Young Trade Unionists May Day Brigade 2015 Report

Young Trade Unionists at the Julio Antonio Mella Camp

Twenty-six young activists from across the British trade union movement visited Cuba to enjoy the May Day celebrations and offer their solidarity to the Cuban people as part of the Young Trade Unionists May Day Brigade, organised by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC).

Delegates from four trade unions; Unite, UNISON, UCATT and GMB participated in the brigade, representing millions of workers in Britain, who joined trade unionists and political activists from around the world in a programme of cultural activities, visits, entertainment and political discussion.

“Cuba may not have the wealth of the US, but it has a heart for the poor”

UNISON North West delegation

UNISON North West delegate Ian Sutcliffe reports on his participation in CSC’s May Day Brigade to Cuba 2013

I was over the moon when I got accepted to join the NW UNISON delegation on the Young Trade Unionist May Day Brigade to Cuba. This was the 6th time that the Cuba Solidarity Campaign organised two weeks of solidarity and celebration of the Cuban Revolution.

The campaign seeks an end to the 50 year blockade of Cuba. The United States Government has for 50 years blocked trade with Cuba. It is not just an embargo; America also blocks third countries from trading with Cuba.

We took part in different activities while in Cuba. One of them was farming. We spent a whole day piling up branches into a bonfire and another day moving large stones. It was very exhausting, physically and mentally.

At the end of both days I thought “What is the point, I’m a council gardener and this would take an hour with a John Deere tractor”.  With 30 operatives and no tractor it took all day. If we had a tractor time would fly by very swiftly.

That is just the point, Cuba struggles to make new vehicles or import them because of the blockade. Most cars and lorries are 1950s American vehicles. The Cubans have done very well in maintaining these vehicles for so long. This may be because Cuba has active mines. They have large deposits of nickel and nickel cobalt.

Another major industry is the health care industry. The Cuban health service trains doctors and nurses that go and work all over Latin America. Cuba regularly sends medical aid missions to tropical islands along the Equator and in South America whenever there is a natural disaster.

Cuba has a lot to give. Cuba may not have the oil or wealth of the United States of America but it has a heart for the poor; which is exactly what the capitalist countries elsewhere do not have. What Cuba has, it shares generously.

What became apparent at the May Day rally in Revolution Square is that all of the doctors, consultants, nurses, military forces, local government workers, school teachers and children were marching together. The atmosphere was amazing with all of the music, the banners and the revolutionary cheer.

We attended a play which was performed by the school children. It was about the Spanish-American War right through to the Cuban Revolution.  A few days later we attended a street party with a local Committee for the Defence of the Revolution. From the age of 5 to 75; everyone in Cuba loves to dance. In the street party there was a 5 year old boy who was busting some moves. Everyone was dancing. The President of the local Communist Party addressed the delegation at the end of the night and thanked us all for being there and for showing solidarity with the Cuban people.

If any young members are thinking of going next year don’t go for the food: the food is poor. Take plenty of mosquito spray; take a torch and a rain coat. It rained once while I was in Cuba; at that time we had a thunderstorm and a power cut. Take working boots, gloves and washing powder.

I would recommend going on a Brigade in Cuba to anyone, whatever age you are. There are Brigades for people of any age as well.

Get involved -become an activist!

Launch of CSC's Trade Union Newsletter

This week we launched our new Cuba Solidarity Campaign trade union newsletter Trade Unions for Cuba. Union affiliates and individual CSC members will be accustomed to receiving their quarterly copy of CubaSí magazine, but the new bulletin will concentrate on trade union news and campaigning actions. Trade Unions for Cuba will be published electronically approximately every three months and will satisfy the hunger for topical Cuba news between issues of CubaSí.

The newsletter aims to celebrate collaboration between CSC, British trade unions and trade unions in Cuba. It will bring up-to-date news on trade unionism in Cuba, report on CSC work with unions domestically, mobilise campaigns and promote events, brigades and tours.

The first issue includes a report on WikiLeaks revelations which show the success of the CSC and trade union campaign against the Hilton Hotels in 2007. British trade unions – including the GMB and Unison – played a crucial role in boycotting Hilton due to their refusal to accommodate Cuban guests and the WikiLeaks cables show that our campaign reached the highest levels of the U.S government. 

Unison young activists Lisa and Vikki with
Dennis Doody, UCATT rep on CSC EC



It also includes a report on CSC’s presence at trade union conferences this year and features a story of three young activists – Vikki Garratty, Lisa Scott and Geri Cowell – who took part in CSC’s May Day Brigade this year. According to Vikki, the Brigade was “one of the best experiences of my life” and the newsletter applauds the work the three campaigners have done supporting solidarity with Cuba and fundraising for CSC since their return. A big thanks to all those who contributed at Unison’s Young Members’ Weekend in Cardiff!

The core objective of the newsletter, however, is to enhance understanding of Cuba, promote campaigning work and increase union affiliations to the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. The report on the visit of Tony Woodley – former Unite General Secretary – to a Miami 5 meeting in Los Angeles demonstrates that the British trade union movement has been crucial in the campaign to free the Miami 5 by securing the support of American unions such as the United Service Workers, the United Steel Workers and the Teamsters.

It is only through union support that this was possible and it is therefore imperative to build on the already fantastic relationship which CSC enjoys with the trade union movement. If your union branch or region isn’t already affiliated to the Campaign, we hope you will consider joining online or by emailing Dan Smith. Affiliation costs just £40 for a branch and £50 for a region.

A hi-res version of the newsletter can be viewed here. Please feel free to forward to colleagues or print-off and distribute around notice boards and offices. If you would like to receive future copies, please email CSC Campaigns Officer Dan Smith.

Young trade unionists inspired by May Day brigade

Twenty-eight young activists from across the British trade union movement visited Cuba to enjoy the May Day festivities and offer their support and solidarity to the Cuban people. Delegates from five trade unions – including Unite, Unison, GMB, TSSA and UCATT – joined trade unionists and political activists from around the world in a celebratory program of cultural activities, entertainment and political education.

May Day Brigade is amazing experience for Unison delegation

Unison recently sent four delegates on our Young Trade Unionists’ May Day Brigade to Cuba. Unison delegate, Lisa Scott (above, right), reports on the Brigade below.

At the beginning of the year I was given the opportunity of joining the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) on their annual Young Trade Unionists’ May Day Brigade. This is a chance for trade unionists under the age of 35 to visit Cuba and see how the history and politics of their country differ to our own and also gives us the chance to show our support and solidarity to a country that is still being blockaded by the USA after more than 50 years. I agreed to go and to be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect.