TUC Congress Day Four

TUC Congress finished on Wednesday. I had to leave early to deal with some urgent work and union case work. Also, on the way home, I stopped off to visit a new "build to rent" housing project in Manchester, part funded by Newham staff pension fund. I will post later on this visit, since it incorporates key worker accommodation at below market rents, which relates to my speech to Congress yesterday. 

There was an excellent presentation by Liverpool dockers who won a major pay rise due to organised strike action. It was good to see Newham union and political activist Zeta Holbourne speak on support for the creative arts. 

See top left of collage, the picture of my fellow delegate, Yvonne Green and myself in front of a large picture, just outside the main conference hall, featuring our London UNISON comrade Eddie Brand. Eddie is the London Ambulance branch branch secretary and is seen delivering a box containing 260,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street demanding to retain the "right to strike". I was wearing a LAS UNISON tee-shirt, which remembers Eric Roberts, its former Branch secretary, a proper scouser, born and bred in Liverpool but who earned the respect of so many of his London members (and elsewhere).  

I love the picture bottom left, of me laughing while in my delegate seat (hat tip picture Yvonne). I cannot remember why but probably due to to a typically funny but wicked remark by my long lost delegate cousin, Malcolm Gray, sitting to my right. 

During conference I enjoyed visits to the Bridewell pub, which is a former Liverpool docks police station and cells. Great beer, reasonable prices and friendly staff. Recommended and if ever reopened as cells, I could think of a few Tory Ministers mentioned at Congress who should be their guests.  

Getting the Labour Postal Vote out in Boleyn

 

On Saturday morning I joined Labour colleagues door knocking in the Boleyn ward by election in East Ham. The local Labour Candidate is Sofia Patel. Thanks to Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz for main picture of us mostly trying to install the Labour doorstep information on our phones (my attempt failed)

We were calling at residents who had previously said they were postal voters and we were gently reminding them to vote. The response was on the whole really positive and residents either knew or had heard of Sofia and the vast majority had already voted (most for Labour). 

During the session I only came across 3 residents who had not voted Labour. One was a relative or tenant of the so called "independent" candidate, another was a labour supporter who apologised for voting Green due to a "moment of madness" but would be voting Labour again in the future. 

The third was someone who I had a decent political conversation with. He was not supporting Labour since he wanted more to be done to protect cars in his road since he had recently suffered "hit and run" damage on his car. I suggested that Labour in Newham was very much in favour of traffic calming & diversion  schemes which would help with this problem. 

He then said he was against emission parking charges in Newham, despite the fact he had a lovely young daughter running around in the hall. I mentioned again (same as last Saturday in Uxbridge campaign) the views of my UNISON paramedic colleague (Peter Hannell) that in central London 25% of kids suffer from asthma but in  his home town in rural Hertfordshire it is only 5%.

I think he got that point. Afterwards canvassers enjoyed coffee and gossip in Red Rock cafe right next to the Champions Statute. 

Greater London UNISON Regional Council & Right to Strike Protest

This Morning I attended the
@unisontheunion
@unisonglr Regional Council meeting. I was there as the finance convenor. We had talk by the current President, presentations on Year of Black Worker 2023 & our recruitment & organising plan.

While this evening activists supported by Regional Staff met up at Parliament Square to protest against Tory Government legislation trying to ban strikes. I had my Council AGM clash. Which was a shame since LAS branch secretary, Eddie Brand, gave a cracking speech

https://twitter.com/LASUNISON/status/1660750580824899586. 

Vote Labour & Vote Labour Movement Family

Yesterday evening I joined a UNISON Labour Link telecanvassing session (via dialogue software) for Peter Hannell, who is a para medic and a elected UNISON committee member of Greater London Labour Link. He is standing to be a Labour Councillor in Bennetts End ward in Dacorum Borough Council (Herts).

