ThE FRINGE The following are the fringe meetings the TUC had details of by the time the Guide went to press. The TUC’s own meetings are shown in red. To find the meeting rooms see the plans on page 5. 11 Sunday EVENING following the fringe. reps has grown stronger since the coalition 19.00–20.00 Speakers: John Hendy QC, IER and CTUF; government came to power. Funding for Keith Ewing, IER and CTUF; Sally Hunt, UCU; advice and casework services has been Institute of Employment Rights and Len McCluskey, Unite slashed. The EHRC has been weakened. Parts Campaign for Trade Union Freedom Chair: Carolyn Jones, IER of the Equality Act 2010 have been repealed. Employment rights and trade union Venue: Liverpool Media Academy, And fees of £1,200 have been introduced freedoms: a post-election agenda 85–89 Duke Street, L1 5AP for discrimination cases to be heard at We need strong and effective trade union Refreshments provided tribunal, resulting in an 80 per cent fall in sex voices at national, sectoral and enterprise Sponsored by Thompsons Solicitors and discrimination cases, a 60 per cent fall in race levels. Current attacks on collective supported by War on Want cases and a 46 per cent fall in disability cases. bargaining and facility time and systematic Equality reps can play a vital role in making weakening of employment rights, trade union 19.15 equality rights a reality for more workers – if freedoms and access to justice leave workers TUC they are properly supported. vulnerable in an increasingly unequal society. Speakers: Rt. Hon Angela Eagle MP, Sir Bob Moreover, the Transatlantic Trade and Respect at Work: The role of Hepple QC; James Mitchell, Unite equality Investment Partnership (TTIP) poses future equality reps in promoting equality rep; Diana Holland, Unite; Gloria Mills, threats to our living and working conditions. and preventing discrimination UNISON; Kamaljeet Jandu, GMB So what do we want to see from a Labour Despite 40 years of equality legislation, Chair: Sally Brett, TUC Government? significant inequalities persist in Britain’s Venue: Hall 11a, BT Convention Centre llustrations: Celyn Brazier I There will be a joint social with GFTU workplaces. The case for union equality Refreshments available ThE FRINGE Monday luncHTIME 12.45 12.45 12.30 –13.45 Morning Star Trades Union Coordinating Group TUSDAC Fighting for our Future: Building the Fight against Austerity What the world needs now... The Morning Star and trade July 10 was a massive demonstration of unions in 2015 and beyond the determination of workers to resist TUSDAC fringe meeting on Energy the relentless attacks on their services, and Climate Change 2015 will be the most important General Election year since the second world war. their standards of living and their rights. We call on governments, industry and civil Everything we have struggled for and gained Coordination of action across all fronts is society to unite behind a new UN treaty on since 1945 is now on the line. All of us in essential if we are to maintain the pressure and make the issue of austerity central to the climate change. the trade union and labour movement, the forthcoming general election. We all want the The challenge we face this year and next People’s Assembly Against Austerity and Tories out but Labour has already signalled its is to close the gap between easy promises to many others must be part of the struggle intention of sticking to the Tories’ spending cut our greenhouse gas emissions and the to save our society. Every movement needs limits if elected to power. This meeting will hard choices needed. The coalition’s short- an educator, agitator, and organiser. The address how we can oppose the current term political gaming of our energy policy movement has all three and more in the attacks and build a growing resistance to the increases uncertainty and discourages Morning Star, Britain’s only national daily ongoing policies of austerity. Come and join investment in green and decent jobs. socialist newspaper, fighting for peace, the discussion – all welcome. Government, unions and industry must socialism and a better world. Join us at our Speakers: Christine Blower, NUT; Ian work together for major new investments in fringe with Unite General Secretary Len Lawrence, NAPO; John McDonnell MP; Mark low-carbon power supply, rail infrastructure McCluskey and others to debate a fighting Serwotka, PCS; Peter Pinkney, RMT and electric vehicles, and to save our forests. way forward to 2015, and a better future. Chair: Matt Wrack, FBU Every workplace should be a green workplace, Speakers: to be arranged Venue: Hall 12, BT Convention Centre where we save energy and resources. Chair: Bob Oram Refreshments provided Speakers: Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP, shadow Venue: Hall 11a, BT Convention Centre Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Refreshments provided Change; Gail Cartmail, Deputy General 12.45–14.00 Secretary, Unite; Dave Green, National Officer, 12.45–14.00 TUC Fire Brigades’ Union PCS TTIP – a progressive agenda for Chair: Sue Ferns, TUC General Council lead How