My own personal blog. UNISON NEC member for Housing Associations & Charities, HA Convenor, London Regional Council Officer & Chair of its Labour Link Committee.
Newham Cllr for West Ham Ward, Vice Chair of Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, Pension trustee, Housing & Safety Practitioner.
Centre left and proud member of Labour movement family. Strictly no trolls please.
Promoted by Luke Place on behalf of J.Gray, Newham Labour Group, St Luke’s Community Centre, E16 1HS.
This is interesting (to me anyway) The regulator “Tenant Services Authority” (TSA) has set up a new web site that enables you to find out how well your local housing associations are doing and compare with others in the area.
The TSA think that this will be of interests to tenants, Councillors and Housing Association boards and will help drive up housing management standards. I think that staff and trade unionists will also find it useful as well since I firmly believe that the best performing housing associations that get the highest satisfaction from their residents will also tend to be the most decent to their staff. There are the usual cavorts about how accurate some of the data used is and how up to-date. Importantly it appears that large Housing Associations don’t have to (but can choose to) take part and local Council housing stock is not included - which seems a bit odd?
The Tories appear to want to get rid of the TSA and even the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) - which is one of their most barmy ideas since the sector’s past £160 billion of loans was dependant on an effective national government regulator. Lenders will be very nervous of any abolition and this will make future development more expensive and much riskier. Still, we are talking here about free market rules extremist Tories so...
I was listening today to the completely moronic Daily Hateeditorial rubbish that Tory leader David Cameron was putting out today. This was about how we try to protect workers, consumers and young children in this country from unnecessary death and disability.
See the TUC response and Luke exposing further Tory hypocrisy. Finally check out the Daily Mirror video of Cameron breaking basic road safety rules. Obviously he thinks that our pragmatic, common sense laws and regulations should not apply to Old Etonions - only all of us who are not millionaires.
Nurses employed at Richmond, Surrey have labelled local Conservative party prospective politician candidate and multi millionaire Zac Goldsmith a “hypocrite”.
After it was revealed he had registered abroad as a "non-dom" for tax purposes.
Siobhan McCullough, UNISON nursing representative for Richmond stated:
"It is outrageous that David Cameron's Conservative Party told nurses that “we are all in this together” and as a result nurses must accept a pay freeze, yet their multi millionaire candidate in Richmond is registered in the Cayman Islands for tax purposes".
"We need an MP who represents the nurses and residents of Richmond not a Caribbean tax haven".
Michael Walker UNISON Regional Officer stated
“This highlights the duplicity of the Conservatives “Were all in this together” statement, obviously were not all in this together, things are still very good for bankers and millionaires”. Hat-tip thingy UNISON press release.
World Aids Day is an important time to stop and think, and an important moment to be open and honest, raise awareness and dispel the stigma of HIV/AIDS.
I will always remember the first time I wore a red ribbon on the 1st December. I was at secondary school, and I didn't think twice about proudly wearing it in support of people with HIV/AIDS. However it became a struggle to keep it on through the day as kids taunted me for wearing it, saying it meant I had AIDS.
I'd love to think this wouldn't happen today (this was well over a decade ago), but the fact is stigma and prejudice against people with HIV is still rife. That is why World Aids Day and the wearing of red ribbons are still so important, and why HIV/AIDS is still an important Trade Union issue. Like all discrimination, Trade Unions take a hard line. Unions and campaigners were successful in getting protection of people with HIV as part of disability discrimination legislation, but as with all such issues the law is only as good as how it is implemented on the ground. All Trade Unionists need to be continually vigilant against discrimination.
The Labour Party's Louise Couling will be challenging the BNP's Richard Barnbrook for his seat on Barking and Dagenham Council in 2010. Good luck Louise! Icepicker100.
Great video Icepicker! - check out this report here about UNISON NEC member Louise and her campaign. Louise is a true Brit - anti-fascist, trade union, Labour Party loyalist.
The other Labour Candidates standing in Goresbrook ward are Graham Letchford and James Clee.
It was just a little bit too cold and windy on yesterday's stall. People were rushing around and not as keen to stop and chat. Despite this we managed to recruit 3 new Labour Party members and we still had people coming up to us and asking about the free school meals for Newham primary school children.
