Cut crime not Police staff

Clean Sweep: Centre Left Victory in London UNISON elections

This is a picture of myself, Monica, Gloria and Conroy after the London Regional Council AGM.

Emma and Lynn had to leave straight after the meeting.

Our Sensible Left slate won all the Regional Council Officer posts (Executive) for the 6th year running.  I don't know yet what the margin was this year but I suspect it is as good or even better than in the past.  Local government branches are coming on side as they realise that sloganeering and grandstanding is not going to achieve anything. 

The AGM went off very smoothly and guest speakers UNISON President Angela Lynes and Deputy GS of the PSC Hugh Lanning were well received. 

I had to answer a few questions during my presentation on the financial report.  The debates over number of regional council meetings and quorum were actually pretty good and people listened to the arguments.  There was little hostile heckling and no attempts to shout down speakers that the Ultra left (some of them not all) didn't happen to agree with.  Which I think is very positive.  It was agreed to cut the number of meetings to 3 per year (at last) and keep the quorum at 1/3rd (thankfully).  It was a pity that there wasn't time to debate my branch Housing motion and the others since we ran out of time. 

I hope (and expect) now that the Region will unite around Gloria and Conroy as we oppose the cuts while defending our members.

There was tremendous support shown for the TUC March 26th and I am sure that UNISON London region will play a major part in mobilising for it and making it a great success.

Nurses Vote on Action to Stop Cuts at St Georges Hospital

"Four hundred Theatre Nurses and Practitioner members of health care union UNISON at St Georges hospital, South London, have started balloting in an “indicative” ballot that could, if agreed lead to official industrial action at St Georges by nurses for the first time in twenty three years.

UNISON the health care union has been angered at the plans to implement Tory Led Government health cuts at St Georges Hospital, Tooting. In particular nurses and technical staff are angry at the decision to press ahead with major changes to the rotas, duties and pay of four hundred Theatre nurses and practitioners.

These changes  would see staff suffer pay cuts, day staff forced to work night duty and some of those with childcare commitments forced to quit Theatres. This means the loss of many dedicated and experienced NHS staff. Nursing Staff (many of whom are women) will also be forced to work a late shift which finishes at 10pm, forcing them to make their way back home across London in the dark.

UNISON Regional Officer Michael Walker condemned the move and stated:-

 “When this Government of millionaires are telling hard pressed professional Theatre nurses that they need to cut their pay, work nights and walk home late at night, you can understand why nursing staff are so angry.

 “It would seem that the Government and some managers have totally lost all understanding of compassion and fairness in the way they treat dedicated nurses, in their quest to implement Government cuts to the NHS.”

UNISON Branch Secretary Geoff Thorne states :-

“It is regrettable that, despite UNISON’s best efforts to resolve these issues, it now looks inevitable that we are heading towards industrial action by nurses and practitioners, a situation created by management’s refusal to sit down and discuss child care and pay protection arrangements.

UNISON will now be waging a vigorous campaign in the community, and amongst consultants and NHS professionals at the hospital to highlight the plight of dedicated NHS nurses and staff at St Georges Hospital.”

UNISON Nursing Convenor Jane Pilgrim stated:-
“I remain hopeful that even at this late stage, we can still sit down and resolve the outstanding issues affecting nursing staff so that patients can continue to receive high quality services,”

Management at St Georges have left nursing and professional staff in a very invidious position where they either allow management to significantly cut the pay and conditions or they are reluctantly take some form of industrial action”.  

Hat-tip UNISON press release.

Seasons Greetings from UNISON Greater London (Happy Crimbo)

Happy Crimbo everyone!

On behalf of UNISON Greater London Region Linda Perks, Regional Secretary and Gloria Hanson, Regional Convenor
and the Regional Council Officers
Conroy Lawrence, John Gray,
Lyn Bentley, Monica Hirst
and Emma Rolland

Send you Seasons Greetings and very best wishes for the New Year.

Public Services. Don't wait till they've gone to defend them.