to Fight Cuts and Win rights, jobs and standards on the environment, and Director of Research Find out more about how unions and This meeting will discuss trade union and Communications, Prospect communities are fighting for fair pay and campaigns on rights, jobs and labour, Venue: Hall 4a, BT Convention Centre against the attacks on public services. environmental and consumer standards 13 Refreshments available Speakers will include: Mark Serwotka, in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment General Secretary, PCS; Phillipa Harvey, Senior Partnership (TTIP). It will consider how unions 12.45 Vice President, NUT; Steve Turner, Assistant and allies in the EU, USA and UK can work together to defend workers rights’ and the Acas General Secretary, Unite Chair: Janice Godrich, National President, PCS public interest in TTIP. Buffet lunch provided. Unravelling zero-hours contracts Speakers: Tom Jenkins, Senior Advisor, ETUC; Venue: Hall 3b, BT Convention Centre Are zero-hours contracts good or bad? Are Paul Kenny, General Secretary, GMB; John Refreshments provided they exploitative or an essential part of Healey MP and Chair All-Party Parliamentary economic and business flexibility? Or does Group on EU-US Trade and Investment; Judith the problem go deeper? Should we be looking 12.45 Kirton-Darling MEP, North East England; Ben at what’s going on in individual sectors? Is the Show Racism The Red Card Davis, Director of International Affairs, United problem about outsourcing, for example, or Show Racism the Red Card: Steel Workers (USA) contractual or legal uncertainties? Challenging racism in the Chair: Billy Hayes, General Secretary, And, above all, what do atypical contracts workplace CWU and TUC General Council Europe say about the kind of employment SRtRC is asking trade union branches to spokesperson relationships we value? support its anti-racism education work. Along Venue: Hall 11c, BT Convention Centre Come and join the debate and let’s start with many other charities SRtRC has faced a Buffet lunch provided finding some answers. reduction in funding. At the same time, racism Speakers: Anne Sharp, CEO of Acas; Sarah remains a major problem in society and, in 12.45–14.00 Veale, Head, Equality and Employment Rights the current economic climate, is on the rise. Unions 21 Department, TUC SRtRC campaign supporters from the worlds A New Deal for Work: Older workers Chair: Brendan Barber, Chair, Acas of football and trade unions will share their How can unions give hope to the generation Venue: Hall 4b, BT Convention Centre experiences of the charity’s work to challenge of workers who are working longer? Sandwiches and soft drinks racism through education and will provide The event will explore the union role in best practice advice to support the effective ensuring the issues of an aging workforce are 12.45 and 13.45 challenging of racism in the workplace. addressed by government and employers. GFTU Speakers: Stephen Cavalier, Chief Executive, Speakers: Liz Kendall MP, Shadow Minister The Union Gap Thompsons Solicitors; James Kingett, Show for Care and Older People; Nicola Lee, Royal A brilliant, 30-minute, interactive Racism the Red Card; Howard Gayle, former College of Nursing; Professor Peter Totterdill performance by Banner Theatre Liverpool FC football player; Lynn Collins, Chief Executive, UK Work Organisation demonstrating how drama can help unions Regional Secretary for the North West TUC Network (UK WON) organise. Two performances today and Chair: Liz Snape, Assistant General Secretary, Chair: Amy Leversidge, Royal College of tomorrow – go to both to make the best of it. UNISON Midwives “Amazing”, John Fray, NUJ Venue: Hall 1b, BT Convention Centre Venue: Hall 14, BT Convention Centre Venue: Hall 8, BT Convention Centre Refreshments provided Lunch provided ThE FRINGE 12.45 Monday EVENING Venezuela Solidarity Campaign 16.00 and 17.30 Solidarity with Venezuela Against GFTU US Intervention and Right-wing The Union Gap Destablisation: No More Pinochets A brilliant, 30-minute, interactive in Latin America! performance demonstrating how drama can Since Hugo Chavez was first elected in help unions organise. Two performances 1998, Venezuela has seen a democratic today and tomorrow – go to both to make the and social transformation, with millions of best of it. “Amazing” John Fray, NUJ people lifted out of poverty. This progress for Banner Theatre working people continues under the elected Venue: Hall 8, BT Convention Centre government of former trade union leader Nicolas Maduro, with Venezuela passing 17.30 arguably the most progressive labour law Cuba Solidarity Campaign in the world, shortening the working week, enshrining collective bargaining, outlawing Cuba Solidarity Havana Club outsourcing plus privatisation, and enhancing Rum Reception equality at work. But this year Venezuela has Speakers: Mariela Castro, Cuban MP, Director faced a sustained campaign of anti-democratic, of the Cuban Centre for Sexual Education violent, right-wing destabilisation, aimed at and campaigner for gender equality and ‘ousting’ the elected government.