John Gray for Regional Finance Convenor

Check out here for preamble - Below is my election statement for Finance Convenor.

"I am currently the Regional Finance Convenor, and strongly believe that strong management of our member’s money is the foundation to organising campaigns that deliver for our members.

If re-elected as the Regional Finance Convenor I will continue to ensure that the member’s money is used to support branches focusing on real issues for real members such as:

• Recruitment

• Defending the NHS and Pensions

• Campaigning for directly provided services and to defend our public services

• Campaigning for equalities

• Strengthening our influence in all areas but in particular Education and in Private Contractors

OPEN AND TRANSPARENT

Financial decisions need to be open and transparent and be easily understood by activists.

I want to make sure that activists better understand the financial support that is available to branches and ensure that the money gets to them to support recruitment and organising campaigns.

The Region has the money to back a growing union – the bigger we are, the stronger we are – let make sure it happens".

I am an experienced branch officer and regional activist for many years (including holding the position of branch treasurer, assistant branch secretary, branch health and safety officer, member nominated representative on Pension panel and vice chair of London Labour Link).

As part of the current lay leadership team, working in partnership with the regional office, we have had significant success in the past four years in strengthening our union in London by bringing greater unity, building participation across the differing service and self organised groups, and building a union to be proud of and I hope to be re-elected to continue the work we have started.

If anyone wishes to discuss my statement with me they could ring me or email at john.m.grayATntlworldDOTcom

Conroy Lawrence for Deputy Regional Convenor & Regional Rep @ TUC Conference

Check here - Below is Conroy's election statement

"I am seeking your support for re-election as Deputy Regional Convenor and Regional Delegate to TUC Conference 2010

During the last few years the regions lay leadership has finally started to reflect our membership and has done much to champion the cause of UNISON members in London. The Convenor Team has successfully strengthened UNISON in London by bringing greater unity, building participation across the differing service and self organised groups, and building a union to be proud of. I want to continue to work with Gloria Hanson as Convenor, John Gray as Finance Convenor, Lynn Bentley as Publicity Officer, Emma Rolland as Young Members Convenor with Monica Hirst as Equalities Convenor to continue to build on this in the coming year.

With 75% being female and 40% from black and ethnic minorities our membership in London is diverse. It is vital that the lay leadership continues to be representative. We also need to look at how things are currently done and consider new ways to make the union more relevant to engage and encourage members and new activists from all occupational and service groups to become active at all levels of the union.

We must continue to focus on real issues for real members. We must listen to our members, make their priorities ours and ensure all members in London have a voice.

Unfortunately the issues which our members continue to face on a daily basis - inequality, privatisation and marketisation, attacks on their terms and conditions and relentless budget cuts and reforms – don’t change. We need to continue to recruit and organise and build the region to ensure that we are strong enough to fight on their behalf and win!

In recent years I have been proud to be part of the unions campaigns to defend our NHS, for fair pay, a decent pensions scheme and against the far right. I want to continue our campaigning for decent London Weighting, affordable housing, greater equality and opposing the BNP everywhere they emerge.

As a Branch Officer at Lewisham Hospital I know first hand how difficult it can be to balance doing the day job with union duties and am committed to working to strengthen the support available to activists and branches to assist them as much as possible in representing their members at work.

Only a few years ago members in health felt they didn’t have a voice and weren’t represented in the region. As Chair of the Regional Health Committee I have been delighted to see more health branches than ever before becoming active and playing a central role within the region.

There is still a long way to go in the fight for equality but I am proud that my branch is one of the pilot branches taking part in the Challenging Racism Project.

If re-elected I will work tirelessly to represent the views of our members, to campaign for issues that affect them and ensure that their voice is heard loud and clear".

Gloria Hanson for Regional Convenor & Regional Rep @ NDC

Check out here - Below is Gloria’s election statement.

"I am seeking your support for my re-election as Regional Convenor and also Regional Delegate to NDC.

As the Regional Convenor, I am so proud to be part of this diverse lay leadership team which is representative of our membership and our considerable success in recent years of strengthening the region by bringing greater unity and democracy, building participation across differing service and self organised groups, and building a union to be proud of.