This evening I did another session for Lola Oyewusi, who is a housing worker and another UNISON Labour Link Committee member, who is standing in Walderslade ward, Tonbridge & Malling (Kent).

Both sessions went well and we got a majority of Labour contacts and also positive feedback from voters who had met the candidates while they were out door knocking. I also talked to former life long Tory voters who pledged to never vote Conservative ever again, after the "shambles" of the last few years.

Telecanvassing can be very difficult and frustrating, since there are so many people who screen calls (for understandable reasons) but by being persistent tonight I was able to make 64 calls and get 33 survey results in one hour. Probably far more than if I had been door knocking. I also had many decent political conversations (and a couple of "difficult" ones) with residents. While I much prefer face to face contact, dialogue can clearly work. 

Good luck to all Labour candidates tomorrow and let us send a message that this Tory Government needs to go - and go very soon. 

UNISON London Ambulance Service (LAS) Strike: Picket outside their Waterloo Headquarters 10.2.23

 

After work this evening I went to the UNISON picket line outside the LAS headquarters in Waterloo, Central London. I went to show solidarity and support on behalf of Greater London UNISON Regional Council officers and my own Housing Associations UNISON branch. 

It was yet another, well organised and well supported LAS picket. Congratulations to their Branch Secretary Eddie Brand, and their stewards and regional support staff including our Regional Secretary, Jo Galloway. The pickets were confident, knew what the battle was about and what to do on a picket line. 

I see also from other social media reports that some LAS pickets are tomorrow setting off as volunteers to Turkey to help out as paramedics with the dreadful recent earthquake.  Last year the branch helped organise a convoy to Ukraine to deliver much needed medical supplies and equipment. 

I have been on various picket lines in my time in the Labour Movement and the UNISON LAS are by far the best organised I have ever attended. 

Our ace UNISON Head of Health, Sara Gorton, gave short speech to the pickets thanking them for all they are doing to save our NHS.

Fellow London UNISON activists Anu Prashar and Abiola Kusoro were also there to show solidarity.

Just to point out that contrary to Tory lies and smears, for life and limb calls, pickets are volunteering with the full support of their stewards, to leave the picket line to attend, and I have witnessed this on many occasions during this strike.  Because it is an "operational" picket line, with emergency ambulances coming and going, the branch has to be careful of numbers of pickets and supporters to ensure safety. 

I came back home tonight feeling uplifted and proud of my union and our members.  

Solidarity With Striking UNISON London Ambulance Service Workers

This afternoon I joined the UNISON LAS picket outside Newham Dockside Building, which is owned and used by the Council for its services but parts of the building are leased to London Ambulance Service (LAS) as its control centre for North London. 

The strike call had been particularly solid and effective. When the LAS Branch secretary, Eddie Brand (see centre left of Mayor with his famous beard) arrived here this morning at a prearranged time, nearly the entire staff on duty walked out on strike and joined the picket. 

Other Newham Labour Councillors had visited the picket line before and after but the Labour Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz (UNISON Member) joined us and spoke a few words in support of the strikers. 

Being a responsible branch and union, I observed Eddie approach the pickets after being contacted by local management, that they needed two of the strikers to return to duty to deal with an increase in priority emergency calls, for which two volunteers promptly agreed to return. 

It was really great to chat and talk to the strikers about about the stress and strains of their job, the impact that the cost of living crisis was having on them and their families as well as national politics and the lack of a 24 hour canteen in Dockside!

On the way back I stopped off again at West Ham Ambulance Station and spoke to pickets who were braving the rain but receiving great support from car drivers hooting their horns in support. 

I Support Workers on Strike

 

"John -

Next week, Ambulance workers will be back on the picket line after their calls for fair pay and safe working conditions went unanswered. The week after, Environment Agency members will be striking for the first time in history. Thousands more members across UNISON are being balloted or will be taking industrial action in the coming weeks. 
 
Can you show your support for striking UNISON members by posting on Twitter before the first strikes begin next week? Let them know they are not alone in this struggle.

