Burnley and Pendle workers invited to attend national union march

Organised by the Trades Union Council (TUC), the mass demonstration will take place in London on Saturday, October 20th, under the banner of “A Future That Works”. A march through central London will culminate in a rally in Hyde Park.

North East Lancashire TUC’s secretary, Peter Thorne, has organised for two 50 seater coaches to travel from Pendle at 6am and Burnley at 6-30am, through to London, on the day of the event. The Pendle coach will leave from either Nelson and Colne, depending on interest, and will be announced in the near future.

North East Lancashire TUC currently has around 380 members. According to Mr Thorne, 340 of these members, including himself, work for the council. This month, it was revealed that one in 10 workers at Burnley Council could lose their jobs, as employees were told that their posts had come under threat of redundancy, due to 2013 budget preparations. The demonstration, which is open to anybody, aims to provide a voice for workers up and down the country, and prove that austerity is not the answer.

Mr Thorne, who has been part of the TUC for around 25 years, said: “It will be a massive demonstration, if it is anything like last year.

“There were half a million people there, and I’m hoping there will be as many, if not more, this time. The main aim is to show the Government there is an alternative, and that there doesn’t have to be austerity.

“The strategy in place now is not working. There is a lot of interest in the demonstration already.”

Aims of the TUC include bringing Britain’s unions together to draw up common policies, lobbying the Government to implement policies that will benefit people at work, and campaigning on economic and social issues.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: ‘The tide is turning against austerity. We were told that spending cuts were needed to get the economy growing, yet they have driven the UK back into recession.

“We were told that we were all in it together, yet Mr Cameron’s main purpose at the G8 summit seemed to be protecting the banks against the growing international support for a Robin Hood tax — and the last Budget’s centrepiece was cutting the 50p tax rate.

“It is becoming ever clearer that this Government does not have the policies, or even much of a commitment, to build a prosperous economy that can generate the jobs and industries we need for the future.

“Rather than bold policies for investment and growth, the best that ministers can do is half-baked proposals to make it easier to sack people.”

For anybody wanting to join a Pendle or Burnley coach, which are expected to depart from London at 6pm, tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for children, pensioners and unemployed.

To book contact Mr Thorne on 01282 421757, or e-mail [email protected]. Cheques should be made payable to “Burnley TUC” and sent to Mr Thorne at 25 Glen View Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 2QW.

Please state where you wish to join the bus, Colne, Nelson or Burnley.