past 'Old Palace Yard' where the health, education and science hubs are based. CACCTU will be there along with XR TU and other trade union climate groups. We'll have speakers and discussion from 11-1pm, about how trade unions and climate activists can and must work together, the solutions we need, and those we don't.  Please come and join us if you can!

11am - Welcome! Trade unions and climate activism

Daniel Randall, RMT and XRTU

11.10 - The changes we need

Climate jobs - Suzanne Jeffery, CACCTU; Avoiding greenwash - Ellen Robottom, CACCTU; Offshore workers’ demands for a just energy transition  - Rosemary Harris, Platform; Cumbria coal mine and green jobs - Hazel Graham; plus open discussion

11.40 - Climate/green networks in trade unions

NEU Climate Change Network - Paul Atkin; Equity For a Green New Deal; Unite Grassroot Climate Justice Caucus - Clara Paillard; plus open discussion and networking

12.10 - Democracy - workers and climate

Workers Assemblies - Finlay Asher, Safe Landing; Green reps (tbc)

12.25 - Organising locally (speakers and open mic)

Carol Mills, Eastbourne Trades Council, plus other speakers

From 1pm CACCTU will be joining other trade union climate activists for a Trade Union bloc on the march for biodiversity – please bring your TU flags and banners.  

Unite Grassroots Climate Justice Caucus call for motion submission

Call to action for Unite members: the deadline for branches to submit motions to be debated at the July policy conference is 31st January.

The recently formed Unite Grassroots Climate Justice Caucus is seeking to get the same motion submitted by as many branches as possible. These were chosen with the aims of keeping the motions simple and focusing on the top priorities that emerged during Caucus meetings. Caucus members are asked to choose one of these two motions. 

Each Unite branch can submit one motion only (unfortunately Unite Community branches cannot submit motions, though in some cases they may have influence with their local geographical or sector-based branches). Your Branch Secretary should have circulated the information including Conference forms for motions. If not, you still have time to contact them and ask for a Branch meeting to take place before the conference deadline in January, to select a motion. Branch members would have to have enough notice to consider the motion (and any other motions on the table) before agreeing what to submit to conference.

No new fossil fuels motion: Currently Unite's policy is to support continued fossil fuel extraction and is using Carbon Capture and Storage as the justification for doing so. This motion aims to push for the end of support for new extraction but does not mention existing production at this stage because the motion would be lost given the number of workers Unite represents in fossil fuel industries. But, if won, this would be a start. Motion text

Workers Assemblies in key sectors motion: Not many of the Caucus members work in industries such as fossil fuels, chemicals, automotive or aviation. However, if you do, you may want to push for this motion to be sent to conference as it argues for Workers Assemblies to take place in all sectors to move forward the Climate Justice & Just Transition agenda. Motion text

Unite members can join the Climate Justice Caucus here.

You can also get in touch to inform the caucus about motions being submitted via CACCTU on climatetradeunion@gmail.com

 

Unite Grassroots Climate Justice Caucus is an unofficial group of members of Unite the Union who want to link up and organise at grassroot level to improve how Unite approaches Climate Justice.

Solidarity to striking workers

We have written, along with the Greener Jobs Alliance and the Climate Justice Coalition, to key public service unions striking for decent pay and conditions to express our solidarity. Many CACCTU supporters will have already expressed solidarity to local union branches in a similar way, if not, we encourage you to do.

For more about encouraging climate activists to support the strikes, see here

Below is our letter, in a general form which can be adapted for particular disputes.

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