The TUC March for an Alternative: The Condem Emperors have no clothes

  This photo college is from today's TUC march in central London. Some 250,000 protesters are estimated to have turned up. I marched alongside UNISON Housing Association branch and UNISON London region.

I felt the day was a great Labour movement family success. The trade unions had members there from all over the UK. Including many who have never marched before. 

The March was cheerful, colourful, noisy but determined.  In Newham local trade unions, Labour Party members, Councillors and the Mayor met up and marched together against this Tory led Government savage cuts to our public services.

It was a great day affected only a little by the antics of a tiny number of spoilt brat parasites who were up to their usual nonsense. I simply cannot repeat the language I heard by genuine working class trade union marchers about these Tory 5th columnists.

At the Rally in Hyde Park Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband and UNISON General secretary Dave Prentis spoke to a great reception.

At the rally I was interviewed by a Spanish radio journalist. She asked me why was it so important to be on this March? Luckily for me we had a discussion on this while marching and I was able to pinch someone else's big idea.  I explained to the journalist that the main reason for marching today is that many people in this country had believed (wrongly) that the cuts are all necessary.  But by getting hundreds of thousands of people to come together and say "No they are not" will help change minds. People will realise that Emperor Cameron and Clegg - have no clothes.

(Click on picture to bring up detail and I will post more pictures from the march on FaceBook).

Update: UNISON TV Youtube on March - some members of my branch are in the background at around 1 min 24
Update: Photos from March here on Facebook.

"Osborne's 'no budge' budget" - A Titanic "full speed ahead" to the Iceberg

Below is Unison's response to today's awful, bodged and Titanic "full steam ahead to the iceberg" budget.

I wonder how many folk recognise the picture of the actor and remember or realise its significance? 

Not a lot according to last years General Election results. 

Why is it each generation eventually forgets not just how horrible the Tories are but that they are economic illiterates who think that mass unemployment is "a price worth paying".

" Osborne’s ‘no budge budget’ is a missed opportunity to right Tory economic wrongs, UNISON, the UK’s largest union, said today. By passing up the chance to scale back the savage public spending cuts, the Tories are condemning the economy to long-term low growth and high unemployment.

The union said that the Tory’s half-hearted attempts to tackle rising inequalities through a Learjet levy and action on tax loopholes, were token gestures, which would not restore fairness - spiralling out of control under the Tories.

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:

“Under the Tories our economy isn’t growing, but the dole queues are. The Government’s own Office of Budget Responsibility has downgraded the growth forecast by 0.9% since the Chancellor’s last budget. The carnage going on in the public sector was completely written out of the Chancellor’s budget.

“Osborne should have used this budget to right his economic wrongs. This no budge budget flies in the face of mounting evidence of the toll Tory cuts are taking on our economy and our society. The Chancellor is pinning his hopes on the private sector driving the recovery – but the evidence shows the private sector is not creating enough jobs to stop total unemployment from rising.

“Struggling families will be pleased that tax receipts have been used to stop fuel price rises. But with dole queues rising, and business and consumer confidence low, this is a warning to Osborne – he will not be able to rely on tax receipts to top up spending much longer.

“Osborne's over-hyped increase in tax allowances will in fact be worth less than £2.50 a week to the average basic rate taxpayer. This is more than cancelled out by the increase in VAT, which will cost the average family more than £3 a week, and other reductions in benefits, tax credits and services, which will cost families even more.

“This small tax giveaway will do nothing to help the 2.53 million people on the dole and struggling to find work. It is a drop in the ocean for millions of public sector workers hit by pay freezes. With inflation up to 5.5%, any benefit will swiftly be wiped out by higher prices.

“The Learjet levy is a token gesture. The mega-rich who can afford a private plane could pay a lot more towards our recovery. Instead, public sector workers are cutting back on food, vital healthcare such as dentists and prescriptions, and are still racking up high levels of personal debt. The poor, sick and vulnerable who did not gamble away our future are paying the price, as the public services they rely on disappear.”

On top of the VAT rise and cuts to tax credits, benefits and services that are hitting all workers, public sector workers are being hit by an increase in their pension contributions that will take more than £10 a week out of their disposable income, and a pay freeze that, with inflation running at 5.5%, will have the effect of reducing their real living standards by the equivalent of another £20 a week.

The union is calling for a change of direction and a budget for growth including a Robin Hood Tax. This tax on the banks would add £20 billion to the public purse – twenty times the measures the Chancellor announced today to close tax loopholes. Twenty billion would save local services from shut down, keep children’s nurseries open, stop hospital’s shedding jobs and save adult day centres from closure.

