More on SERTUC: The Race Relations Committee
Well a month has gone by and it feels about the right time for a little update on my progress. I can picture you all waiting with baited breath. You will remember that I had arrived in Congress house, wide eyed and naive with scarcely any knowledge of the strange new world I found myself in, marvelling at the print room and wondering what to write on here that would justify the investment you have all made in my out of your dues money.
Before you all rush to rip up your union cards, I am happy to report that I am starting to get the hang of things!
The main thing to learn, after locating the toilets and learning how to use the photocopier has been the structure of the SERTUC region, the structure and processes of the affiliated unions and the important personalities within the region.
One of the first tasks I was given was to help build up the Race Relations Committee. This has been hugely useful in orienting me as it has required me to contact the officers of the different unions, learn how their nomination procedures and internal democracy work and then explain these procedures to interested members. This should hold me in good stead for future tasks.
It has also given me the opportunity to get to know my way around the various race relations, black members and equalities substructures in the region, which vary from union to union. I’ve been making contact with these organisations and have a number of invitations to visit meetings so I’m very much looking forward to meeting active members. I’ll be finding out what black and minority ethnic activists are up to across the region and also promoting SERTUC’s activities, in particular the snappily titled ARAFAP.
For the uninitiated this is SERTUC’s Anti Racist Anti Fascist Action Plan.
With the BNP’s steady growth and the startling rise, seemingly out of nowhere of EDL (aficionados of the contemporary cultural history of the football firm can pull me up on this statement: if they must); anyone with eyes in their head can see the urgency of anti fascist activity. Cross union coordination is obviously useful and this is a good example of the kind of situation where SERTUC really adds something to the trade union movement so I’m very pleased to be involved.
This Saturday is the national conference of Unite Against Fascism which SERTUC supports and which will be held in Congress House. See here fro more info: http://www.uaf.org.uk/news.asp?choice=91217
I will be there on the SERTUC stall promoting ARAFAP and other SERTUC activities and hopefully also getting some new people interested in the Race Relations committee.
This will be the test of how well I’ve understood all the different structures and procedures as any interested people will have to be signposted to the right person in their own union to talk to!
I’ve even had a go at designing my own leaflet for the event. I’d show you a copy but all attempts at pasting here have failed. Still, I picked up 500 of the little beauties this morning.One email to the copy desk and there they all were just five minutes later. Fantastic! The print room still holds the power to impress!
