Stronger UNISON - London Local Government slate

If you are a London UNISON member and work in Local Government then please consider voting for above.

UNISON NEC Elections 2015: My London Region and National Ballot Paper

The UNISON postal ballot election for a new National Executive Committee started on 7 April but continues until 15 May (click on to enlarge). So there is still plenty of time for UNISON members to vote if they have not done so. 

This is a copy of my ballot paper and preferences. All UNISON members in London will have the same choices for Regional Seats, while all National members of Community Service Group (Housing Associations and Voluntary sector) will also have the same choice as me as do all UNISON members over the Black Members' seats. 

Check out my recommendations for other regional and national seats here or on Facebook. 

Congratulations to Irene and Ablola for being elected unopposed! 

(If you did not receive your ballot papers by 14 April you should ring 0800 0857 857 for a duplicate. Lines open 6am to midnight, Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturday).

MEAT is murder-ing Care Quality and leading to a race to the bottom

MEAT in Care and Support stands for "Most Economically Advantageous Tender(s)". 

Check out last Fridays "Inside Housing" for this account by top UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss of why MEAT is a disaster for employees and clients because it results in price being the determining factor in a successful bid. 

Colin supports my UNISON Housing Association branch in London and also the Voluntary Organisations branch. 

He has seen first hand how
"You cannot deliver consistently high standards by impoverishing the pay and pensions of staff and compelling them to work ever longer hours. You simply end up demoralising staff, downgrading their professional skills and increasing their vulnerability; and all for the aim of winning and retaining that competitive tender.
It’s not rocket science; in an unseemly race to the bottom, no one wins".

#UNDC13 Greater London UNISON NDC Social - Wednesday late

I am well behind on my posting on last weeks UNISON NDC conference so will try and catch up over the weekend.

Top UNISON social of the conference was of course that of London Region. The Thistle hotel was an excellent location with a private bar and disco area with a balcony overlooking the Mersey.

We all had a free first drink due to the hotel messing up the regional delegate meeting on the Monday  evening.

Conference is not just about speeches, debates and fringes. Delegates have been known to have the odd drink and to let their hair down once or thrice.

Proceeds from (£5) ticket sales, advertising and raffle went to UNISON Welfare/There for you.

Many thanks to regional staff for running around and organising it. 

UNISON marching for a future that works October 2012

UNISON Housing Association Branch and London Regional Banner are in the opening sequences. A great video of a great 2012 day.

Escape from One Barnet

"On Tuesday 13 September UNISON members who have been balloted on Trade Dispute against the One Barnet programme took strike action

The Council took a decision that if staff refused to sign a register to say they would work a full day they would be asked to leave. in effect the Council imposed a 'lock out!'

Our members are committed public servants and who believe in the public sector ethos, wanted to find a way to educate and inform work colleagues and more importantly residents who use public services in Barnet"

Next Strike Tuesday 18 October 2011. Check out Barnet UNISON LG branch site here.

UNISON Nurses say "Stop the Cuts and defend our NHS"!

This is a great picture of UNISON Nurses from St Georges Hospital in Tooting, South London. Who have taken today "time out...to protest at the Governments planned NHS reforms and decision to cut £10bn a year from the NHS through so called efficiency savings.

UNISON Nursing staff at St George's have signalled that they will not hesitate to speak out against Government plans for swingeing cuts and privatisation of the NHS.

Michael Walker UNISON Regional Officer states

"UNISON will not sit ideally by and watch our NHS services slashed and privatised. Britain did not vote for the introduction of an American health care system, a system which is not comprehensive, bureaucratic, expensive and where increased competition not collaboration costs patients lives".

Jane Pilgrim UNISON Nursing Convenor at St George's Hospital, Tooting states

"Over one hundred nurses at St Georges Hospital have already signalled they will be joining the TUC rally to defend public services on Saturday 26th March in central London and we are receiving incredible support from the local community". 

Hat-tip UNISON press release.

SERTUC Rally: organising to defeat public service cuts (and splitters and wreckers)

Yesterday there was a successful and vibrant Labour movement rally at Congress House about grown up trade unionists organising with others to defend public services.

