Went today for meeting with Idea Store staffside and management reps. Picture of top UNISON stewards, Linda Benzidane and Stephen Murray thinking beforehand of questions (ideas?) to grill managers.
The Idea Store project in Tower Hamlets has gradually merged traditional libraries and life long learning centres. It has been one of the longest reorganisations I have ever been involved with (5 years and still ongoing). The work of local shop stewards is often unrecognised despite being the “meat and drink” of trade unionism. Important items discussed today were revised job descriptions, health and safety risk assessments, communications, unassimilated staff facing possible redundancy and the future of the Idea Store project.
Local stewards bare the brunt of the work, holding down full-time jobs while trying at the same time to do their level best to represent their members.
The Idea Store project in Tower Hamlets has gradually merged traditional libraries and life long learning centres. It has been one of the longest reorganisations I have ever been involved with (5 years and still ongoing). The work of local shop stewards is often unrecognised despite being the “meat and drink” of trade unionism. Important items discussed today were revised job descriptions, health and safety risk assessments, communications, unassimilated staff facing possible redundancy and the future of the Idea Store project.
Local stewards bare the brunt of the work, holding down full-time jobs while trying at the same time to do their level best to represent their members.
12 comments:
Hi John,
As ever, right on the nail - it's really important that we acknowledge that our stewards are the linch-pins of our organisation, and that we recognise the valuable work they do day in and day out.
But we've also got to make sure we have sustainable organisation, and I don't think we do enough to prioritise finding replacements for ourselves when we move on, get burned out, etc etc etc.
As far as I can see we've got to get that mentality embedded.
It's a tough one as many people will look on their local steward as (in the main) doing a very good job which needs a huge amount of experience and expertise - which cna seem very daunting even for those who might want to step up to the role. The minority of others who unfortunately have poor expereince of their steward won't necessarily feel the need to help them step aside as they won't have a good example to follow.
We really need to push this idea of succession planning and get some resources behind it to help overwhelmed stewards and build branches. Are there any good examples out there of this kind of work?
And also a quick thanks for being a trade union voice of reason in a largely wacky blogosphere!
Thanks Danny
Yes, Recruiting, training and supporting stewards in well organised and resourced branches is vital. All branches must see their overriding role as representing members and putting their real interests forward not just seeing them as foot soldiers in some make believe toy town revolution.
John.
Can I respectfully add that the role of shop stewards is to organise workers not just to represent.
What we need to aim for is a self sustaining workplace where stewards can solve the problems without calling in full time officials in, a commomn feature now in the private sector.
We need to educate workers on the basis of struggle and that means addressing issues with our members and not by seperating ourselves, on their behalf, to deal with their problems.To sustain membership workers need to feel involved. For that we need to train new stewards to organise around issues on a similar basis to the way we organise outside in the community.In that way we can make Trade Unions relevant again.
The method I aim proposing is clearly working in the TGWU with their 'Strategy for Growth' and '100% campaigns'. Check the TGWU website for their successes.
I could go into loads more detail but the successes of the TGWU recently in the Private sector speak for themselves.
Ian
Don't forget the safety reps and ULRs?
Succession planning is fundamentally important -but whatever happened to all that research on facility time done regionally? Supporting people in getting FT will help minimise burn out surely? Perhaps we need a motion to Regional Council - if the London region ever manages to organise a quorate one!If we don't get one in October that will be two years with no quorate Council other than when the region pulls out all stops to get a quorate AGM. That's burn out on a massive scale.kat
Is the answer to any problem really having a motion at the UNISON London Regional Council? – Discuss.
Wish my own branch (and nearly all others) could have a quorate branch AGM!
Hi Ian
Thank you for your views. I would definitely agree that we do need to train stewards to be “organisers” not just to represent workers. Yes, issues are best dealt with by local stewards and FTO should only called upon for very complex or specialist cases. I am 100% with you and the T&G on an organising approach to trade unions.
I am not sure about the “struggle” bit. If you mean that the role of trade unions is to push the employers for better pay, terms and conditions and to fight when and if necessary. Then yes, but the term “struggle” can be interpreted in different ways. Perhaps you could expand on this?
Hi John
Yes you are right. 'Struggle' can be interpreted in different ways.
I work for a union and my day to day experience has, from minor workplace spats between individuals to collective confrontation, underlined to me that what we are experiencing is an ongoing workplace struggle in our workplaces.
A struggle between employer and employees. Lets be old fashioned and call it a class struggle.
The ongoing CWU dispute is a struggle one which oddly, some so called socialists in our Labour Party dont want to talk about.
