I attended an anti-cuts meeting in Reading yesterday evening. There were 50 or so there. A very positive meeting with a wide spread of people. Chaired by RMT branch secretary Chris Reilly, there were speakers from the NUT, RMT executive committee and a UNISON member who is a community nurse. People in the audience included a UCU activist from the University, CWU, PCS DWP Berkshire branch secretary, Reading’s new Green Councillor, a Labour Councillor to name but a few.
Interestingly a woman who spoke from the audience was a mother of a disabled child. She said she wasn’t a union member and she had never been to anything like this before, but she was horrified at the consequences of the cuts for her family and others.
The meeting was organised by the Reading Shop Stewards Network in conjunction with the RMT. The previous week a meeting of over 30 people agreed to re-launch Reading Trades Union Council, which will play a central part in the anti-cuts campaign
(http://readingtuc.blogspot.com/ ) .
A campaign steering committee is being set up.
Martin Wicks 