There is another way

- Andrew Lansley’s £3 billion* top-down reorganisation of the NHS could fund 600,000 hip operations, or fund full home care packages for 150,000 elderly or vulnerable people.

- Francis Maude’s “mutuals taskforce” has a £10 million price tag – these funds could keep more than 200 social, youth and community workers in their jobs for a year.

- And Gove’s Academies and Free Schools programme has £410 million of funding – which could restart around 20 of the vital school rebuilding projects he cancelled last year, giving disadvantaged children better schools, and creating valuable construction jobs.
(picture is from "Boys from the black stuff")

"Unison publishes list of 62 councils ‘robbed’ by Housing Minister"

SHAPPS MUST KEEP PROMISE ON FUNDS FOR HOMELESS, ELDERLY AND VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

- Unison publishes list of 62 councils ‘robbed’ by Housing Minister
 UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today challenged Housing and Local Government Minister Grant Shapps (pictured left), to honour his pledge made in the House of Commons, not to cut the Supporting People grant by more than 1%. The grant helps support more than 1 million people, funding women’s refuges that provide a haven for victims of domestic abuse, helping rough sleepers, and people with mental health problems. It also funds sheltered wardens and community alarms.

Last week in the House of Commons, Liverpool (Walton) MP Steve Rotheram, asked “If I can prove that it (the cut to the Liverpool Supporting People grant) is 30%, will the Minister give us back the other 29% so that we only suffer a 1% cut?” Grant Shapps replied “I take him up on his challenge.”

The union is today publishing evidence that Liverpool’s Supporting People grant has been cut by 30%, together with a list of more than 60 other councils also facing cuts of more than 1%. Camden council has lost more than 60%. The union is challenging Grant Shapps to give all these councils back the difference so they can keep these services to vulnerable people running.  
Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:

“All over the country, Supporting People grants fund women’s refuges; providing a haven for victims of domestic abuse.  They help keep people who have fallen on hard times from sleeping rough, and give people with mental health problems a roof over their heads. More than 800,000 elderly people rely on services funded through Supporting People. Drastic cuts will mean shelters shut, and beds lost, pushing vulnerable people onto the streets or leaving them without the help they need.

“In the House of Commons, Grant Shapps said that this grant had been protected, so the average cut was just 1%. But our evidence taken from his own Department’s website, proves many councils have been hit much harder. Grant Shapps promised to give Liverpool back the difference if he saw evidence that it’s grant had been cut by more than 1%. Here is that proof in black and white.

“We challenge Grant Shapps to stand by his word, to give Liverpool back the money that has been taken from them, and to do the same for the 61 other councils hit hard. Either Grant Shapps didn’t know what was going on in his department, or he didn’t care about some of the most needy and vulnerable people in our society. This is his opportunity to put things right.”

UNISON evidence shows that:
One council (Camden) faces a cut of more than 60%
Seven councils (West Berkshire, York, Rochdale, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire face cuts of between 40% and 50%,
Eight councils (Newcastle upon Tyne, St Helens, Isle of Wight, Bristol, Manchester, Halton, Leeds and Liverpool) face a cut of between 30% and 40%,
Seven councils face a cut of between 20% and 30%
Twenty Two councils face a cut of between 10% and 20%
10 councils face cuts of more than £5m (Camden £18.470m; Manchester £12.613m; Liverpool £11.167m; Leeds £10.614m; Nottingham £9.942m; Bristol £9.275m; Gloucestershire £8.601m; Oxfordshire £6.627m; Rochdale £6.587m; Newcastle upon Tyne £6.527m)

Check out Unison press release.

UNISON Housing Association Annual Report 2010: Branch Secretary

(From Annual Report) "I unexpectedly became Branch Secretary in May following the resignation of Mary Powell. I think everyone would want to thank Mary for her many years of service to the Branch, both as secretary and as an executive committee member beforehand.

I have worn a number of different union hats over the years but
this is my first time as a Branch Secretary. It has been a bit of
a rollercoaster experience, especially since a few weeks earlier, I was also elected for the first time as a London Borough Councillor as well.

Two key events during the year were the Notting Hill Strike (see Chair’s report) - the first strike in our sector in decades and our first National UNISON Conference for the Community and Voluntary sector. Meanwhile our branch is one of the biggest in London and the Southeast and still growing. Our finances are in better shape than they have been in a long time. We are thinking about moving the branch office to somewhere central and accessible. While most of us will be bitterly disappointed at the election of this new government at least locally in London the BNP scourge were wiped out.