Our union and our members have faced many challenges this year but the region has seen many successes such as a sustained increase in recruitment, increase in activists attending training, winning equal pay claims, campaigns to protect jobs and conditions through cuts and restructuring and our work on equalities which goes from strength to strength.

I want to see London UNISON continue to campaign on real issues for real members - defending the NHS and directly provided services; strengthening our influence in Education and in Private Contractors; promoting equalities; Pensions, affordable housing, London Living Wage, opposing and defeating the far right and raising UNISON’s profile as the lead trade union in London.

Never has it been a more important time for public service workers to be a member of a trade union, which gives us an opportunity to continue to build and strengthen our union, by recruiting, organising and maximising participation. By getting our members active we can only become stronger and more representative. We must take every opportunity to look at how we make the union more relevant to all and encourage participation at all levels. I will continue to send a message out to our members that this is OUR union, and each member has a role to play and a contribution to make.

As an experienced black activist I know only too well the challenges our members and activists face. I will work to strengthen support for branches and activists in undertaking the difficult task of supporting members at work, as well as to encourage new activists to come forward from sections of the union where there is a long-established under-representation.

In the coming year our union and our members will face many changes and challenges for which we must be ready to act and adapt. If re-elected as Convenor, with Conroy Lawrence as Deputy, we will ensure that the voice of the membership – your voice –continues to be listened to and heard, and that we champion these voices. We will continue to work tirelessly in the fight for equality and fairness for our members, to give London UNISON a louder and effective voice that is listened to by all.

I am also standing as Regional Delegate for NDC. In recent years we have seen more branches and delegates attending and participating in NDC than ever before and I want to support, encourage and assist the London delegation to ensure a successful and productive conference.

UNISON Greater London Regional Council AGM 2010

This Wednesday (3rd February) the UNISON Greater London Regional Council AGM takes place. Around 250 delegates will be present representing 130,000 UNISON members. This is arguably the most important annual trade union meeting in London.

UNISON President Gerry Gallagher, Leader of the Labour Group on the Greater London Authority (GLA), Len Duvall and Kirsten Hearn who is an independent member of the MPA will be keynote speakers.

The Annual report will be tabled and I will also be presenting the Finance Report (and doing my best not to send everyone to sleep). Then there will be NEC reports emergency motions, rule amendments, ordinary motions and committee reports. The most importance business will be the election by secret ballot of Regional Council officers (the lay executive for London UNISON), the main Regional committee and sub-committees.

I am standing for re-election as Finance Convenor alongside the other “dream team” (as described by the opposition!) candidates: -

Gloria Hanson - Regional Convenor

Conroy Lawrence - Deputy Regional Convenor

John Gray - Regional Finance Convenor

Monica Hirst - Regional Equalities Convenor

Lynn Bentley - Regional Publicity Officer

Emma Rolland - Regional Young Members Convenor

There is usually a bit of a bun fight with disunited left during reports and motions but hopefully we can all have a good old debate and it is a successful AGM (by that I mean of course - we win).

I will post our “Slate” election statements next starting with Gloria. 

Poetry For Halti - Fri 5th Feb 8pm Covent Garden

Hat-tip SERTUC

Asbestos: A legal Update.

This (late) post is about the UNISON London “Safety Network” meeting that took place in December. All London UNISON branch health & safety officers are invited to these lunchtime events which take place after the main meeting of the London Health & Safety committee.

We had Lorna Webster as our guest speaker. Lorna is an Asbestos Team Supervisor with Thompson’s solicitors. Here is some of her stuff I thought useful

To be successful in any personal injury claim you have to prove the employer was “negligent” and that the injury was foreseeable. Problem with asbestos is the exposure to harm was on average 40 years. It may be as low as 10 or as high as 60 years. It is the asbestos law at the time of exposure which is relevant not now.

We need to prove that the employers knew (or ought to have known) the risk and should have not have allowed employees to use asbestos or given them adequate protection.

