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Regional anti-cuts organising

yes i know, i know a lot of mates on those courses who are gonna be affected by that. and signed the petition myself.

thats really good about the SU reps as well.

:)
 
Threshers_Flail said:
That's my main concern too. I'm at uni in Manchester and we've sold around 600 tickets for the demo. I think that's pretty good, but say if we were to organise our own demo in Manchester we wouldn't get a tenth of those numbers. Also, we have our own anti cuts group who hold weekly meetings, yet barely 20 people turn up to each one, and only a handful of these speak each week. I think a lot of students are enticed by the romance of the big marches, yet aren't willing to put the hours in organising. If that's the tale nationwide then we won't be seeing any results, just a few headlines.
Click to expand...

Threshers_Flail said:
That's my main concern too. I'm at uni in Manchester and we've sold around 600 tickets for the demo. I think that's pretty good, but say if we were to organise our own demo in Manchester we wouldn't get a tenth of those numbers. Also, we have our own anti cuts group who hold weekly meetings, yet barely 20 people turn up to each one, and only a handful of these speak each week. I think a lot of students are enticed by the romance of the big marches, yet aren't willing to put the hours in organising. If that's the tale nationwide then we won't be seeing any results, just a few headlines.
Click to expand...

is your anticuts group Manchester wide? do you have links with all colleges in the Manc, what about Bolton, Wigan, Busy etc? do you have links with high schools? with other manc anticuts groups?

if protests aren't working then put your energies into organising for the day they will. because that day will come soon. instead of protests put energy into one-off big public meetings, with good speakers. folk sitting in the aisles, the energy is there it just needs to be captured in the right way. if energy is sapped by lame protests then avoid them like the plague. concentrate on things that work and that will pay off in the long run.

does your group go for a pint after your meeting? if folk don't talk during the meeting then they're more likely to after a pint. it will build up the spirit of the group to share a pint and enjoying yourselves rather than just meetings meetings meetings.

if folk don't like leafletting and stalls etc then get them to put their energies into online organising - tons of stuff you can do online. i don't mean petitions, i mean linking with folk. getting a lot of folk on a facebook doesn't sound very exciting but it could give you direct communication with 1000+ people with the click of a mouse button - that will be priceless in 6-12 months time.

basically, adjust your operations to things that people enjoy and will work now or in the near future. there are plenty ways to be effective without protesting.

get all the dominoes lined up just now and they'll start falling before you even go to knock the first one over yourself.
 
As above:

Pub nights
Social nights
Gigs
Comedy nights

The cuts are going to be a lot of bad news dor lots of us. It is important to get some light relief but also at the same time allowing some "down time" for people to get to know each other in more relaxed surroundings. This helps build trust in local movements.
 
where to said:
is your anticuts group Manchester wide? do you have links with all colleges in the Manc, what about Bolton, Wigan, Busy etc? do you have links with high schools? with other manc anticuts groups?

if protests aren't working then put your energies into organising for the day they will. because that day will come soon. instead of protests put energy into one-off big public meetings, with good speakers. folk sitting in the aisles, the energy is there it just needs to be captured in the right way. if energy is sapped by lame protests then avoid them like the plague. concentrate on things that work and that will pay off in the long run.

does your group go for a pint after your meeting? if folk don't talk during the meeting then they're more likely to after a pint. it will build up the spirit of the group to share a pint and enjoying yourselves rather than just meetings meetings meetings.

if folk don't like leafletting and stalls etc then get them to put their energies into online organising - tons of stuff you can do online. i don't mean petitions, i mean linking with folk. getting a lot of folk on a facebook doesn't sound very exciting but it could give you direct communication with 1000+ people with the click of a mouse button - that will be priceless in 6-12 months time.

basically, adjust your operations to things that people enjoy and will work now or in the near future. there are plenty ways to be effective without protesting.

get all the dominoes lined up just now and they'll start falling before you even go to knock the first one over yourself.
Click to expand...

Do you mind if I repost this on the anti-cuts mailing list Where to??
 
