Trade Union Bill and the Labour Party

On Thursday evening I was invited to speak to a joint meeting of both Forest Gate Labour Party branches on the Trade Union Bill. It started off with a quiz on trade unions, which was an excellent ice breaker and introduction. I then spoke about trade unions and the Labour Party and how the Tory Trade Union Bill (which tomorrow will have its 2nd reading at the House of Lords) is not only undemocratic and authoritarian but will actually worsen industrial relations.

I spoke in my personal capacity. There then followed a wide ranging question and answers session. I think people understand the argument that you need to have a strong union in the workplace to ensure that workers are treated with dignity and respect.  Employment law is important but many workers over estimate their legal rights at work. It is a safety net only and the best protection in work comes from your union.

Unions have been in relative decline following previous Tory legislative attacks since the 1980s but recently this has stabilised and there has been some growth. Unions still have over 6 million members and we remain by far the largest civil society organisation in the country. 

The new Tory Trade Union Bill attacks union funding and it will make it more difficult for strikes to take place, but strikes are already at all time low level. There was more strikes during the the second world war than in recent years. If legitimate calls for strike action are outlawed then it is likely that "unofficial" action will take place instead. Allowing agencies to provide "scab" labour to replace strikers will result in industrial mayhem.

Unions must have a realistic ability to call out its members on strike (as a last resort) in order to give them bargaining power with management to ensure that any negotiations are meaningful. Unions re- balance power in the workplace in favour of employees and away from a too dominant management.

If the Tories really wanted to modernise unions, as they claim, why don't they allow on line voting or workplace ballots? Why is it alright for the Tories in London to pick Zac Goldsmith as their Mayoral candidate on line by computers or mobile phones but not allow union members to make any decisions on line?

Why is it acceptable that MPs, Councillors and Police Commissioners are elected with very small turnouts but union ballots would have to have a say 80% majority on a 50% turnout.

The Bill will also attack trade union funding of the Labour Party, while doing nothing to stop Tory funding by hedge funds and financial services. This will destroy a political convention that Governments should not misuse their power to stop funding for their opposition. It will also interfere in the rights of employers to make their own agreements with trade unions.

Quite rightly it wasn't a trade union "love in" and I will be the first to admit that trade unions are not perfect and we need to change and update. We need to look again at the traditional Anglo-American model of trade unionism and look to countries where there is greater union density and influence.

In response to a question about many workers don't think that unions are relevant in their workplaces. I agreed that is true. Many workers are Thatcher's grandchildren and know little or nothing about unions and don't understand its importance. One of the worse things about being a trade union rep is turning down sometimes pretty desperate requests for support at work from colleagues, who have not joined the union. Unions need to explain themselves better but also we need to make unions more relevant to workers.

Trade unions and the working class in this country have traditionally bought themselves economic and social benefits by the ballot box. The Labour Party was formed in the first place by unions since we needed political support to protect us from Tory laws, hostile employers and the courts. We desperately need a Labour Government in power but we also need the next Labour Government to help make unions more relevant in the workplace. If unions had more power in the workplace, then more workers will join. 

The Labour Party needs trade unions not only for the money but also to achieve its historic mission of greater and fairer equality.  In the book "The Spirit Level" you can see that countries that tend to be more successful and have greater equality have higher levels of trade union membership.

Stronger trade unions will not only result in greater fairness in work but will result in a greater share of wealth going to the many and not the few. The decline in trade unionism has been mirrored by a decline in real wages and a concentration of wealth and greater income inequality.

There has already been some "improvements" in the Bill during its passage in the Commons such as the really stupid requirement for unions to give 2 weeks notice of any social media announcements. What we need now is to keep up the pressure while it goes through the Lords.

Finally, I pointed out that whatever happens, unions are here to stay and we will not be going anywhere.

(Many thanks to Heather and Rachel for organising this event). 