There were a few problems which I will return to later. This official trade union rally of affiliated trade unions and trade councils from all over London and the South East was organised by SERTUC. Who had spent a lot of time, money and energy organising an event to unite the Labour movement against the Coalition cuts and to be a springboard to organising against them.

The Rally started at 12 noon. There was an excellent and diverse line up of speakers. I was there with London UNISON convenor Gloria Hanson and other delegates to the SERTUC Council meeting that had been held immediately beforehand. Trade union branches who had marched to the Rally arrived at about 12:10 with their banners.

At about 12.30 Gloria and I were concerned, since numbers seemed a little light and many UNISON members that I expected to be there were missing. I went out to look for them. I knew the march had finished at nearby Bedford Square, which is just around the corner from Congress House. I went there and was astonished to find that a separate rally had been organised by the “NSSN” (aka as SPEW - Socialist Party of England & Wales) in Bedford square with speakers and a PA. There was around 300 people present I guess, The speaker’s at the time were busy happily attacking trade union leaders and “New Labour” (don’t think they actually understand that there has been change of government).

I went looking for London UNISON members. I said hello to an old UNISON Hackney mucker but most UNISON members I found actually thought that this was the SERTUC rally. I pointed the way to Congress House. I eventually found a bunch of London UNISON members having a chat together about 75m away from the main SPEW rally and gently chided them to come to Congress House as soon as possible.

When I got back to the Conference hall it was pretty full. CWU leader Billy Hayes gave a passionate speech about how hard work and organising had saved the Post office from privatisation in the past and will do so in the future.

FBU President Mick Shaw spoke about the cuts that fire-fighter’s have already faced across the country and that there is nothing less to cut. Today’s strike action in London by fire fighter’s is as much about protecting the service to the public as about stopping them all being sacked and re-employed on inferior terms and conditions.

Brand New Labour MP, Chuka Umunna, gave an assured Labour movement family speech (I’m trying to upload it to YouTube but having a few technical problems) pointing out the real differences between Labour and the ConDems.

Other stuff I found interesting was that the annual interest rate on new government debt (gilts) is 1.8%... in 1945 National debt was 250% of GDP yet we then went on to create the welfare state... the NHS, nationalised Coal and Steel and a mass public house building programme... the journalists who vilify trade unions would not be able to write a sentence if they had not been properly taught by trade union members.

RMT leader Bob Crow gave his usual high octane, finger waging and podium thumping speech. Great fun to listen to and highly entertaining if you are a trade union activist and but essentially empty and forgettable to everyone else (except for the hat – which was memorable). This is a problem. Which I think Bob knows.

By the time Steve Hart, the London UNITE regional secretary came to the rostrum the wanabee alternative SERTUC organisers had turned up and made the mistake of trying to repeatedly shout him down (as they do – it reminded me of a London UNISON AGM). Steve stopped and just took the abuse for about 30 seconds then laid into the “Peoples Front of Judia” and the “wreckers and splitters”. To which the hall erupted into loud clapping and cheers . This shut ‘em up and Steve continued with his attack on the real enemy – the ConDems.

Why do we put up with these Rule or Ruin sects?

SERTUC regional Secretary Megan Dobney spoke next to close the conference. The usually mild mannered and consensus Megan asked the idiot fringe present to “shut up and listen for a change”. She pointed out that the unions must either change government policy or change the government...from 1920-1960 national debt in this country was never less than 100%...72% of the cuts will come from purse not from the wallet.

On 26 March we need to have a successful TUC March against the cuts....in SERTUC there are about 1/3rd of all trade union members nationally...we need therefore to get at least 1 million members from SERTUC on that march, if we cannot even do that then we will risk losing the battle... we must not forget the elections next May.

Everyone must remember the discipline and commitment by this Government to their manta that this recession was left to them by the Labour Government...we must show the same discipline and commitment to our manta and show that this recession is due to a global banker’s crisis - not ours.

Greater London UNISON 1st Health Brigade

The proud banner of the Greater London UNISON 1st Health Brigade was brought out during the recent ETUC Day of Action at Congress House. (see picture).

On the far left of the Brigade banner is one of their new Pioneer recruits.

Who I understand has been given special personal responsible with regard to filling the Brigade's reconnaissance hot air balloons.

