TUC Congress 2015: Sunday

This post is a little late but I had to prepare for a speech on Housing as well as some urgent work related union stuff today. Above are some pictures from the first day of this years TUC and some brief comments I posted on twitter and Facebook.

The Presidents address by Prospect union national officer, Leslie Manasseh, was interesting and thoughtful. He thinks that "our aim should be not to survive but to thrive and make a difference". To do so "we must have an honest debate and take stock".

I was pleasantly surprised to note that that early on there was some polite but open disagreement and debate on the conference floor about partnership arrangements between unions and employers.

Former Postman and CWU activist, Jim Kennedy, who is now also the Chair of the Labour Party NEC gave the traditional fraternal address to Congress. I saw Jim on Saturday give the result of the Labour leadership election at the Special conference in Westminster. (By coincidence Jim is related to my cousin by marriage)

Motion 15 on "Fair Internet for Performers" made me think. Why do musicians only get £0.46 out of every £9.99 per month subscription to Spotify?

1st Unison speaker so far at TUC Congress was, Becky Tye, from our Eastern region who spoke on social care (she is the branch secretary of Broadlands where many of my union members who work in East England belong to her branch)

          Motion 15 on "Fair Internet for Performers" made me think. Why do musicians only get £0.46             out of every £9.99 per month subscription to Spotify?

There was a great speech by Musicians Union activist & Redbridge Labour activist, Barbara White, on "why the arts are a public service".

Congress finishes for the day with a standing ovation for jailed Colombian trade unionist Huber Ballesteros following the showing of a video from him smuggled out of prison.

I was too tired to go to any fringes but the Unison delegation did meet up at 7.30pm for our conference social.  A good time I think was had by all. 

TUC 12 "Why every trade unionist should be active in the Labour Party" CLPD fringe

Sorry this is a little late but on Tuesday evening I went to the fringe organised by the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD).  This is the first time that I've been to a CLPD event and had never seen its shy and retiring Secretary, Pete Willsman, in action before (see centre). I won't repeat his comments about the recent North Norwich PPC selection process.

Jim Kennedy from UCATT (and Labour Party NEC) spoke first about the need to get ordinary working class union members as elected representatives. On 4% of MPs come from a manual background and UCATT are running a campaign group "to get that plasterer into Parliament".

Kate Osamor from Haringey (speaking) explained how her borough was still recovering from last years riots and how she was brought to believe that the trade unions are the cornerstone of any civilisation. Andy Kerr from the CWU (another Labour Party NEC member) doesn't see how anyone in the Party cannot be a trade union member and that trade union members should be Labour Party members. Lucy Anderson London NPF representative described how there was a window of opportunity with "Refounding Labour" for activists to increase their influence in the Party.

Michael Meacher MP posed the question about how will we get the money to pay for work for the unemployed? Then he reminded everyone that according to the Sunday Times "Rich list" during the last 3 years the top 1,000 in this country have increased their wealth by £105 billion.

Kelvin Hopkins MP told how he first joined the TUC 43 years ago. It was unimaginable at that time how right wing things would become. He believes that the mass of people are still "to the left", they just don't realise what they want is actually "socialism". Even hard core Tory voters want the railways to be renationalised.

Simon Wellor from ASLEF complained that there was now a "political class" in this country and that people go to Oxbridge, then become Parliamentary Assistants then become MPs. Is there some sort of Labour Party by-law that every PPC selection has to include someone from Islington?

Final speaker was Diana Holland from Unite who is also the Labour Party treasurer. She wants to be optimistic & positive for the future. She senses that people want a change and is pleased that the new people who have joined the Party have stayed in membership and renewed it the following year. 

I couldn't stay for the Q&A and had to dash off.  I'd didn't like to mention that I was back to work in Islington the morrow.