West Ham Ward Councillor Report

Councillor Report to West Ham Ward

WEST HAM WARD LABOUR PARTY tel: 020 3373 2615 or email John.Gray@newham.gov.uk

Ward meeting 6 January 2016

·         Apologises for not attending all of this meeting but I have been invited to speak to a joint meeting of Forest Gate South and North on the Governments Trade Union Bill.

·         Return Site visit this week with Cllr Whitworth, Residents and Family Mosaic Housing officer to Ladywell Street, E15 regarding security, ASB and disrepair.

·         Site visit on 22 December with LBN Parking design Officers with residents and Councillor Whitworth to Plaistow Grove, E15 regarding need for double yellow lines to prevent the roads being obstructed and preventing emergency vehicles from entering. Officers agreed that redesign needs to be done and it is hoped that works will begin in the near future.

·         We also inspected the open gate in Dirleton Street, E15 Road which keeps getting its locks cut off and is being used as a "rat run" causing nuisance and danger to local residents.  Officers agreed to clarify the status of the gate and consider ways to prevent cars from using the road as a rat run but still providing access to emergency vehicles.

·         Following a number of complaints and petitions it was agreed at West Ham & Stratford Neighbourhood Cllr forum on 14 December that Parking officers to look into a consultation extending the Plaistow CPZ (controlled Parking Zone) to cover streets south of Portway, E15

·         Also at forum it was agreed that Parking officers will look into consulting on further parking restrictions in Ham Park village area following the exercise last year which resulted in some areas rejecting further controls and others requesting it.

·         Other case work on planning enforcement (on going issue with the Education and Community centre) in Plaistow Road.  Excessive service charges by East Thames Housing Association, other parking issues, homelessness, issue that you can only apply for permits online, trading on pavements, closing off of the Greenway to cyclists and other users (I also attended a cycling site visit to inspect the alternative routes), Xmas Hampers for elderly, ASB.

·         On Monday 4 January Cllr Whitworth and I leafleted commuters outside Plaistow Station against the new Tory train and bus fare increases on behalf of Labour London Mayor Candidate, Sadiq Khan.

·         On Friday 11 December Cllr Whitworth and I attended the funeral of Councillor Charity Fiberesima.

·         On 10 December Cllr Whitworth and I attended a candle light vigil outside East Ham Town Hall to coincide with Human Rights Day and the end of the United Nation’s 16 Days of Action which aimed to raise awareness of violence against women.

·         At the Newham Council meeting on 7 December both Cllr Whitworth and I expressed our concerns regarding the cost and threat to our finances from the £563 million of LOBO loans that we had. We did not receive satisfactory assurances so we will be taking the matter further.

·         The motion at Full Council against the Trade Union Bill that Cllr Whitworth proposed and I seconded was passed unopposed.

·         On 3 December West Ham ward Party member Veronica Oakeshott was elected overwhelmingly at the Council by election in Boleyn Ward. Congratulations!

·         On 3 and 4^th December I attended the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum annual conference.

Future dates

·         16 Jan - Super Saturday. Lyn Brown MP will be joining us to talk to voters about Sadiq Kahn. Meeting 11am in Canning Town South at St Luke's Church, Tarling Road, E15 1HN and again at 2pm at Forest Gate station

·         West Ham Women's Forum Open Discussion evening with the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Seema Malhotra MP January 21 January at St Johns Church Stratford.

·         Launch of Newham United Against Austerity (NUAA) with Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP at UEL, Water Lane E15 on Saturday 30 January at 2pm

·         31 January Sunday Night Live at Stratford Picture House E15.

HeartUnions Week: 8-24 February 2016

"8‑14 Feb 2016 / The heartunions week of action celebrates the great work done by union reps and members in our workplaces and in society. We're proud of our unions and reject the government's attempts to damage them with the trade union bill".

Check out the new TUC website here on this campaign.

West Ham Labour Party Rejects Trade Union Bill

West Ham Labour Party Executive Committee unanimously supported this motion on Wednesday. The Trade Union Bill returns to the House of Lords probably early next year (11 January 2016) and I hope will be sent back to the House of Commons for being an authoritarian, divisive and oppressive measure that will make industrial relations worse not better.

