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From The Socialist newspaper, 17 June 2008
Unison conference: Angry delegates attack leaders
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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.
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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
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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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In The Socialist 17 June 2008:
No! to racism: Yes! to decent jobs, homes and public services
No! to racism: Yes! to decent jobs, homes and public services
Unite and fight against racism
Protest at BNP 'hate festival'
International socialist news and analysis
Lisbon Treaty 'No' vote delivers major shock for political and big business Establishment
Socialist Party campaigns
David Davis - sanity or carving a position?
Greater Manchester - save your post office
London protest over Rajapaksa's dismal human rights record
Stop big business polluting our environment
Education
Stop New Labour's divisive school academy plans
Socialist Party NHS campaign
NHS: Polyclinics - Stop this backdoor privatisation
PFI - a very bad deal for the NHS
Socialist Party campaigns
Unison conference: Angry delegates attack leaders
Post office closures
Leeds: Stop Beeston post office closures
Socialist Party workplace news
National Shop Stewards Network Conference
CWU's link with Labour hotly debated
Victory against bosses at Keele
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