Unison conference: Angry delegates attack leaders

Unison conference 2008 anti-witchhunt protest overflowed, photo Paul Mattsson

THE LOCAL government sessions of the Unison union's conference passed a resolution criticising the conduct of pay negotiations in local government.

Jane James

Socialist Party members from Ealing, Greenwich and Hackney spoke in the debate, which exposed the fact that the ballot called in October 2007 came eight months after the pay deal should have been implemented.

The motion called for future negotiations to start in January, so that the union would be ready to strike if necessary in April, when the pay year starts.

Unison conference 2008 anti-witchhunt protest, photo Paul Mattsson

Many delegates were angry about full-time officials refusing to conduct strike ballots when branches demanded them. And many delegates attacked Unison's link with Labour. Socialist Party member Roger Bannister declared: "We should say to New Labour - you give us 2%, we give you nothing".

Monique Hirst spoke in the equality debate and got a lot of applause when she pointed out that Unison was supporting a Labour government which had brought in the 42-day detention law - a law that was alienating a lot of young Muslims.

108 copies of The Socialist have been sold in two days, many delegates coming up to the Socialist Party stall, amazed that the witch-hunt of socialists is still going on.

For more information on the witch-hunt of Unison members, go to http://www.stopthewitchhunt.org.uk

Unison conference 2008 anti-witchhunt protest, photo Paul Mattsson

300 attend anti-witch hunt meeting

A COACHLOAD of members from the four branches being witch-hunted arrived at the conference on 17 June. Conference stewards instantly told them that they would not be allowed to hold up banners in the public gallery.

But a protest went ahead outside conference and around 300 delegates attended a lunch-time 'stop the witch-hunt' meeting. They could not all fit in the room - flowing down the stairs and cramming into the lobby!

Fuller report in next week's The Socialist.

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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
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