Forum kicked off on Thursday evening but the National Committee met in the morning. Will post further.
We knocked on the doors of residents and ask them if they have any problems or issues with Newham Council that they wish to discuss with their local Councillors. Usually, residents are pleased to see us (although a tiny number disguise it very well) and have nothing to report but are grateful for receiving our contact details and that we hold a local advice surgery every Saturday (apart from Bank holiday weekends and August).
We started off with a modern housing association block managed by L&Q. I was concerned that there appeared to be some out of date notices regarding fire safety/disrepair actions posted on a communal board, which I will chase up with them.
Next we knocked at a Council managed block which had recently had substantial environmental improvements but residents were very concerned with cleaning standards and access to recycling bins. There was also reports of ongoing damp and mould problems, which I will also follow up. Overcrowding is a huge issue with adult children forced to stay at home since they cannot afford alternative accommodation.
I was pleased to see that the old Britannia Pub has also been refurbished and modernised. It will hopefully reopen soon.
The final door knock was Victorian street properties and discussed reports of ASB, rodents and tree pruning.
In total we had 87 contacts and finished off with a late brunch in a nearby cafe.
On the way home I looked for a plaque on a wall in an adjacent street, which I believe is connected to a 1733 boundary post I came across the previous week while canvassing in Stratford see John's Labour blog: Labour Street Surgery in Stratford. I found the plaque which I had posted upon here in 2013 John's Labour blog: West Ham doorstep & Leaflet drop.
It seems that land in Stratford and West Ham had been donated to support St Mary's Church in Rotherhithe. I wonder what the legal situation is nowadays? I am meeting former Councillor John Saunders on Tuesday evening and will ask him if he knows more.
In the week 14 – 20 July,
is inviting union health and safety reps to check their workplace temperatures. Help organise for safer, cooler workplaces!
The street surgery itself went well but it was a warm and sunny day with many residents obviously out shopping or enjoying the weather. It was also difficult to gain entry into some of the newer blocks in this area.
I helped some residents with some housing repair issues and advice on waiting lists etc but the only "political" conversation, I had was with a cheerful young man, who answered the door and said he did not know anything about politics but said he had heard about Reform but did not know what they would do for him or his family.
I gave him the example that Reform wanted to dismantle the NHS and introduce a health service based on insurance policies. He was pretty rude about that possibility and said "100% for Labour then". Hopefully, I have pointed him in the right direction.
There was some lovely individual gardens on the estates and an impressive new play area and Community garden.
I had been re-elected as a NEC Community member with my colleague Denise Thomas and we voted in this important election.
These are not just honorary or ceremonial positions, the new Presidential team are the most senior lay activists in the largest union in the UK, providing leadership for over 1.3 million members.
I was more than pleased that the following were elected with clear majorities.
Catherine McKenna – UNISON President James Anthony – Senior Vice President Debbie Rowden – Junior Vice President
The NEC pre meeting went well and I was in the conference hall for the 9.30am start (Tuesday start is 10am). I am sitting on the front row on the far left (in joke) on the NEC platform (facing) next to my UNISON Community colleague, Denise Thomas.
Thankfully, Conference was today also chaired by the super competent, former President Maureen le Marinel.
The Standing Orders report went through quickly and there was only a little of the time wasting we experienced yesterday.
Unfortunately, the miserabilists continued to promote, in my view, anti-Labour, pro Tory and pro Reform propaganda at every opportunity in debates but such is life. I genuinely don't think it did them any favours.
Our General Secretary, Christina McAnea, gave a great and well received GS speech to conference which resulted in a standing ovation. Under Christina, for example, we have seen an increase in our membership, successful strikes, £162 million in back pay for members being upgraded and also (in my world) a fantastic victory for LIVV Housing Association strikers. They won a 8% pay rise, an improvement in terms and conditions and a wider commitment to look into banning the absolutely disgraceful anti- trade union human rights abuses that LIVV carried out.
During lunch I attended a fringe on organising and supporting workers in social care. Two Cymru/Wales Region care workers described the dreadful problems that migrant workers experience from employers and unfair visa rules.
Before conference restarted after lunch, I handed out leaflets for the UNISON Labour Link Rally that evening. I had a really good response and it was so nice to get so much positive feedback from delegates,
Our keynote international conference speaker was Lee Saunders, the President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Our sister union across the pond. He gave a lively, passionate and barn storming speech which got everyone also on their feet.
