Saturday, January 31, 2009

Pass the Sick Bag (2) – Toy Town Lambeth ALMO Trots Exposed.

“John, I am a long suffering Lambeth UNISON member. I am fed up with these public school middle class Oxbridge toy town revolutionaries taking our jobs and wasting our union dues.

Please can they go and play politics elsewhere. All this information is available on the internet. (Check the original "Pass the Sick Bag")

So Lambeth Militia aka Militant, aka Tendency aka Activists aka Permanent Revolution (please don’t make me laugh). They appear to be a bunch of immature young guns for hire ( if they only knew which end the bullets went in).

This is a small ‘Gang of 5’ (dominated of course, as is usual with the loonies, by white male local government workers) or cell that has deliberately "infiltrated" Lambeth.

They don’t even now work directly for the council. They all work for Lambeth Living, an ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation) in Lambeth Borough. They have no influence with Council staff as they do not have facility time, I am told, to spread the revolution or engage in the merits of a ‘workers government’ answerable to the trade union movement.

In fact their only claim to fame was last summer when (at that time they were led by their now unemployed comrade and ex- public schoolboy, Rajani – see below) they failed miserably to mobilise the working classes to stop the ALMO being set up (as the South London press reported), despite spending lots of UNISON members money in the process.

At the same time the Militia could only muster a grand total of 22 of the 500 odd Lambeth Living ALMO work force to strike during the UNISON 2 days pay strike. And this shower wants a general strike?

The ALMO Militia Blog was only set up because Rogers and co. were sick to death of the Militia posting libellous and quite outlandish statements on the Branch Blog so the Lambeth branch shut down their own Blog as the Branch was near to being sued.

They crow about their 'successes at the Lambeth AGM ' ! Is this the same AGM where the membership, after the branch elections, and despite the alleged charm of the ALMO Militia, left in their hordes ,making the AGM in-quorate with 14 motions (including some sponsored by the Militia) not being debated.

Yep the Militia are certainly raising the political consciousness and awareness in Lambeth! In fact this scenario showed that they are ineffective and sterile. Ted Knight would be turning in his grave (if he was dead that is).

Although James Caspell appears to front the ALMO Militia Blog his ‘team’ , apart from Rajani ,include Sacha Ismail and Ruth Cashman who are both AWL stalwarts - See below.

Caspell (27) and he of 6 Blogs at the last count started his activist life, in his first steps of the Class War, as a failed Green Party candidate in Havering, East London in the May local Council elections of 2006. He was the only Green candidate in an election for three ward seats in a contest involving 13 candidates. He came bottom of the pile with 301 votes, well behind the local ‘Resident Association’ candidates, and the other 3 parties.

Not to be deterred, Caspell then stood and was elected, in Nov 2006, as the Young Greens candidate for the post of Postgraduate Student Officer at the LSE students union. He had just finished his 3 year degree course at the LSE, that bastion of working class consciousness and then decided to work up a sweat by doing an MA in Political Sociology ( probably specialised in ' how to set up Militia groups ! ). He told the Independent at the time "I am also aware the LSE looks good on a CV ". Solid revolutionary motives no doubt !

He joined UNISON sometime 2007 when he got his first real full time "real" job. He then politically ‘matured’ by leaving the Green party and threw his all into shaking up the Green Left before joining the ALMO Militia.

In the meantime his comrade in arms, Heenal Rajani (AWL) was already feeling the revolutionary blast when he faced the threat of disciplinary action in 2008 for publishing the scurrilous (and possibly Libellous) news-sheets via the Lambeth Branch Blog and the Lambeth e-mail system. So it came to pass when Rajani slinked off into the sunset in December 2008 with a nice pay –off from Lambeth Living by way of severance / redundancy.

Of course the Lambeth ALMO Militia did not feel that their recently published manifesto applied to them or even their ‘fallen comrade’. The 2nd demand in their manifesto committed them to “fight against all redundancies and job losses –including ‘voluntary ‘redundancies ' , not when it affects them of course!

Given the fact that I am told that Rajani still hangs about like a bad smell in the Lambeth Branch office he seems to be continuing his fruitful career as the unemployed full time organiser for the Militia. Contacts tell me that the Regional powers that be are also conducting a disciplinary investigation into his antics.

