Now -read the book!

Here is a link to my memoirs which, if you are a glutton for punishment, you can purchase online at https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/an-obscure-footnote-in-trade-union-history.
Men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name. (William Morris - A Dream of John Ball)

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Getting support for UNISON policy in Parliament

Good to see up to date reporting of Tuesday’s lobby of Parliament (for funding for equal pay in local government) on the UNISON website.

You can check out whether your MP has signed Early Day Motion 1775 supporting the lobby.

Cross referencing supporters of the EDM thus far with the UNISON group of MPs shows that so far 12 of the Labour MPs in the UNISON group are among the 37 Labour signatories of the EDM (there are also 3 Tories, 3 Liberals, 2 Unionists and 1 from the SDLP).

There are 61 MPs listed in the UNISON group and, even allowing for the fact that ministers can’t sign EDMs there is obviously a lot more work to do to get even “our own” MPs supporting this vital priority for our Union. I hope that the National Labour Link Forum, meeting now in Manchester will have been giving some thought to how to raise the game of UNISON’s Labour Party work, which is not well regarded.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

John Gray -I had thought better of you than to engage in such a churlish and sniping remark. I certainly have concerns about the effectiveness of UNISON's Labour Link and I think Jon's point is relevant and should be taken on board.

Surely the point is to try and bring together all UNISON Labour party members/activists -and potential members - in unity (remember that word that somehow crept into the LG Conference) and avoid the sniping -which does no-one any credit but can do a deal of harm.

Perhaps Jon's question on the effectiveness of LL may be partially answered at the National Forum ? I very much doubt it will be answered in full but I live in hope.
Kat

Anonymous said...

yes -it is me john! can't be fashed to refigure out how I got on this before with an ID.
Hmm -United Left: there are many good committed UNISON activists in the United Left and discussions/debates on genuine bread and butter issues for UNISON mmebers. I think it is too easy to misconstrue something because of prejudice -and yet being in UNISON means we constantly have to challenge, examine and analyse our prejudices -yes? I believe in unity and am in the UL -that does not mean I am a bad trade unionist. I do however despair of the generated left v right battle in this region. Good effective trade union activists are being marginalised because of that.
And LL -what was it Churchill said about the Soviet Union -riddle, mystery, enigma? That just about describes my current view of the LL. It needs to come out of the closet. Look forward to your report back on the weekend.
kat