"Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video Ever Made"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs2j8f7H2WY&feature=related

Simply Brilliant. IMO.

Even if I am accused by some of having two left feet and being tone deaf :)

(Video embedding disabled for some reason)

"A New Direction for the Labour Party" Motion 3

"A New Direction for the Labour Party" Motion 3 came from my branch and was adopted by the London UNISON Labour Link Forum as one of our two motions to National.  Gloria Hanson moved the motion. I'll post her speech tomorrow.

"This UNISON Labour Link Forum notes:-

That there is no political alternative to the Labour Party, warts and all.

The last Labour Government despite its faults delivered massive benefits to our members and other working people. Pension credit and the minimum wage put real money into the pockets and purses of pensioners and the low paid. While it invested in the NHS, schools and protecting the vulnerable.

We note this Tory Coalition Government and its policies to favour of the wealthy, its plans to dismantle our NHS and the slashing and burning public services.

The Labour Party is the only hope for the future of progressive politics and obtaining social justice for our members and all other working people. We must all do whatever we can to ensure that a Labour Party government is returned at the next General election.

Yet we must also ensure that the next Labour Government is brave and decisive in tackling the evils it will inherit. Our economy needs to be rebalanced away from the free market liberalism of the recent past. We need a genuine mixed economy.

The income inequality gap between the rich and the poor in our society will be the key measure in judging the success or otherwise of a future Labour Government.

While we do not want to indulge in the pointless sloganising and postulating of those who do not have any credible alternative, we do want the next Labour Government to take the necessary action to reduce income inequality in our society. 

This forum calls for UNISON Labour Link to carry on its work within affiliates, TULO and the Party to ensure that the next Labour government:-

Commits to reducing income inequality by the end of its term and delivers on this promise".

Greater London Region

UNISON Labour Link Forum 2012: Day 1

Picture is of Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Health Secretary and key note speaker at today's UNISON Labour Link Forum which this year
takes place in Cardiff.

Labour Link is the UNISON political fund that is affiliated to the Labour Party. Delegates to the Forum are elected regionally and from our self-organised groups. The Forum began with a welcome from National Chair, Steve Warwick, who was the first to make the point about how good it was to be in a Country with a Labour Government. This was followed by motions on "Constitutional Change" and "The Welsh Approach".

Andy gave a short speech followed by a Q&A. He repeated his promise to appeal the Coalition Health and Social Care bill if a Labour government is elected in 2015. He warned Forum that we must not fall into the Tory trap and fight amongst ourselves. The Party must stop being dominated by elites and encourage more ordinary working people to become Councillors and MP's.

The next key note speaker was Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales - Prif Weinidog Cymru .  He was proud that the Party was implementing the Labour manifesto commitment to introduce a living wage for Wales. Carwyn said while it was desperately important to re-elect Labour in 2015, you had to give voters reasons why to vote Labour.

After this was more motions on "Public Sector Pay", "A New Direction for the Labour Party" (my branch and London region motion) and "defending the NHS". There were a number of attacks on the shadow Labour team over its shambolic response to pay and spending cuts. 

After lunch there was an address by Assistant General Secretary, Cliff Williams. He stressed the importance of  UNISON using its political influence alongside its industrial strategy. He also made clear that while UNISON does not mind debate, it will not tolerate attacks by Progress on our link with the Party.  An unaccountable organisation that has secretive funding, its own membership and is even a listed private company!

This was followed by seminars and a Parliamentary Q&A with Lillian Greenwood MP (former UNISON National officer), Dave Anderson MP (former UNISON President) and Derek Vaughan MEP.  Lillian defended Councils from Coalition attempts to blame them for cuts. I liked Dave's comment that Lib Dem MP's shamefaced excuses  for voting with the Coalition was "bo****ks". While Derek pointed out that £50 billion could be raised from a Robin Hood Tax (a Tobin or Financial transaction tax). Make the Banks pay to clear up their mess.

First day finished with more motions on "Universal Credit"; "Trade Union Facility time" and "Justice at Work".

You can follow the Forum on #lablink12

More Key Facts about the LGPS 2014 (and Too Hot Ta Trot)

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More key facts from UNISON about the the new proposed Local Government Pension scheme (LGPS 2014).

• 90% of members willpay the same or less contributions as now

All pensionable service before 1 April 2014will retain a Normal Pension Age of 65

• Most part-time workers and those with actual pensionable earnings between £15,801 and £21,000 will pay less in LGPS 2014
• Over 55% of local government workers work part-time


Only those earning over £43,001 will pay more


They make up just 4% of LGPS members
• 95.6% members earn less than £43,000 - the point at which contributions increase


The LGPS 2014 will for many members deliver a better pension than LGPS 2008, especially for those with less than 20 – 25 years of membership
• But the average length of membership in the scheme is just 7 years, so most members will do better in LGPS 2014