One rather large chap came up to the stall and announced loudly “Labour is not a good party in Newham” to which we thought “oh, oh” then he said “No, it is the very best Party; it has done excellent things for elders and young people in Newham”. Fair enough. A local pensioner whose son lives now in Kent and has 3 primary school age grandchildren was really impressed with the free school meals. She thought this was very good for ordinary working people. The cost of a school meal in the next door Tory run London Borough of Redbridge is £1.93. If you had 2 children of primary school age for one year this would save you £752 (£1.93 x2 x5 days x39 weeks). This makes a real difference to the low paid and is clear red water for any future election manifesto. I hope this measure is adopted nationally by the Party. If you have a hungry belly you do not learn.
Our stall was in front of the shopping precinct right next to a Paintball Stall and a very dedicated Christian preacher with a mike. Also there were various other people milling about giving out invites, phone cards and other offers.
An ex-respect Council candidate at the last election came up to have a bit of a moan but was not that serious and he confirmed that Respect in Newham was pretty much a dead duck. Which of course is such a shame.
Take part in The Wave with UNISON UNISON members taking part in the London demonstration are being asked to assemble at the UNISON stand in Upper Brook Street from 11am. The March gets underway at 12 noon from nearby Grosvenor Square. The March is being organised by Stop Climate Chaos. It is being called the Wave to symbolise rising sea levels associated with climate change, and the wave of public opinion in support of a deal to reduce the emissions that cause climate change. All marchers are being asked to where something blue!
The Co-op party and SERA have approached UNISON about linking up to form a Labour family block – which seems like a sound idea. The chances of success are very much in the balance at Copenhagen. The March represents an opportunity to send a strong message from civil society organisations that we that we want world leaders to go the extra mile to secure meaningful targets on emissions reductions and the support that will be necessary for the developing world to adapt to climate change.
In addition to this, along with other trade unions and union confederations from around the world (including the ITUC and the PSI), we have been pushing for a specific clause to be included in the climate deal that will ensure a ‘just transition for the workforce’. These efforts have been rewarded. The UN's draft negotiating text for Copenhagen includes a commitment to ‘a just transition for the workforce that creates decent work and quality jobs.’ Whilst the ITUC / PSI delegations will be working hard to ensure that this clause remains in the final agreement at the talks, it is important that we raise the visibility of this vitally important component of the deal, as well as demonstrate the commitment of the Labour family to the broader package.
(not very happy about wearing Blue? But when I was a kid I use to be a Everton supporter I suppose?)
It appears that the SWP and SPEW dominated “disunited Left” are up to their usual tricks of “Rule or Ruin”. Unusually they are working together on trying to wreak the North East Shop Stewards Network (NESSN). This is being led by their local full time paid staff (bureaucrats?). Their reasons for this are essentially sectarian and their methods completely divisive and destructive. Which I think the minutes of the meeting below prove. This brings the labour movement into disrepute. A good thing that at least UNISON activists in the north east do not have to experience any of this in our internal union democratic structures. This to me proves the importance of the union upholding its rules when unscrupulous elements organised by their political sects attack the union while defending the indefensible.
Check out also the public statement put out by the SWP about the secretary of NESSN who is one of their own members (not for long methinks). In the meanwhile the witch-hunting SWP have expelled a SOSA student organiser that I posted on before here.
Hat-tip thingy to Tynesider.