:)

Interviewed by Central China TV about "the Cuts"

This lunch time I was interviewed by a reporter from Central China TV about the impact that the cuts have had and will have on public services in the UK.

Central China TV is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China.

What was interesting (to me at least) was that an international Chinese TV Broadcaster is investigating issues involving poverty and deprivation in the UK when traditionally in "the West" we would consider ourselves to be the ones who should be sending TV crews to China to report on such issues. 

The interview itself and the questions asked were entirely professional and appropriate.

Apparently most news coverage in China about the UK is very positive and usually covers things such as technological advances and does not look at the darker side of our society.

I tried to be careful  in my answers and avoid slang or make any stereotypical assumptions.  Afterwards I did ask the reporter if I may have offended Chinese viewers by mentioning that in the UK, we often find that there is a crisis of overcrowding caused by different generations of families having to live together.  This is because grown up sons and daughters have nowhere else to go.  I was very gently put in my place when she replied that many Chinese may well want their extended family to live together or nearby but not in overcrowded conditions.

If the interview is used I may be able to get a web site link.

(the picture is taken outside Broderick House off Roman Road, E3 which I use to manage as a Housing Estate officer several years ago - I also learnt that in China instead of saying "cheese" when you take a photograph you say the Chinese equivalent for "aubergines")

UNISON London Retired members: 1033.5 years old in experience

What a great picture from a UNISON London Region Retired members' training day.  This took place in June this year.

Chair of the UNISON London Retired Members' committee, Rob Beeston, is as usual, up front, well on the left and wearing a red jumper!

Retired members in UNISON are a great resource for the union.  Many branches could not function without their help. 

However, I think we would agree that we don't actually involve retired members enough and are in fact missing out by not fully utilising their collective experiences. 

On board the Livingstone Battle Bus against Boris & CONDEM Cuts

Early yesterday morning I was with London UNISON convener, Gloria Hanson, at Euston to join other trade unionists who were helping London Labour Mayor Candidate, Ken Livingtone, launch his Boris and CONDEM anti-cuts campaign.  We went on a open air double decker bus to the Beormund Community Centre in Bermondsey, which itself is facing a Government £40k cut in its budget putting its existence in doubt. With us amongst others was Steve Hart, the Unite Regional Secretary, Paul Hayes the London GMB regional secretary, David Lammy MP and of course - Ken. 

Before we set off Ken got a good reception from passing commuters who shouted support and gave him the "thumbs up" sign and in return they received the famous grin.  Ken is of course notoriously a bit of a "Marmite" character, but ordinary Londoners seemed to be genuinely pleased to see him and offer support.

The bus driver was unsure of the best route to Bermondsey, so the Unite union Black taxi reps present offerred to help.  This could have been a "tricky" situation (taxi drivers telling bus drivers "what to do") but it seemed to work well (all comrades together!).  Perhaps also we were lucky there were no low bridges on route either? :)

The immediate Boris/CONDEM cuts already announced and the prospect of even much, much more are the defining issue facing Londoners.  We need the candidate who is best able to inspire and protect ordinary Londoners and then defeat in 2012 the ideological "slash and burners" who will be doing their level best to destroy our London.

In this particular battle - nothing else matters.

UPDATE: check out Mary Honeyball MEP top post here on her support for Ken.

UNISON London Regional Council 3 - Ken Livingstone

3rd speaker was Ken Livingstone and he was definitely “on form” (pictured with our Regional convenor Gloria Hanson and BA striker Nikki Marcus). Much of his speech was similar to what he said the other week at London Progressive but he was much sharper and persuasive. Ken announced to no great surprise that he will be standing to be selected as the Labour candidate for London Mayor this summer.

Some interesting stuff (to me anyway). He reminded us that when he was Mayor he “forced” the TFL bus companies to pay their cleaning and catering contract staff the London Living wage. These companies afterwards reported surprise at the greater productivity amongst staff, less turnover and less sickness that resulted from their staff being better paid! He also reminisced about when he was a MP in the early 1990’s - he and his fellow members of the Campaign group often found them rebelling in votes against the whip on the same side as the Liberal Democrats then led by Ming Campbell. This happened so often that they discussed whether or not there could be a formal link? Until they realised that the Lib Dems would never support the campaign group over the role of trade unions.  This was the origianl reason for the unions to form the Labour Party in the first place.

