National Shop Stewards Network conference: Time to organise against con/dem attacks

RMT protest against Tube privatisation, photo Paul Mattsson

The fourth conference of the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) is now less than a month away. It comes at a time when trade unionists in workplaces throughout the country are facing many threats to their living standards.

Kevin Parslow, assistant secretary, NSSN steering committee

The conference will have speakers from the British trade union movement, and a closing rally on the developing struggles across Europe, with speakers from Ireland, Greece and Spain.

This closing rally was added to the agenda as the conference will take place during a European week of protests called for by Joe Higgins MEP and other left MEPs who agreed with his initiative.

This important rally makes the event even more of a 'must' for all trade union activists, and also for migrant workers in Britain who have a particular interest in the Europe-wide dimension of the fight back against austerity measures.

The main conference agenda has sessions for everyone, including workshops on: young workers, migrant workers, fighting cuts and redundancies, the anti-trade union laws, and climate change.

The Tories, in the run-up to the general election, said they will break up national trade union bargaining in local authorities and the NHS. The Tory/Liberal coalition government wants to axe around 300,000 public sector jobs.

A stormy period is ahead as workers will resist these and other attacks, and the NSSN can play a very important role as a forum for discussion and mobilising support for the struggles that will break out.

The NSSN steering committee has produced leaflets to advertise the conference that can be distributed in all current workplace disputes and activities of the labour movement nationally.

We have set up a Facebook group, through which over 90 people have already signed up to attend the conference.

Regional NSSN bodies can play an important role in building the turnout to the conference and also can plan meetings afterwards to discuss current events and how the labour movement can respond. Budget day - 22 June - will be a good day for organising local NSSN protests and events that can help advertise the conference.