Report on the ‘Whither NESSN – Building the Network’ meeting, 19 November 2009 Sue Abbott declined to take her turn as chair and Alan Docherty volunteered. 1. Present: With the right to vote: Sue Abbott, Alan Docherty, Bob Murdoch, Dave Harker, Ed Whitby, Fran Heathcote, Hannah Walter, John Malcolm, Julie Young, Paul Baker, Ray Smith, Simon Hall, Stuart Bracking, Tommy Gardner, Tony Dowling, Vicki Gilbert-Jackson Without the right to vote: Elaine Brunskill, Kieran Picken (non-member), Norman Hall, Paul Phillips, Phil Wilson, Simon Elliott, Trevor Bark, Yunus Bakhsh 2. Apologies: Dave Ayre, Dave Hardaker, Geoff Abbott, John Gilmore, Kevin McHugh, Ross Carbutt, Shirley Winter 3. Secretaries’ Reports. 1. The Regional Secretary made the following points: * This is an ordinary meeting of NESSN. * The AGM takes place in spring each year and requires proper notice to the 111 comrades who are entitled to vote, propose and second candidates - and stand - for the Committee, and due notice of any motions and constitutional amendments. * A small number of comrades did most of the work in NESSN. * NESSN has grown to 205: 111 with full rights, according to the National Shop Stewards Network’s Founding Basis - which allows only those holding elected trade union positions to vote, and which NESSN abides by - and 96 with the right to use the email network and speak at meetings, but not to vote or proposes, second or be candidates for the Committee. * NSSN is a voluntary body in London, dominated by one political group, and is largely a paper organisation. * No regional SSN is anywhere near as big as NESSN, and most controlled by that same political group. * The Northern TUC does little or nothing to support workers in struggle and Trades Councils barely exist. * The NE left as a whole has built nothing of any size that has lasted, for at least forty years. * All the organised left groups are very weak, and amount, at most, to 40-45 active comrades. * The two larger left groups have ‘democratic centralist’ structures and appointed organisers. * The voluntary structure of NSSN and the ‘democratic centralism’ of the larger political groups were bound to come into conflict with NESSN’s democratic structure, and this has now happened. * There is a huge hole where sound rank and file organisation should be in the face of the growing attacks on the working class, largely because of the disorganisation of the Homeless Left (grayee emphasis). * NESSN is an information network, and this meeting has been called to discuss moving forward. At this point a comrade who had no right to vote proposed a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the Regional Secretary, which was seconded by another comrade who had no right to vote. Both were appointed paid organisers of small political groups. The discussion that followed was often incoherent, but raised the following issues: * One comrade complained that NESSN had ‘done nothing’ to support the CWU dispute. * Several comrades pointed out that all the original platform and almost all the known organisers of the Public Service Not Private Profit event were Networkers, yet none of them had asked NESSN to help build the meeting or be represented on the platform. NESSN is a network, not a hierarchy, and the responsibility to network on such important matters is everyone’s. Why was this not done in this case? * Three comrades, who had gone to the NSSN’s Annual Conference in London and ‘volunteered’ for the Steering Committee, claimed to have been ‘offended’ when Dave pointed out the fact that the Committee decided who should represent it at NSSN events. * One of the ‘offended’ accused Dave of being ‘sexist’. * Another of the ‘offended’ alleged that NESSN had ‘merged’ with the Tyneside Socialist Forum, but a leading comrade in TSF completely denied that was the case. * Dave had challenged whether some events were really broadly-based, politically. * Dave had allowed the ‘Morning Star’ event – a ‘Communist Party front’ - to go on the website. * Dave was ‘bureaucratic’ and his tone was sometimes tart. Dave thanked his supporters and replied to the criticisms: * There had been no serious political or organisational criticism of him, but there had been smears and lies. * All but one of the critics belonged to ‘democratic centralist’ political groups, and the other was an embittered ex-member, and they clearly found it hard to accept genuinely democratic elections and accountability. * They had tried to bully Dave to support their various front organisations, but had been unsuccessful. * Their problem was not with ‘bureaucracy’, but with democracy. * They had not recruited to NESSN, and were a brake on its development. * All Networkers are entitled to email each other, without ‘going through the Secretary’, but the critics’ wanted a hierarchy that their small political groups dominated. * NESSN had very few rules, but the Committee had to enforce them, and, between Committee meetings, Dave bore that responsibility. * All Networkers can complain to any elected comrade on the Committee, but not one had done so. * Dave had received a complaint that the Youth Fight For Jobs event was not advertised on the websites of the unions it claimed to be supported by, and he found this to be true, so he asked for hard evidence to support the claim, which eventually