Vote Labour on 4 July: Labour Unions

 

This evening I was collecting more "James Asser" for West Ham & Beckton leaflets from the printers and delivering them to our HQ and our by election candidate in Beckton ward, Blossom. 

Today I also had National leaflets from Labour Unions, which is the organisation set up by trade unions who are affiliated to the Labour Party - see below. 

I am confident that we get all these important leaflets delivered.  

It never ceases to amaze me how some trade unionists don't get how important it is to elect a Labour Government. The Tories in the last 14 years have done their very best to destroy us. Thankfully we have just about survived but history tells us that to organise and win for members we must have fairness (not favours) in Parliament.  

I have never agreed 100% with any Labour Leader or all Labour Policies (when I first joined the Party it's leader was James Callaghan). 

But I have always agreed with the manta "that the worse day in any Labour Government (and there were some dreadful days) is far, far better than the best day of any Conservative Government". Vote Labour. A vote for any other party is likely to be a vote for the Tories

The 11 trade unions affiliated to the Labour Party are:

ASLEF: Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen – representing workers on the railways (drivers, operational supervisors and train-operating staff).

www.aslef.org.uk

Community – representing workers across the economy, including steel, betting, manufacturing, logistics, justice services, charities, finance, disabled workers and the self-employed.

www.community-tu.org

CWU: Communication Workers Union – representing workers in post, telecommunications and financial services.

www.cwu.org

FBU: Fire Brigades Union – representing the vast majority of whole-time (full-time) and retained (part-time, on-call) operational firefighters and operational fire control staff.

www.fbu.org.uk

GMB – representing general workers in public and private sectors.

www.gmb.org.uk

MU: Musicians Union – representing performers, writers and teachers in the music industry.

www.musiciansunion.org.uk


NUM (National Union of Mineworkers) – representing current and retired former mineworkers.

www.num.org.uk

TSSA: Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association – representing workers in the railways and associated companies, Train Operating Companies, Network Rail, Transport for London, London Underground, the travel trade, freight haulage, ferries and shipping.

www.tssa.org.uk

UNISON: representing staff who provide public services, employed in both the public and private sectors. Members work in local government, health care, colleges and schools, the police service and the voluntary sector, transport, electricity, gas and water industries.

www.unison.org.uk

Unite: representing workers in all sectors of our economy, covering both the public and private sectors. Unite also holds a Community branch for those who are unemployed.

www.unitetheunion.org

USDAW: Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers – representing workers in the retail, distributive and related industries.

www.usdaw.org.uk

Supporting Uma and Liz in Forest Gate North

 

This evening I joined Liz Cronin (3rd from left) who is standing in the local Council by election being held the same day as the General election. Forest Gate North is my home ward (I represent West Ham as a Newham Councillor). Uma Kumaran  is standing to be our MP for Stratford & Bow. 

The canvass went well and being Forest Gate, there was some lively political discussions about whether or not, Keir Starmer was sufficiently left" for them to vote Labour. When it is pointed out that the future choice of prime minister, is between either Keir or Rishi, then I think most realise that you have to vote Labour to get rid of the Tories. 

I met a young first time voter who was delighted that we had called to speak to him and was really excited about taking part in the election and voting Labour. 

It was good to come across some very well maintained social housing blocks whose communal areas where kept to a very high standard. 

I was also put in my place, very firmly, when I asked a resident if he will be voting for "Labour" next week, who replied he will be voting for his Party next week, which of course is called the Labour Party but is his Party. The loyalty and self identification of so many voters with the Labour Party is humbling. We need to always demonstrate that we deserve this trust. 

On Saturday and Sunday I am off to Great Yarmouth  to support the Labour Candidate, Keir Couzens, who I have heard so many positive reports about and will encourage all of us, who have been asked by the Party to show solidarity, to do so in the next few days, if at all possible. 

Supporting Melanie & Uma in Maryland - Wednesday (then burger, pint & chips in the "Cart and Horses" the birthplace of Iron Maiden)

 

I went to Beckton to canvass but it had to be cancelled due to a mishap. These things happen in elections. So I went again to Maryland to support Melanie and Um,a in a session led by my West Hammer colleague, John Whitworth and our number one canvasser, Varghese Mathai. 

As we started it was nice to be told "good luck" by a friendly passer bye. It was pretty hot and humid and we had lots of blocks and stairwells to climb which was good for my steps. 

Tonight, we were in a more traditional working class part of Maryland and I had a 100% positive response for Labour from the residents I managed to speak with.  I was also stopped by other passer byes, pledging support and asking for leaflets. So many people are so desperate for change and want to give Labour a chance. 

