Trade Union Climate Change Conference

[Udo Erasmus]

CAMPAIGN AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

UK TRADE UNION CONFERENCE

Saturday 9 February 2008

University of London Union, Malet Street, Central London

Price: £10

Please send cheques payable to Campaign Against Climate Change to: CCCTU Conference, c/o The Secretary, Manchester TUC, Mechanics Institute, Princess Street, Manchester, M1 6DD. Visit www.campaigncc.org Branches can also affiliate to Campaign Against Climate Change.

For more information contact: roywilkes59@talktalk. net

Trade unions have always been at the forefront of fighting for social change. Climate change poses the greatest challenge to humankind and it is one that trade unions have to place themselves at the heart of to ensure that the change which is needed will lead to a sustainable society which is socially just for all.

From the floods last summer to Hurricane Katrina it is clear that working class and poor people will be the worst victimes of the climate crisis.

This one day conference aims to tackle some of the big questions around current environment issues bringing together speakers from across the trade union and green movements

Speakers include:

Frances O Grady, TUC Deputy General Secretary

Matt Wrack, General Secretary, FBU

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, PCS

Christine Blower, Deputy Secretary, NUT

Michael Meacher MP, Former Environment Scretary

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP

Tony Kearns, CWU SDGS.

Glyn Robbins, Defend Council Housing Campaign

Hilary Wainwright, Editor, Red Pepper magazine

Nick Rau, Friends of the Earth

John McDonnell MP

Jonathan Neale, Campaign against Climate Change

Derek Wall, Green Party

Elaine Graham Leigh, RESPECT

Unjum Mirza, London Transport Regional Council Political Officer

Catt Hobbs, Transport 2000

Amrit Srivastrava, Indian Resource Centre

Workshops on CARBON TRADING AND MARKET MECHANISMS, GREENING THE WORKPLACE, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY - TOWARDS A ZERO CARBON ECONOMY, BUIDLING SUSTAINABLE CITIES, TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT, GLOBAL TREATIES: KYOTO AND BEYOND

This conference will provide the opportunity for trade unionists from across the country to network with other interested union members, discuss the issues presented by climate change, and pick up practical information and advice. Come along and get inspired to make tackling climate change a core trade union issue – places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment!

www.campaigncc.org

 

[Udo Erasmus]

Anyone going to this?

 

[Prince Rhyus]

Yes

 

[Udo Erasmus]

Good!
I think the effort to build an environmental movement in the trade unions is crucial.
Some trade union bureaucrats have a reactionary position. For instance in Wales, the leader of one of the major unions attacked the leader of the Welsh Tories for calling for the Welsh Assembly to adopt targets to cut emissions as being 'bad for jobs and the economy'.
Wales UNITE campaign for nuclear power (presumably the same elsewhere)

 

[cockneyrebel]

Why is nuclear power a bad thing?

Would you campaign against any more coal mines being set up?

 

[Groucho]

Anyone going to this?

I am quite likely to go as delegate from my union branch.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Why bother?

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=236502

 

[HackneyE9]

So 10 years after every one else, and whilst still backing nuclear 'cos it's 'jobs for the boys', the usual rentagob crowd have a conference. Really, is your Saturday not worth more to you than that. I can think of Tories and LibDems more Green than any high-ranking trade unionist I have come across.

 

[Udo Erasmus]

Why is nuclear power a bad thing?

Would you campaign against any more coal mines being set up?

I wonder if Cockneywebel is just being provocative, as even PR I assume oppose nuclear power.

1) Yes, nuclear power is a bad thing and a transition to renewables would be cheaper and quicker.

Extract from a leaflet our local Respect group produced in response to Plaid ditching their long standing opposition to nuclear power which sums it up. And lets not forget that there is a strong link between the governments current nuclear power programme and the trident nuclear weapon programme.

RESPECT believes that nuclear power cannot be part of the solution to climate change because:

* Nuclear power is costly. It relies on government subsidies of billions of pounds that would be better spent on developing renewable energy.