arrived, and the event appeared on the website. * After Dave gave his reasoned response to the YFFJ comrade’s vicious complaint, he received a second vicious message, which he also circulated widely, and at that point three Networkers resigned in disgust. This sort of ‘broadcasting’ was turning comrades away from NESSN, just as had happened in the past. * Two NSSN Officers in the same political group as the YFFJ organiser had tried to bully Dave, but failed, so they refused to send NSSN documents to NESSN until the NSSN Chair took over that responsibility. * Another event organiser was asked to provide similar evidence for the broad based character of his event, but said ‘don’t’ bother, so Dave didn’t. * Dave tried to find out who Public Service Not Private Profit were, since all but one of those involved were in the same political group, but they had chosen to use their own name. The PSNPP website had nothing about the event and the email address on the leaflet did not work. Dave contacted several of those who advertised themselves as PSNPP and asked who was on its committee and how to contact their Secretary, but they all failed to respond. They were all in the same political group. NESSN took a stall to the meeting, where the chair, doorkeeper, bookstall organiser and ‘supervisor’ were in the same political group, and two speakers on the platform were in the same group as the YFFJ organiser. * The decision to put the ‘Marxism Today’ event on the website was a close one, but it was organised by the People’s Press Printing Society, which includes many comrades not in the Communist Party, and the organisers had brought together a very broad-based political platform, including one leading Green. * The false accusation of ‘sexism’ was beneath contempt. * The allegation that there was any organisational link between NESSN and TSF was wholly untrue. Dave Ayre and Dave Harker had agreed to speak at the first Left Unity meeting in their personal capacities. * NESSN had supported the principles for which the voteless seconder of the illegal no confidence motion had been attacked, and had incurred great displeasure in genuinely bureaucratic and right-wing quarters; so if this illegal motion were to be carried, the right-wingers would be laughing their socks off at their new allies. * The illegal motion was designed to wreck NESSN, because a few members of two small political groups saw it as competition, and they wanted to take it over and ‘front’ it with a few fellow-travellers. The Chair proposed postponing the vote until the 2010 AGM, but sixteen of those present (including several with no right to a vote) insisted on voting on what the Chair described as a ‘wrecking’ motion. Dave confirmed that the vote would be unconstitutional and illegal. If it was passed those voting for it would be seen by the 180 other Networkers as making an attempted ‘coup’ by a handful of people in two small sects; but the Committee elected at the 2009 AGM would remain in office until the 2010 AGM. Several comrades without the right to a vote put up their hands, but among those who would be entitled to vote on a legal motion, the illegal motion of no confidence in Dave was passed by a majority of three. This took almost all of the two hours and the other Secretaries’ reports, and the rest of the agenda could not be discussed, so the Chair had to close a meeting designed to focus on Building the Network. Dave Harker, Regional Secretary, North East Shop Stewards Network
(I'll post in "comments" a truly python alternative account of this meeting)
UPDATE: Andy Newman on Socialist Unity has linked to this post and it has set off an “interesting” series of comments on this issue.
On Wednesday evening our local Labour Party GC (General Committee) was held at the Jubilee Room in the House of Commons. West Ham Labour Party activists were also invited by our MP Lyn Brown for an informal meeting and thank you event for all the hard work done by members in the previous year.
Lyn had provided a cold buffet spread for us and she had managed to “persuade” (whip speak) 8 Cabinet Ministers and other high profile ministers and MP’s to come and talk to us. Instead of the usual sequence in these type of events of 3 minute (and the rest!) soapbox political speeches we had John Denham; Ed Balls; Ed Miliband; Hilary Benn; Douglas Alexander, Ben Bradshaw; Liam Byrne, John Healey, Stephen Timms, Gareth Thomas, Ian Wright, Chris Mole, Dianne Abbott and fellow whip Sharon Hodgson - just mingling and chatting with Party activists about their views and concerns. Which I thought was simply marvellous. Needless to say West Ham Labour Party members were not slow to give their Parliamentary comrades the benefit of their opinions!
A very good night was had by all (I had to rush off early to take the train to Manchester for the Thursday UNISON National Housing seminar where Minister John Healey was the keynote speaker - will post soon on this).
Apologies to West Ham members who were on the optional House of Commons tour when I took the Group photo (and those I could not get in the photo or cut in half!).
This is interesting (to me anyway) The regulator “Tenant Services Authority” (TSA) has set up a new web site that enables you to find out how well your local housing associations are doing and compare with others in the area.