Afterwards we went for a drink (and some of us food) in the well known, Maryland pub, the "Cart & Horses", which is apparently the birthplace of the heavy metal band "Iron Maiden" ( a name inspired by a certain former Tory Prime Minister). There were some bands playing in the basement but it was very nice and relaxed in the bar area. 

On the way back home I listened to the live debate between Sunak Vs Starmer and thought Keir wiped the floor with him. I admit that I am somewhat conflicted on this issue :-) 

Supporting Melanie & Uma in Maryland

 

I had to attend a national virtual meeting of Council Pension committees Chairs beforehand (and complained bitterly why on earth this meeting was taking place during a general election) so was a little late for this canvass, but it was great to support Melanie & Uma with comrades from Newham and Tower Hamlets.  

14 Years of Tory CHAOS 10 Days until you can Vote for Change

This evening I joined our Labour Beckton by-election candidate, Blossom Young and local activists to campaign for her and our Parliamentary candidate, James Asser. The weather has turned warm but the rain this spring and early summer has made the area lush and green. There is an outer London suburban feel to this part of Newham. 

I had many positive conversations with residents including with those who are critical of Labour but understand that the only choice is between a Tory Government and a Labour Government. People are desperate for change. 

But I can remember the 1992 General election, when nearly everyone thought that we were ahead in the polls, change was going to happen and that  Labour were going to win - but we didn't. We had to endure another 5 years of pretty disastrous Tory rule. 

While it sometimes feels that the Tories have a death wish - do not underestimate in the next 10 days the money they will spend, the lies they will tell and the slander they will spread.

So do not take anything for granted and remember - Vote Labour if you want change. A vote for any other party is likely to mean a vote for the Tories. 

West Hammers on tour 2024 General Election: Southend East & Rochford

 

Yesterday I went to Southend with West Ham Labour Activists including our former MP Lyn Brown and our candidate for West Ham & Beckton, James Asser. We joined a team of Labour supporters from Southend and all over London supporting the local Labour Candidate, Bayo Alaba. 

There was overwhelming support for Labour in an area which previously I suspect was pretty solid Conservative. I called at one house where a young mum was organising her young children to get into the car to go on a journey. I had a chat with her and she explained that she was a previous life long Conservative voter but this time, her and her husband had decided that there had to be change they will be voting Labour. Full stop. I have no doubt what so ever that they will do this. 

Of course, not everyone shared this view but I did not come across a single person admitting that they were voting Conservative. 

Afterwards we met up with the Labour candidate Bayo, who I have met before and in my view will make a brilliant MP.  As a former reservist myself, I am so proud that the Labour Party has so many ex-military candidates standing for Parliament this time. 

It's time to end the Tory .... show

 

Nuf said

UNISON National Delegate Conference 2024: Day 2 Wednesday

 
Day 2 started again with the usual NEC meeting at 8.30am then I joined other activists to hand out leaflets outside the conference hall to publicise the Labour Link rally and campaign session being held that that evening. I was back on the NEC platform for the 9.30am start. After the normal S.O.C bun fight, we continued debates including a very important composite motion on a National Care Service. 

At 12 noon we stopped conference business for the keynote speech by our General Secretary, Christina McAnea. Christina gave a powerful and wide ranging speech celebrating our union successes during the past 12 months but also making it clear after 14 years of Tory failure "Our members need a Labour Government". 

During lunch I attended the the Greater London fringe on "Tackling HIV Stigma in our workplace" chaired by London activist Anu Prasher. In the afternoon there was a very powerful debate  (Motion 39) on "Domestic Abuse:Access For All" where survivors of abuse shared their experiences. 

Another important debate (motion 56) was "Tory Cuts to Police Funding Harms Community Safety". Conference was generally very supportive but some speakers incredibly spoke against this motion and even appeared to call for further cuts. One claimed that research showed that there was no benefit from the jobs of her fellow UNISON members - low paid Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). So I suppose she wants them all to be sacked? As an inner city housing officer who has worked with such staff for many years I can say this is completely untrue. 

Dreadful comments, no wonder that our Police Civilian staff members present were so upset. The overwhelming vote in favour of the motion by conference showed what real trade unionists thought about these remarks.  

