Tory MPs saucy snaps demean Nurses

Anyone with the slightest bit of common sense could work out that many nurses will be “unimpressed” with Tory MP’s Peter Bottomley and Tim Laughton posing with models dressed up as so called “saucy nurses” in a calendar.

Apart from the fact that the Tories are up to their normal tricks of trying to scare everyone that their local hospital is going to close down (if in power they would privatise it and charge you for treatment – but that is another issue).

Steve Brazier, regional head of health for UNISON in the South East, is quoted as saying he received a letter from a number of nurses who were disgusted and outraged because of the way their profession was portrayed.

He said: "It is a dinosaur stereotype of nurses as sexual objects which is deplorable and inappropriate and unacceptable.

"It demeans the whole profession."

If you are a female nurse working night shifts on a Friday and Saturday you have enough on your plate from leering drunks and fondle merchants, without being told “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” such offensive comments and behaviour are just “harmless fun” and “what’s the fuss?”.

Hat tip to Colonel Roi

Alan says Bye, Bye

UNISON London Regional Convener, Alan Jarman (4th from left), announced at the Regionally Policy and training day yesterday, that he will be stepping down at the end of this month as Convener. Alan is employed by the Probation Service and has decided to take voluntary Redundancy.

This is a great shame and he will be sadly missed,however, he is not ruling out returning as a UNISON activist if he gets a new job in public service. Gloria Hanson, the deputy convener (5th from right) will take his place until the next Regional Council AGM.

The Policy day itself I felt was very successful. Full time UNISON staff, lay Regional Council Officers and the Chair's/Vice Chairs of the regions lay committees meet up every year to discuss implementing UNISON objectives and priorities in the region. There were a series of presentations, work group discussions and an interesting speech by Bernell Bussue, the London Regional Secretary of our sister "trade union" the RCN. I must admit until now I hadn't really been aware of the implications of the new local government white paper or the Darzi Report. Threat or opportunity? Wait and see, the devil will be in the detail.

UNISON Labour Link London Victory

Well done to London Nurse, Rachel Voller, for winning the Greater London UNISON Labour Link National Committee elections.

Rachel won by a very comfortable majority in the recent postal ballot of all London Labour Link members (2,857 votes against 2,245, a 612 majority over her opponent Andrew Berry - formal commiserations to Andrew).

I think this is a ringing endorsement from London for the UNISON Labour Link National Committee and their democratic decision to nominate Gorden as the Leader of the Labour Party (and Alan for Deputy Leader).

However, it looks very likely (if not certain) that we are facing a real general election in the very near future. so we need to move on and unite and concentrate our energies against the hideous prospect of a Tory Government. Nuff said?

UNISON Labour Link Conference Social

Better late than never, final post on Labour Party conference 2007. On Wednesday evening last week in the UNISON Marquee (car park of Marriot Hotel) there was the highlight of conference – the UNISON Labour Link Social.

Thanks to Roger from Devon branch for the pictures.

Guest of honour was Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. We also saw Ben Bradshaw, Peter Hain, Alan Johnson, Lyn Brown, Andrew MacKinlay and Angela Eagle.

Who said that night it was good to be in a "trade union meeting without there being any Trots"? The speaker received a huge cheer from the packed fringe.

I couldn't possibly comment.

“Will our new schools deliver for pupils and communities?”

After fringe on Corporate Social Responsibly I rushed off to the UNISON “Will our new schools deliver for pupils and communities?”

It was Chaired by Pat Hetherton from Labour link. Schools minister, Jim Knight MP, took a bit of flack over Academy Schools from the audience before main speaker Ed Balls arrived.

It was the most heated fringe that I attended this conference.

Both Jim and Ed argued that they were more interested in Kids education rather than “structures” but I think they got the point.

Corporate Social Responsibly - Real or Just Window Dressing?

Wednesday, after close of conference there was
a fringe sponsored by the Social Market Foundation (SMF). The guest speaker for this was Stephen Timms MP (East Ham and Minster for Competitiveness and also "Corporate Social Responsibility").

