CAMBRIDGE & DISTRICT TRADES UNION COUNCIL


23rd February 2006

Dear Brothers/Sisters,

I write on behalf of Cambridge and District Trades Union Council (Cambridge TUC) to ask for your support for a demonstration on Saturday, 29th April, which has been initiated by Cambridge TUC and the local ‘Keep Our NHS Public’ campaign.

The theme of the demonstration will be opposition to all forms of privatisation in all public sector services. Falling on the Saturday before May Day, the demonstration will also provide a focus for local trade union activity over the May Day weekend.

At this stage we are looking for:

- trade union bodies, student unions, etc. to add their names to the list of supporters of the demonstration;

- financial donations to help cover the costs of the demonstration;

- delegate(s) to an ad hoc organising committee which is being set up to carry out the organisational work required to ensure a successful demonstration.

Publicity about the demonstration will be available from early April onwards.

Please find overleaf a model motion which we would urge your organisation to pass (amended as appropriate), and further details about initial preparations for the organising of the demonstration

Yours in Solidarity




Stan Crooke
Secretary
Cambridge and District Trades Union Council




Model Motion for 29th April demonstration:

“This trade union branch/branch executive committee/shop stewards committee/students union [delete as appropriate] welcomes the proposal from Cambridge and District Trades Union Council and the local ‘Keep Our NHS Public’ campaign for a demonstration on 29th April in opposition to all forms of privatisation throughout the public sector.

We therefore resolve to:

- Add our name to the list of supporters of the demonstration and circulate material about it to our members.

- Make a donation to help cover the costs of the demonstration.

- Nominate a delegate(s)/contact person for the ad hoc organising committee for the demonstration.”

Sponsoring the Demonstration:

If your organisation wishes to add its name to the list of supporters of the demonstration, please forward the details to the Cambridge TUC secretary (address and e-mail address overleaf) no later than late March. The names of organisations supporting the demonstration will be included in the publicity material, which will be produced and put into circulation at the beginning of April.

Donations to Help Cover the Costs of the Demonstration:

Please make cheques payable to Cambridge and District Trades Union Council, and make clear in the covering letter that the donation is specifically for the 29th April demonstration. Send cheques to the Cambridge TUC secretary. (Using the Cambridge TUC bank account for donations saves opening a separate and short-lived bank account.)

Delegates/Contact Persons:

To ensure that bodies supporting the demonstration have an opportunity to have an input into its planning, an ad hoc organising committee is being set up to carry out the organisational work for the demonstration. If your organisation wishes to send delegate(s) to the planning meetings, please forward their details to the Cambridge TUC secretary, who will then notify them of meetings. If no-one in your organisation wishes to be a delegate, please pass on details of a contact person, to whom publicity material for the demonstration can be forwarded for circulation.

Suggestions for Speakers:

If your organisation is supporting the demonstration and wishes to make any suggestions about speakers for the rally which will conclude the demonstration, please forward them to the Cambridge TUC secretary.