Motion 12 was the last to be debated today "All we ask is to be treated with Dignity and Respect". I have lost count of number of UNISON Conferences I have attended and while I have sometime thought that some of the speeches I have heard are "inappropriate" I never thought I would hear delegates at our conference (last year) being allowed to suggest that up to 40,000 UNISON members in our Police Civilian staff are all violent racists and bigots, as well as being useless and should be sacked!
Wow. Union members being allowed to openly call for other union members to be sacked?
The debate will continue tomorrow morning.
This evening I went to the Labour Link Rally and listened to Christina, Maggi, and Employment Rights Minister, Justin Madders, explain exactly what is really happening with the Employment Rights Bill.
Please ignore the Tory/Reform miserabilists untruths.
I am here as an elected member of the UNISON National Executive Council. So I had to be up early for firstly, a short morning run/jog along the River Mersey, breakfast, then a pre conference meeting of the NEC at 8.30am. Which went I think pretty well and there was a couple of interesting votes.
Then as also being a UNISON Greater London elected Regional Council officer, I was asked to help out our regional delegates with the sometimes "difficult" but important task of assisting our London delegates with finding out where their allocated seats are on the conference floor.
Conference started a little late due to queues of delegates and visitors waiting to get through security at the main entrance.
The morning debate was chaired by current NEC member and respected former President, Maureen le Marinel, who is a super competent and very fair chair. Such a relief to have someone like Maureen Charing NDC after some shambolic and very destructive chairs in the recent past.
We all watched the names of UNISON members, activists, friends and officers who have died during the last year displayed on the screen behind the platform while listening to beautiful music.
I was so pleased that conference supported our elected Chair of the Standing Order Committee, who had to report that motions that broke the rules of our union (decided upon by 2/3 majorities by previous conferences) could not be debated at this conference. It was in my personal view, a complete and utter waste of conference debating time that we had to listen and vote on the same arguments, time and time again for every single similar challenge.
Conference went largely ok afterwards. We had the Annual report and the Financial statement. Then we debated motions. There were many good speakers on important issues but also in my view some completely negative and I suspect deliberately destructive views by political opponents of the current Labour Government. Which is fair enough, but please declare your party card when you do so. I hope and think, I always make it clear my affiliations when I speak?
During lunch I attended a really good panel fringe on DC pensions. My question to the panel was how can we protect our members in DC pensions schemes, who are not able to physically to carry out their job but have no ill health retirement protection. I think that we need the Government to intervene on this.
It was great that current NEC member and former President Margaret McKee chaired the afternoon session in the similar fair but no nonsense manner as Maureen.
After conference I attended a fringe on a new proposed UNISON app for members which looks really good and as long as we have sufficient resource to keep it updated and relevant should be brilliant.
Around 2000 delegates and visitors will be attending the annual conference of the largest trade union in the UK.
This evening I attended the Greater London Regional briefing for all our delegates. The elected regional delegates, Yvonne and Andrew, the Regional Secretary Sara and our Standing orders Committee representative Jim, advised delegates and answered questions on what to expect and how conference is likely to be run during the next 4 days.
As a NEC delegate and London member I mentioned the National Labour Link fringe on the Employment Rights Bill and invited delegates to attend.
There was a number of great questions by delegates about various aspects of conference business and also in my view, some rather unwise suggestions. I gently reminded delegates on the personal dangers and wider risks of not following legal advice during debates at conference.
Nuf said. But Beware! Beware!
Beckton is a huge ward with lots of parkland and low rise properties. Our role was to knock on doors and explain to residents that we were from the local Labour Party and were out today with their local Councillors to see if they would like to speak to them about any problems or issues and also advise them about the advice surgeries that take place in the ward every Saturday.
It was a glorious warm, sunny day and many people were obviously out but we did speak to a number of residents and picked up a lot of case work for the Councillors to follow up on.
It was for me a pleasure to see how many residents knew Blossom and Rohima, and were pleased to see them and to have a friendly chat. I met up with a former now retired colleague from Tower Hamlets Council (a Unite convenor) and we had a very good discussion about local issues and problems as well as reminiscing about past work colleagues.
Obviously, not every single resident was that pleased to see us but the overwhelming reaction was very, very positive.
I was leading the group using the Labour Party Doorstep phone app but was very grateful that that local Councillors were with me since Beckton is somewhat "complicated" to navigate around.
The two new campaigners (who live in the ward) had been fully briefed by Blossom on what to do and what to expect. They watched us knocking on doors and chatting to residents, and then in a little while, when they felt comfortable, they were more than happy to knock and chat by themselves. They were both naturals.
After the street surgery I cycled home then that evening I joined many others helping to celebrate the wedding of the daughter of a fellow Councillor (and personal friend). A simply lovely family event and a marvellous ending to a great day.
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