In Q&A gave my pennyworth that for many companies, CSR, is indeed just "window dressing" and unless workers who own big chunks of the corporate world via their pension and insurance schemes exercise their rights (and responsibilities) of ownership to make sure that companies do act responsibility. Nothing will in fact change.

Personal Pension Accounts – Get Rid of Poverty in Old Age?

Wednesday lunch time fringe with Pension minister, Mike O'Brien (far left) and Jeannie Drake from the TUC. First time I have seen Mike in action.

He seemed to deal very effectively with “Cheeky Chappie” Chair, Liam Halligan (Sunday Telegraph) over the compensation for the 250,000 pensioners whose schemes collapsed before present day safeguards. He gave a hint that there could be further help for these pensioners.

In the Q&A I was able to make a plea to Mike to ensure that the future Pension Personal Accounts scheme has proper independent (trade union) trustees on the board.

In order to explain why I and many others have such a mistrust of most (not all) financial practices and institutions in this country. I shared with the meeting my past, less than glorious, financial acumen. For example I was “sold” a low cost, low start, with-profit Endowment policy to pay off my first mortgage and had a company AVC pension policy with the Equitable Life!

I suppose as UNISON London Finance Convener I really should keep such things quiet?

However, this amongst other reasons is why I am extremely suspicious of our financial service industry in general and also I think the Northern Rock fiasco is just the latest in a number of scandals that could result in a complete collapse of confidence and the failure of the vitally important PPA. People will not join the PPA if they do not trust it and think it is not properly run. Please keep industry interests well away!

Red Ken's Speech to Labour Red Army

Another very late Labour Party conference report. Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone’s speech on Wednesday.

Good solid speech. Who would believe the photo to the left a few years ago (no pun intended). He really enjoyed sticking the knife into his Tory Challenger, Boris Johnson. I must admit that while out jogging before conference I listened to Boris being interviewed on the "Today Programme" and was very surprised just how poorly be came over. Surprised, but pleased of course!

I liked Ken's "quip" that unless the City of London Corporation “volunteers” to contribute more money to the London Crossrail scheme then he should be given powers by Government to take the money off them!

So he asked - which would they prefer???

Once again, he become really quite emotional at the end of the speech.

One Society, Many Cultures: Multiculturalism Contribution to a Dynamic Society

On Tuesday, straight after the close of conference business, I went to this meeting which was sponsored jointly by UNISON and the National Assembly Against Racism (NAAR). This was probably the best event that I attended all week.

The breadth of speakers was very impressive. Doreen Lawrence (Stephen Lawrence Trust), Sadiq Khan MP, Claude Moraes MEP, Edie Friedman (Jewish Council for Equality), Prof Tariq Modood (Bristol University) Dr Mohammed Abdul Bari (Muslim Council of Britain), Mohammed Azam (NAAR), Chaired by UNISON national black members' committee chair, Bev Miller. The point was well made that Britain has always been a diverse nation. In the first place a coalition of different nationalities (English, Scots, Welsh and Irish who have celebrated their cultural traditions) and religions. Which also has throughout its history received constant flows of new citizens.

Personally, I think it is an imperative for a democratic society to embrace diversity and multiculturalism. This was also dealt with very well at the Euston Manifesto conference in June.

The one problem with the fringe meeting is that there was so many speakers that there was not enough time to ask questions or for them to respond. I did manage to bring up that in Newham, we have an Ultra Left (Respect) and a Far right fundamentalist Christian party (Christian Peoples Alliance) represented on the Council, elements of which both try to racially and religiously divide our communities and promote hatred. However, the meeting had to close before the panel could back with some advice on how to deal with them.

UNISON Delegation (& Dancers)

Much to the amusement of the media (who were on the floor next to our seats taking pictures). Whenever there was some lively music in the hall, the UNISON delegation would start to dance, clap and sway together in their seats. We were right at the front of the hall and in the middle row.

It was an excellent position. It was also relatively easy to grab ministers as they walked by (see right).