A CRISIS WAITING TO HAPPEN

 

STRIKE ACTION ESCALATES

AS WORKERS FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO WORK

But it should come as no surprise!

 

An emergency meeting of the national construction shop stewards forum took place in London as long ago as the 8th January. The meeting discussed the escalating crisis in construction following a series of protests in November and December of last year, over employment rights and also the proposed exclusion of UK workers by foreign companies on power stations and other major UK contracts.

The meeting was originally called for at Newark on the 3^rd December following a series of protests at the gates of Staythope Power Station. At the meeting shop stewards voted overwhelmingly to organise a programme of demonstrations toward targeted construction projects within the UK power generation sector.

Shop stewards and trade union activists find it is hard enough as it is to get a job in the industry because of the black listing by the employers. It is a way of reducing their costs and attempting to break union organisation on the major projects.

Rank and file members are preparing for mass disruption on projects throughout the country that refuse to recognise union national agreements. There will be organised demonstrations strikes and mass disruption. We are preparing for a battle to defend our jobs.

Jerry Hicks a candidate in the coming election for General Secretary in the UK’s biggest union Unite-Amicus is supporting the action. He was present at a recent protest at Staythorpe power station where he sustained a fractured leg, having been assaulted by the police.

He said “This should come as no surprise to anyone. The employers have deliberately and actively been looking for ways to exploit cheap labour while covering their eyes and ears to the growing rage of discontent and ignoring all the warning signs, it’s outrageous”,

He went on to say, “To its shame the union leadership failed miserably to grasp the nettle months ago when the dispute was a crisis in the making. The union needs to confront the employers and organise a national campaign for industrial action.”

The employers watch and listen to everything we say and do. If the union does little and says even less they drive the boot in harder and our situation gets worse.

This is not about race or prejudice it is about the exploitation of labour, playing one worker against another. It is about the employers trying to break nationally agreed arrangements and in doing so it is an attack on the union.

Gordon Brown, who at the last Labour party conference said ‘British jobs for British workers’, has created a huge problem all of his own making. He can no longer simply sit on his hands waiting on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, other energy companies are observing what happens next as they seek to further exploit the cheap foreign labour market.

This issue is as a result of the Employers deliberately exploiting a situation, the union leaderships woeful lack of response and Browns pronouncement, Now they act like the like the three monkeys. Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.

 

 

WE HAVE A CHOICE-REAL CHANGE OR MORE OF THE SAME

It is with great pleasure and pride that I am able to say that I have now received official notification that I am a candidate in the election for the Unite Amicus General Secretary.

I have received nominations from as far afield as the Shetlands to the Isle of Wight, from East Anglia to the North West, from Wales to Ireland. Support has come from all points of the compass, from every region and sector of the union.

It was inevitable that I had the hardest task given that all the other candidates are senior officials of the union. It is worth remembering that when I launched the legal challenge virtually everyone said there was no chance of success. How wrong they were.

Then it was said I would not secure enough nominations to be on the ballot paper, yet I am already in front of Reuter and Faircloth and within touching distance of Simpson and Coyne. Indeed when Simpson himself won the election in 2002 against Ken Jackson he was much further behind at this stage.

This is still very much a David versus Goliath contest and David won that encounter as well! Another example would be Mark Serwotka, the PCS General Secretary was a part time clerk in the DSS when he went on to win.

At the time of the initial challenge back in May of this year not one of the other candidates was either brave enough or willing to come out in support of the action. Now they all say how many problems the Union faces. Not one of them however said anything about these matters prior to me being successful in forcing the election and that begs the question of their judgement. 

 Crisis of credibility where rhetoric fails to measure up to reality

We are at a crossroads in our relationship with the government, with the employers, and between the union and its members. Our union calls for a windfall tax yet nothing happens. Our union demands no job losses – no home repossessions – but things only get worse. Employers feel confident enough to break agreements and announce even more job cuts, while the union appears as bystanders and onlookers instead of opinion leaders and policy makers!

We are the country’s biggest trade union, and the single biggest donator to the Labour government – £11 million since 2005 and £millions more in loans. We support over 100 Labour MPs. We shouldn’t have to plead for change, we deserve better and should demand more. I say support only those MPs or councillors that give support for our policies.

