Updates:

1. Community and Unions Solidarity Picnic 2 April, Main speakers confirmed - see below.
2. Meetings every Wednesday - next meeting 1 February
3. IR information stalls at Yarraville Festival and Bayside Festival - see below

1. Community and Unions Solidarity Picnic - 2 April
1.00 pm, Yarraville Gardens, Footscray

Main speakers confirmed:

• Sharan Burrows (President, ACTU),
• Anglican Bishop Phillip Huggins,
• Cath Smith (CEO - Victorian Council of Social Services),
• Kevin Bracken (MUA State Secretary)

The picnic has been endorsed by several unions and community groups - details on the leaflet.

National and local artists, perfomers and musicians are being approached to contribute to this important community event. If you know of anyone who can assist please contact us asap.

Please contact us if you can assist with publicising the meeting, contacting unions and community organisations, distributing leaflets, etc.

2. Meetings of the group

Between now and the picnic we will be meeting regularly every Wednesday, Meeting Room 2 or 3, 1st Floor, Maribyrnong Council Offices, Hyde Street, Footscray, rear of Town Hall. Entry via Hyde Street.

3. IR Information Stalls - at local festivals

We will be holding IR information stalls at the following two local festivals in February. Please contact us if you can assist at the stall or walk around handing out picnic leaflets.

A great opportunity to get IR information and picnic publicity to local working people and the community. And engage in conversation/discussion, make contacts, publicise the group and let people know that things are happening on the ground, etc.

1. Saturday, 11 February, Yarraville Festival, 8.30 am - 4.00 pm
2. Saturday and Sunday, 25 & 26 February Bayside Community Festival - Cherry Lake, Altona.

Last year visited by 50,000 - 60,000 people.

In struggle
Shirley

In this update:

1. Community and Workers' Solidarity Picnic - Sunday, 2 April
2. Next meeting of the group - Wednesday, 25 January
3. IR Information Stall at Yarraville Festival - Saturday, 11 February

1. Western Suburbs Communities and Workers Solidarity Picnic will be on Sunday, 2 April, from 1.00 pm, Yarraville Gardens, Hyde Street, Yarraville.

Speakers, performers, endorsements and requests for financial support are being finalised in time for leaflet printing and distribution in the second week of February. In the meantime, please distribute the attached draft leaflet (or information on the leaflet) via emails, word of mouth, etc. to your friends, colleagues, workmates, families. unions, etc.

We're aiming for the picnic to bring together wide cross sections of communities, workers and unions. The theme of the picnic is *Defend Workers' Rights and Conditions - Defend Community Living Standards. The picnic will also highlight workers' and communities' achievements won through common and united struggle.

2. Next Meeting - Wednesday, 25 January - Maribyrnong Town Hall, Meeting Room 2, entry via Hyde street., rear Town Hall.

The meeting will continue organising the picnic; Yarraville Festival stall; and other activities.

3. Yarraville Festival - Saturday, 11 February - all day

Please contact us if you can help out at the group's stall and/or walk around handing out information about the picnic, the group and general IR information.

Shirley, Billy, Justin and Wendy 0417 456 001

Next meeting: Wednesday, 11 January (details below)

Dear all,

Greetings for 2006 from the Western Suburbs Community and Unions Coalition to all our friends. We hope everyone had a restful break and recharged their batteries for the coming year.

The year ahead is shaping up to be a period of struggles and challenges for working people and their communities.

Defending workplace rights and conditions and protecting the present standard of living in our communities will be the main task facing workers, unions and wider communities.

Present workplace rights and conditions have been won over the past 150 years through the collective action of unions and communities banding together.

The so-called "Work Choices" is no different to many previous attempts to push down working people's conditions and restrict the right to organise collectively. And this time again working people and their communities have shown already that they will refuse to bow to attacks on hard won living standards.

The Western Suburbs Community and Unions Coalition will continue to take part in the ongoing mass campaign to involve wide sections of the people in defence of workers' rights and working people's standard of living.

We're starting early in the year to plan our activities over next three months.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 11 January, 6.00 pm

Meeting Room 2, Maribyrnong Council Town Hall, Hyde Street, Footscray. (Enter via rear of Town Hall from Hyde Street - take lift to 1st floor.)

Main Agenda:

1. Western Suburbs Community Picnic (late Feb.or late March) Theme along the lines of "Defend Workers' and Community Living Standards - Celebrate 150 years of working people's struggles and achievements."
2. Working with community groups and unions
3. Finances

Schedule of fortnightly meetings: 6.00 pm, Meeting Room 2, Maribyrnong
Town Hall.

• Wednesday, 11 January
• Wednesday, 25 February
• Wednesday, 8 February
• Wednesday, 22 February
• Wednesday, 8 March
• Wednesday, 22 March

Contacts: Shirley 0417456001, Justin 0417896297, Billy 97489959.