Somerset Labour leaders will be guest speakers at this Sunday’s ‘Somerset Solidarity Day’ to be held at the Cheese and Grain in Frome. Bridgwater Town Council Leader Cllr Brian Smedley and BANES Labour group leader Cllr Robin Moss will front a discussion on ‘Labour in Somerset’. The event has been organised by Mendip Trades Union Council and will run from 11am to 3pm.
Join a Trade Union
Dave continued “The Somerset Solidarity Day is for all those local workers who are interested in finding out how joining a trade union can help them. We will bring together, under one roof, stalls, talks and discussions by individual trade unions, progressive campaign groups of all kinds, community charities and local history talks. The current political situation cannot be ignored, so there will also be time during the day for debates and discussions on most current crucial issues, including escalating household energy costs and fuel poverty, fast disappearing bus services, sky-high rents, river pollution, the continuing nuclear war danger, and how we can defend what is left of our publicly-provided NHS. Community campaign groups and charities from all over Somerset, and further afield, are invited to book a stall for £15, and suggest hosting a talk or a discussion: so please contact us ASAP. 11.00am to 3pm, Sunday October 22nd, at the Cheese and Grain, Market Yard, Justice Lane, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1BE.”
Solidarity Day programme
Discussion Group One: “Labour Party Councillors in Somerset: reports from Bridgwater and Radstock/BANES. With Cllr. Brian Smedley, Bridgwater Town Council leader and Cllr Robin Moss, BANES Labour Group Leader. Chair, Andy Merryfield, GMB delegate to Mendip TUC 11.45am to 12.45pm, Room 3, upstairs
Discussion Group Two: “Saving the Planet AND Saving Jobs!” A climate justice discussion group with speakers from “Just Stop Oil!”; Somerset XR Groups; Green Jobs Alliance; Climate Film Collective. Chair, Xavier Fairclough, Frome XR 11.45am to 12.45pm, Room 1, upstairs
Discussion Group Three: “Public Transport in Somerset: campaigning for better services.” With guest speakers Peter Travis, Somerset Bus Partnership, Philip Campagna, Mayor of Frome, and trades unionists from Unite, RMT and ASLEF. Chair Rosie Mitchell, Westbury RMT 1pm to 2pm, main stage, ground floor
Discussion Group Four: “Organising Solidarity in Somerset: local trades union councils, what we are and what we do.” With speakers from the six Somerset TUCs: Mendip, Bath, Weston & North Somerset, Taunton and West Somerset, Bridgwater & District, Yeovil & District. Chair, Robin Head, NEU, Mendip TUC 2pm to 3pm, main stage, ground floor
Solidarity Day Final Rally: Guest speakers Tahir Latif, Green Jobs Alliance; Sadie Fulton, South West TUC; Stef Kasprowski, Unite Regional Chair; Jo Fowles, UNISON Ambulance & Allied Workers’ Branch; Rosie Mitchell, Westbury RMT; Dave Chapple, Mendip TUC. Chair Robin Head, Mendip TUC 3pm to 3.30pm, main stage, ground floor