Jacqui's leaving Do: 29 Years as Tower Hamlets UNISON Admin Officer

 

On Friday evening I went to the London Hospital Tavern in Whitechapel for the "leaving do" for Jacqui (in blue on right). Jacqui had been a key support officer for Tower Hamlets UNISON Local Government Branch for 29 years. I used to be the Assistant Branch Secretary (for local government AP&T grades - which I was never that sure what that meant?) for many years before I was TUPEd out (with an absolute Pension promise, which is another story).

Jacqui and her colleague Bernie (see left of picture in blue Jeans) where the bedrock of the branch (alongside other colleagues) for all the time I was there. They were both competent, friendly, helpful, cheerful and reliable. What more can you ask for in a hugely busy office which has, what can I say, very "demanding" members and Branch officers. 

There were a number of long standing activists (Shaz) there as well as the previous 3 branch secretaries John Mac, Jean G and even Derek R, as well as former admin officer Kath. 

I had to leave early to go to another commitment but best of luck to Jacqui with her new career move and thanks to current Tower Hamlets Branch Secretary, Kerri-Anne for a wonderful goodbye speech.

Jean Geldart from Hope Not Hate - UKIP is a Far Right Party of Race Hatred

Today was the UNISON Greater London Regional Council meeting. Hope Not Hate Trade union organiser,  Jean Geldart was a guest speaker.

Before she retired from Tower Hamlets Council, Jean was my  Branch Secretary and a senior UNISON NEC member. She is also the daughter of Phil Piratin who was the Communist Party MP for Stepney 1945-1950.

Jean described how appalling and openly corrupt many of the UKIP MEPs and Councillors are. While many of them are good for a laugh, the leaflets UKIP have put out are worse than even the fascist BNP!

They have organisers who use to work for the National Front and see nothing wrong with this.

The recent shambles in the European Parliament has seen them form an alliance in order to gain EU funding of £1 million (from us tax payers) with Polish anti-Semitic racists and Holocaust deniers.

While they are not  a serious threat in most of London at the moment we have to be vigilant. UKIP can be defeated. In May 2014 when there was local election as well as Euro elections, voters tended to vote UKIP for the EU since they did not think it was important and mainstream parties for local council.

All polling indicates that although they do have real support, the majority are positively opposed to them and actively dislike the UKIP.

So what we need to do is get the anti UKIP vote out.

In the May elections in the North West, there was was a massive anti BNP and UKIP campaign which resulted in them getting only 6 Councillors in the whole of the region. Compare this to similar areas in North and Midlands where they got far more.

We need to expose UKIP and look at what they say and their voting record in Europe. Such as their views that women deserve less pay, their wish to privatise the NHS and destroy workers employment rights.

We need to get this message out what UKIP is really about. We also need to get people to register to vote and set an positive agenda for multiculturalism in London. Jean encouraged all UNISON branches to affiliate to Hope not Hate!

Keeping our Voice! Winning the Political Fund Ballot fringe #uNDC14

"...don't be confused. The ballot is a vote about having a political voice and not on affiliation"

This fringe took place yesterday lunchtime (Wednesday). Chaired by Vice President Lucia McKeever. Assistant General Secretary Liz Snape was also present.

Eleanor Smith, the Chair of UNISON National Link political fund spoke first. She made it clear that our political funds are our union's voice. That is why the Tories hate them. 

Every 10 years we now have to ballot all members about whether or not to keep our political funds. Eleanor listed the successful campaigns that the funds had run in recent years and this is why we need that voice.

The Labour Link fund is a key voice for union. It means we can take up the big issues of pay and resources and other specific issues such as social care and privatisation. The recent Labour victory in the West Midlands saw the collapse of biggest ever Police staff privatisation programme. Never forget that gay marriage was delivered by Labour MP's. The ballot is not about the relationship with the Labour Party, it is about being able to campaign and speak out.

James Anthony, the General Political Fund (GPF) Chair spoke next. UNISON has a unique political fund structure but other unions may adopt our model soon.

The recent Government "Lobbying Bill" was intended to target UNISON. The law is in place but we are waiting for guidance from the election commission. We can communicate with our members outside the Bill. It is important to have the GPF since many of our members members do not support Labour and vote for the Tories or don't vote at all. 

Nearly all conferences motions need to have a political voice. It would be pointless to try and campaign without this . It works best when the GPF campaigns in tandem with Labour Link. Without a political fund we would not be able to promote causes such as equality, self organised groups, Pride, Durham Miners Gala. The fund also help us make the best arguments by funding research.

Without the political fund we would not be able to ask voters not to vote for racist parties. Remember how we helped defeat the BNP fascist. Pay is a huge issue. We need to take forward a political message. We will only win strike action if we win the support of the public as well as our members.

If the political funds were not so successful, the Tories would have not tried so hard to get rid of them.

Jean Geldart from "Hope Not Hate" spoke last. Jean is of course a retired UNISON activist and former NEC member.  She reminded us that in 1993 the first ever BNP Councillor was elected in Tower Hamlets in a by election. The GPF gave £30k and bank rolled the campaign to get rid him.  Which 9 months later we did at the full Council election. You can only campaign against a political party if you have a political fund.