* Nuclear power is not carbon neutral as its supporters claim. At every stage of the production cycle, from the mining of uranium to the building of reactors and the storage of waste products, greenhouse gases are pumped into the atmosphere and other pollutants leaked into the local environment.

In Southern Australia, the Olympic Dam uranium mine is the region’s largest producer of C02. The mine has also caused huge environmental damage with some of the most ancient springs in the Australian outback are drying up.

* Nuclear power is unsafe. From Chernobyl to Three Mile Island nuclear power has been disastrous.

In Sellafield, leukaemia and cancer rates have rocketed in the vicinity of the power station. There is still no solution to the storage/disposal of nuclear waste.

An Observer article in July 2002 reported, “almost 90% of Britain’s hazardous nuclear stockpile is stored so badly it could explode or leak with devastating results at any time”.

According to a study by Friends of the Earth Cymru, Wales’ current electricity needs could and should be met entirely by renewable energy. In a July 2005 briefing they write:

“Wind energy, offshore and onshore could generate around 30 per cent. Underwater turbines could generate up to 50 per cent. Biomass, solar power and hydroelectric schemes could also make smaller, but significant contributions to make up the difference. Tidal lagoons in the Severn estuary could generate more electricity than Wales needs. Wave energy and tidal streams are other technologies that could be considered.”

RESPECT believe the climate crisis must be solved through a combination of renewables, energy efficiency measures including a massive programme of building insulation, a shift from private motoring towards public transport, and a rapid transition to a low carbon economy.

2) There is a role for burning coal in the future if we do it as cleanly as we possibly can, but we really need to be focusing on saving energy and generating more of our electricity from renewable sources like wind, sea and solar. The issue of Coal is one that has been discussed much on the Wales page of this board - for obvious reasons. I am of the opinion, that while clean coal technology might play a short-term role in the long term the strategy would have to be a transition towards renewables and the abandonment of fossil fuel technology.

I should note that while in the 90s reopening the mines in South Wales might have been a popular policy, it was interesting to see the reactions from local people in a town where the first mine is to be opened for 30 years. When I have seen people interviewed on the local news who formerly worked there, they say "No we wouldn't go back and we wouldn't want our kids working there either."

 

[Udo Erasmus]

So 10 years after every one else, and whilst still backing nuclear 'cos it's 'jobs for the boys', the usual rentagob crowd have a conference. Really, is your Saturday not worth more to you than that. I can think of Tories and LibDems more Green than any high-ranking trade unionist I have come across.

The point is to build a rank and file movement of trade unionists to agitate around the issue of climate change for working class solutions rather than market solutions. The labour movement has a very important role to play in pushing the right solutions to the climate crisis.

We need to create an anti-capitalist ecology movement that can build strong roots with the organized working class, particlarly those workers engaged in power generation, motor manufacturing, public transport, retail, and construction.

We have already seen trade union bureaucrats attacking environmentalists in the name of the economy and "jobs". By building a strong trade union environmental movement we can have a serious chance of saving the planet and of transforming society for the better.

Let's remember that of the ten biggest corporations in the world, 3 are oil companies and 4 are car companies. That's a mighty big concentration of corporate power. Organised labour is the only force that can smash through that wall

For the Tories and LibDems the solution is green taxes (regressive taxes) and creating a market in pollution via carbon trading. They're not talking about a massive investment in free public transport as an alternative to the road-building programme or free house insulation for working class people, or forcing big business to take energy efficiency measures, or sustainable town planning.

As Roy Wilkes, one of the organisers of this conference wrote:

"the market is in every case the biggest obstacle to reducing emissions. Capital will always try to circumvent any measure which threatens its profitability, however good those measures are for the environment. Monbiot’s targets will be achieved not by accommodating to capital but by confronting it. Instead of trying to regulate private coach and rail companies, for example, a simpler and far more effective solution would be to bring transport into public ownership and to allow its workers to run it as a service rather than as a means of generating profit. A massively expanded, free public transport system would end road congestion almost immediately.