Prince Rhyus said:
As above:

Pub nights
Social nights
Gigs
Comedy nights

The cuts are going to be a lot of bad news dor lots of us. It is important to get some light relief but also at the same time allowing some "down time" for people to get to know each other in more relaxed surroundings. This helps build trust in local movements.
Click to expand...

the events you've listed above (on the pre-text of being "fundraisers") are also the perfect environment for your groups to meet folk from the other active groups in and around your area, or groups not yet active but will be soon.

don't get bogged down in pleasing some shite band and their favourite fucking amplifiers etc though. lol.
 
This Saturday in Cambridge

Protest the Vodafone tax deal
Saturday 6th November, 14:00
Meet at the Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge

Why should our services be cut while Vodafone cuts deals with HMRC?
The TUC says that £123 billion of tax avoided, evaded and uncollected
from wealthy individuals and companies could fund our public services.
Remember: the crisis was the result of the bank bail-out that cost
£850 billion.

£6bn- Tax avoided by Vodafone
£7bn- Proposed welfare cuts
£4bn- Proposed University cuts

Make the corporations pay for their crisis

Come join us on Saturday to show Vodafone what we think of their
tax-dodging!

Campaign against the cuts with the Cambridge Action Network -
cambridge@lists.riseup.net http://www.cambridgeaction.net
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2260269650
Click to expand...
 
Cardiff Against Cuts meeting TONIGHT MONDAY 8 November

reminder for Cardiff Tonight MON 8 NOV
ddraig said:
cardiffagainstcuts8nov2.jpg


text at bottom reads

katrine.williams@ btinternet.com
take out space after @
also a mobile phone no but don't want to post that, happy to share via pm

Tudor St is left coming out the front of Cardiff Central train station and follow around over river bridge with Millennium Stadium on your right and it is a few 100 yds on left
Click to expand...
 
apaprently 400 marched in Taunton, I think a grass roots movemnt in growing in the uk, but fear just like in 1992 when the 2nd big Miners strike generated mass support with meetings across the country, the MSM may ignore it, although local media can be quite good.

btw, only a few people are posting on this thread so obviously only a partial scale of the oppostion is being posted, can more posters put up their news...
 
where to said:
SERTUC one? how was it?
Click to expand...

Richard Murphy of the Tax Justice Network delivered this blog post as a speech - which I commend to you all - http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2010/11/06/the-demand-for-tax-justice/

As for the rest of it, it illustrated just how far the trade union element of the anti-cuts movement has to go.

There were:

- Senior trade union officers from various unions who delivered what felt like uninspiring although informative speeches
- SWP people talking about how 'orrible it's all going to be and coming out with lots of cliches from the 1980s
- Lots of middle-aged and older people
- About four people who appeared to be under the age of 30.

My points were:
- Could all of the speakers distill all of their points in their long speeches into about 30 seconds - only my generation and younger have the attention spans of fairies on sucrose and the X-Factor is on later so we've gotta hurry
- That's great about needing to show solidarity with the FBU and the RMT and all that, but how do we do it?
- What's a trade council? Many people across the country have become so politically disengaged that they barely know what a trade union is, let alone what a trade council is, let alone where their nearest one is and how to contact it
- To the lady who says that she's representing 100,000 workers in the sector she mentioned, do those 100,000 workers know that she's representing them?
- Lots of small local anti-cuts movements are already out there doing stuff - a la Vodaphone. What we don't need is some central committee authorising/giving permission for some protests and not others. It's not like "Stop the War" - the cuts will affect many people in infintesimally different ways to the extent that no committee could ever keep up with who is doing what
- Someone else has already started co-ordinating which protests are happening where (http://anticuts.org.uk/). Don't try and re-invent the wheel. Far better to ask those local groups how "we" (the trade union movement) can support communities and local movements rather than the other way around
- Why were there no representatives from students? Any follow-up meeting should invite representatives from every university and college students union to the next meeting - if anything to give a sense of energy and urgency.
- Someone suggested we needed a coalition of the left to oppose the cuts. I said that it needed to go beyond that - and that we needed to drop some of the labels that carried baggage and that allow opponents to wrap those against the cuts in tight ribbon, pack them up and box them in the "socialist loon" shelf. Hence why Richard Murphy's post - and others similar are essential because they take the quantitative evidence out there and systematically deconstruct both the arguments against the cuts and also highlight the other options that do not appear to have been considered.
 