And what of the merger with the T&GWU? I support mergers if we become stronger, not just bigger. But does anyone feel safer in their workplace as a result of the merger? If we ask the members to list their concerns most will answer, jobs, pay, pensions, health & safety, hours of work.

There is a gap that has become a chasm between the union and its members and it needs to be bridged by returning ownership of the union to where it belongs – the members.

The ‘talking shop’ democracy offered by the other candidates is meaningless.

I believe in lay democracy with lay control. Workplace reps, sector committees, combines and branches all know their problems and the solutions and should be empowered to make their own decisions.

 I promise that if I were General Secretary I would support them, not as they are now, policed by the General Secretary. Let’s turn the pyramid on its head – instilling a confidence long since lost.

The Equality and Diversity structure offers an opportunity for more members to become involved, to have their voices heard and for the union to fight on their behalf. I will make sure that these structures are a model within Unite for the genuine involvement of members.

United, Equal and Diverse, Valued, Involved and Incorporated

  Retired members with a wealth of experience and talent should be recognised as a prized asset, not treated as second class citizens. As with other Equality and Diversity committees, they deserve to have their own section as well as participate fully and equally in all the democratic structures of the union. If elected as General Secretary I would push to make this happen.

 A chance to elect a General Secretary in touch and closer to members

We despise ‘Fat cats’ in the city, why have a ‘Fat cat’ General Secretary in our union with wages of £126,939, a free car and a virtually free £1million house forever, a lifestyle nothing like that of our members. The other candidates would continue with these arrangements. This would end if I were elected. I would only take the average wage of a skilled worker.

Over the coming weeks the campaign proper will begin in earnest. There is a straight choice between the person who sought to stay in office illegally, those who stayed silent when things were going wrong or myself who decided to confront the issues by challenging the leadership.

If what I say reflects your own experience, the life you lead, the world you live in then please would you consider supporting me in my campaign for General Secretary, by way of an invitation for me to speak at meetings. And by making a financial donation make a donation make cheques payable to Jerry Hicks 4GS.

If you wish to help, want to know more, please contact me  Tel:7817827912  Email: jo@benefield.force9.co.uk

Or write to me: 10 York Road, Montpelier, Bristol; BS6 5QE.

Donations will be receipted. Records will be available for inspection.

OFFICIAL COMFIRMATION

J Hicks

10 York Road

Montpelier

Bristol

BS6 5QE

JG/vb/elect

9^th January 2009

Dear Jerry,

Election of Unite – Amicus Section Joint General Secretary

(for a term of office commencing on

23^rd December 2009 and concluding on 23^rd December 2010).

 

Today is the deadline for submission of nominations. I can inform you that you have received the necessary branch or chapel and/or workplace representative nominations required in order to be a candidate for the election of Unite – Amicus Section Joint General Secretary.

The list of valid nominations received by candidates will be published on the unions’s website as soon as practicable (please note that there are a small number of nominations where issues are subject to further clarification)

In order to be a candidate you must complete and sign the enclosed acceptance form and return it to me. It needs to be received by me no later than 4 p.m. on Friday 23^rd January 2009. If you wish the Union to circulate an election address on your behalf with the voting papers this should be attached to the completed acceptance form. You should also e-mail your election address to me at john.gibbins@unitetheunion.com

Rule 28 (10) provides that the election address shall consist of not more than 500 words. In counting the number of words used, I will apply the following principles:

• Acronyms e.g. “TUC” will count as one word.
• Numerals e,g. “500,000″ will count as one word.
• Subject to the above, each word in a proper name will count as a separate word. This “John Smith” will count as two words and “The Labour Party” will count as three words.
• Punctuation (including bullet points) will not be counted but numbering e.g. “1″ or “(1)” will count as one word.

If the election address you submit exceeds 500 words, the words after the 500^th will not be printed.

Logos, photographs and illustrations will not be allowed.

If you have any other questions relating to the word count or how the election address will be presented, please contact me in advance of the deadline for submitting your election address and I will endeavour to clarify the position.

Please remember that your completed acceptance form and election address must be received by me no later than 4 p.m. on Friday 23^rd January 2009.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

John Gibbins

Returning Officer