Ken emphasised that the reason why we have far less unemployment now than in previous recessions is the high level of public spending and he fears that Con Dem cuts will lead to massive unemployment. He sees the role of a London Mayor as not only being a good administrator although that is important but also to have politics based on a concept of class and want to advance working class interests. He thinks “the Labour machine” in London is more in touch with working people and better at representing them than the rest of the country and this is reflected in the 2% lead in London this month.

Interestingly he argued that he is not so much concerned about the debate over "socialism v capitalism". Rather he just wants a fairer society. He referred again to the lessons from the “Spirit Level” book. When you have a more narrow range of incomes you have a better society in all measures. In Germany they have state pensions of £25,000 per year. No need for revolution or blood on the streets. We just need a more equal mixed economy.

In the Q&A (normally we wouldn’t for in-quorate meetings but who can shut up Ken?) he had a dig at Oona King who is standing against him. Who he liked personally but she did lose the 4th safest seat for Labour and he is not bothered if he loses the “fashion vote to Oona”.

One (non delegate) person attempted in front of Ken and Nikki to embarrass the union by trying to make a statement over this rather than asking Ken any questions.  I don't think either were at all put out but you do wonder why people do these things in front of guests to the union?

Ken said he did not know what the person was talking about and would not comment about the affairs of an union he wasn’t a member of but he said in his experience as an MP and as Mayor he had met UNISON officials “the face of the union” on a regular basis and a very good relationship with them, he thought they had always been fair, open and transparent with him, they had always supported their national conference positions and never wanted any secret or untoward deals. He compared modern day unions favourably with that of the late 1960's. Which I think is a fairly ringing endorsement of London UNISON.

Finally there was a question about how the unions should fight the Con Dems by replaying the great 1980’s campaigns against the abolition of the GLC with protests, marches and strikes. To which Ken being Ken, sensibly concurred without committing himself.

Was I the only person to think “well, the campaign to defend the GLC ended in a yet another Labour movement “Glorious defeat”! – do we want to just repeat the failures of our past or do we want to learn from them?"

Notting Hill Housing Dispute: UNISON Housing Association Branch Press Release.

UNISON BEGINS LUNCHTIME LOBBIES OF EMPLOYERS’ HEAD OFFICE

The first of a week-long series of Lunchtime Lobbies of Notting Hill Housing Trust’s (NHHT) head office got of to a rousing start yesterday. UNISON members shared lunch with many of their non-union colleagues whilst protesting at senior management’s continuing refusal to negotiate on the new terms and conditions that they have imposed.

“It’s very encouraging to see non-union members supporting UNISON’s campaign to defend Family Friendly Policies at Notting Hill Housing Trust”, said UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss. “It contradicts the Trust’s claim that most members of staff are happy with imposed change. Unison’s campaign will continue until the Trust realises that cutting family-friendly benefits demoralises staff and has a negative impact on service delivery”.

UNISON’s dispute with Notting Hill Housing Trust is now in its third month. A day of strike action was taken on 15th March; further strike action is planned for May. In an effort to resolve the dispute, UNISON has referred it to ACAS for mediation.

For Further information or comment please contact:

UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss on 07703 194 127 or C.Inniss@unison.co.uk

Notes for Editors

1. UNISON’s Housing Association Branch represents approximately 3,500 members in the Greater London Region and the South East. UNISON Members at Notting Hill Housing Trust took successful strike action on 15th March.

2. NHHT manages 25,000 homes in London and the South East. According to its own website NHHT has an asset base of £1,317m and an annual turnover of £167m. Group reserves on 2008/2009 totalled £188m and its operating profit was £19.8m. In June 2009 the group absorbed 3 smaller BME housing associations – Presentation, Pathway and Croydon People’s.

3. 14% of staff took paid carers’ leave in 2008/09 at a total cost to the organisation of £40,000. Chief Executive, Kate Davies total pay and reward package for the year 2008 to 31March 2009 was £192,000.