Newham Council Motion on Trade Union Bill

This motion was passed unanimously at the Newham Full Council meeting last night. The Tory anti-trade union bill has passed through the House of Commons with some significant changes. It goes to the House of Lords in January. We need to keep the pressure up to defeat or change this authoritarian and anti-democratic bill.  I will post our speeches later. 

Motion 2 – Trade Union Bill

Proposer: Councillor John Whitworth

Seconder: Councillor John Gray

This Council Notes:

·  The positive contribution that trade unions and trade union members make in our workplaces. This Council values the constructive relationship that we have with our trade unions and we recognise their commitment, and the commitment of all our staff, to the delivery of good quality public services.

·  With concern the Trade Union Bill which is currently being proposed by the Government and which would affect this Council’s relationship with our trade unions and our workforce as a whole. This Council rejects this Bill’s attack on local democracy and the attack on our right to manage our own affairs.

This Council believes:

·  That facility time, negotiated and agreed by us and our trade unions to suit our own specific needs, has a valuable role to play in the creation of good quality and responsive local services. Facility time should not be determined or controlled by Government in London.

·  That the arrangements we currently have in place for deducting trade union membership subscriptions through our payroll are beneficial. We see this as an important part of our positive industrial relations and a cheap and easy to administer system that supports our staff. This system is an administrative matter for the Council and should not be interfered with by the UK Government. 

This Council resolves

·  To support the campaign against the unnecessary, anti-democratic and bureaucratic Trade Union Bill.

·  To seek to continue its own locally agreed industrial relations strategy and will take every measure possible to maintain its autonomy with regard to facility time and the continuing use of check-off. 

Motion for West Ham Constituency Labour Party on the Trade Union Bill

"This constituency believes the Trade Union Bill passed by the House of Commons and now about to be considered by the Lords shows this Government is determined to shackle the voice of working people via its attack on the trade unions.

This constituency further believes strikes are a last resort but the requirement of a minimum 50% turnout amongst members entitled to vote and a further 40% yes vote threshold (i.e. 80% of those who vote) in ‘important public services’ are an attempt to silence working people.

This constituency now believes the right to strike is under threat and this is a fundamental attack on human rights. We are concerned that allowing the use of agency workers to break strike action will lead to staff carrying out work they are not trained for and potentially lead to unsafe workplaces and services.

We believe facility time arrangements for local union reps and the deductions of subscriptions through payroll are matters between employers and recognised unions in the public sector and are the basis for good industrial relations and it is counterproductive for the Government to stop or restrict these arrangements.

This constituency condemns the attacks on unions’ political funds as a shabby attempt to undermine their public campaigning voice and the traditional relationship between many unions and Labour.

This constituency calls on the Labour Party, locally and nationally, to:

1) campaign against the Bill;
2) organise and join local protests against the Bill;
3) to work with trade unions to oppose the Bill."

Proposed: John Gray UNISON Housing Associations
Seconded: Kim Silver UNISON Newham Local Government

(347,279 people have signed the Labour Party petition on this issue here)

TUC Rally and Lobby against authoritarian & extremist Tory TU Bill

Picture collage is from yesterday's TUC protest rally and Parliamentary lobby against the Tory Trade Union Bill which is an attempt by the Government to attack fundamental rights and freedoms at work.

First, there was a lunchtime rally in Central Hall, Westminister, which was packed out with over a 1000 people waiting outside. Great speeches and even a song from the UNISON staff Choir. Next I queued for over an hour to get inside the House of Commons to lobby my MP, Lyn Brown, on the Bill.  Lyn has many years of experience in the real working world and knows what is being proposed is unworkable, petty and spiteful as well as a constitutional outrage.

After a group of West Ham residents met with Lyn, some went into the Commons' public gallery to watch the debate on the Housing and Planning Bill. By coincidence (or not) this is yet another hard right, extremist Tory Bill. It was really good to see Labour Shadow Housing Minister, John Healey, monster his Tory minister opponents in this debate.