Tweet my support

We have been calling on the Conservative government at Westminster to meet with us to talk about pay and find a way to resolve these disputes.   I hope you will show your support for workers who have made the tough decision to walk out. Send a Tweet now to show them they have our full support.   We stand with all workers taking action, and I hope you will too.    In solidarity,   Christina McAnea UNISON general secretary

Support London Ambulance Service (and other NHS Strikes)

It was an honour to attend this LAS picket line in West Ham on behalf of Greater London UNISON Regional Council officer. This is a live operational picket line (pickets may be called to go out on a "life or limb" call at any time so must ensure no delay or anyone joining the picket possibly injured) so please use social media to show solidarity. #PutNHSpayright. The strike continues until midnight. 

Update: I came back this evening and just missed this great photo

London UNISON AGM - Angela Rayner MP; Nordic model, Ukraine Ambulance aid, General Secretary Christina McAnea & election results (forces of light & reason returned as elected lay Convenor team)

 

This morning we had our first in person Greater London UNISON AGM since 2020. It was marvellous to be meet old friends and comrades (and new people I had only met before on video). While I did not enjoy the travel "experience" on route via the London Central line, I think you cannot beat real human contact and engagement (when safe to do so). 

I was really pleased at the attendance (about 130 delegates I think) since we were worried that people would not travel into central London. 

Our keynote speaker was deputy leader of the Labour Party and former UNISON activist Angela Rayner, who gave a barnstorming speech attacking the Tories and on how much she owed to UNISON and the wider Labour movement, for supporting her from being a 16 year old single mum social  care worker into a union activist then becoming a MP. 

Angela had a fantastic reception from the AGM and she stayed for the following debate on an emergency motion on "Sexism & Misogyny".  There was some brilliant speakers on this motion which was passed unanimously but some breathtakingly hypocritical contributions from hard left extremists, who spoke in favour of the motion, at the same time they support someone sacked from their job for bullying and harassing 14 female UNISON members??? I am so glad that we did not invite anyone from the current UNISON "Presidential" team to speak. 

Our regional secretary, Tracey Dalling, gave her report and answered questions from the floor. She is off at the end of the month to take up her new position as regional secretary for Scotland and will be missed. Our London loss is Scotland's gain. 

I gave my finance convenor report (and the diversity report since the convenor Cynthia was unable to attend). We had a briefing by long standing member, Jackie Lewis on ending the UNISON support for the "Nordic model" for sex workers followed by a motion which was passed. 

There was a fantastic (and at times emotional) report by the secretary of UNION London Ambulance Service, Eddie Brand on their 1200 mile drive to the Polish/Ukraine boarder to deliver 10 ambulances, medical equipment and humanitarian supplies to their fellow trade unionists in Ukraine. I am so proud of this act of solidarity. 

Our final speaker was our general secretary, Christiana McAnea, who told it as it is - why we need to get rid of Boris Johnson, why we need an alternative government and how we can help bring this about by demonstrating at the TUC demo then rally on Saturday June 18. 

The final agenda item was the announcement that Yvonne Green had been re-elected as Regional Convenor. Which meant that Yvonne, Conroy, myself, Cynthia and Clara were all re-elected as London Regional Council officers for the next year. 

"From UNISON to Ukraine, with love"

 (I am so proud of UNISON London Ambulance branch and activists)

London ambulance staff lead humanitarian convoy to Ukraine

Paramedics are driving 1,000 miles to deliver 10 ambulances to Ukraine health workers and relief goods to refugees

Early this morning a team of 26 London Ambulance Service (LAS) paramedics, many of them UNISON members, left a foggy East London for a 1,000-mile drive across Europe to Poland, in an extraordinary humanitarian convoy.