4. Paul Hodgkinson is the Chair of NHHT’s Board. He is also a Trustee of Parenting UK, a national charity that sets the policy for parenting focus in the UK. Respect for cultural diversity and the different needs of men and women within the context of human rights for all, is one of Parenting UK’s key principles.

5. UNISON’s Lunchtime Lobbies of NHHT Head office will take place during the first week of May. 2 days of industrial action will take place at a later date.   Check out here and here

(picture is an artists impression of the new Notting Hill Housing Group proposed headquarters in Kings Cross)

Message to UNISON members: Don't Let the BNP break up our public services

"Use your vote to keep them out"...."Vote against Hate"...  This leaflet is being delivered to the home addresses of UNISON members in Greater London.  Check out UNISON Stop the BNP.  This is also a  Million Voices for public services campaign.

UNISON Service Group elections 2010

In the real democratic Labour Movement family (not you-know-who's) it seems sometimes that at this time of year we have to spend all our time organising to fight elections and there is not enough time to do practically anything else!

The Union and Labour Party AGM season may be finally finishing but in UNISON we still have the General Secretary election and the Service Group Elections coming up.

Never mind the local Council elections and the all important national election campaigns.

Anyway, I am also standing in to be the London member for the new “Community and Voluntary” UNISON Service Group Executive (SGE).

Ballot papers due out on 12 April.

Details of all the other SGE UNISON candidates who (IMO) are supporters of "light and reason" to follow.

Dave Prentis and Notting Hill Housing Strike Monday 15th March

"I would like to offer my full support and solidarity to UNISON members in Notting Hill Housing Trust who are taking strike action on Monday.

Our members in housing associations like Notting Hill work incredibly hard, often for inadequate reward, across the country to provide vital public services in our communities. Notting Hill’s treatment of its own workforce is scandalous – cutting family-friendly benefits which to you are vital, and which don’t cost the organisation much at all.

Notting Hill clearly don’t recognise the clear link between how they treat their staff and the quality of service they provide – or if they do recognise that link, they don’t appear to care about either their staff or their tenants.

Either way, all UNISON has asked for from the beginning has been to sit down with Notting Hill and try to reach an agreement that everyone can sign up to. They have refused all along.

So I salute our members in Notting Hill, who are taking a very brave step, standing up for what they think is right.

I wish you the best of luck".

(Dave Prentis - UNISON General Secretary)

UNISON Public Statement on Employment Tribunal case of Kelly and Others –v- UNISON

"UNISON welcomes the ruling by the Employment Tribunal that the union did not discriminate against four members on grounds of their political beliefs when it disciplined them for producing and distributing a leaflet that was alleged to be offensive and racially discriminatory.

The ET unanimously dismissed all the claims brought against UNISON by branch officers Brian Debus, Onay Kasab, Glenn Kelly and Suzanne Muna.

UNISON has not made any public comment or comment to its members during the three years since the original publication of the leaflet. It is however now appropriate to set out the background to the case and to give a short summary of the ET’s decision.

Background

At the 2007 National Delegate Conference (NDC) the four members produced a leaflet alleging that the Standing Orders Committee (SOC) were rejecting an unprecedented number of motions. The leaflet questioned whether this was because the motions were controversial.

The leaflet carried a cartoon depicting the SOC as the three wise monkeys.

Clytus Williams, the Chair of the SOC a black man. Given this, some delegates found the cartoon not just unfunny, but offensive and racist.

The chair of the Black Members Committee said it “belonged in the past with Bernard Manning”. Members of the SOC also complained that the leaflet was insulting to them generally.

An investigation was launched into the conduct of the four members. This was followed by disciplinary action.

The ET decision

The ET found that the members’ beliefs did not fall within the protection of the Religion and Belief Regulations (2003), which outlaw discrimination on grounds of religious or philosophical beliefs.

It added that their views “conflict with the fundamental rights of others and the dignity of the individual and are not worthy of respect……..in a democratic society” and concluded that philosophical beliefs do not include political beliefs.

However the ET also considered whether the members had been subjected to any discrimination on grounds of their political beliefs, whether or not they were covered by the regulations.