The same logic applies to every other industry. Workers control of production would be far more effective at reducing emissions than decrees issued by a government via a civil service to private business. Democratic planning would also enable us to transform social relations outside the workplace. By socialising domestic labour, for example, we could drastically reduce our energy consumption while simultaneously improving our quality of life. The only losers would be the capitalists who sell us our washing machines, microwaves and cookers."

 

[ska invita]

I would also add to Udo's above post that the stress climate change will put on capitalism will require a careful reaction from socialists and trade unions.

In my mind this confrence is also a first step in getting trade unions on baord with the topic, which will hopefully develop into a more sophisticated position by the card carrying left down the environmental-doomsday-prediction line.

 

[Udo Erasmus]

NUT Letter of Support for Conference

For the attention of those of you who are NOT NUT branch secretaries please find attached theofficial NUT circular to all its nationalsecretaries encouraging attendance at the 9 February event. Any NUT member should therefore beable to claim expenses from theirbranch for attending this, as part of what the union classifies for annual accounting purposes as"CAMPAIGNS". Such total, annualexpenditure by any NUT branch will be reimbursed from national funds once the Teasurer has reurnedaudited accounts in January-March of the folowing year. Good stuff.

Dear Colleague

CAMPAIGN AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE TRADE UNION CONFERENCE

The purpose of this circular is to provide divisions and associations with information on the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Conference which is being held on Saturday 9 February 2008 at the University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1.

The NUT Deputy General Secretary, Christine Blower, will be speaking at the conference, alongside Mark Serwotka (General Secretary, PCS), Matt Wrack (General Secretary, FBU), Frances O’Grady (Deputy General Secretary, TUC), Michael Meacher MP and Caroline Lucas MEP.

The conference will gather together trade unionists to discuss the big questions thrown up by global warming, such as: What sort of transport system do we need? Does carbon trading work? Is the Government’s Climate Bill a help? What sort of sustainable housing can we build? and, What can trade unionists do at work?

The day will consist of two plenary sessions addressed by leading figures in the trade union and environmental movements, followed by workshops looking at different questions thrown up by the climate change debate.

The TUC is encouraging attendance at the conference. The cost of attendance is £10 per delegate.

Local associations and divisions interested in obtaining further details or attending the event should visit www.campaigncc.org. There you will find a flyer giving details of the speakers, the programme for the day and the list of the various workshops, plus a booking form for delegates wishing to register.

Yours sincerely


STEVE SINNOTT CHRISTINE BLOWER
General Secretary Deputy General Secretary

 

[cockneyrebel]

I wonder if Cockneywebel is just being provocative, as even PR I assume oppose nuclear power.

1) Yes, nuclear power is a bad thing and a transition to renewables would be cheaper and quicker.

I think that renewables are preferable but it will take a long times to transfer all our energy needs to renewable sources. From this point of view I’m not sure that fossil fuels are a better alternative to nuclear power.

I’m not writing from a “PR line” but as an individual.

PS I think the conference is a good idea!

 

[treelover]

So do I, as long as it is not yet another SWP/Respect? vehicle to push their own politics.

PS I think the conference is a good idea!
Reply With Quote

 

[KeyboardJockey]

So do I, as long as it is not yet another SWP/Respect? vehicle to push their own politics.

Doesn't surprise me sadly, that a grandstanding ego maniac like Serwotka is swanning round such an event whilst his members are under attack.

Fuck PCS and their piss poor service.

 

[glenquagmire]

^ idiocy ^

What material benefit would PCS members gain from Serwotka not attending this?

 

[KeyboardJockey]

^ idiocy ^

What material benefit would PCS members gain from Serwotka not attending this?

Why is it idiocy. The only time ordianry pcs members even HEAR about Serwotka is when he is on some junket or another. Meanwhile members jobs and conditions are under attack but all we get is green posturing from Serwotka.

If Serwotka had said 'I'm not attending this conference as it doesn't directly affect my members' but no he has to attend to boost his ego.