They will deliver 10 reconditioned ambulances filled with medical supplies, to be used by the Ukraine ambulance staff tackling the terrible casualties of Russia’s invasion, as well as two vans full of much-needed items – such as clothing and toiletries – to the refugees amassing on the Ukraine-Polish border.

The relief effort is the result of a collaboration between the ambulance trust and its paramedics, who have collected the donations and are volunteering in their own time to make the journey. It’s also had the support, with a hefty donation to match, from the UNISON London Ambulance branch.

Branch secretary Eddie Brand said: “This is such an important cause. Our members are showing real solidarity with the people of Ukraine. I’m so full of admiration for them.”

Today’s journey is the result of two separate initiatives coming together, and three weeks of intense planning....

Check out full story here

UNISON Greater London activists met with Christina McAnea ahead of tomorrow's government spending review.

 

 

UNISON Greater London activists met with Christina McAnea ahead of tomorrow's government spending review.

Our message to Rishi Sunak is clear: The government must find the money for the pay rise our members deserve.

Check out Christina's blog here https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2021/10/blog-the-government-tries-to-look-like-its-giving-but-its-taking-away/

Early Voting in Newham for Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan (and campaign begins to step up).

Check out this "early voting" video by the Labour Party promoting postal vote registration in Newham. "Early voting can help double the Labour vote". 

Yesterday there was a meeting of Newham Labour Union activists, where it was agreed to hold regular telecanvassing sessions in the run up to May 6 with our local London Assembly Candidate, Unmesh Desai. 

This morning, Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, gave a keynote address by video to the UNISON Greater London Regional Council and praised our public service workers for their fantastic work and sacrifice during Covid. In particular our London Ambulance Service. 

This evening there was a training session and phone bank for West Ham ward members. I was also pleased to see on email that West Ham ward is currently the number one ward in the borough (out of 20 wards) for telecanvassing campaign activity. Many thanks to our Labour Group organiser Hasib Baber for all his hard work (and patience!) training members. 

Hey guys!!! it's Dettol o'clock!!!

The latest idiocy from the "leader" of the free world. The BBC reports that disinfectant firms have had to issue public warnings that people should not inject or drink their products to treat Covid-19.

Hat tip my UNISON comrade, Eddie Brand, who as the branch secretary of our London Ambulance Service has a professional interest in pouring scorn on such moronic comments. 

‘The Future of the NHS" - Seconding Composite B #LabLink!7

This is the speech by London Ambulance Service Paramedic, Jason Anderson, at Labour Link National Forum last week. 

"Firstly I would like to say Happy 69^th Birthday to the NHS – ‘Labour's Proudest Achievement’.

I am a front-line Paramedic, and like my colleagues around the country continue to provide emergency services while facing dire financial states. 

With poor staff retention and working conditions, and still no sign of a fair pay deal.

I and colleagues were on the front line on the days of the attacks in London. Dealing with horrific injuries, in chaotic and horrifying scenes.

We continue to be stuck with an under inflation or zero pay cap, for 7 years in a row.

Recent major events in London and Manchester have highlighted the hypocrisy of the Government. Theresa May,  shaking hands with emergency service workers, thanking them for their heroic work, yet at the same time refusing to lift the 1% pay cap and therefore cutting our pay, year in, year out.

The Government is continuing to push budget cuts in our emergency services, causing cuts to training for staff and cuts in equipment. Causing strain to provide emergency cover when attending Major incidents as well as routine daily operational calls.

As the Motion states we need;

A properly funded, publicly owned NHS, right for purpose, so that myself and colleagues around the country can continue to deliver the services the patients and public deserve.

Please support this Motion".

Remembering Eric (President of UNISON)

Yesterday evening and this morning I had the sad duty to ring London UNISON activists and inform them that Eric had died. He was a friend and a comrade.

This is from our General Secretary, Dave Prentis. You can leave tributes on this page. If you didn't know him Eric is the person with the biggest smile in the photo:)

"Eric Roberts was our President, but more importantly he was a loyal and true friend to so many of us

Eric Roberts, a lifelong servant of our union, and of those in greatest need, has died after a brief struggle with cancer.

