Brum YTS action

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pased by socialist organiser.

From Basingstoke alone we have had half a dozen applications for credentials, from a number of different organisations: Trades Council, GMWU branch, For the workshop on from British Telecom and from Wandsworth. On public sęrvice cuts, speakers have been invited from hospital occupations and anti-closure campaigns.

Platform and workshop speakers include:

the way forward. ces in different sectors, with introductions from a car industry steward and an NHS steward.

We'll be looking at the recently launched Black Trade Unionists' Solidarity Movement, and other autonomous black workers' organising, in a workshop on black workers. And we hope for speakers from the Gay Teachers' Group and the NALGO Gay Group for i workshop on gay rights.

Women 's special concerns and demands will, we Nante Sudress Send to London •Septem How can we organise the trainees? There'll be a workshop on that.

Conference papers are in preparation on many of the workshop themes. For details or for credentials ($£2.50 waged, £1.50 unwaged), write to Socialist Organiser, September 17 Conference, 28 Middle Lane, London N8.

Open to delegates and observers from all labour movement bodies.

Credentials (including discussion papers) £2.50 (employed), £1.50 (unemployed).

Please send me detons credentds tor September 1? inferenew Tenclose d (Pleas :Ti 17 Confer ner. THE Birmingham "YTS Action Group" came into existence a few months ago, when activists from the trades council, who planned to monitor YTS schemes and to launch a union recruitment drive on them, found that workers at the Birmingham Trade Union Resource Centre were also thinking along similar lines.

It made sense to pool resources, and a series of joint meetings have been held, at which trade unionists affected by YTS (like supervisors irom mode B schemes, shop stewards. at factories with mode A trainees, NATFHE members from fE colleges) have exchanged experunionising staff and trainees the Birmingham area.

Roger Kline, a full-time researcher at the Resource Centre and the convenor of the Action Group, is also building up an extensive file on abuses of trainees, health and safety on schemes, good and bad agreements and so forth. the group intends to expand this aspect of the work into a systematic monitoring process.

Roger's file, together with copies of relevant MSC and trade union publications' are being kept at the Resource Centre and are available for any trade unionist to look at (photocopies can be sent out). Information from other parts of the country is atways weleone. * * =.

The Action Group has a leatlet for trainees, informing them of their rights, and encouraging them to join a union. This will be distributed early in October by which time the trainees who start in September will have had a month to get a taste of just what YTS is all about.

The Group is also planning the publication of a regular YTS Bulletin aimed at trainees, supervisors and trade unionists.

It is hoped to convene a conference of trade unionists involved with YTS from round the country, towards the end of the year.

Contact: YTS Action Group, c/o Roger Kline, TURC, Frederick St., Birmingham BIBHE (021-2368323 ....

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privatisation, the organis- ers have invited speakers