Dear Colleague

TUC Lobby- Letter to Branches

Many of you will have seen the shambolic events unfold after the appointment of Liz Truss as Prime Minister last month. Her plans for the new budget to cut taxes for the wealthiest in this country, whilst leaving working people struggling through the cost-of-living crisis are a disgrace. However, the Conservatives have now managed to make things worse by cutting their energy support plan and causing further market chaos.

The voice of working people in Parliament is now more important than ever. That is why we are supporting the TUC’s Parliamentary Lobby on Wednesday the 2nd of November from 2-6pm.

The Lobby will engage hundreds of trade union members with MPs from across the political spectrum, in short meetings on issues raised as part of the We Demand Bettercampaign. The CWU wholeheartedly supports the campaign and wishes to get as many of our members involved as possible.

Some of the demands of the campaign are as follows:

A £15 minimum wage as soon as possibleA real pay rise for public sector workersNew union bargaining rights for whole industries – protect the right to strikeBan zero hours contracts and stop fire and rehireCut bills and nationalise energy retailHike universal credit and pensions nowRaise women’s incomes and stop workplace racism

How it works

The Lobby will take place in Westminster, with members gathering in the Central Hall and addressing MPs by region and constituency. You will likely have a meeting with other members or members from other trade unions, where you can discuss the demands of the campaign and the issues facing our workplaces and industries.

If you wish to meet your MP on these issues, you must register with the TUC here by Tuesday the 25th of October.

The TUC will contact you and help you book a meeting with your MP and make the most of the meeting. They will make sure you have all the information you need. There will also be several CWU representatives and staff on the day, located at the CWU stand in Central Hall, to help direct you once you arrive for your meeting.

Following the Lobby, there will also be a rally at Central Hall from 6pm-8pm, where General Secretary Dave Ward will be speaking alongside other trade union speakers.

We encourage every member who is able to travel to London on the 2nd of November to register to attend. Please contact your branch for details on covering travel and expenses.

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s Office at jdunn@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Dave WardGeneral Secretary