Report on demonstration in Newcastle City Centre on Saturday November 2nd 2002-11-02 A lively crowd of 1,000 people demonstrated in Newcastle City Centre on Saturday. The turnout of trade unionists, local people, students and pensioners was in support of a call by Newcastle Public Services Alliance to ‘Defend Public Services’ and ‘Oppose Privatisation.’ There were banners representing over 20 different union branches and political organisations. The rally which followed afterwards at Northumbria University was addressed by a range of prominent speakers including the Trade Union General Secretaries of the GMB, NATFHE, AMICUS and the CWU, as well as executive committee members for the RMT and FBU trade unions. The crowd was in good humour as it set out from just next to the picket-line being mounted by RMT members at Arriva Trains. This was their 22nd day of strike action for an improved pay deal for guards and station staff. This now makes it the longest running strike by any group of rail workers in their unions’ long history. This is clearly something to be proud of, but it doesn’t put ‘bread on the table’ for the workers, some of whom are paid just over £10,000 per annum. Pickets estimated that 480 out of 520 station and retail staff remain in dispute with the company. Alex Gordon, RMT Executive Committee member, said “We are calling for national pay negotiations for railway workers. We will be taking this matter forward along with ASLEF, and we are prepared to ballot our members for strike action in pursuit of national pay bargaining and a decent minimum wage.” There were 6 RMT banners on the demonstration, including the London Transport Regional Council’s. On the demonstration there was a good turn-out of fire fighters, Les Johnson a FBU member, said “we are very reluctant to go on strike, but unless there is a breakthrough in talks we will be out on Wednesday.” A day earlier, NATFHE members working in Further Education Colleges up and down the country, will be taking part in their third day of strike action this year. Paul Mackney, the General Secretary of the union, said the action was necessary because “staff pay in F.E is 12% behind the rates for similar jobs in schools.” At the rally Mackney revealed that 22,000 out of 77,000 college lecturers have been made redundant in the last five years. UNISON members in the colleges are due to join their colleagues on the picket-line. “Come to the picket-line on Tuesday” urged Mackney. Ian Elcoate, from Middlesbrough Trades Union Council, argued that “public services are important, they must be defended.” They should be run “for the benefits of workers and not the rich.” John Edmunds, the GMB General Secretary, said: “We have won the arguments on privatisation at the Labour Party conference. We also won the vote. We now need to win the arguments in workplaces across the country. We need to show that money going to public services is well spent, and that those who work in it deserve improved terms and conditions. The PFI experiment should be abandoned as soon as possible.” Kenny Bell, Branch Secretary for Newcastle City UNISON, one of the organisers of the day’s events said: “this is the second phase of our campaign in Newcastle, after this we will be holding meetings on estates in opposition to the proposed privatisation of council houses, education services and whole range of currently publicly funded services.” In its manifesto, The Public Services Alliance is ‘committed to public services that meet public needs and are democratically controlled’ and of ‘putting People First’. Kenny Bell also stressed that the march and the day’s events had an international content, and he questioned how the Blair Government could afford to spend money going to war in Iraq, but couldn’t afford to pay public sector workers a decent wage. This argument was also stressed by speakers at the rally afterwards. At the rally, Billy Hayes, from the CWU told listeners that “100,000 jobs went under the privatisation of British Telecom” and he feared that the Government’s “fixation with the market” was threatening to destroy a service which “until recently was the envy of the world, with 2 deliveries every day.” He called on “the Government to listen to the voices of the trade union and labour movement” and start by “taxing the high income earners.” A local Labour Councillor, Bill Dodds, was scathing about some of his fellow councillors. Newcastle born and bred he urged voters to “make sure your local councillor knows you are opposed to privatisation of local services. This is my City and it is not for sale to anyone.” There was loud applause. Alan Maclean, the executive committee member for the north-east on the Fire Brigades Union, urged the Government to pay the fire fighters pay claim “in full.” He said that “after every major disaster we receive great praise about our bravery, commitment and determination to save lives” but “what we want is respect” and “a proper living wage.” Warming to his task, Maclean stressed that the Government must “invest in those who provide a first class service” who are every day expected to put their lives at risk “sometimes at great cost to ourselves.” If the fire fighters are forced into striking he urged other trade unionists to join them on the picket lines. It was left to Hilary Wainwright of ‘Red Pepper’ magazine to thank everyone for coming and declaring the events “a great success.” It was certainly a day which revealed the increasing confidence of a number of public sector workers to oppose the Government’s plans for privatisation. They may not be quacking in their boots, but they may be getting a little anxious. If used please credit Mark Metcalf – November 2nd