Join the TUC national demonstration against the cuts on Saturday 26 March 2011

To join UNISON visit unison.org.uk/join or call 0845 355 0845

"activists who are elected not just to enact revolution but to also support those in need"

Former London UNISON Branch Secretary Nick Venedi (left) makes a valuable contribution on his blog here to an age old dichotomy about trade unions.  Which is - are unions all about providing top class services and representation to its members or is it just a platform for self serving toy town "wannabe" revolutionaries?

Nick bemoans a branch that now apparently takes weeks to answer members who try to call or contact it.

He makes the point that "I think we must offer or at least commit ourselves to some standards of 'excellence' members deserve better attention from the activists who are elected not just to enact revolution but to also support those in need".

Name names Nick, name names!

I shall look forward (as always) to Nick's appearance at the next London UNISON regional Committee meeting.

London UNISON 1st Health Brigade's: Lean Green Recruiting Machine

Picture is of some of UNISON's finest out recruiting new Student nurse members at Kingston University. 

Gracie, Debbie, Micky and Chong recruited over 200 UNISON members at this one event. 

They are well on their way to forming a 2nd Health Brigade in Greater London UNISON region!

Well done comrades!

Onwards and forwards.

CONDEM Cuts: Megan tells it as it is

SERTUC Regional Secretary, Megan Dobney (standing on left), addresses the London UNISON Regional Council (sadly inquorate - but we know why).

The usual health warning on the absolute accuracy of my rather hurried typed notes.

Megan - "...there are 3 choices facing us: 1. work for a collapse of the coalition, 2: Defeat the Coalition in a General Election or 3: "armed insurrection" (this was a Joke).

Megan realised that some of the people present would in fact want "armed insurrection".  However she pointed out that this could never happen since it was not TUC policy.  So if you wanted this to be policy you should put in a motion to next year's Trade Union Congress (knowing the limited reasoning skills of some of my readers - I will stress this was also a joke).  Option 1 is her choice: Bringing down the Coalition is more likely and we do not want to wait 5 years.

Megan believes that public services are a bulwark against barbarism.  But we have a problem opposing cuts since according to some surveys - 50% of the public support the idea of CONDEM "savage cuts" including 40% of trade union members! This show's the scale of problem. We have to explain in the teeth of the media basis, what is really going on. Why the government is wrong and cannot deal with the deficit by cutting public sector investment which is essential for growth. Cuts will lead to unfairness and recession. VAT is regressive and any increase in basic tax is so also and will not help those who due to the Bankers recession are at risk.

We should get the tax that is currently avoided and evaded.  The "Robin Hood" tax would bring in lots of money for a very small outlay.  The PCS argue convincingly that 20 thousand more tax officers jobs would bring in £20 billion in tax income.  National finance is not to be paralled with consumer budgets. You saw this last week when the German government finally paid off it war debt, it's debt from World War One! While it took us 60 years to pay off our 2nd World War debt. 

Organisation in our workplace is absolutely essential but not enough - there are 6.5 million trade Unionists but this is not sufficient  We have to work with our communities. we need to stress that public sector cuts are not just job cuts but services cuts as well.

The cancellation of the "Building Schools for the Future" resonated with many people.  They could see the cuts taking place to something they could measure and value. This not just about being a romantic opposition but about good organsiation. 

If a 1pm Club faces closures don’t wait for a demo of 9 workers outside the town hall but get service users, family, friends, shop keepers to come and protest. This is an attack on communities, not just an attack on a group of workers whose jobs might go.

We need to be aware of CSR on 19 October and the SERTUC/TUC plan to target the 150 Tory/Lib Dem MP's who are at most risk at the next General Election.  Some of them might be the most vicious towards the cuts but they are also very fond of their seats! 

Numerous other demos on 23/10/10.  Congress House rally 12-1.45. It has to be a good turnout. Megan does not want to know everyone there personally. This is crucial.

In May 2011 the Tories and Lib Dems must feel the pain.

A Marathon is not a sprint. Who knows what to expect with them at the moment. The Child benefit fury.  They didn’t expect at all the reaction that got and that is important. Also the stresses and strains over tuition. We need to be creating the understanding that allows voices to be heard.

