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Buses To Karen Reissman Demo In Manchester

Merseyside TUC | 14.11.2007 03:26 | Health | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Liverpool

Merseyside TUC has booked a double decker bus which holds 77 people
for the above demo. Tickets are only £1 return from Lime Street to
St Peters Square Manchester. (Leaving from the Empire Theatre Lime
Street at 11.30.a.m. and leaving Manchester at 4.30.p.m.

We are looking for NHS trade unions, Unison, Amicus & TGWU, and other
trade unions, to make a donation towards to cover the cost of the bus
as we are only charging £1 return. Can you please raise this at your
next meeting.

To book a ticket on the bus contact Danny McGowan (07783379240) Dave
Laird (07810141658) or the MTUC office on 0151 666 1999

Alec McFadden
President MTUC

An appeal to all trade unionists.....

Protest in Manchester to support Karen Reissmann

Outrage has spread across the NHSat the news of the sacking of
leading health trade unionist Karen Reissmann, a nurse with 25 years
experience of working in mental health in Manchester.

This is a fundamental attack on trade union rights and the right to
speak out in defence of public services.

Every trade unionist, wherever they work, should collect money for
Karen's campaign and to fund the continuing indefinite strike action.

And they must organise now to get to Manchester for the demonstration
in Karen's support on Saturday 24 November.

That march has to have a sea of union banners, and large numbers of
union delegations.

Karen has been sacked not because her skills are lacking, but for
gross misconduct because she dared to speak out against cuts,
privatisation and "reorganisations".

Workers at the Manchester mental health trust where Karen works have
reacted with fury to the announcement. "We have already taken 14 days
of strike action to defend our friend and union branch chair," says a
community psychiatric nurse at the trust.

"And from Thursday 8 November myself and all 150 community based
staff are on indefinite strike action.

"Our morale is high and we are extremely determined. I don't think
our trust management know quite what they are in for now."

The all out industrial action will mean that strikers could lose
thousands of pounds in the run up to Christmas.

Already the union's strike fund has received almost £100,000 in
donations.

Thousands of pounds more are now urgently required and it is vital
that every trade unionist raises the issue in their branch, and
collects regularly from their workmates.

Last week the branch committee of Pennine acute health Unison voted
unanimously to send Manchester £2,000 a month for the duration of the
strike saying, "Long live democracy and the right to free speech."

Donations of that order are required across the country.

Karen has also received backing from her national union.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis last week wrote to Manchester
mental health trust to protest at their actions, saying that Karen
has the support of the entire national union in her battle.

"The attack on Karen is an attack on trade unionism – pure and
simple," says Pete Hinchliffe, branch secretary of Unison's Pennine
acute health branch. "Every trade unionist now needs to get behind
Karen."

Karen and her workmates joined the defend the NHSdemo in London

DEMONSTRATE

Saturday 24 November, 1pm, Peace Gardens, off St Peters Square,
behind town hall, Manchester

Solidarity now

1) Raise the issue at work, and invite strikers to speak by ringing
07972 120 451.

2) Send a donation to the strike fund, payable to "Manchester
Community and Mental Health UNISON", to the union office, Manchester
Community and Mental Health Unison, Chorlton House, 70 Manchester
Road, Manchester M21 9UN

3) Come to the demonstration on 24 November. Bring your union branch
banner and as many of your workmates and friends as possible.

Merseyside TUC