Another struggle is against the cuts suffered by the HSE, by this government, which will have a detrimental effect on our workplaces. Shop Stewards , especially in construction and the petro chemical Industry have had their hand severely weakened by these moves.
Thanks for yor comments.
Ian
Hi Ian
Thanks for your response. I am afraid that I don’t go along with the “class struggle” bit. For what its worth I think that the idea of a modern day class struggle is not “old fashioned” – it’s a perfectly legitimate argument, its just wrong.
I don’t go along with John Prescott and say we are all middle class, which is clearly nonsense. However, I don’t think there is a one homogenous, white, male dominated, manual, industrial urban working class anymore to struggle for?
Not only is there only 6.5 million trade unionists out of a total workforce of 28 million but apparently the typical new trade union member is a female graduate (sorry I can’t reference these stats). There is definitely a large middle class as well as a huge self-employed sector (admittedly many phoney). Instead of thinking of things in terms of a “class struggle” we should be thinking of forming a pluralistic democratic society based upon social justice and equality. I appreciate this is very much “motherhood and apple pie stuff”. I need to think about it some more.
From a trade union point of view our role is still to struggle for our members and fight when necessary. The CWU dispute is a classic traditional struggle for better pay and terms, which you are right, has not been better supported. The cuts to parts of the HSE are another worthwhile fight. But, I can’t see how we can fight for our “class” since it does not exist.
The Labour Movement exists and it cuts across class. The Labour movement should have the natural interests and support of a majority of people in this country. Promoting the Labour movement (Party, trade unions, Co-operatives, workers capital etc – what about self employed working class?) is perhaps the modern day alternative to the class struggle?
Please scrap the other post. Sorry.
John
Thanks for your reply.
You may notice that in my contribution earlier I was very careful not to say 'working class'. I said class struggle as a reference but I was refering to employee / employer relations in the workplace in this instance.
Middle Class can be a matter of interpretation as well . There clearly are 'workers' on £45k a year as well as there being 'managers ' on £13k a year. ( I represented one the other day in Portsmouth!!)
Your description of the state of the Trade Union movement as well I have no problem with but where I feel we might differ is in our approach to rebuilding the strength we once had. Call it 21st Century organising.
You clearly support the TGWU organising model but I have to add that ,it will only succeed on the basis of the stewards and FTOs believing there is a 'struggle' in the workplace.
There are still many battles to be won in the workplace as employers try to claw back the gains we have fought for over the last 100 years.Unfortunately the political arm of our movement have not been that pro-active in helping us in this area.
I believe my perception of where we are now and where we ought to be going in the workplace is based on this perspective. I will concur that the term class struggle may seem a little out of date (Maybe we should modify the term without it losing its economic meaning ) but the fact remains that the Trade Unions have to rebuild the power and influence they once had which in turn will mean forcing our way to be influential not just in the workplace or at LP conferences but in the Government as well.
Thanks for your reply and I hope this gives you 'food for thought'.
Ian
Yes, I’ve had a good scoff with this one - Interesting stuff Ian - how about looking at it in a different way. The importance of organising is one thing we agree upon. “Struggle” (or an updated term) is maybe another thing. If we always view the employer as “the enemy” (I recognise that you haven’t actually said this) then is that actually a way forward for 21st century trade unions? I am really puzzled by the success of Scandinavian trade unions. They have 90% membership, are very proactive and organised. I met some Swedish and Icelandic trade unionists recently and asked them why they are o “successful”?
They said that one reason is that they did try to work with their employers whenever possible. They would be prepared to take action but only as a last resort. I suppose there is a “chicken and egg” situation that the employers respect trade unions more because of the density levels. Would this attitude work in UK?
That is a good point John.
I must admit that I have considered the Swedish Model but you have to admit that their tradition of working together with employers has been going on for decades.Their culture isnt the same as here.
We are a million miles from that situation in the UK unfortunately , with employers taking a more aggresive stance towards unions, built on the gains from the Thatcher years.
I wish we could have a helping hand from our Labour government in getting towards the Swedish Model by addressing shortfalls in employment law, but unfortunately their obsession towards defending employer 'flexibility' will never see us get there.
As usual thanks for your reply.
Ian
Hi Ian
I’m not sure. Yes, there are differences in culture, but in many ways arguably there is more similarities with many Scandinavian countries Denmark, Finland and Sweden (80-90%) who have high union density with the Uk (29%) than with Southern Europe countries who have even lower union membership than us (France 9%). Should we try to take the initiative rather than just complaining (no matter how justified) about “the state we’re in”? I feel a post coming on!
(today or tomorrow)
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