A recentl Yougov polls may have showed that 70% want housing benefit cuts but at the same time - 60% do not want the Post Office privatised. This is an outcome of work done last year by CWU. We must do the same. Local campaigning. Unison is ideal because you have centre in every town. In the recent strikes in France there was wonderful inspiration. In one small town of 5000 - 25% of the population was on rally. In every small town thousands of people protested. This make the government realise that this is not us looking after jobs but defending the rights and needs of our communities. We are not going to win with mass rallys of polemic but by detailed work, organised work and working with communities. Finally, to finish with a chilling moment she reminded us what Cameron said at the recent Tory conference.

“Look what we have done in 5 months imagine what we can do in 5 years”.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CUTS - RALLY & LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT - 19 OCTOBER

On Greater London UNISON website here.  "As part of the TUC’s campaign against the cuts a rally and lobby of Parliament are planned for 19 October - the day before the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). Cuts are already hitting public services hard after the emergency Budget in June and on 20 October, the Chancellor will set out the details of the coalition’s spending plans for the next three years, in the CSR which will contain savage cuts that will not only hit vital services but threaten the fragile economic recovery. It’s important that we take a strong message to Westminster and the media on the 19th with a successful rally and lobby of Parliament.

The event will start with a rally in Westminster Central Hall (map attached) at 12.30 pm (doors 12.15 pm). The main auditorium at Central Hall holds more than 2,000 and the TUC wants to make sure that it is packed – if it’s not, then what message does this send out to the coalition Government?? Speakers have yet to be confirmed but once this information is available we will let branches know.

The lobby After the rally, the focus moves to the House of Commons. The aim is that unions and service users lobby a carefully targeted list of Government MPs which is attached. For those who are unable to attend the lobby they can meet their MP at a constituency surgery as close as possible to the CSR - MPs need to understand the impact the cuts will have on their constituencies and the case for an alternative approach to the deficit reduction. To simplify this process the attached briefing document sets out everything you need to know about the lobby – the points you need to put across to your MP, why we are lobbying, what is “lobbying”?, making arrangements in advance to meet MPs, what should be raised when you meet your MP. A model letter to be sent to MPs is also included.

What you need to do NOW! Engage with ALL your members, encourage them to make appointments to meet with their MPs at the lobby. We need as many people as possible to attend not just branch officers and activists – this will affect everyone and everyone needs to be given the opportunity to show their objection to the cuts and the CSR. Also engage with community groups and service users and encourage them to attend - it doesn’t matter that some of them may not be trade union members anyone can attend the lobby and it is important that there is a cross section of the community involved.

Please ensure that this information is passed on to ALL YOUR MEMBERS and encourage them to making arrangements to meet their MPs, especially those on the targeted list.

If you have any queries, please contact your Regional Organiser".

Blair and Brown...Jon of the Rogers and Young Nick

 (this is an internal London UNISON thingy - enjoy or ignore) -  ..."The interesting thing is that the press have reacted to the story about the rift between Brown and Blair as it was something new.

Everyone knew they couldn't stand each other and they did not have a love hate relationship like the one myself and Jon of the Rogers had. In our case (and yes am bringing this back to me, me, me..) we had a clear division of labour and we worked well together.

I managed the branch on a day to day basis and Jon dealt with the 'revolution' so the lines of division were very clear and obvious and it worked well. We ended up disagreeing because I believed that a branch with 2,300 members had to be managed and some discipline was needed and he wanted a more liberal approach and a free for all, so at the end I left to allow him to do it his way and I wish him the best of luck..."

hat-tip Nick Venedi's blog

UNISON London Lay Leadership visit to Bromley Local Govt Branch

Catching up on some posts - picture is from a recent visit I went on with UNISON London regional Convenor Gloria Hanson and our deputy Convenor, Conroy Lawrence.

The Bromley Local Government branch has been under "regional supervision" for the past several months. There was a number of  problems in the past but I think it is safe to say that we were all very impressed with the way the branch has reorganised itself and is out there connecting with members and fighting constructively for their interests.

Well done!