Tagged with Len McCluskey

Unite offers Miliband an olive branch, with clear red lines

An olive branch from UniteThe executive council of Unite the Union yesterday offered Ed Miliband a compromise in his efforts to “mend the link” between Labour and the trade unions, but also set out the red lines which it is not prepared to cross.

In a unanimous decision, it welcomed “any measures which increase the involvement of individual trade unionists in the Labour Party” and, as had been advocated by Len McCluskey from the start, specifically agreed Miliband’s proposal that “individual political levy paying members of trade unions be encouraged to ‘opt in’ to associate membership of the Labour Party as part of the drive to build a Party of mass membership.” However, it also insisted that collective affiliation of the trade unions should continue alongside the opting-in of individual levy-payers and that there should be no diminution of trade union voting strength or representation within Labour party structures.  Continue reading →

Unite statement on Falkirk

Falkirk CrisisIn July this year Unite was subjected to a major campaign of criticism regarding allegations of misconduct in the affairs of Falkirk Constituency Labour Party – in essence that the union had tried to manipulate the selection procedure for a Labour candidate for the constituency outside the Party’s rules. The union was enjoined by a range of political and media voices to take these allegations seriously and investigate them.

The core of the allegations, which have now resurfaced in a distorted form in the media, were contained in an internal Labour Party report into Falkirk. Unite has not received a copy of this “Falkirk report” to this day, although a senior Unite official was allowed to read a copy at Labour Party headquarters in July. Continue reading →

In Bournemouth at the TUC, union leaders firm up against Ed Miliband’s proposals

TUC Congress 2013In Bournemouth for the TUC Congress, the leaders of the three biggest unions affiliated to the Labour Party yesterday firmed up their position against Ed Miliband’s proposals to ‘reform’ the Labour Party trade union link.

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison which already has two sections of its political fund – one affiliated to Labour and the other not, nevertheless said: “although we are put forward as a shining example we will not change the way we do things even if there is a special conference that asks us to do it.”

Unison’s affiliated fund is not an “opt-in” fund of the sort Miliband wants since all the members of Unison’s affiliated predecessors (NUPE and COHSE) were placed in it at amalgamation and the contributions of those who fail to specify which fund they prefer but do not “opt out” altogether are allocated between the sections. Prentis is therefore taking, if anything, a harder line than Paul Kenny of the GMB which announced that it will cut its affiliation next year to the level it expects would result from requiring members to opt in, though this will not affect GMB votes or representation until 2015 and could be reversed anytime before the end of 2014. Continue reading →

“There was no major vote rigging scandal in Falkirk” say BBC

r4report Fight over Falkirk image

An excellent BBC Radio 4 investigation into the Falkirk row was broadcast on Thursday evening following the Scottish police announcement that there was insufficient evidence to justify an investigation, never mind bringing any charges. It described the row as “much ado about nothing” and concluded that there was no major vote rigging scandal. You can listen to the half-hour broadcast here or download the podcast (available indefinitely).

The BBC’s investigation explores whether there was any substance in the allegations of Unite vote rigging in Falkirk. It examines the local history from the exclusion of Dennis Canavan (“a good MP for 25 years” ) from the panel to select a Scottish parliamentary candidate, through the departure of half of the local party membership and the imposition of Eric Joyce who it seem was universally “scunnered.” They speak to many of the key figures in Falkirk, and and it is clear that some party members like local councillor Dennis Goldie resented some of the actions of Unite, which Unite were entirely open about and viewed as “exemplary.” There were tensions in the party too — though that’s hardly unusual. However, the BBC findings are disturbing: Continue reading →

Our union link: the status quo is worth defending

Save the Labour-Union LinkThe conciliatory tone of Len McCluskey’s recent speech on the Labour Party, and Ed Miliband’s proposed reforms, should be welcomed, as it steps away from escalating what seemed to be a growing crisis. There has been a witch hunt atmosphere surrounding Unite, that we need to defuse. Len says:

Ed Miliband has made some bold and far-reaching proposals for recasting the trade union relationship with the Labour party. I know that some pundits were expecting me to reject them outright, to re-run the experience of the last generation on this issue – the party leader says something, the unions reject it and have no positive proposals of their own. The first plan goes through anyway and we look like not just losers but conservative losers.

However, I am sure that many activists in the unions, and the centre left of the party, will have concerns about some of the content of Len’s speech, for example where he says:

Why dig in behind a status quo that has not worked for us? The block vote didn’t stop a Labour government invading Iraq. Affiliation didn’t keep Labour out of the clutches of the banks and the City. Our special relationship didn’t get the union laws repealed. So don’t let anyone say that the status quo is worth defending.

Firstly, the record of the last Labour governments was not as bleak as Len seems to be painting it. Continue reading →