Tower Hamlets Mayor speaks to UNISON Labour Link AGM

At lunchtime today I was invited to speak at the AGM of Tower Hamlets UNISON Labour Link (APF) which took place at the Town Hall.

I use to be the UNISON Labour link branch officer for the branch for many years. I was asked to speak today by the current post holder Fazlul Chowdhury in my capacity as the London Labour Link Committee Joint vice-chair.

There are about 1,000 UNISON members in the branch who have chosen to pay the Labour Party political levy. UNISON is constitutionally a part of the Labour Party. In recent months I have come across more and more UNISON members who recognise how important it is that the Unions back the Labour Party. Things are never perfect in any “family” relationship and in the Labour Movement Family it is no different. But I think that the prospect of a “do nothing” and “recessions are good” Tory Government led by Old Etonions has concentrated minds. We must take a deep breath at times and remember the manta “The worse day under a Labour Government is better than best day in a Tory Government”.

The meeting went very well. The Labour mayor Councillor Muhammad Abdullah Salique spoke in his capacity as Mayor rather than as a Councillor. There was a really interesting Q&A.

I spoke about the importance of the June European Union Elections and how we must support Labour MEPs and stop the BNP from having any MEPs. Being a Newham Labour Party activist I also called for greater co-operation between Tower Hamlets and Newham Labour Parties. I asked if we could form a Tower Hamlets UNISON canvassing team to help out in the by-election in Royal Docks in Newham. This went down very well and hopefully such a team will be formed.

The meeting agreed to support mainstream centre left candidates in the UNISON Labour Link Forum and Conference elections (after I left to drive up to Hertfordshire to represent members facing redundancy). All in all a good meeting.

BTW - The Tower Block in the background of the photo is for any students of public housing history the famous Balfron Tower designed (and lived in for 2 months on the 26th floor) by Ernő Goldfinger.

Tower Hamlets Labour Link pushes for London Living Wage.

Today I was invited to attend a lunchtime UNISON Labour Link (APF) meeting with Tower Hamlets Council deputy Leader, Sirajul Islam. Cllr Islam has been a member of UNISON for many years. Before my TUPE transfer I also use to be the Labour Link officer for Tower Hamlets LG branch.

Cllr Islam spoke about his belief that the current industrial dispute over the proposed Tower Hamlets ALMO could hopefully be resolved and how the Labour Council is pressing ahead with its programme to improve services for residents in the borough and how the constructive role of staff is crucial.

Wearing my new hat as UNISON Housing Association Branch Labour Link officer, I asked him what the relationship was with the various RSL’s (Housing associations) in the borough (at the moment mainly “good” apparently) and also whether he would support the idea that all the housing organisations in Tower Hamlets should pay as a minimum a “London Living Wage” (£7.20 per hour) to all employees (including agency workers). There is a proposal that they should all only pay agency and temporary staff the living wage. He promised to look into this idea and report back.

I need to investigate this further, but by co-incidence I recently found out that apparently if you employ agency or contracting workers you have to pay the government 15% VAT on the total cost. Never mind additional agency fees (which VAT is also payable upon) but surely that money could be better used paying staff a “living wage”? At the moment the Council and many RSL’s employ vulnerable workers who are only paid the minimum £5.52 per hour.

We also discussed the forthcoming GLA and Mayor elections and what we can do to help. An interesting fact came out about how the Labour vote across London is so important. In 2004 Ken Livingstone got more actual votes from Richmond (true blue Tory area with a high turn out) than Barking! (Labour but low turn out). Interesting for a number of fairly obvious reasons.

Picture of Cllr Islam with the excellent new Tower Hamlets UNISON Labour Link officer (and Redbridge Labour party activist) Fazlul Chowdhury (left).