<guess who on this thread is being fed bullshit by his union branch at the moment>

 

[kyser_soze]

I think one of the most pressing issues facing TUs when it comes to CC is that, certainly for industrial workers, their livelihoods are a main contributor to the problem.

Take car manufacturing for example - employs 000s, is energy intensive, produces consumer goods that pollute...

 

[Prince Rhyus]

What do people want from the conference?
What are it's aims?
What do you want from it?

I would like to have a series of open, honest and passionate debates in a mature and respectful manner that will allow people to come away with a series of actions that they can go away and get on with.

What I don't want is a glorified paper sale and a bunch of neo-marxists saying

"This is why you should join the party for working socialism as the solution to all the world's problems is a global revolution, the overthrow of the imperialist oppresive classes and democratic elected soviets that will decide things for the good of everybody."​

Let's keep things in the real world and deal with things as they currently are, and not come out with stuff like:

"Everything will be better after the revolution."​

Sorry for the rant but I came across this sort of stuff in the Stop the War march and it got my back up.

 

[Cobbles]

Anyone going to this?

I'd go if it was being held in Bali.

 

[glenquagmire]

Why is it idiocy. The only time ordianry pcs members even HEAR about Serwotka is when he is on some junket or another. Meanwhile members jobs and conditions are under attack but all we get is green posturing from Serwotka.

If Serwotka had said 'I'm not attending this conference as it doesn't directly affect my members' but no he has to attend to boost his ego.

<guess who on this thread is being fed bullshit by his union branch at the moment>

Why is your shit union branch Serwotka's fault?

A union is as strong or weak as its members.

Oh and please complete the sentence "If Serwotka had said 'I'm not attending this conference as it doesn't directly affect my members' but no he has to attend to boost his ego." If Serwotka said that then how would it benefit you? That's assuming that you're right that it doesn't directly affect the members, of course.

 

[kyser_soze]

So is no one going to address the inherent contradiction of industrial unions discussing what can be done about climate change other than 'We all need to leave our jobs' then?

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Why is your shit union branch Serwotka's fault?

Because the leadership of the union take very little interest over branches unless they vote for the leadership.

A union is as strong or weak as its members.

Now that I agree with up to a point. But when you have a very detached leadership then it does affect the morale of individual branches and members.

Oh and please complete the sentence "If Serwotka had said 'I'm not attending this conference as it doesn't directly affect my members' but no he has to attend to boost his ego." If Serwotka said that then how would it benefit you? That's assuming that you're right that it doesn't directly affect the members, of course.

No I don't think Serwotka getting involved in a green junket affects the average member of PCS.

The only member that Serwotka cares about is himself.

 

[glenquagmire]

Because the leadership of the union take very little interest over branches unless they vote for the leadership.

Isn't that a good thing? I don't want my Gen Sec getting involved in internal branch issues. It would seem you have a shit branch - it's your job to change that, not Serwotka's.

No I don't think Serwotka getting involved in a green junket affects the average member of PCS.

The only member that Serwotka cares about is himself.

So what's the harm in it? It's not an "either you work hard for your members or you go to a climate change conference" choice.

And do you really think that union leaders should never comment on anything but the most narrowly defined issues that directly affect their members? Not 'get involved with politics' for a start?

 

[Udo Erasmus]

It is to the great credit of militant building workers in Australia that over 30 years ago they nailed their green colours to the mast and insisted that ecology was as much the concern of workers as wages and conditions. Mundey asked "What is the use of higher wages alone, if we have to live in cities devoid of parks, denuded of trees, in an atmosphere poisoned by pollution and vibrating with the noise of hundreds of thousands of units of private transport?”