• From 1 April 2014 the Normal Pension Age (NPA) will be at least 65 and will then increase in line with the State Pension Age – which is set to rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046.
• The existing Rule of 85 protections will remain. Members aged 55 or over at 1 April 2012 will be protected by an underpin, which ensures that those people will be no worse off as a result of these changes. Under the proposals there are no plans to remove the pension protection for those made redundant from age 55

• Those who have to work longer will get a bigger pension because they will be paying contributions – and benefitting from employer contributions for longer
• Because all earnings will be pensionable – including non-contractual overtime and additional hours for part-time workers – members will have bigger pensions than now
• Most UNISON members not in the LGPS give cost and low pay as the reason. The "50/50 option" will help them to join

I note that the blogging Miserabilist in Chief, Jon of the Rogers (failed ultra left candidate for London regional convener and General Secretary) has been having a pop at me over this post. Now of course he misrepresents what I have said (I do accept that some non trots do think we could have got a better deal - amazing but true) but since he also makes a series of blatant untruths about the impact of CPI, survivor benefits, the stability of the LGPS, accrual etc etc I would hope by now that very few people paid any attention to his whining and whinging.

He again attacks our staff which is unacceptable especially since as a NEC member he is suppose to be their employer. He also shows his ignorance of the difference between a guaranteed public sector pension scheme and a private sector scheme.

So desperate are they to continue with their calls for general strikes and student union toytown revolutionary politics they want to destroy a perfectly good pension scheme.

The bottom line is he and the other Miserablists support the continuation of a discriminative pension scheme which penalises low paid women workers and benefits senior management and Chief Executive Officers. Nuf said.  (Hat tip Mel for Youtube video)

4th July? Keir Hardie Day!

"Today, Wednesday 4th July, it is not just the anniversary of the only successful British Revolution (American Declaration of Independence), it is also the 120th anniversary of the election of Keir Hardie, the first ever Independent Labour MP, for West Ham South on this day in 1892.

To mark the anniversary, members of the modern day West Ham Labour Party and Newham TULO are organising a walking commemoration tour around Stratford town centre (Newham - Home of London Olympics 2012).

We will meet 7pm outside the Old Town Hall in the Broadway, Stratford, E15, which was where the 1892 election count took place. It was from its open balcony, overlooking the High Street, that the result was read out to cheering crowds and Hardie made his first speech as a Labour Member of Parliament.

It is hoped that everyone in Newham, regardless of their political affiliations, will join us in celebrating the achievement of an ordinary, decent working man - born into abject poverty - who was still able to be elected as the first genuine independent working class MP. He is an example to us all".

Press release from West Ham CLP. (I was reminded last night at my School Governors meeting that this is also the 120th anniversary of the first ever Black UK MP Dadabhai Naoroji)

Moanie fibbing miserabalists and the LGPS 2014

Crikey - I thought that I have seen it all, but there is some really stupid, ignorant, completely self destructive fibs and smears being put out about the proposed new Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS 2014) by a tiny number of extremists.  Who obviously do not give a damn about the pensions of their members.

  

I can just about accept that there are some UNISON activists who genuinely think we could have delivered loads and loads of strike action that would somehow have improved the bargaining position to get a better deal. I think they are wrong but what we find now is that there are those who seemingly want their members to retire in abject poverty, because that will somehow, further the revolutionary cause? Since they are sending out complete and utter fibs and smears about the new proposals.

What will be their position if the scheme is accepted? When UNISON will be running one of its biggest ever campaigns to encourage members to join the schemes during auto-enrolling? When all members will be by law compulsory placed in a pension scheme? How can they persuade their members to join what will be by any objective intelligent standard, a bloody good scheme, when they have completely rubbished it to them?

I can understand a reasoned debate on the pros and cons of the new scheme but we find extremist branch secretaries, who are personally fully protected themselves, from any of the proposed changes trying to persuade their members that the new guaranteed defined benefit scheme is completely "evil".  By doing so they are doing their very best to destroy a decent pension scheme.

This is shameful. Just because the extremists cannot go on strike, after strike, after strike; they are throwing all their toys out of the pram. While I would hope nobody will pay any attention to such stupidly I have no doubt that some members will and they will leave or not join the pension scheme and then have to endure their old age to die in miserable poverty.  

The Miami 5

Yesterday I went to the AGM of the London UNISON Europe and International Committee. One of the speakers was Natasha Hickman from Cuba Solidarity Campaign who spoke about "The Miami 5".

These are 5 Cubans who worked for the Cuba intelligence agencies to infiltrate and spy on extreme right wing anti-communist terrorist organisations based in the United States during the 1990's. They were arrested by the US authorities and sentenced for espionage and conspiracy to murder (which they deny).

To be honest, they are obviously Cuban patriots who volunteered to spy in US and must have known the risks they would face if caught. However, it is clear that they were mainly working against right wing extremists who have murdered Cuban civilians and even western tourists in their "War" against the Castro government. It was also clearly unfair for their trials to be held in Miami which is dominated by Cuban exiles who are rabid anti-Castro.