However, let us be in no doubt that all of us are facing a horrible year ahead. Most of you already have experienced zero or below inflation pay awards which has meant a cut in real terms. Some employers have even increased hours and cut basic pay. In parts of the housing and social care sector, we are facing a race to the bottom for staff terms and conditions. Of course we understand that decent employers are facing huge problems by being undercut by “minimum wage” cowboys. However, some employers appear to be using this as an excuse to do whatever they want.  Amazingly some employers are even trying to de-recognise
unions. Collective bargaining is a fundamental human right. Full stop. Any employer that tries to de-recognise is not only anti-union but will also be condemned for attacking human rights and basic freedoms of association.

Our residents are also about to feel the full force of the Coalition cuts. We will be expected to be evicting not only the long term unemployed when their housing benefit is cut but also lone parents whose children have left home and are now deemed to be “over occupying”. New development is shot to pieces due to the Cuts while the proposed 80% market rates for new homes will mean in the future that there will be no such thing as affordable housing for low income families.

Meanwhile there are 5 million on the housing waiting list. Many living in appalling conditions.  There is an alternative to all this. We must constantly remind ourselves that this recession was not caused by over paid public sector lollypop ladies but by entirely avoidable failures in the Banking system. Instead of massive cuts the deficit should be tackled by a fairer taxation system and government policies that promote growth. We also need to turn ourselves into a campaigning and organising union at all levels. The TUC have organised a national protest in Central London on Saturday 26th March. Please try and make sure that every union member possible (and their families) turns up to support this protest. We shall be there with the branch banner.

We desperately need to increase the number of union members in each employer to at least 50% of total and increase the number of trained stewards and safety reps.  Our target is at least one rep in every workplace or area. We need to hold regular workplace meetings of members and reps. Reps from across the employer need to meet together and plan. There should be timetabled Joint consultative committees and joint health & safety committees with management. We need to communicate better with members and utilise both old and new media. Produce regular local newsletters as well as blogs. We want to research and develop practical, convincing arguments not dogma. We need to form alliances with other unions, with resident and community groups. We need to use our political funds to lobby Ministers, MP’s, Boris, London Assembly members, Regulators, Councillors and Boards.

Our UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis told Conference last year that “our time has come...trade unions were not created for the good times... but for the hard times”. We now live in hard times and the simple choice is that if we do nothing these hard times will just get much, much worse. We won’t win all our battles but by organising, by campaigning - we can help protect members jobs, we can successfully fight
to preserve our terms and conditions, we can build a momentum that will delivery on pay.

Please recruit a work colleague to the union, volunteer to become steward, write an article for a newsletter, help organise a local meeting – then with your family join UNISON on the TUC March in March.

John Gray (Photo on cover of Annual Report is of Branch Labour Link Members at our House of Commons event last year supporting the UNISON Million Voices Campaign)

UNISON slams pay cuts of up to 60% at London Housing Association

This press release from National UNISON is featured today on its website. 

"UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today hit out at plans by Ekaya Housing Association in South London to cut pay by up to 60%, as well as declaring compulsory redundancies and increasing hours.

The salary cuts at Ekaya range from 35% to 57.9%, and staff will be asked to work 2.5 hours more per week.

The union is calling on the housing association to put the brakes on the damaging plans and hold a thorough and meaningful consultation.

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:

“Pay cuts on this scale are unthinkable for hardworking families. How would you cope with 60% less in your pocket? Matters are made even worse by high inflation – pilling the pounds onto basic, everyday living.

“Ekaya have not been through a proper consultation on these plans. The association desperately need to carry out an equality impact assessment, as these cuts are set to hit black and ethnic minority women hard.

“Ekaya must get into talks.”

See Tuesday's post here

John-Boy's Labor blog

I've been having some further fun with the "blogger" Stat counter.    In October I posted on "Giovanni's Lavoro blog" and puzzled over the large number of hits on this blog apparently from Italy. 

During the last week or so as you can see (right screenprint) most of the hits have been coming from America.  1,966 compared with 868 from the UK.  I can't think of any obvious reason for this.  In fact most of my recent hits seem to be about the UNISON Labour Link Link Forum 2009 (see below screen print).  Which was very good event but I thought it's appeal to most American's would be somewhat limited. 