The Green Bans movement, as it came to be known, was perhaps the most radical example of working class environmentalism ever seen in the world. At its peak it held up billions of dollars worth of undesirable development and it saved large areas of the city of Sydney - streets, old buildings, parks and whole suburbs - from demolition. There is even evidence that the term “green” itself as a synonym for ecological activism came from those struggles. In 1997, the well-respected Australian Greens Senator, Bob Brown, said:

“Petra Kelly...saw the Green Bans which the unions...were then imposing on untoward developments in Sydney...She took back to Germany this idea of Green Bans, or the terminology. As best as we can track it down, that is where the word “green” as applied to the emerging Greens in Europe came from”.

A great article that gives an example of how militant workers have fought for the environment:
http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article94

 

[Udo Erasmus]

This is a great passage from the article:

"The Manchester Guardian considered that Jack Mundey [A far left trade unionist] was “Australia’s most effective conservationist” and claimed “Middle class groups are a little embarrassed at having to turn to a rough-hewn proletarian Communist to protect their homes (and values) from fiats and motorways, and their theatres and pubs from office developers. But approach him they do...” In fact, it was often working class homes and precincts that were saved from the developers, but the union would respond to any genuine request for help."

And this about the argument within the union:

"Like its sister parties round the world, the CPA had no record of environmental activism. The same was true, more broadly, of the labour movement as a whole and indeed many sections of the movement, including some self-styled revolutionaries and Communists, depicted the bans as a “diversion from the class struggle” and as a capitulation to alien “middle class ideas”. In one notorious outburst, Norm Gallagher, the Maoist federal secretary of the BLF dismissed widespread support for the NSW BLF as coming only from “residents, sheilas and poofters”. [26] When ecological ideas began to emerge in the 1960s with the publication of such books as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, they collided with deeply ingrained attitudes which viewed nature as a hostile enemy to be subdued, or mastered, and which was expressed in an ideology of limitless economic growth regardless of the consequences. Again it is to the great credit of the NSW BLF’s leadership that they were able to gain support for the radical new ecological ideas from the union’s membership.

The leadership realized that it would be wrong and self-defeating to try to impose industrial action in support of the environment on the members. By debate and argument at mass stop work or on-the-job meetings, the BLF officials convinced the members to support an all-out assault on the previously sacred right of the builders and developers to re-model the face of Sydney as they saw fit."

 

[bigfish]

Why is nuclear power a bad thing?

Because it is a proven source of abundant cheap energy. Thus commissioning more modern efficient nuclear plants does not fit with the policy of anti-industrial energy strangulation being waged against the world's people from behind a fire wall of "manmade global warming" and "peak oil" propaganda.

Would you campaign against any more coal mines being set up?

No - rather than wasting billions subsidizing Shell to build worthless wind-farms that only work when the wind is blowing, we should be building new generation conventional and nuclear power plants to secure our energy requirements for the 21st century.

 

[greenman]

Campaign Against Climate Change TU Conference Report

I attended the CACCTU conference yesterday and it was one of the best day conferences I have attended. 250-300 people from a variety of Unions, political and environmental groups took part in the day and (despite some wrangling over the lack of time to debate and amend the final resolution) there was a very good atmosphere of a historic coming together of greens, the labour movement and the left. This was similar to those high points of the global justice movement like the "Teamsters and Turtles" of Seattle.

It was good to meet comrades, colleagues and fellow workers old and new.

There was unity of purpose around building a meaningful broad based movement with working people's organisations in a prominent role - and agreement on specifics like the importance of workplace action ("greening the workplace") and taking the arguments around what needs to be done into every workplace and organisation.

There was debate around issues like how to relate to workers in nuclear, coal, energy and aviation industries and the practicalities of how the economies of the world might be shifted - but this was generally good natured and open minded. There was still a little Trotty "interventionism" (always amusing to hear some plummy voiced, upper middle class, very recent ex-student declaiming with absolute certainty what the Working Clarrss need to do) but generally members of the various sects were in very best non-sectarian behaviour mode.

The morning plenary at the University of London Union was chaired by London Green MEP Jean Lambert and welcomed by CACCTU Coordinator Phil Thornhill with dry wit. Frances O'Grady, Deputy General Secretary of the TUC talked about a "just transition to a low carbon economy" and called for a windfall tax on the £9 billon profits of the energy companies since 2005 to fund energy efficiency measures to benefit the poorest. She also talked about green workiing practice and how to make Climate Change campaign work "part and parcel" of our everyday work as trade unionists.