There used to be 2 BNP European Members of Parliament and 57 Councillors with 12 in Stoke and 12 in Barking and Dagenham where they formed the opposition. We didn't listen to those who said "ignore them they will go away". HNH paid for organisers to work in Barking & Dagenham.  The BNP is now finished. They have only 2 Cllrs left. This was due substantially due to funded campaigning.

We now have UKIP. Again, some people are saying "ignore them and they will go away". The UNISON campaign in North West region against the BNP & UKIP involved over a million bits of paper. Only 6 UKIP Cllrs were elected in that region. Which is far less than other similar parts of the country.

This country would be going in a different direction if not for the GPF which embodies Union values.

In Q&A I asked Jean (I use to be the assistant branch secretary of Tower Hamlets Local Government branch when she was branch secretary) What impact the lobbying bill will have on Hope Not Hate?
She said not as much as on the GPF since their total income is relatively small but the biggest problem is the 10k limit per Parliamentary Constituency. That means for example that UKIP will out spend us in their target seats since you just don't just pay for the paper in leaflets but also the pay of staff who design it.

Liz Snape concluded that this ballot is not about a particular party but about the funds. We want a big yes vote."... don't be confused. The ballot is a vote about having a political voice and not on affiliation"

There was a good question from a delegate that Labour Link should be doing more to point out its successes since he was fed up with the extreme left whinging about the Labour Party during every opportunity at conference.

Lucia reminded us about the threat that UKIP poses.  In her home in the north of Ireland she had lived through 40 years of racism and sectarianism. This has got to stop. There are now 3 UKIP Councillors in Northern Ireland who had all left unionist parties due to their extremist views.

Battle of Cable Street 75th Anniversary Rally

I wasn't able to make the march but I did manage to turn up to the Battle of Cable Street 75th Anniversary rally at St George in the East park, East London.   Home of the famous mural. Former UNISON General Secretary Rodney Bickeerstaffe was speaking as I came in. He reminded the rally of the close connection of Cable Street with the International Brigade who fought in Spain against the fascists 1936-1939.

I was sorry to have missed Max Levitas, a 97 year old real life veteran of the Battle speak. I have heard Max a number of times over the years on many issues but never at this event. Max still lives in Tower Hamlets but he comes shopping to Stratford and has stopped off at our Labour Party stalls over the years to have a chat. He is still a convinced communist but is pleased to see the Labour Party out campaigning and is still very vocal about the dangers we all face from the splitters and wreakers. 

The video is of Kosru Uddin, Tower Hamlets Labour Councillor, talking not as a polititian but as someone who had lived through racism and who stressed the importance of being united in order to defeat it.  

I was pleased that my UNISON Housing Association branch banner was there – thanks to activists Tony and Mary. There was a number of UNISON folk about including my former Branch secretary Jean Geldart (daughter of another Cable Street veteran and former Red Stepney Communist MP Phil Piratin) and Head of UNISON Local Government Heather Wakefield.  

There was some sectarian silliness by the usual suspects. But such ritualistic howling at the moon amidst grandiose claims of betrayal politics just adds to the colour of the occasion.   

The final speaker was former BNP member turned Hope Not Hate activist Matthew Collins whose recent book “Hate – My life in the British Far Right” I have just ordered. Just saying you are going to Smash the BNP or the EDL is not enough. We will not let them pass - but we also need to fully understand our enemy in order to overcome them. 

“On the knocker” for Lollypop Louise against the Nasty Nazi.

Yesterday afternoon I went to help out in the Goresbrook ward by-election in Barking and Dagenham. UNISON NEC member and long serving Lollypop Lady (aka "school crossing officer") Louise Couling is fighting it out with BNP Assembly member Richard Barnbrook for the seat. Louise had been elected as Councillor in May but due to a cock-up with the paperwork she had to resign and refight the seat.

Newham Labour members had turned out in the morning to help the campaign including Mayor Sir Robin Wales and East Ham MP Stephen Timms. The meeting point was the 3rd floor of “Transport House” which was only a few minutes walk away from Goresbrook Road. The Anti-fascists “Hope Not Hate” are based on the same floor and I met up there with my former branch secretary Jean Geldart who is spending part of her very busy “retirement” helping them out.

Looking out of the back windows of the building you can get some idea of the problems that have faced this community in recent years. Next door are some decaying Ford buildings. The Ford motor car factory at its peak use to stretch for as far as you could see.  An incredible whole 1 mile by 3 miles and employed 40,000 workers. It even had its own railway station and ferry. No wonder there has been huge difficulties - but let’s not forget that (a much smaller) Ford still produce a million car engines per year at this site.

The voter ID session actually went very well. People were in general very positive and promised to support Louise and Labour - and to keep Barnbrook out. We didn’t see any BNP canvassers although their Führer "I hate Londoners" Nick was supposed to be about. But complacency and a low turn out is a big, big risk and we need to get everyone out for Thursday.

Ring 07540 079 685 if you can help out this week and especially on polling day (this Thursday 8 July).

