Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Comrade Mercader says...


(Guest Post from Comrade Mercader on the “gathering” outside UNISON HQ last week. This was over the outcome of an internal discipline investigation into a leaflet published at the 2007 conference. This has now resulted in 4 members being barred from holding UNISON officer posts for 3-5 years. I would like to make direct comments but since I assume that there is an appeal pending against the outcome it would be best not to comment on the original complaints)

Following on from disputes in this blog's comments, here we see photographic evidence of the 'mass protest' staged by The Monkey Trial 4 and their Socialist Party supporters outside UNISON HQ on Thursday 30th July. The picture was taken at 12.14pm - almost a quarter of an hour after the protest commenced. What do you think? 25 people? 30? (Don't forget the caretaker of the UNISON offices is amongst the crowd monitoring the situation for health, safety, and security reasons. Oh, and there's a community police officer in there too to control the masses.)

Before anyone says that rain dampened the turnout - a truly shocking downpour it has to be said -it arrived bang on midday, i.e. after the handful of protesters arrived, almost as if someone up there wanted to dampen the enthusiasm of these protesters.

Maybe if Socialist Worker had shown solidarity by actually publicising the demo, things might have been different?

Interesting to note further over on the Socialist Unity blog that some of their 'socialist' supporters confuse the chair of the Standing Orders Committee (Clytus Williams) with the newly-appointed West Midlands Regional Secretary (Roger McKenzie).

One wonders if the confusion arises because they is both black? Tut tut.

13 comments:

Fran said...

Someone up there? I assume you refer to the spaghetti monster...

Anonymous said...

And they claimed 60.

Makes you wonder what they claim their membership to be! Must be a few more than the total UNISON membership of Glenn Kelly's branch surely?

Anonymous said...

there are 248 BNP/Nazi in our union - much more than any of the trot groups yet they have stopped us from expelling them.

Anonymous said...

They being the ultra left of course - blocking us getting the rule change we needed to kick the fascists out.

Charlie Marks said...

John, we all know you are Comrade Mercader....

John Gray said...

Hi Fran

Or someone I suppose pointed a fire hose out of the window?

Hi Charlie

Well, then you are all wrong - not even I know who the good comrade is!

Anonymous said...

At least they are bigger than PR? Permanent Rubbish? Apparently PR are on holiday (all 3 of them) in a caravan somewhere...

Anonymous said...

The SPEW website report (which still claims 60 people joined the protest!) states that:

"Chants of "What do we want? Defend the Four" and "Democracy not bureacracy" must have been heard inside the Unison building."

Having seen your report, John, and now spoken to a friend who works in Unison's main building it seems the vast majority of staff had absolutely no idea what the protest was about!

Someone also said there was this awful droning noise that came close to resembling human speech from time to time, but mainly sounded like a large wasp in a bottle. I think that can be put down to SPEW public speaking training.

Glenn, do try to modulate, old boy, do try to modulate!

Anonymous said...

At least my branch wont be spending tens of thousands of pounds putting a picture of him and his girl friend on the back end of buses

talk about cult of the personality

but why should our members pay for his vainness

John Gray said...

Hi Charlie

Thinking about it? Comrade Mercader may be you!

it would fit...

Charlie Marks said...

Me, a secret Trot-basher?

Hmm...

John Gray said...

Hi Charlie

I must admit I doubt it but who knows? (Pause for very loud and dramatic music)

I have always suspected that Comrade Mercader is actually a high ranking member of an ultra left body.

Think about it - who else would know such stuff???

John Gray said...

naughty anon 17.52 - rejected.