He was the President of UNISON, but more importantly he was a loyal and true friend to so many of us.

Born in Litherland, a proud Scouser and Liverpool fan, Eric was a man who lived enough – and had stories to tell – for more than one lifetime. From fixing drums for the Beatles, to wine waiter, baker and pots and pans seller – Eric eventually found his way to London. And one day, seeing an ambulance shooting down Oxford Street, he decided that’s what he’d like to do.

He had found his calling. For 42 years he served the London Ambulance Service with the passion and dedication for which he became well-known, and his union as branch secretary, NEC member and – this year – our President. He was the first ambulance person to be elected as UNISON President – something that I know was a source of immense pride to Eric, his branch, his family and everyone who knew him.

Eric wasn’t someone who sought out high office. Ambition wasn’t what drove him. Instead, it was an unstoppable desire – a need – to serve people and help people. To represent them and to do his best for them.

To Eric, everyone in the union and the ambulance service had a part to play – and every day he did his job to the best of his ability, and brought out the best in others at the same time. His loyalty to this union was as unquestionable and unswerving as his love for its members.

I will miss his honesty. I will miss his infectious personality. But most of all I will miss his friendship. Eric Roberts was a good man who gave so much to so many people. Eric said upon his election as President that UNISON was the “best union in the country”, but the truth is that Eric was the best of us.

Today, our thoughts are with his children Jack and Rhian, family, friends and colleagues, as our union mourns one of our biggest personalities, most loved friends and most powerful advocates for the values that sustain our union.

Eric Roberts – I will miss you".

Vote Jason Anderson for UNISON London National Labour Link

The ballot paper arrived this morning at my home address and I have already voted for Jason Anderson as the London representative on National Labour Link Committee. Jason works shifts providing front line emergency aid to the public for the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and will make a great rep for UNISON members in London.

He is also a committed health and safety rep and experienced trade union steward. Please encourage Labour Link members to support him.

Defibrillators save lives

If you have a heart attack then the best chance of you not dying on the spot is if someone can get a defibrillator to treat you within 5 minutes. For every minute after an attack your chances of survival without such treatment drops by 14%.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and "mouth to mouth" is still important as a last resort but in comparison with defibrillators this does not save as many lives.

Defibrillators are small hand held safe electronic devices that automatically diagnoses life threatening conditions and applies a treatment that can restart someones heart. It saves lives without further risk to the person you are helping or yourself. There are no real legal risks for you or your organisation (unless you are completely stupid and act in a grossly negligent manner).

I have signed up to this public e-petiton call for all public buildings to install defibrillators and train staff. This petition came about after the tragic death of teenager Oliver King and points out that it is not only older people who are at risk but 12 youngsters die every week from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS).  The footballer Fabrice Muamba who dramatically collapsed in March was saved by a defibrillator.

As I have mentioned before my father (aged 72) had a heart attack in a high street. He was given CPR and mouth to mouth by a trained first aider but was certified dead when he arrived in hospital (he was doing a 14 day long distance walk and camping out wild which he had been warned by his GP not to do so but that is another matter). My family have wondered whether or not if a defibrillator had been available it would have made any difference? We will never know but the evidence suggests it could have done if carried out within this 5 minute window.

I have spoken to Monica who is our Regional Equalities officer and a fully qualified NHS nurse who has carried out CPR and saved lives through defibrillation and Eric who is the very experienced paramedic branch secretary of the London Ambulance Service, both fully support lay people being trained to use defibrillators and they believe it will save lives.

My employer at our joint health and safety committee has agreed to look into providing defibrillators at our offices and training staff. I would encourage all employees to do the same.

NB To be clear if you come across someone who appears to be having a heart attack and there is no defibrillator available and you have not been trained to do CPR then follow the advice of my London Welsh compatriot Vinnie!