It was incredible to see and listen to the Tory ministers and MPs' inability to argue in favour of this Housing Bill. All they did was try and score points about what Labour did or did not do in 2009. John had to gently remind them that they had been in power since 2010.

Most of the Tories actually know both the Trade Union and Housing Bills are very dangerous, divisive and authoritarian. Ironically they are arguing for the ending of local democracy and employment freedoms in favour of "Big Government" politics.

Housing Associations and Council Housing stock are being effectively stolen by the State while peaceful picketing and protest will be criminalised.

A future Labour Government has now a precedent on how to act when we next win power.  The Tories will reap what they sow.

TUC mass lobby of Parliament – protect the right to strike #KillTheBill #TUBill

Monday 2 November
 
"As you know the Trade Union Bill is the biggest assault on working people’s rights in living memory.  We need as many branches and members as possible in Westminster on Monday to lobby MPs and ensure they are aware of the key issues, the impact it will have on our ability to support and defend workers and the strength of feeling around this issue.    

If you haven’t already made contact with your local MP it’s not too late:-

·         Try to arrange a meeting with your MP before the day. We have set up an email template you can use, just by putting in your postcode and a few details, here:http://goo.gl/4tYUrO

·         You can also write to them by post if you would prefer, at the House of Commons. Put your post code in the box on this website: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ to find our their name if you don’t know it, then send it to House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA.

ON THE DAY:

The lobby on Monday will take place at Central Hall, Westminster - https://www.c-h-w.com/contact/location/

12.30: Arrive (please do arrive by 12.30)

Arrive for the rally at Central Hall Westminster, Storey’s Gate, Westminster, London, SW1H 9NH. (The building is open from 11.30 am if you want to arrive earlier.)

Please first go to the Great Hall (inside the Central Hall building) to register. There will be a UNISON table

1 – 3.30pm: Rally

Hear from some exciting speakers from 1pm – 3.30pm.

2pm: Lobbying starts

The lobbying in Parliament will start from 2pm and throughout the afternoon groups will go over to the House of Commons to meet with their MPs to explain why they should vote against the bill. Please the queue outside the main entrance to the House of Commons from 2.00pm. You will need to enter through a ramped entrance (the Cromwell statue entrance) to the left of the St Stephen’s entrance to the Commons.

Finally if do meet with your MP please let me have any feedback and photos from the day .

The UNISON activists briefing ‘Everything you need to know about the TUC mass lobby on 2 November’ is attached for your info.

Hat tip KW

Trade Union Bill: Parliamentary Lobby - 2 November 2015

I have just sent my MP, Lyn Brown, a message via the UNISON website asking to meet and lobby her over the Conservative anti-trade bill at the TUC event being organised for Monday 2 November.

 If you have a Labour MP (who are opposed to the bill) you should still take part and lobby them.

All UNISON members should try and lobby their MPs regardless of their Party label.

This is a human rights and fairness argument as much as anything else.

Check out the UNISON email facility to contact your MP here 

West Ham TULO sets up Anti-Austerity Campaign Group

Last week trade union affiliates and activists to West Ham Labour Party were invited to a meeting organised by Kim Silver, who is its trade union liaison officer. ‎ At the meeting was also Peter Smith, who is secretary to the Newham joint trade union committee. 

West Ham trade union activists have been in discussions with the NJTUC for some time about forming ‎an anti-austerity campaign group. At the meeting we had a useful and constructive debate about how we can campaign against Austerity and put forward an alternative economic policy. 

It was agreed to plan and hold a launch event with if possible some keynote speakers. 

At the meeting we also discussed how to support the lobby of Parliament on 2 November against the Tory Anti-trade Union Bill. 

Kim is also looking into holding a welcome meeting for the new 461 individual trade union affiliate members in West Ham‎. Hopefully we can get Unison to support this meeting.

TUC March and Rally Manchester - #No2Austerity @4OctDemo

This picture is of UNISON members from London Ambulance Service (LAS) carrying our regional banner at the TUC demo today at Manchester.