After close of conference, I attended the Labour Link Rally where Labour Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavillion, Tom Gray (no relation) spoke before we were organised into canvass teams and went door knocking for Labour. The canvass went pretty well with a clear majority of Labour supporter but it was mostly flats which were difficult to get into. One person I spoke to was not on the electoral register but he was holding some sort of political banner. He explained in an American accent that he was off to a Revolutionary Communist Party rally. He and all the other people were friendly and pretty keen to engage even if they did not support Labour. 

UNISON #UNDC24 "stop the exploitation of migrant workers"

One of the best speeches on Tuesday was by my NEC colleague Glenn Carrington. Glenn is a paramedic and he shared with conference a recent shocking experience.

See this article based on his speech " Glenn Carrington, chair of the East of England Ambulance Service branch, raised the issue after his eyes were opened over a bank holiday weekend.

“On the Friday I had a call to this nursing home. Helping the patient, I got chatting to this nurse from India, she looked dead on her feet.

“I was back again the next day on another call. I joked with her: ‘Don’t you ever go home?’ She said she lived upstairs.

“I went again on the Sunday and there she was again. She said whenever someone doesn’t turn up they call her because she’s so close.

“She’s scared to say no — her manager had threatened to sack her if she refused the work. She’d need to find a new sponsor but there’d be a black mark next to her name and she’d probably be deported.”

Glenn was shocked, even more so when he found out she wasn’t being paid for the extra 20 or 30 hours a week and wasn’t allowed to bring her family over, while earning around 20% less than her British colleagues and having to pay back sponsorship fees.

“I was embarrassed by my naivety to be honest but I talked to some other friends in care homes and found out it’s pretty common across the board.”

He was compelled to act: “I got a sort of generational trauma, it reminded me of what my parents went through in the Windrush.

“It just seems like slavery to me — it goes against everything UNISON stands for.”

His awakening became UNISON Eastern’s motion, committing the union to keep promoting the migrant workers’ network, supporting branches organising among migrant workers and maintaining UNISON’s relationship with the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.

Glenn hopes the union can make a real impact for some of the most exploited workers in the country.

“I just can’t believe we allow this to happen. Our union already takes an important stand on this but we need to keep up the pressure.”. The motion was passed. 

UNISON National Delegate Conference 2024: Day 1 Tuesday

 

I am at UNISON National Delegate Conference (NDC) as a NEC member for Community (Housing Associations and Voluntary sector). NDC is the "Parliament" of UNISON and decides upon policies, finance and rules for the forthcoming year. 

In the morning I was up at 7am for a run (aka as a slow jog) around the beach for 2.5 miles enjoying the sea breeze and getting ready for the day ahead. Most of which will be spend on the NEC platform listerning to debates, reports and speeches inside the huge Conference hall.

My first meeting was with the other members of the NEC at our hotel at 8.30am where we discussed conference business and standing orders reports etc. Conference itself started at 10am

We began conference with a welcome by our lay President, Libby Noland, introductions to our guests and international visitors then we remembered UNISON staff and activists who had died in the previous year. This is always a moving moment. 

Next we had our Standing Orders Committee (SOC) report which outline the programme for the week and which motions had been accepted as "competent" (able to be debated at conference) "composited" (similar motions merged) and "consequences" (if a motion is passed it may result in other motions becoming out of date or invalid). 

The job of being Chair of SOC and reporting to Conference its decisions is a rather thankless task. Nearly all decisions taken by the 15 democratically elected members of SOC are routinely "referenced back" to the SOC (they are asked to reconsider their decisions). While this is an important rule book right of delegates, I feel that some abuse this right to "grandstand" and make speeches. It also wastes a lot of time at conference that could be better spent debating motions. 

We then went on to discuss the UNISON annual report, our Financial statements and receive the President's speech (which also included the presentation of the Eric Roberts Award to an inspiring young member).  

During lunch I attended the Greater London Regional new delegates event with my fellow London Council officers. I clearly remember how completely unfathomable and confusing my first ever UNISON conference was would have welcomed the chance to chat to more experienced conference colleagues about such things as "points of order", "card vote" and the "snake". 

There was a number of important motions debated on Climate change, Exploitation of migrant workers and the year of LGBT+. I thought it was very good that speakers were explaining their preferred pronouns, when introducing themselves at the beginning of their speeches. 

After conference there was a useful fringe on the "Political fund" ballot which must take place very soon. All members will be balloted on whether or not UNISON should have "political" funds. Every 10 years all trade unions have to undertake this. It will cost over a million pounds for this to take place. Note that shareholders are not individually balloted by post when companies decide to make political denotations to the Conservative Party. I hope that a future Labour Government will get rid of this requirement.