Types of asbestos – Blue “crocidolite” (and the most toxic); Brown “amosite” (bad) and White “chrysotile” (Not as toxic as Blue or Brown but wrongly thought to be “not dangerous”) the most widely used. In 1986 it was estimated that the UK had imported 6 million tonnes of asbestos.

Diseases - different asbestos related diseases. Pleural Plaques (usually symptomless - compensation now stopped); Pleural thickening (range from no symptoms to quite bad); Asbestosis (range from no symptoms but can be fatal); Asbestos Induced Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma (fatal – no known cure).

TUC statistics that 1:100 men born in 1940’s will die of mesothelioma. Currently 1800 asbestos related deaths per year rising to 2000 by 2016.

Dangers of asbestos known since at least 1899. There are a number of regulations and reports throughout the last century. If exposure was before 1965 you have to prove that it was “substantial”.

There are two types of settlements. Traditional “full & final settlement” and “provisional damages” settlement. Thompsons usually advise live members with non-fatal cases against settling on a “full and final basis”. If the member were to develop a more serious related asbestos condition later they or their estate and/or dependants could come back for significantly more compensation.

Members may also be entitled to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB - if at least 14% disabled due to that condition). Mesothelioma claims are fast tracked by DWP and are awarded 100% disability. For more serious cases there may be also disability care benefits. NB: DWP benefits have to be repaid if personal injury claims are successful. If IIDB successful they may be entitled to one off payment under Pneumoconiosis etc (Workers Compensation) Act 1979.

In some cases someone has mesothelioma not due to work (such as a wife washing husband’s overalls) they are not entitled to IIDB but maybe to care benefits and a one off lump sum under the 2008 “Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme”.

Current asbestos campaigns include compensation for Plural Plaques; Trigger Issue Test case (some insurers are shamefully refusing to pay claiming they are only liable to the asbestos exposure not the development of the disease – payments have been stopped pending possible appeal to House of Lords) and Employers’ Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB); One in 20 claims fail because the employers has gone out of business and the insurer is untraced. There should be a similar scheme as the ABI motor insurance scheme that pays compensation to people injured by uninsured drivers and finally the campaign for a National Centre for Asbestos related diseases. The Government does not fund research into asbestos related diseases and Mesothelioma is the least researched of the top 20 cancers.

What to do? If a union rep is approached by a member with an asbestos related condition it is essential that they are referred for legal advice. It would be useful if member could get a short letter from GP confirming diagnosis and date this was confirmed. There is the usual 3 year limitation on claims (the date the member became aware or ought to have been aware of condition related to their work). Advise member they will need their full employment history. Thompsons will then contact them and give advice.

The sadist stories are of wives who died from asbestos inhaled while washing their husband’s work overalls or even children dying after cuddling their father while he was in his work clothes.

Personally, although I appreciate the good work done by trade union lawyers such as Thompsons I think that a far better solution to all work related personal injury cases is that it should be taken out of the civil courts and that decent “no fault” compensation should be paid to all workers who suffer from work related activities, paid for by an industry levy.

Southpawpunch “fesses up” as paid anti-trot Labour "agent provocateur"

The self proclaimed Revolutionary Socialist Columnist Southpawpunch (see what is believed to be the only known public picture of him left - of course) admits here on in a comment he made (bizarrely) on my post about the “Roding Valley Way" (comment 29 January) that he is actually a paid double agent of the Labour Party!

He confesses to receiving “my cheques, direct from Labour HQ”

His mission was to ensure the Party had “no credible” Left wing enemies. By “scoring many direct hits on the muddle-headed, shilly shallying of the useless Labour 'Left'(sic)”.

Southpawpunch claims also to “have managed to completely discredit the ostensible Trotsykist take on the world by making the most ultraleft points this side of Left Communism (and showing their vast rightward shift from Bolshevism)”

Well, if this is true then job well done Matey!

Southpawpunch is obviously a very busy chap. As well as causing problems for my blogging mucker and keen Labour Party supporter Dave Osler (see here) he is also apparently “a Liberal Democrat candidate with a possibility of getting into parliament this time”.