The ET’s conclusions:

1. The four members alleged that the decision to launch an investigation into their conduct for producing and distributing the leaflet was direct discrimination and harassment on grounds of their beliefs – specifically that they were Marxists/Trotskyists and members of The Socialist Party.

The ET found that, given the strength of feeling about the leaflet, it was entirely reasonable for Unison to consider the perception of the leaflet as being racist and to deal with that by ordering an investigation into its production.

The ET found that, given Unison has a policy of equal treatment, it was “not an option” for Unison “to do nothing”.

2. The ET also concluded that it was appropriate for Malcolm Cantello, the then UNISON President, “to consider that the leaflet was offensive and denigrated the chairman and members of the SOC, for Mr [Clytus] Williams to consider it was insulting to the SOC, and for [Unison] to investigate it under their rules”.

The ET did not require UNISON to explain why its action against the four members was not discriminatory because it said there was a complete lack of evidence of discrimination.

3. The Claimants alleged that the full investigation into their conduct carried out by two national officers , amounted to direct discrimination and harassment on grounds of their beliefs.

The ET unanimously dismissed these allegations, saying that the national officers “did not approach their investigation with a pre-judgment based on the philosophical belief of the Claimants of which they were aware”.

4. The members alleged that the decision taken by the NEC to move their cases to a formal disciplinary hearing, the manner in which the disciplinary process was conducted and the length of time taken to hear their disciplinary case amounted to direct discrimination and harassment on grounds of their beliefs.

The ET unanimously dismissed these allegations, finding that the members had failed to provide any evidence that their treatment was on grounds of their beliefs".

(As a UNISON London Regional Council Officer I was sent a copy of this announcement.  After all the deliberate untruths, smears and abuse heaped upon the union by unrepresentative extremists and their supporters I hope that this true message is now spread as widely as possible - John Gray)

East London Sisters & Brothers in UNISON

Picture is from Thursdays UNISON Annual meeting at Old Ford Housing Association in Bow, East London. It was a really successful, positive and constructive meeting. We elected 4 more UNISON reps to the local organising committee.

We concentrated on real bread and butter trade union issues such as pay, job evaluations, protections, tupe and health & safety.

The campaign for respect and dignity by our branch members in Notting Hill Housing Group was also debated and they were fully supported by the meeting. Their fight is frankly our fight.

In the Labour movement you can become rather cynical and disillusioned about the value of such physical meetings. This one worked. The measure of success being that I reckon members will want to return to a future meeting. We are aiming to have similar local UNISON organising committees in all parts of the wider Group.

Emma Rolland for Regional Young Members Convenor

Check out here about AGM

"I am currently the Regional Young Members Convenor and also a member of the Regional Young Members Forum.

Young members have been particularly affected by the current economic climate and this gives the union the opportunity to recruit, organise and engage young workers to give them protection and support but also to build and strengthen the union for the future. I believe this should be a priority for the coming year.

If re-elected I would work with the Regional Young Members Forum to build and improve the young members organisation in London by:

• Ensuring that all branches elect a Branch Young Members Officer (less than 10% of our branches have one now)

• Increasing the number of members that join and participate in the Regional Forum to give young members a voice in London

• Encouraging branches to make recruiting young members part of their branch recruitment strategy and looking at resources they need to do this

• Encouraging young members to participate both in national campaigns such as Minimum Wage Campaign, as well as regional campaigns such as the sexual health awareness campaign.

In my experience trade unions can sometimes be considered by young people to be out of date and not relevant, I would like to continue to work with the YM forum and the Regional Council Officers to look at how we communicate with members and non members under 27 to change this perspective and demonstrate that trade unions are as relevant today as ever before - all too often young people are treated unfairly purely because of their age and face harassment, bullying and discrimination in addition to the issues that all public sector workers face such as attacks on terms and conditions, below inflation pay rises and privatisation. Trade unions are the key to protecting our members and challenging the issues we face at work.

Unfortunately no regional young members have taken place this year due to low attendance and I want to speak to young members to find out why they aren’t engaging at local level and how we can resolve this situation and build the Regional Young Members Forum in 2010.

We are the future of the union and recruiting young members is vital. Without encouraging more young people to join and then to become active at branch, regional and national levels the future of the union will suffer".