It’s not always been downhill for Rajani. In December 2000 the Oxford University Gazette records that ,"Heenal Mukesh Rajani of Merton College” received an exhibition (award). The same Gazette confirms that Rajani‘s pre – Oxford days were spent at an exclusive toffs school in Hertfordshire. Bishops Stortford College was ‘home ‘ to this AWL revolutionary and with boarding fees of £6281 per term or £4517 (in 2008) for day students it was clearly a good grounding to develop his working class consciousness.

In having a quick look at this toff’s school website, the 2008 Summer News records that a “sibling” (methinks) has ‘won’ a place at Trinity & Kings College Cambridge?

Whilst studying PPE at Oxford Rajani was active in student political life and he shared many a political and academic meeting with a fellow PPE student whose home was Somerville College in Oxford. He also shared the odd football game with the same up and coming revolutionary stalwart and current student /youth organiser for the AWL, none other than Sacha Ismail, being the same Sacha who is a team member of the Militia Blog. Albeit a thoroughly nice chap and permanent student like comrades Caspell and Rajani, contacts confirm that Sacha has led a far more colourful life revolutionary life to date.

On his travels in the Ivory Towers this nice but dim chappie thought it would bring him more revolutionary cred by changing his name from Alexander Salim Ismail to Sacha Ismail ! The student electronic message board of the day was adamant that he changed his name to make himself ‘more Russian’ (and revolutionary?) Sacha of course denied this wicked slur, but kept his new name anyway. Both Ismail and Rajani were active members of the Oxford students union as old copies of the student newspaper confirm.

Sacha had his first taste of ‘Uncle Joe’ when he came 8th in the student elections with the Young Communist League candidates trouncing the baby trots. You would have thought he learned something from this but it was not to be.

His next ‘foray’ involved, as co-chair of the student union Anti-Racism committee, being party to inviting to the Oxford Union ,none other than John Tyndall then leader of the BNP. The student newspaper at the time (May 2000) has Sacha as saying that inviting Tydall was “entirely a bad thing to do”. Needless to say the ‘No platform ‘policy at Oxford came from such gross stupidity.

Students eh! Bless ‘em poor sods, so young and confused! Needless to say this put paid to his later attempts to be elected as Oxford Student President, thank goodness. From there on Sacha drifted into the political wilderness until he found his ideal full time posting with the AWL.

Lo and behold he turns up as an ALMO Militia member to join with his old mate Rajani to fight the revolution in Lambeth Town, which by the way boasts a good number of CP activists.

Watch your back Sacha!

The ALMO Militia also recruited another AWL permanent student to their ranks when they were joined on their Blog by Ruth Cashman. She signed the statement in support of Robin Sivapalan in 2006 as Ruth Cashman Newcastle Workers Liberty.

On a final swansong Sasha’s 'friends' on face book include, Caspell, Jeffries (Dan) and Rajani, i.e.; the so called ‘Central Committee ‘of the ALMO Militia.

John - We have posh middle class people who have been highly educated at great expense taking working class Lambeth jobs in order to further the "revolution". What can we do about this lot?"

UPDATE: Apologies if I did not make this clear but this is a guest post by a Lambeth Member(s). I put in some links and actually edited some stuff out which I thought was a bit too “controversial”. I might I suppose post this in a “Pass the Sickbag” (3)?

109 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lambeth jobs for Lambeth people I say,is that revolutionary enough young chappie
Good one ,
Brian (NOT of Lambeth Living

Anonymous said...

How dare you Heenal sacrificed a lot for the Lambeth Living 'gang' of 5 (or was it 4 ?)

Anonymous said...

Whilst I might have many issues with the politics of the Lambeth Militants this article is truly awful. Why can't you ever seem to post anything that actually demonstrates political analysis rather than just making crass comments about people's backgrounds John? Sadly I suspect it's because you lack the political understanding to make any kind of genuine political analysis.

An understanding of the effect that people's class background has on their outlook is certainly valuable but that's not what you or this article demonstrate. We all enjoy taking the piss out of public school boys now and then but this is just base class prejudice and that does not further the interests of workers at all!

Perhaps whoever wrote this (whether it was you John or really someone from Lambeth) should spend a little more time working to organise workers rather than the hours they must have spent doing all this research into the backgrounds of the individuals. If they genuinely represented the interests of members and fought to organise them then surely these wicked militants would pose no threat!

Wouldn't be quite so much material for your blog then though I suppose...