Most importantly I am still completely and utterly amazed that the United States still shames itself by continuing with an economic "war" and blockade of Cuba. This is now 50 years old. What on earth is the point? The "Cold War" is surely finished?

So the US government does not like the Cuba government. So what? It doesn't stop the US trading with China? The US is acting like a regional bully and must stop the blockade, which serves no purpose whatsoever and is in fact completely counterproductive, since it serves as a rallying call for the Cuba government.

I asked Natasha what is going on and she said that to some Americans the word "Cuba" is like a full moon to a werewolf.

Picture is from the UNISON NDC conference where the wives of the imprisoned Cubans spoke about the hardships their families face from the years of imprisonment.

Co-op keeps DB pensions for 100,000 staff

Well done to the Co-op for keeping open its Career Average Defined Benefit Pension scheme for its 100,000 employees. 40,000 of whom are not members at the moment and are eligible for auto-enrolling. Gary Dewin, director of pensions for the group, said:“The scheme is a fantastic recruitment and retention tool. We wanted to stand up and look like we were an employer of choice.”

The Co-op scheme is 96% funded and I think helps proves the lie that there is no future for DB schemes.

The retail sector seems to be taking a lead in providing decent pensions for its staff. I posted on Morrison’s "bucking the trend" on DB last week. While recently I went to a pension meeting and met a trustee from the John Lewis (Waitrose) DB scheme which is not only still open but also still non contributory to employees!

London UNISON Welfare Committee Summer fundraiser 2012

Greater London UNISON Welfare Committee is raising money next weekend with a Sponsored walk. Our welfare funds help members "when times are tough" and has done fantastic work over the years. A very worthy cause indeed.  If you are a UNISON member in London and wish to participate in the walk (or sponsor) then double click on the flyer above to bring up details and email Rose or Amanda.  

Why the financial services industry can be so corrupt (and yet so smug?)

Amidst the current media fury about the Barclays Bank LIBOR fiddle and the latest miss- selling scandal to small businesses, the only thing that really astonishes me is the shock and horror about what has gone on?

Already we have excuses that this was a “one off” or “all the fault of the last government” as well as it’s just a few “rogue traders”.   Rubbish. It is not.

Does everyone forget already that we are in the worse recession for 60 years due to either fraudulent or at best reckless behaviour by Banks and financial institutions?

Barclays Bank has been ripping off its customers for years, it not for decades. Does no-one remember the Personal Pension scandal during the 1980’s and 1990’s? When Barclays (and practically all the other Banks and life assurance companies) persuaded its loyal and but completely naive customers to  come out of their guaranteed Company defined benefit pension schemes and buy their expensive personal pensions? When people wanting short term saving plans were sold 25 year life insurance endowment bonds?

When, very like the current debacle over small business interest hedges,  the Banks instructed all their retail staff that they had to make so many sales a week of these products or they were in trouble. All senior management knew exactly what was going on since it made no financial sense whatsoever for anyone to leave their company pension scheme.  But they did nothing to protect their customers nor ultimately their shareholders who had to pick up the bill for compensation. These corrupt practices are due to widespread bad company and industry wide governance.

Yet time after time, whenever I go to governance conferences and meetings, we are told how wonderful UK governance is especially compared to the rest of the world (Which is probably true but if so, then God help the rest of the world). When sensible proposals are made to improve corporate behaviour and governance such as the compulsory publication of Company AGM voting by fund managers or putting employee representatives on remuneration committees then they are too often simply dismissed - often sneeringly.  

This frankly smug and self satisfied attitude has change.  The UK financial services is very, very important to the UK economy. We can argue that maybe it is too important which is another matter. But at the moment it is responsible for 10% of our tax take, employs hundreds of thousands of workers and is the main source of finance for our economy.

While there is some very good people work in finance there is not enough of them to stop us, the principles who own assets (such shareholders in pension and insurance funds) being robbed off by the agents, we employ to look after our assts. 

Cosy crony remuneration committees must stop. Shareholder votes on pay at company AGM’s should be binding and compulsory. Retail and investment banks should be separated to stop casino capitalism.  The Government should retain a significant shareholding in the Banks we own at the moment and we should buy shares in those we do not own.  Better regulation is not enough we need a state holding not to run the Banks but to try and make sure that they are run by grownups who will act in the long term interests of shareholders and customers not the selfish short termism driven by Bollinger Champagne dudes.

The massive life insurance funds and Mastertrust pension schemes which have no beneficiary governance at all should have a trustee structure set up to ensure that they are not being robbed either.  Doing so would help put UK PLC in order as well. 

Finally fraudsters should be brought to book and locked up as well as those higher up who turn a blind eye to matters in order to ensure their own well paid positions and bonuses. Anyone making a deception in order to gain a pecuniary advantage is guilty of a serious criminal offence while aiding and abetting any criminal offence is a crime as well.  These people must be dealt with in the same way we treat rioters.

Rant over. Hat tip great cartoon by Steve Bell from The Guardian