The next speaker was Caroline Lucas, Green MEP and the Green's best hope for their first MP in Brighton Pavilion at the next election. Caroline is Honorary Vice President of the the Campaign. She said that climate change is as much a question of social and economic organisation as it is an environmental question. She talked about global equity and the contraction and convergence model. She talked about how moving to a zero carbon economy would create more work, quoting New Economics Foundation work on jobs per terawatt of various forms of energy production. She condemned the mixed messages coming from the UK govt and said that they were jeopardising the predicted new jobs in renewable energy. She also mentioned the "Finance For The Future Group" and their idea of a "Green New Deal" involving massive investment in green jobs. She concluded that our campaign and the unfolding situation present a clear challenge to the unsustainable dominant economic model and raised the demand for social and environmental justice.

The first speaker from an individual union was Fire Brigades Union General Secretary Matt Wrack. He talked about how climate change was already affecting his members through increased grass and heathland fires and flooding. He talked about the threat to public services and livelihoods and said that the evidence of climate change was clear evidence of massive "market failure". He called for a broad campaign at national and international level and the empowerment of working people in planning and implementing the best solutions. He said that Hurricane Katrina showed what we could expect to be the result of continuing neo-liberal policies.

Mark Serwotka from the PCS could not attend, but his replacement, Chris (whose surname I did not catch) gave a stirring speech and focussed on promoting a "bargaining agenda" and creating sustainable workplaces. He called for green reps and a wider environmental agenda for the unions, whilst recognising the tricky questions for some unions around aviation and nuclear power.

The speaker from the Universities and Colleges (UCU) union was Linda Newman who talked about UCU passing policy and forums for sharing best practice. She said that UCU were trying to get the employers in their sector to recognise the carbon footprint of their workplaces and siad that their new HQ was going to be a sustainable building.

Christine Blower for the NUT (National Union of Teachers) said that schools accounted for 2% of UK CO2 emissions, but 15% of overall public sector emissions. She said that 14% of the emissions that schools created were accounted for by the "school run" and called for more walking buses to good, local, schools. She said, that after New Labour's "Education, Education, Education" slogan we had to focus on "Mitigation, Adaptation, Education"

Michael Meacher MP echoed Caroline Lucas on job creation and detailed some of the areas where massive investment was needed in renewables and energy efficiency measures. He backed the Friends of The Earth "Big Ask" demands on the Climate Change Bill - that there should be a tougher target of at least 80% reductions by the target date, annual targets for emissions and inclusion of aviation and shipping in the calculations. He said that the government needed to realise that dealing with climate change was not a "bolt on" option, that it called into question the entire economic status quo.

There were 6 workshops covering carbon trading and market mechanisms, greening the workplace, alternative energy, sustainable cities, sustainable transport and global treaties.

I went to the ones on energy and global treaties. At the energy workshop Nick Rau from Friends of The Earth gave a positive and upbeat account of current technological developments in this field and talked about FOE's recent report on how energy production might be transformed over the next 20 years. Phil Ward, energy spokesperson of Respect (Renewal) and the ISG gave an interesting and detailed illustrated talk on how energy use might be cut and talked in ecosocialist terms of a move from exchange values to use values.

The global targets workshop was chaired by Green Party Cllr Romaine Phoenix and had representatives of the TUC, CWU (Jane Loftus) and Suzanne Jeffrey from Respect. Jane Loftus talked about the importance of international networking and the CWU's attendance at the World and European Social Forum meetings. The TUC rep, Environment Officer Philip Peason talked about how the US unions were coming round and how the Australian unions had helped sway the US reps at Bali. He said that whilst the US unions had joined together with corporations to block the Clinton administration from signing up to Kyoto, he felt that the US unions were now more likely to agree to a new global agreement under an incoming Democrat administration. He echoed Frances O'Grady on the need for a "just transition". He also talked about reforestation, for example in Indonesia where the unions were losing thousands of members a year due to deforestation. Suzanne Jeffrey said that the US had previously distorted the science and blocked action on behalf of their corporations, but their new strategy was to agree that something needed to be done but try to shift the blame onto China and India. She said the debate around this was vitally important as it was clearly an issue of social justice and the US arguments ignored per capita emissions in favour of meaningless National emissions.

