Monday, June 11, 2007

UNISON NEC Election Results: London Victory for Centre Left, National Union Safe.


Congratulations to London lollypop lady, Louise Couling, who was re-elected, new blood Kim Silver, elected for the first time and elected unopposed, Irene Stacey. Well done all of them.

Louise and Kim beat both female candidates from the SWP controlled “United Left” faction. A resounding victory!!

Sadly, top health rep Conroy Lawrence was defeated by the narrowest of margins in the male seat (less than 650 votes) but this is a great result for a first time candidate!! Formal and very sincere congratulations to United Left Jon Rogers.

Overall, despite a few casualties and losing some good people, nationally we had victory across the board. Most importantly, the union is safe; the NEC is still in the hands of ordinary members who want the best for UNISON and who will pursue real trade union policies rather than calling for permanent revolution and other such nonsense.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

John - I know you side particularly with the UNISON machine in London to the extent that I don't believe you open your eyes to see how democracy is being actively undermined -because its easier to operate with a closed mind and prejudices about certain groups.I really don't understand it -you are a committed ativist yet choose to be blinkered and never question the status quo.

I will wait and see what Kim -congrats to her -is like as an NEC member ie does she actually bother to talk to members, report on what is happening, be accountable or will she be totally unaccountable like the other London women NEC members. So far the only NEC member in London who does that is Jon Rogers who belongs -as you say -to the the United Left -but his blog and reports seem to involve a lot of domocratic thinking and dialogue? Is it that which makes the UL a problem? I thought that was what Unions were about?

John Gray said...

Hi Anon
Sorry, I think you are wrong and underestimate the threat to the Union from being controlled by the ultra left. They may well be sincere in their views but they see the Union as a means of advancing “The Revolution” and are perfectly able (and willing) to subvert the union’s democratic structures in order to do this. This is not just red-baiting but in my view a fact. They would not be good Revolutionaries if they didn’t think this way

A fundamental difference is that I am “up” for holding strikes and confrontations with employers or the government if it necessary and if we are likely to win. Others want strikes and conflict for conflict sake, not as a mechanism to progress the interests of our members.

I don’t really understand why some hardworking and well respected activists support the United left even though I know they do not agree with its “politics”?

Quick correction, Jon makes reports to our region on behalf of all the London NEC members. He also publishes them on his blog. Well done on that. However, it is not so much the reporting that bothers me it is his decisions, his allies and the positions that he supports that cause our differences.

Anonymous said...

Sorry John -you lost me on the 'democratic structures' bit. Is this the one where the key officials in the region only ever organise and pull out the stops for a Regional Council AGM, ignore rules and national guidance and don't answer questions from activists -even Branch Secretaries? Just wonder where the democracy is there? Seems to me the region at the moment has some real problems with identifying reds under beds and using that as an excuse for totally manipulating and disregarding members. Seems they prefer the Mc Carthy model of democracy?
And I'd much rather have an NEC member who is bothered about feeding back than ones who just turn up to have tea and biscuits,claim their expenses and not give a fig for the members in their region. Be honest -if you are elected to a national position then there is a responsibility to at least let members know what you are doing!And to let them contact you. From what I have been told, at least one long standing female London NEC member doesn't even reply to her emails. I won't vote for people who can't be bothered to even pretend to be accountable.

Anonymous said...

didn't Marsha Thompson lose by only 600 something votes too -as a first time candidate? Pretty good then - a young member, a mother and a long standing activist since the age of 18? Pretty good attempt I would say.

Anonymous said...

There is an iciness, a sickening of the heart -an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination can torture into aught of the sublime.
What is it -I pause to think -what is it that so unnerves me in the contemplation of the Unison London Region?
I do not dare to speak!Oh miserable wretch that I am.As darkness and decay and the red menace hold dominion over all!

Well -that is what seems to be happening in the region -and probably the NEC - according to some! Comments anyone? Particularly your good self John? Or do you believe that the red death has long devastated the union? No pestilence so fatal or so hideous?

John Gray said...

Hi Anons
Bit busy organising for AJ at mo. -will respond asap

John Gray said...

Hi Anon 12 June
I thought you would respond like this, especially under your clock of anonymity! Hope you don’t mind me saying but it does appear that your arguments are pretty desperate. Just because you have been “told” that one long standing females London NEC members doesn’t reply to her emails is hardly the basis of an argument? Do you realise that one of them is a low paid manual worker who doesn’t have access to email?

It would appear from your comments that you think personal attacks and direct abuse is appropriate political discourse. Sorry, but this shows to me that many (not by all means all) on the Ultra left are just hypnotics. Attack the politics, what they say and do by all means but not their character unless you have direct and overwhelming evidence.

John Gray said...

Hi Anon 13 June
Yes, it was a pretty good result for Marsha. But she has chosen to be part of a SWP slate.

John Gray said...

Hi Edgar Allan Poe

Bravo for trying to get some literature into bloging. Not too sure what you are actually asking me? I assume there must have been some liquid inspiration for your muse.

Anonymous said...

But NEC members all have email addresses and blackberries and I think -UNISON credit cards? It was an intiative taken to improve communications -including provision of laptops and training. Good initiative I thought - making the NEC more accessible and enabling low paid members to have access to IT.And my source is very credible on the non response matter.

John Gray said...

Good initiative" yes, but I suppose all our members nowadays have access to the internet. However, if they do not want to use the internet then "fair enough". You cannot discriminate against people who for whatever reason, do not wish to use the Internet. The contact addresses of NEC London members are in the UNISON diary. There are some people that I have given up responding to their emails. I have told them why though.