Hat tip Jake Morrison

UNISON Health workers reject divisive 2 year pay freeze

This is the official UNISON press release "Members of UNISON’s Health Service Group Executive have today rejected a two-year freeze on pay increments, on top of the pay freeze imposed by the Government.

NHS Employers had offered a no compulsory redundancy agreement in return for the freeze. Members rejected the deal because there was no guarantee that all employers would abide by it. It would not be binding, but left to individual Trusts to decide whether or not to offer the guarantee.

Mike Jackson, Senior National Officer for Health said: “The Service Group Executive said today that they could not support a further pay freeze for nurses, paramedics and other low paid, mainly women workers. “The funding gap in the NHS is so great that members were sceptical that Trusts would abide by a no compulsory redundancy agreement for two years.  “Additionally they felt that the offer was divisive because it excluded high level clinicians, such as matrons, senior occupational therapists and midwife supervisors.”

While these pearls of wisdom to his members are from London Ambulance UNISON branch secretary Eric Roberts (left in picture with broad smile next to UNISON London regional conveyor Gloria Hanson on G20 March 2009)

"Dear all,

Just to keep you in the picture concerning the proposal from NHS Employers and to inform you of my contribution on behalf of the Branch and the Union next week.

On Monday I am attending an extraordinary National Ambulance Sector meeting and straight after that I am attending an extraordinary Health Service Group Executive meeting 

There is one agenda item. That is to agree or not to agree that the Union should enter into negotiations (tentative or otherwise) with the NHS Employers to accept an AfC incremental freeze (on top of the planned pay freeze) in return for an agreement concerning compulsory redundancies within the NHS.

That is the core of the agreement although there is also mention of a freeze in employee pension contributions and other fringe add on’s. This part has yet to be finalised. 

Although most people were not happy, most accepted the simple understanding that the pay freeze may well save jobs, and on that basis bit their tongues.  What is being asked this time is totally different.

These are important meetings that will decide how the Union deals with the Coalition regarding Health. This is a big decision on a lot of levels.  I intend to vote no. I will speak against the Union entering this type of agreement. I will vote no and speak against at both meetings.

I believe that it is obscene that health workers are being blackmailed and held to ransom by this Government and that we are being asked to take the responsibility for the NHS finances, while at the same time being to blame if any jobs go.

I realize of course that any way I vote has consequences. If I vote for it then our members will not only have a pay freeze but will also not have their contractual right of an incremental pay spine rise.

If I vote against then the spectre of compulsory redundancies will be laid at our door with the accusation of being selfish and not caring. I believe in Partnership but this is not partnership. This is a gun held cynically to the Union’s head.

My guess is that the Ambulance Sector as a body will vote no. It is a fact of course that ambulance services will not be as cut as many other health organisations and that may well influence a lot of the vote.  The SGE is another matter. Many members there will be facing huge job losses back at their trusts and will have a huge struggle with their conscience.

I do not know how the vote will go at that meeting.  Dave Prentis has said that ‘Our time has come’!

Unison is big enough to stand on it’s own two feet (or it’s 1.5 million x 2 feet!). The financial crisis is not the fault of health workers. Of course there is always a chance that more information will be made available and the deal being sought is not what we think.

I do not also know what the other health unions will decide.  I know that you trust me to make the right decision.  I will update you all at the Branch Committee meeting.

Best wishes  

Eric

20th Anniversary of National Ambulance Strike

This year is the 20th Anniversary of the National Ambulance Strike.  UNISON Health NEC member Eric Roberts (and current branch secretary of the London Ambulance Service) remembers the strike and the aftermath in "Ambulance Today". 

Overall, thanks in part to this dispute and hard work by UNISON over the years the Ambulance Service is now much improved and a far better employer to work for.

See PDF page 28 here.  Eric is the one speaking.  (Nowadays he does not need a hat to keep his hair dry:)