Up to date information is available at: http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/
Theme: That the cuts are not inevitable, not necessary, certainly not fair and in fact are highly detrimental to economic prospects. The stealth cuts to health budgets, our opposition to the reform of the NHS, for which there is no mandate and no public support, and our opposition to the consequent wave of privatisation and loss of public sector ethos in the NHS, are central to the demonstration. The march is a ‘march for the alternative’; to include tax justice, a Robin Hood Tax and a growth agenda, featuring a well funded publicly delivered, publicly controlled and publicly owned NHS at its centre.
Expected Attendance: The TUC expects this to be the largest demonstration that the trade union movement has organised in a generation. The number of coach bookings and the breadth of support from sister campaign organisations and voluntary sector organisations confirms this. More than 150,000 people have viewed the route of the march on the campaign website. This could be a huge event.
Assembly Point: from 11am, Victoria Embankment. Because of the expected size of the demonstration demonstrators have been asked to assemble FROM 11am rather than at 11am, because the beginning of the demonstration will necessarily be staggered.
Assembly point and disabled persons: There are alternative assembly points and arrangements. Please see: http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/2011/02/18/access-and-disability/
Move off: demonstrators will move off from midday.
Route: Victoria Embankment > Bridge Street > Parliament Square > Parliament Street > Whitehall > Trafalgar Square > Cockspur Street > Pall Mall > Waterloo Place > Regent Street > Piccadilly > Hyde Park Corner > Park lane > South Carriage Drive. For more details see: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=207180369435059079338.00049a5d0f5992fc77f59&ll=51.509277,-0.129948&spn=0.037394,0.081539&z=13&source=embed
Travel – tube and train network: There are some minor closures, these are being tracked and the TUC and the MET Police are seeking to minimise disruption. Demonstrators should check the TfL and Network Rail websites for the latest information. If the demonstration is as large as we wish it to be it is inevitable that Embankment tube Station will be closed.
Travel – coaches: Up to date information is available on the website at: http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/2011/01/26/transport-arrangements/
The MET Police has ordered a large area of road closures, detail of which is available at: http://www.met.police.uk/events/images/Traffic_Zones_TUC.pdf which will affect drop-off and pick-up points. Coach parks are being provided at New Covent Garden, the Excel Centre and Wembley. Drop-off points maybe be nearer the start of the march but each coach organiser is responsible for their own arrangements.
Stewards: The TUC is still recruiting senior and route stewards. Volunteer stewards should register at http://www.tuc.org.uk/ , (plse see link on the front page). Unions that are recruiting and training their own stewards should realise that those stewards cannot possibly fully perform the role of a march steward if they do not have contact names and phone numbers for senior route stewards, and if they are not linked in to the text alert system etc. So all those expecting to volunteer as a route steward should register with the TUC.
The Rally: is scheduled to run from 1.30-4.30pm, with speakers from trade unions, the community and service users, short film clips, and we presume celebrity speakers and music. Special arrangements have been made at the rally site for demonstrators who are disabled.
Banners, Flags, Placards: Are all welcome.
Uniforms: Public service workers who wear uniforms are urged to wear them.
Family friendly: the TUC has worked very closely with the Police to organise a peaceful and orderly demonstration that is a positive expression by the public, with the trade union movement at the heart of it, that there is a better way than these reckless and irresponsible cuts and the immense threat to the nature and quality of the public services that we all depend upon.
Campaign materials can be downloaded at: http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/get-involved/posters/
This is the intensification of a campaign to defend public services, not the end of a campaign. SERTUC has in development a protest against the cuts that have been targeted at disabled workers and people and a day of action around 1 June featuring the cuts against children and young people. The ongoing campaign will feature the emerging threats to the NHS and to the standards of health care.
If you have any queries that you cannot answer from the dedicated march website, http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/, please contact SERTUC on 020 7677 1220 or 020 7467 1292 or email sertuc@tuc.org.uk or Laurie Heselden at lheselden@tuc.org.uk
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