It's funny Richard Murphy looks like an accountant amd is very conservative looking, yet he is one of the most effective campaigners on inequality, etc, there is
 
treelover said:
It's funny Richard Murphy looks like an accountant amd is very conservative looking, yet he is one of the most effective campaigners on inequality, etc, there is
Click to expand...
that website is certainly one of the most useful i've come across this year. I think accountants just can't help looking conservative!
 
13 November · 14:00 - 16:00



Location Carrs lane Church Centre, Moor Street, Birmingham


More info speakers include
Ian Cruise, Labour Councillor
Chris Morley, NUJ regional organiser
Charlie Friel, campaigning to save Connexions
Peter Christie, UNISON rep, Handsworth Leisure Centre
Sian Ruddick, PCS GEC member
Sean Vernell, Editor of 'defending the welfare state'

Hosted by Right to Work, supported by Supported by Birmingham Local Government UNISON and West Midlands PCS

More info righttowork.wm@googlemail.co.uk
 
Wednesday 10th November

NUS and UCU National demo – “Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts”. http://www.demo2010.org/

Liverpool Mass Protest against the cuts called by Liverpool TUC. 4.30-8pm at Liverpool Town Hall. http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/events/index.cfm/id/5349E11A-D8DD-493E-914D814E38D4A0AE and http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/?p=2575

Bournemouth Against the Cuts public meeting. Called by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole TUC “Time to Fight the Cuts”. 19:30pm at Woodlands Hall, Parkstone Trade and Labour Club, 485 Ashley Road. http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/?p=2213 and http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/events/index.cfm/id/DC0D2974-A5DF-4EC4-B6B2FD3C890BAC8F

Milton Keynes Coalition of Resistance Anticuts Meeting. 7.30pm. http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/events/index.cfm/id/B2C90B20-FAEA-4BD0-AD7B07D3CDB6CB56

Gateshead Public Services Alliance meeting. 17:30pm. Gateshead Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead, NE8 1HH. http://nessn.org.uk/events/

Carlisle, Penrith and Eden Public Services Alliance meeting. 17:30pm. Unison Office, 6 Spencer Street, Carlisle, CA1 1BG http://nessn.org.uk/events/

Thursday 11th November

West London Public meeting. 11th November, Acton High School. Speakers include Bob Crow (RMT). http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/events/index.cfm/id/AF402A8F-C0C2-4BDA-9243327D85D94173

South Tyneside Public Services Alliance meeting. 17:30pm. Committee Room A, South Shields Town Hall, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2RL. http://nessn.org.uk/events/

Friday 12th November

Swansea – Save Daniel James Community School March. 12th November. Leaving Stembridge Avenue, Portmead Swansea SA5 5LD at 3.30pm. More info: http://anticuts.org.uk/?p=512 and http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71024864520

Saturday, 13th November

Doncaster – Demonstrate Against the Cuts. Mansion House, Doncaster. More info: http://cordoncaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/hello-world/

“Birmingham against the cuts” rally, 2pm 13th November. Carrs Lane Church, Carrs Lane, Birmingham. http://anticuts.org.uk/?p=575

Edinburgh anti-cuts alliance meeting, 6 pm-8pm at the Studio at St Augustine’s Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL. http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/scotland/about-pcs-in-scotland/pcs-at-the-stuc/solidarity-across-scotland/

Atherton – Wigan People Against Cuts – Defend Our Public Services Public Meeting. 11.30am – 1.30pm atFunction Room Old Isaacs, Market Street, Atherton. http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=141417645880215&topic=289

Leicester, Vodafone shut down. More info: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_159043357464881&notif_t=group_activity
 
Anyone know what's going on in Lancashire regarding anti-cuts groups, or at a push north west? I've managed to find out that the Preston Trades Council are organising a march on the 20th Nov in Preston, other than that I can't find fuck all about it?
 
radio_atomica said:
Anyone know what's going on in Lancashire regarding anti-cuts groups, or at a push north west? I've managed to find out that the Preston Trades Council are organising a march on the 20th Nov in Preston, other than that I can't find fuck all about it?
Click to expand...

Oh, I found out. First Preston anti-cuts meeting is 7pm at the Methodist Church on Lune street tonight.
 
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