We had a very good delegation meal in a Turkish restaurant; I spoke in a Forum debate on defending Public Sector pensions; Ed Miliband spoke well, so did our General Secretary Dave Prentis and Harriot Harman MP gave a good speech...but?

Any of my cousins from across the pond care to enlighten me on the reasons for the apparent interest?  Or is there any other reason?

I'm curious about the 141 Slovenia hits as well.

The Bile on Sunday turns on its own: The Tory CEO and the Tory Housing Advisor

Yesterday, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis, at our Community conference, referred to the ideologically motivated attacks on vulnerable workers and carers by the Tory Housing Advisor and £197k per year CEO of Notting Hill Housing Trust (Kate Davis). 

The day before, the usually hideous "Tory On Sunday" published a full attack on Kate Davis (who believe it or not is also allegedly a former General Secretary of the  Revolutionary Communist Party) and her partner Nick Johnson.

Nick use to be the £203k CEO of Tory Bexley Council.  He had a heart attack and was medically retired with a pension of £50k a year.  The Tory "Bile" claims that 4 months after being medically retired he was appointed as CEO of the Tory Council Hammersmith and Fulham Homes (ALMO) at £260k per year! 

"The Bile" further alleges that Nick's permanent health disability pension is not reduced (I think the correct term is "abated") due to his new employment because Hammersmith and Fulham have allowed him to receive his income via a private company?  If this is true it it absolutely outrageous to Council tax payers and those who have been dismissed due to ill health but would lose their pension if they are able to work.

But, what can you expect? this is what Tories do for their own!

TIGMOO 2010: “This Great Movement Of Ours”

I’m trying to follow the TUC conference which is taking place this week in Manchester as best as you can from London. I thought the call beforehand by Sally Hunt, General Secretary of UCU for radical reform of the TUC and the wider movement was a breath of fresh air.

Yes, we should have only one union per sector. Easier said than done of course - what sector are private companies in that also run public services? But it is a complete nonsense to have two, three, four or even more recognised trade unions in the same organisation. Good employers are confused and frustrated about who to negotiate with and bad employers openly boast about being able to “divide and conquer”.

I’m not sure about having a directly "elected" TUC General Secretary by all members since essentially Congress is a coalition of independent trade unions who also hold all the TUC purse skins. Sally rather accurately compared the current process of electing a TUC leader with that of the “Pope”. If we did go down the road of direct elections I think you would find if it came to the push, that like the Pope, the TUC Secretary would not have any “divisions” or real power.

Yes, definitely to Sally’s ideas about setting targets and priorities over achieving the holy grail of increasing density and membership. Density and internal organisation (the number of trained local stewards/safety reps backed by effective national union resources) is absolutely the most important issue that should be debated at Congress. Everything else is actually secondly. Without density and organisation we can achieve nothing and resist nothing.

Personally (since I have it on unreliable evidence that I love the sound of my own voice) I wouldn’t get rid totally of the conference “motion based format” but I think we need to change the emphasis to building and organising.

This morning while listening to my Walkman while running (aka jogging very slowly) around my beloved Wanstead Flats I heard TUC Secretary, Brendan Barber, being interviewed on “Today” by a rather over dramatic, John Humphrys, who was on Daily Mail Lite mode trying to provoke Brendan to say something stupid. He didn’t fail into this trap and came over I think very well – as a modern, sensible, thoughtful and constructive trade union leader. He made it very, very clear that TIGMOO will not be bankrupting itself in a series of glorious defeats but can and will, mobilise effective and telling industrial action and political opposition to the cuts.

Some trade unionists (and the Daily Mail) will be disappointed that he did not bang the Radio 4 podium with his shoe and threaten to bury the Condems. But until we build our density and organisation we cannot threaten what we cannot deliver. What the wider Labour Movement and its allies can deliver is widespread, co-ordained and SMART opposition which will include targeted industrial action.

We are ironically facing an opportunity and not only a threat. UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, speaks about the Raison d'être of Unions and that they are there for the bad times not just the good. Surely, now we are all facing this massive threat of cuts that there cannot be anyone in work who cannot say, hand on heart, they do not need to join a trade union? We recruit and organise or die.

(picture is of the first General Secreatry of the TUC - Mr C W Bowerman in a rather modern pose!)

Dave Prentis re-elected as UNISON General Secretary with Massive Majority

 Great news on an otherwise miserable day (the CONDEM "emergency" budget). Centre left moderate Dave Prentis has been overwhelmingly re-elected as UNISON General Secretary. Official result here

"Dave Prentis 145,351 (67.2%)

Roger Bannister 42,651 (19.7%)

Paul Holmes 28,114 (13%)

Dave has been UNISON’s General Secretary since January, 2001, he said:

“This is a vote of confidence in the union and the direction that we have been taking over the past few years.