:)

Workers Memorial Day - 28 April 2010

Great news about Workers Memorial Day being given official recognition by the government. Check out TUC response and... we all need to start planning for this years event yesterday.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Yvette Cooper): I am pleased to announce the publication of the Government's response to the consultation exercise proposing the official recognition of Workers Memorial Day.

The Government's response (Cm 7789) has been laid before Parliament and will be published later today.

The consultation exercise attracted a large number of responses, the overwhelming majority of which were strongly supportive of the proposal. I am therefore delighted to announce that the UK will officially recognise Workers Memorial Day, and that this recognition will take formal effect this year on 28 April, the international day of action for safety and health at work. The day is already widely commemorated in the UK and official recognition will reinforce its significance and raise awareness of the workers who are killed, disabled, injured or made unwell each year by their work.

Commemorations will continue to be led by individuals, employers, trade unions and community organisations. In keeping with the outcome of the consultation, the Government will encourage commemorations to be held on the day itself throughout the UK. The Government and Ministers will help support and promote these commemorations.

Official recognition is a tribute to all those who have campaigned long and hard for such recognition, including bereaved families, trade unions, campaign groups, and many other organisations and individuals. It is also recognition of the importance of work to improve health and safety among the working population.

Copies of the response are available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office. It is also available on the DWP website at: www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/policy-publications/fatal-accidents-inquiry.shtml.

I am Seismic Shock

Check out Modernity blog here on the campaign against the mistaken involvement of the Police in an attempt by some very stupid people to shut up blogger “Seismic Shock”.

While I can understand that the Police felt that they had to investigate the complaints made against “Seismatic Shock” they should have completed their investigations and told all parties that there was clearly no case to answer.

Which I suspect they did not and instead tried to appease both parties.

I do think that the CPS need to issue some guidance to Police on such issues or if this is not possible then we need to update the law to take into account the phenomenon of New Media and in particular “blogging”. The Police have more than enough to do without getting involved in such essential silliness.

Dave, Alex and I can also definably claim to say “We have been in Seismic Shock for nearly 3 years”. The law is a banana on several fronts with regard to these matters IMO.

IMO – In My Opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. Who cares what I think? Surely if something is really offensive there must be real evidence of intent, significant harm and gross inaccuracy.  Any response by the "authorities" must also be proportional.

Dear Branch Secretary...nomination request for Community SGE

Dear Branch Secretary

I am writing to ask your branch to consider nominating me for the General Seat on the new Community Service Group Executive.

I am a lifelong trade unionist and have been a member of UNISON for nearly 17 years. I am a member of the UNISON Housing Associations Branch where I am a steward, Health & Safety Officer and Labour Link Officer.

My first paid job was as a welfare rights advisor in an inner city community centre. I am now employed as a Housing Officer for a large Housing Association after being TUPE’d from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Members working in the community and voluntary sector know all too well about job insecurity and instability. More often than not jobs are reliant on public funding and are only renewed if and when funding has been secured. Most members in our sector have had to deal with numerous reorganisations and being TUPE’d time and time again due to cuts in funding.

Across the sector there are a wide range of employers from the very small employing just 1 or 2 staff to the very large. Some of the smaller employers are inexperienced and whilst they want to do the right thing for social justice – this doesn’t always apply to how they treat and manage their staff. We need to support our members that feel isolated at work and ensure that they know that UNISON can support them and how they can access this support.

I believe we must build better organisation for our members and stewards. We need to build stewards’ networks so that they can support each other and share knowledge, ideas and experiences. I would like to see more training introduced on issues that are of particular concern to UNISON members in the Community Service Group – like funding cuts, re-structuring, and dealing with poor management.

I hope your branch will consider nominating me to represent your members in this sector. I am committed to listening to their views, making their voices heard and ensuring they get better support and the resources they deserve.

If you would like to discuss this statement please give me a ring or contact me on john.m.grayATntlworldDOTcom.

Yours faithfully

John Gray

Community is the brand new “Service Group” in UNISON for those of us who work in the community and voluntary sector. It will be the third biggest “Service Group” in UNISON with already over 60,000 members.