Second from left is UNISON Vice President, Eric Roberts, who is the branch secretary of LAS.

This was a great day with an estimated 80,000 trade unionists (and many with their families) from all over the UK taking part in a rally and march against Austerity and the fascistic Anti-Trade Union bill.

The Conservative Party are holding their annual conference at Manchester and it is important to let them know that their extremist right wing agenda is dividing and destroying our country.

TUC Congress 2015: Monday

Apologies for lateness but this is a snapshot of day 2 of last weeks TUC Congress (Monday) from a UNISON delegates point of view.

Our first Congress guest speaker was John Bercow MP,  the Speaker of the House of Commons (and of course a Conservative MP). He thinks trade unions do great work ensuring fairness at work! He was entertaining and actually very supportive. He claimed that he was not the smallest ever Commons speaker in height - since a number of his predecessors had their heads chopped  off.

His take off of Tony Benn (I thought at that the time this is risky) actually worked and he made Congress laugh. He admitted that when he was younger and very (very) right wing, we would not have wanted him to have been here. When he left he had to go back and act as Speaker for the Commons debate on the (anti) Trade Union Bill. Shame none of his Party colleagues felt able to oppose its 2nd reading even though the more sensible realise that it is fascistic and a breach of human rights".

There was a genuine standing ovation for TUC General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, after her speech to Congress.  She calls on Jeremy Corbyn to get stuck in, unite the party & win the next General election. 

During the day we heard more about new Labour Leader (JC) appointments to the Shadow cabinet and was really pleased to hear that John Healey had been appointed Shadow Housing & Planning minister. I will look forward to inviting him back to my branch Labour Link AGM to speak.

Manchester UNISON, Rena Wood, tells it as it is about the Government "Prevent" programme in Composite 11 on "Education & Extremism".

Denise Ward gives a UNISON HE worker and women's view on the composite "Education Funding Crisis"

Birmingham nurse and UNISON delegate, James Anthony, moves motion 33 on "English decentralisation & trade unions". He ponders the "threats & strengths". Seems to me to be more threats to local democracy if Executive Mayors are imposed when they are not wanted and inadequate checks and balances on their powers are in place.

In the afternoon I moved the Composite on the Housing Crisis on behalf of UNISON and after close of Congress I went to the UNISON fringe on the "Real Debt Problem".

Finally check out Eastern Region UNISON branch secretary, Mark Task, on the front cover of the daily Congress magazine "TUC today".

(apologies also to any UNISON colleagues who spoke who I have missed out)

Is this why the Tories hate trade unions?

Fascinating chart. Now, I know that not all Tories hate trade unions but none of their MPs voted against the Trade Union Bill second reading on Monday even though this is a basic democratic and human rights issue.

The chart shows that the income of the very rich (the so called "top 1%") falls as trade union membership rises and increases when trade union membership falls.

Unions are stronger when they have more members. When they have more members then their bargaining position with employers is stronger. Therefore, they can make sure that their members get better wages and a fairer share of the wealth. 

If the unions have lower numbers of members then they are not in such a strong bargaining position with employers and wages are reduced while the income of senior management and rich shareholders rocket upwards.

So encouraging trade unions rather than attacking them is not only about democracy and human rights but also about fairness and equality.

Hat tip Ravi S.

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses TUC Congress 2015

Despite being elected as Labour Leader only four days ago, Jeremy Corbyn, travelled down to address Congress. When he appeared there was a genuine standing ovation before he said a word. The former NUPE official (a founder union of UNISON) started his speech by declaring that he has always been and sees himself as a trade unionist.

He announced that the Labour Party have had 30,000 new members since Saturday. Labour must become inclusive and welcoming.

After being elected he went to the "Refugees welcome" rally in London and the following day to a event in his constituency on ending the stigma of mental health.

His shadow cabinet has more women than men. A first in the UK.

He has appointed a shadow minister for Housing, John Healey, to deal with the "housing crisis". The "free market is not delivering" and there needs to be a "mass Council house building programme".