There was debate over Carbon Capture and Storage with an audience member pointing out to Philip Pearson the New Scientist article this week saying that the US government was pulling the plug on much of the research in this area - and suggesting that much of the hype around CCS had been promoted by the Fossil Fuel industry corporations to justify continued emissions, with no intention of actually implementing CCS. The TUC man replied that there were 8,000+ locations around the world emitting 100,000 tons of CO2 a year and the TUC believed we had to deal with CCS and promote its development - if only for export to China where their economic expansion had largely made use of coal fired power stations.
(Continued below)

 

[greenman]

CCCTU report - continued
In the closing plenary Jonathan Neale gave a very moving speech on the challenge we faced and the possible consequences of climate change for humans and all other species on the planet. Neale has a book due out in May, "Stop Global Warming - Change The World".

Defeated left Labour Party leadership contender John McDonnell gave a passionate speech focussing on airport expansion and the campaign against the 3rd Runway at Heathrow in his constituency. He urged maximum support for the coming demonstration in May on this issue.

Elaine Graham Leigh of Respect talked about not allowing the movement to be divided (somewhat ironic given the recent events in Respect!) and quite rightly said we should be suspicious of dodgy solutions, particularly those that relied on market forces.

Derek Wall, Green Party Principal Speaker, ecosocialist and Green Left supporter quoted Dorothy Sayers and Marx and then gave an inspiring rundown on TU involvement in green campaigns from the Australian Building Workers union's "Green Bans" to the National Union of Seamen in the UK acting against nuclear dumping at sea. He talked about the positive examples in Latin America and the need for a new social and economic paradigm.

The motion was then voted on after an amendment was accepted (mentioning the next Climate March in December). There was some annoyance in certain quarters that the motion was not fully discussed or other amendments allowed, but the proposers of other amendments were allowed to read them out whilst the organisers explained it was not meant to be a detailed policy motion but an action motion to set up and prepare for the development of a permanent CACCTU group.

Tony Kearns of the CWU gave the rousing final speech in which he echoed some of Derek's comments about the need for a different economic settlement and the inspiration of worker's conversion programmes like the Lucas Aerospace plan in the 1970s. He called for everyone to go out and build the movement and take it into every workplace.

The Climate Change Trade Union group will meet on 1st March to take things forward nationally.

One of the next mobilisations on a relevant topic is the protest against Brown's policies on Biofuels outside Downing Street on Tuesday April 15th - Biofuels are now a major threat as corporate interests sense megaprofits to be made and further rainforest destruction looms, as well as diversion of land previously used for food production pushing up world food prices.

Overall, a very good day. Green Trade Unionists, ecosocialists and green syndicalists will be participating in the growth of this positive initiative and try to ensure that all keep focussed on common goals rather than the unfortunate manouvering for political advantage that has disfigured so many broad based campaigns.

Oh, and by the way, do not feed the conspiracist trolls....

 

[cockneyrebel]

Will put up a proper report later but just to say:

There was still a little Trotty "interventionism" (always amusing to hear some plummy voiced, upper middle class, very recent ex-student declaiming with absolute certainty what the Working Clarrss need to do) but generally members of the various sects were in very best non-sectarian behaviour mode.

While there are people like this on the trotskyist left, they are hardly alone in this respect. The Green party, enviro-hippies, eco-activists and do-gooder liberals all have their fair share of snotty nosed, plummy voiced, upper middle class members as was shown at the conference. Probably a lot more so than the trotskyist and socialist left.