Townsend Theatre Productions are planning to tour their musical production of ‘FAREWELL LEICESTER SQUARE’ in spring 2027 celebrating the amazing life of Joe Clough, Britain’s first black bus driver. They are crowdfunding to help make that happen. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/farewell-leicester-square-by-neil-gore

AI is making inroads into so many areas of our lives and work, union organisation and collective bargaining have a vital role to play,

On Wednesday 11 March the TUC is offering an all-day forum at its Congress House headquarters in London to discuss collective bargaining on AI. This event is primarily designed for union reps and full-time officers who are already engaging with AI as an industrial issue and are looking to organise and negotiate with employers on this topic. You can sign up for the event here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/collective-bargaining-ai-forum

If this event is not for you, there are plenty of other union resources on AI. Unison members, for example, can sign up to a day-time on-line course on Thursday 16 April, aimed at individuals who are new to AI or looking to enhance their efficiency. Members can sign up here: https://learning.unison.org.uk/events/an-introduction-to-ai-artificial-intelligence/

If you are a union rep, organiser or activist in the Hounslow area, do you have experience in dealing with AI that you’d be willing to share? We’ll put this on the agenda at one of our evening meetings later this year. They are held on the third Tuesday of every month (except August and December) at Hounslow United Reformed Church (see our events page).

Local events planned

For 9 days in May 1926 normal life was thrown into a crisis as trade union members rallied to the TUC call to stand with the coal miners against wage cuts.

In Hounslow, transport, engineering and building workers came out on strike. Action was coordinated through the Hounslow Central Strike Committee, and actively supported by the Labour Party and others.

Opposing the strike were Conservative politicians – not least local MPs including William Joynson-Hicks (the Home Secretary) and his supporters – and by Volunteers trying to do the work of strikers as the wider population looked on.

Hounslow Trades Council is planning to mark the anniversary of the strike in our district on Saturday 9 May. It will be a day to remember the story of what happened here, and to celebrate solidarity.

Put the date in your diaries – Saturday 9 May – more information will be posted here soon.