“We face critical times as a union and it is important that we remain united, strong and focussed on dealing with the challenges that face our members.

“Under the coalition government, public services face an onslaught on a scale unprecedented since Thatcher was Prime Minister. The government is pressing ahead with cuts to public services, to our members’ jobs, pay and pensions, with complete disregard to the serious social consequences.

“We are ready to face the tough times ahead, we are growing in strength and numbers. Together we will stand up for quality public services, for the hardworking people that provide them, and for the poor, the sick and vulnerable people who rely on them for support.

“We will be the people who stand in the way of these ferocious attacks on our public services and the path to creating a fairer society”.

(Check out UNISONactive take on this victory – I couldn’t possible comment on Lord Sutch:)

UNISON NDC 2010: Dave Prentis Speech

(Some notes about the General Secretary's speech to conference on Tuesday afternoon – usual health warning about my hurried note taking). Dave started off with a joke about conference clashing with the World cup and how UNISON had tried unsuccessfully to get the football authorities to change their date. This conference is the biggest gathering of public service workers in the world. There were more people at the International rally last night then most unions have delegates at their AGMs.

He affirmed our solidarity with our sister unions in Europe taking to the streets to protest against cuts. He condemned the attack in Gaza and offered support for peace and justice in the Middle East. Dave praised the role of UNISON activists and “Our people” in defeating the BNP and Nick Griffin. The Battle against them continues. There is no place for fascists in councils and in our great union. This is the Centenary of UNISON Welfare. He described Gerry Gallagher the UNISON President as a man of integrity and wished him well in retirement. Thanked activists for work you do for our union. Slogging through meetings and paperwork – putting up with each other (most of the time). There are now 5000 Learning reps. Our Self organised groups. We are slowly, slowly winning equal pay. We will continue until we get equal pay for all. Recruitment is at an all time high. There is a new army of area and local organisers. Strong political and industrial action funds.

On May 7th our world was transformed. We have Tory and Liberal attacks on us. I has a message today for the headline writers in the “The Daily Telegraph” “Your parents wasted the money” on your public school education. You are not that clever - you can’t add up. You claim that it cost each household £4000 per year on public pensions. They got the decimal point wrong. It costs £400 per year. We demand an apology from Clegg and the “Daily Telegraph”. Remember before the election the Tories claimed they have changed. They now want to cut your pay, your pensions and your jobs. It’s “gutting not cutting” our public services. This is not inevitable it is ideological. Tell employers they do have choice. Stop cutting pay and start cutting consultants. Councils stop giving council tax "give away's". Go to Osborne and say make the bankers pay for it. It’s about fairness. The richest 100 people in the UK in the middle of a recession increase their wealth by 30% in one year. The money for one Council CEO is increased by 30% 3 years and a NHS CEO by 7% this year. We have money for war and Trident. Let’s have a Pay freeze for the bankers. If threaten to leave the country. I say let ‘em go. I’ve said before that I will organise a whip round for 1 way ticket out of the UK.

Public services are our jewel in our crown. Those who work with young offenders are as important but are not as poplar as those who provide child care. Who will champion what is right and not what is poplar? This union will. This is our time. Unions were not made for good times but for the bad times - this is why we came about. We are facing a “Perfect storm”. 1000’s are joining every week for protection. They are looking for us for leadership. This is a heavy responsibility. We are where we should be. We cannot tell where it will end. Every hour and every day - this union will protect its members. We will not take us down “dead end alleys. We will not exhaust ourselves in the first few months. Build alliances with other public unions – yes, the CPS and NGOs via our “Million voices” campaign. Only support as leader of the Labour Party candidates who will fight the cuts. Expect Labour Councillors and Councils to do the same. Give full support to any branch who is forced to resort to industrial action to defend jobs. United campaign to fight the pay freeze. If Clegg comes for our pensions then we will ballot for national industrial action.

Don’t get me wrong we are not looking for a fight. We are always prepared do talk and negotiate. That what unions are there for but no one should under estimate us. If this government picks a fight - we are ready. If they pick a fight we will be ferocious defenders of our members. They will not know what hit them. This is not the time to hand our heads. We should stand tall and confident. If we have to fight we are ready - this will be our time this is what we are about.