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)

Sunday, September 06, 2015

The Last Ice Sulpture?

http://labourlist.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/dave-prentis-smash.jpg

Those who support incumbent candidate (Dave Prentis) for a fourth term as UNISON General Secretary because he is a "safe pair of hands" can reflect on the "safe" way in which Dave smashed the pay freeze.

That worked well didn't it?

The declining base of support for the current General Secretary from the "payroll vote" of those who owe him their jobs (or are managed by him) and those who lack the imagination to believe that UNISON could be better than it is may still be significant.

But those who back the incumbent have no idea how to change UNISON to meet the challenges of 2020. Because their figurehead, who has already spent 15 years failing at succession planning, has offered them no vision other than the status quo.

An earlier enthusiasm for ice sculptures at the top of UNISON has now been abandoned, yet the metaphor of a response frozen in time shall remain apt for as long as the "safe pair of hands" steers our Union on its current, failing course.

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the EE network.

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