After some doubt, the Salford march to join the main TUC protest against the Conservatives in Manchester is definitely happening, meeting in Bexley Square at 10am this Sunday for a short rally before setting off to join the main TUC march which begins at Castlefield at 11am.
The themes of the day are `Save Our NHS'…`Defend Jobs and Services'…`No To Austerity'…
"From across the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester and across Britain, tens of thousands will be joining the Save Our NHS march against the Tory party conference coming to Manchester" says Hugh Caffrey of Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public.
"Our NHS is being cut back and sold off by this government of millionaires" he adds "We will deliver a resounding message that their plans will be fought every step of the way, by communities, health workers, the unions, and the public at large."
Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public is also calling for the success in saving Lewisham Hospital to be repeated at under-threat Trafford General, famous for being the birthplace of the NHS.
The Save Lewisham Hospital campaign won a High Court victory against the Government-directed closure of the south London hospital and campaigners say the same should happen here.
"David Cameron said twenty hospitals would close as a result of his Government's policies and it seems he wants one of the first to be Trafford General" explains Hugh Caffrey "We know the Tory closures plan can be beaten because Save Lewisham Hospital campaign beat the government's attempts to shut their hospital in the courts."
Meanwhile the other theme of the march is against cuts to jobs and services and loads of well known campaigners are getting behind the message, including Salford-based Maxine Peake, journalist and author, Owen Jones, and Peter Hooton, lead singer of The Farm who will be playing at the Whitworth Park rally at the end of the march (2pm), along with the Stalybridge Old Band and John Lennon McCullagh.
"There are some things in life worth fighting for and we believe the NHS is one of them" says Peter Hooton "One of our members, Steve Grimes, is still alive today thanks to the wonderful care he received after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Nye Bevan said the NHS would last as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it. The Farm, like many others, have that faith. Patients before profit."
Speakers at the rally include public sector workers, trade union leaders and Shadow Health spokesman Andy Burnham.
"This march and rally will allow thousands of ordinary people to show the Government exactly what they think of their policies" says Francis O'Grady, TUC General Secretary "Austerity is having a devastating effect on our communities and services, with 21,000 NHS jobs lost over the last three months alone. The NHS is one of Britain's finest achievements and we will not allow ministers to destroy, through cuts and privatisation, what has taken generations to build."
TUC North West Regional Secretary Lynn Collins, who has organised the event in conjunction with the unions, adds: "Our NHS is under attack and we want to send the strongest message to the Conservatives that we will not stand by and let them sell-off our national treasure.
"But it's not just our health service under attack" she adds "Workers in the North West and beyond have had enough of a government that cuts and cuts - whether it be jobs, services or wages. That's why we are taking to the streets on 29 September."
The Salford march is also backed by Salford TUC and the Greater Manchester Association of Trade Councils.
Salford March and Rally
Sunday 29th September
Meet Bexley Square, Chapel Street, Salford M3 6DB
Rally 10am, setting off at 10:30am, to Liverpool Road, Castlefield.
The main TUC march sets off from Castlefield 11am, passes Manchester Central Convention Complex (GMex), to Oxford Road to Whitworth Park for the rally at 2pm.
Further details at www.tuc.org.uk
Follow the build up on Twitter @tucnews
See also ace No To Privatisation of the NHS animated YouTube advert for 29th September March - click here
* After the demo don't miss the Anti-Capitalist Roadshow starring Peggy Seeger and political folk legends Roy Bailey, Sandra Kerr, Leon Rosselson and Jim Woodland, plus socialist magician Ian Saville. 7:30pm Bridge 5 Mill, Manchester - full details here
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