UPDATE: email from Margaret Hodge "Campaign HQ for the day will be 34 Amesbury Road RM9 6AB, Dagenham, which will open at 6.45am and close at 10pm. It's a two minute walk from Becontree Underground Station, on the district line.  However, the District Line caught fire at Barking on Friday, so we are not sure if it will be up and running again. If it's not, we will lay on minibuses from Barking Train Station throughout the day.

Barking is on the c2c line, which runs every ten minutes or so from Fenchurch Street, West Ham and Limehouse - it takes a maximum of 15 minutes to get here. Look out for people in 'Lollipop Louise' t.shirts.  If you need directions, more information or want to let us know you are coming, please phone  07540 079 685 or e-mail back (margarethodgebarkingATgooglemailDOTcom).

Jean Geldart’s leaving Do

On Friday evening, I went to 18th Century former docker’s pub “The Gun” for Jean’s leaving Do.

Jean is retiring after 37 years service with Tower Hamlets Council and the union, as I have already mentioned in the UNISON conference reports (here, here and after her surprise 60th birthday party here).

The Do was packed with branch, regional and retired UNISON members as well as national officers. A good time was had by all.

The branch published a four page mock newsletter. This is the irreverent front cover (right).

I’ll post on my "UNISON Enema" story (page 3) another time.

LG conference: London Region delegate Meeting

On Saturday evening there was a delegation meeting at the Hermitage hotel, Bournemouth. The meeting was chaired by David Eggmore who had just beaten me in the Service Group elections. I went and congratulated David on his victory and told him that this was getting to be a habit which I am going to have to do something about (this is the 2nd time he has beaten for this seat). David replied that “in the nicest possible way” he hoped this would be a habit that I wouldn’t be able to break!

The meeting went ahead and was quite straight forward. I picked up my branch “Card vote” and a seating plan for us to find our seats. There was a briefing by UNISON head of local government, Vicky Easton on equal pay issues. Regional delegates Andrew Berry and Mandy Berger spoke about their role in supporting delegates (they will do most things except give advice on train timetables!).

The London Standing Orders Committee (SOC) representative Malcolm Campbell reported back on an earlier SOC meeting. A number of emergency motions had been ruled out of order on the sensible grounds that they were not “emergencies”. The only one allowed was one on fuel costs and mileage allowances. There was also an attempt to explain what “composite motions” are and “consequences” for new delegates. I’m not going to try.

Phil Lewis from the regional newssheet team (who was filming the meeting) gave the usual plea for delegates to write articles for the newsletter.

There was an excellent contribution by care workers from “Fremantle” in Barnet, London who are balloting for further strike action following the large cuts in their pay and conditions, which followed the privatisation of Barnet Council care homes.

There was also a presentation made to Jean Geldart, Chair of the Service Group (and my former branch secretary at Tower Hamlets- picture right), who is retiring after some 37 years. She gave the usual competent and very articulate speech.

That was it – next thing was start of conference at 9:30 Sunday morning.

Saturday night in Bournemouth seemed to have been taken over by very merry and high spirited “stag” and “hen” parties. Of course all UNISON delegates where in their rooms busy reading motions and writing speeches.

(Apologies for no photos but forgot to bring the camera cable – will try and get a card reader and add to post later)

East End Celebrations – real life rich tapestries

Last night I went to the Tower Hamlets UNISON branch crimbo meal at the Mez restaurant in the Isle of Dogs, E14. It was also a “surprise” 60th Birthday celebration for Branch Secretary, Jean Geldart, who is also the Chair of the UNISON Local Government service group.

Jean is due to retire next year and has worked for Tower Hamlets Council (I think) since she left university. She is also the daughter of the Phil Piratin, who was famously elected as a Communist Party of Great Britain MP for Mile End in 1945. Now, Jean and I, have not always seen “eye to eye” about various things (especially blogging) so I hope she doesn’t mind me mentioning her!

The branch had somehow persuaded the restaurant to play “The Internationale” as they bought in the birthday cakes. At the same time everyone stood up and most raised their arms in a red salute and sang along to the song (see photo). I politely stood up and raised my glass and of course took pictures. I’m not that sure what the mostly city clientele thought about this but they didn’t seem to mind (or perhaps comprehend?). Our table also didn’t really care.

The restaurant is built on the site of the old traditional docker's pub the “Queen” (also known as the “Queen of the Isle”) which was knocked down in 2004. I never went into it but was reliably informed by someone who should know, that it was the sort of pub that you would be out of place if you had two whole ears.

Earlier that day I had been to another crimbo Party, at an “elder persons block” in Bow. There was a singer/guitarist and an unbelievably impressive spread. As well as the usual wide range of different sandwiches, coat-tail sausages, meats, prawns, samosa, salad, ham and egg pie, dips, crisps etc. There was a massive tray of traditional jellied eels (sorry, I may have lived longer in the East End than any where else but please don’t ask me...) as well as fiery hot chicken curry.

The residents all appeared to be having a good time (I won’t say “a right old knees up”). Well done to the staff and volunteers.

In all a good day.