The People’s Charter

for change

•    a fairer economy for a fairer Britain
•    more and better jobs

•    decent homes for all

•    save and improve public services
•    for a fair and just Britain
•    for a sustainable, green future without war

 

 

Our 2009 Conference voted to endorse “The People’s Charter” as a step towards putting together a set of positive policies that would unite the trade union movement and encourage working people generally to see that “another world is possible” – and worth fighting for.

 

It has subsequently been unanimously endorsed by the TUC Congress.

 

Some months ago, “The Morning Star” called for such a Charter – to be the result of real debate amongst trade unions, political parties, community organisations, campaign groups etc. This met with a very positive response, and in march the Charter was launched with support from a number of unions and union leaders, MPs and politicians, labour movement lawyers and so on. Since that time it has continued to gain support… and it looks like it could make a real difference.

 

I’m involved in the local Derby group for The People’s Charter. We held street stalls during the Summer and held a “launch meeting” in September when we established a broad based “steering group”. Our aim is to focus on each of the six points of The Charter for a month or two in a range of public campaigning activities… which should take us up to the General Election. We intend to challenge every potential candidate to support the aims of The Charter… and if they won’t it would be difficult to see how we could encourage people to vote for them.

 

2009 NUT Conference also voted to work with all other education unions to develop an “Education Charter” to run alongside “The People’s Charter”. The Union plans to begin by inviting a wide range of organisations to agree an "Education Statement" for the General Election,  and developing the Education Charter as a campaigning tool to face up to the "challenges" presented by whatever new government emerges. I think this would be an excellent topic for NUT Association meetings – and I would be very pleased to come and speak about it if invited.

 

I’m also going to open a forum on this on Hearth, the NUT organisers’ website… but if you don’t have access to that, email me with your ideas and suggestions at b.greenshields@executive.nut.org.uk

 

 

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