Jeremy wants the Party and the Labour movement to be "more democratic". More votes were cast for him than twice the total membership of the Tories.  We need to make policy together in this digital age and let everyone bring forward their views. If they are involved then people will own the policy and work to get it implemented.

He wants to go for the election in 2020 with no surprises but instead in 2020 offer certainties.

Jeremy reminisced when as a NUPE trade union official he asked for help in negotiations over time and motion arrangements from a union member who was good at betting. Since he knew the member would be naturally good at rapid mental arithmetic. His point was that ordinary people have talents. He then attacked the "elite who despise those who don't look or sound like them".

He sees trade unions as "an organic link" with the Party and praised the strikers from the National Gallery in London who were resisting privatisation (and also in the stalls at the back of Congress).

The Trade Union Bill was the Tories "declaring war on organised Labour". They claim to be champions of deregulation but the one thing that they want to regualate are the trade unions! It is as one Tory MP has described "a strategy of General Franco". When he is elected he will repeal this bill if passed.

Jeremy believes that the Bill is also contrary to Article 11 of the United Nations Human rights Charter and the International Labour Organisation conventions. Criminalising picketing? restricting free speech on social media? "What kind of intrusive society are they trying to create?"

We have to protect trade unionism. You get better management where the unions are strong. Where unions are weak you get poor job security and worse conditions. Why don't the Tories modernise balloting of members by allowing union workplace ballots to take place?

Why don't the Tories believe that workers should have a political voice? Why are they happy to accept hedge fund money yet are obsessed with the cleanest money in politics. That from the unions.

The welfare reform bill is disastrous and will have appalling consequences. People are committing suicide because of past reforms.

He has to leave after this speech to go back to London and vote against the bill to cut tax credits. Charities say that these cuts will cost a typical lone parent £1200 per year.

The Tories call us "deficit deniers". But they spend billions of pounds on tax breaks for millionaires. They are "poverty deniers". Austerity is a political choice.

He wants the Labour Party to be proud to campaign with trade unions and he wants unions to be proud to campaign with the Labour Party

Jeremy finished by pointing out that we are a rich but deeply unequal country and if he is elected he pledges to do something about it.

Stop the Trade Union Bill - Stop the Tories causing industrial mayhem

The Government will on Monday (14 September 2015) publish a Parliamentary bill that will attack trade unions ability to defend and representative their members.

This is probably one of the most pointless and even spiteful pieces of anti-trade union legislation ever.

The exact detail has not been released but according to the official government consultation paper it could :-

1. Stop councils from raising revenue by charging to collect union subs from staff wages.

2. Ban strikes even if a majority of workers vote for it (also  undermining the principle of democratic elections in our country)

3. Result in criminal charges for taking part in social media protests on twitter and Facebook.

4. Allowing employers to use US style agency thugs as scab labour to break strikes.

5. Stopping union health and safety reps from being sufficient given time off to prevent accidents, illness and violence at work

Even the professional body for HR in this country, the Chartered Institute for Personal and Development has attacked the bill:-

"Proposals on strike laws are a response to yesterday’s problems, says CIPD  Plans to raise the bar for strike action divert attention from building better, more engaged workforces. The Government’s proposals on strike laws are an outdated response to industrial relations issues currently facing UK employers and could prove counter-productive" If this proposal goes ahead it will indeed prove "counter-productive". If workers' democratic rights to legally strike are not allowed then there will be an explosion of "unofficial" action and protests. If there is a legal strike and scab agencies are allowed to bus in strike breakers then there will be mayhem in the workplace. I hope the Tory MPs who actually have experience of "real" work as opposed to a life of political bag carrying (like too many Labour MPs I may add) will help kick this rotten stupid bill into touch. UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, makes sense when he notes that   “Democracy won’t be enhanced by vindictively raising thresholds but by modernising balloting and allowing workers to vote from their phones and tablets.” Email your MP now to speak against the Bill on Monday https://secure.unionstogether.org.uk/page/speakout/protect-our-voice-at-work