From a UNISON activist who went to one of the most ethnically diverse comprehensive schools in the UK and doesn't have a Degree and works in Housing (without a poncey, petty-bourgeois CIH membership)

Anonymous said...

Help.

I've just choked on my kebab and coke (the drink that is) as I cannot believe so many at our AGM have been duped by so few.
But seriously do this gang really think Lambeth Unison is now going to tolerate them as a serious political force ? I think the term 'cowards' (but rich ones) and fraudsters is so apt. BTW who is the Ted Night you mention ?

An angry and poor Lambeth member.

Anonymous said...

Ah, so it is all true then ? had my doubts for a minute there

Dilwyn from Chelsea

John Gray said...

Hi Anon 23.13

I didn’t write this post – I hear what you “claim” about your schooling, so why don’t you identify yourself and your schooling?

I am very proud that I went to Buckley High School, a state comprehensive and former secondary modern school. I was also the first member of my family to ever go to university. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that?

I am not aware that Leeds Uni and Westminster are “poncey”? and I doubt that such vile homophobic comments such as this will further your cause – whoever you are?

You just don’t realise how much ordinary working people despise you lot do you?

Anonymous said...

An entirely different anonymous here...

Very impressive googling of these types. Thought you'd be amused to know that when Alexander first got to Oxford and changed his name he got the wrong spelling, so for about two years went by the name Sasha. Until a foreign student pointed out that's the way russian women spell the name.

Oh how we laughed.

Anonymous said...

What a pathetic, lying and apolitical piece. Yeah of course it was someone from Lambeth who wrote this.

The fact is that there is no "gang of five" you moron. And out of the four people who stood at the AGM you mention only one of them, possibly because they don't fit your stereotypes (i.e. not middle class and not all white, the same goes for people who signed up to the statement). You also mention someone called Sasha who doesn't work for Lambeth and therefore isn’t part of Lambeth Activsts.

You could get also get your facts right because a number of Lambeth Activists work for Lambeth Council, not the ALMO (including two of the candidates). However I can’t see what the problem is with working for an ALMO?

It’s also pretty laughable that you talk about middle class activists when the Labour Party is full of them and the Labour Party cabinet is full of people who were educated at public/private schools.

As for not having any support from members well as we got between 37% and 60% for the posts we stood for this obviously isn’t true.

As for failing to stop the ALMO Lambeth Activists didn’t exist at this time and the campaign to stop the ALMO was led by Defend Council Housing. It was a real shame that the campaign lost but it was by 51% to 49%.

As for “Rogers and co” I should think they are far more sick to death of right wingers in the Labour Party than anyone to their left.

As I said in the other post we will continue to do the day to day work of putting up notice boards, holding workplace meetings and taking on issues such as bullying and redundancies. Maybe you should try and do this rather than spending your time doing “research” to red bait.

As for being despised, I think that applies to the Labour Party in many areas of the country. Maybe not so much in big business circles though.

Anonymous said...

It's funny how people like you don't ever discuss the social and educational background of your beloved Labour Party leaders: for instance the fact that a couple of years ago 23% of Labour ministers went to Oxbridge and 25% to fee paying schools; while almost half the New Labour cabinet were privately educated! Look at the background of Tony Blair!

No, none of that is worthy of comment - but you pick on the fact that one of these activists went to a private school, though none of the other people involved in the project (more than you mention) did ...

Charlie Marks said...

I'd be wary about mocking someone's background. I think if you are going to make an argument against someone's politics it has to actually be about their politics, otherwise the debate will just descend into name-calling.

I realise that you didn't write this John, but it might help if you put the quoted text in quotes.

You say that the anonymous poster should reveal himself so we can find out if its true about his schooling - what about identifying who wrote this post? Then we'd know if they are actually someone other than John Gray, man with time on his hands?

Anonymous said...

I see that you blame the far left for much of the woes in UNISON elsewhere on the blog. When someone pointed out the defeats in the London Weighting, pensions and pay disputes you went on another rant about the far left. Given the small size of the far left and the fact that the Labour Party supporters and their allies control the national leadership and the full time apparatus don't you think it's a bit laughable to blame the far left for the state of the union and the defeats?

Also what about union branches like Lewisham which are staunch supporters of Prentis and New Labour? They have AGMs of about 50 people and their stewards networks have all but fallen apart, let alone workplace meetings. The far left is non-existant in Lewisham. What's your excuse for that one?

ian said...

Awful post John. Truly awful.

(This is from someone who went through state schooling at a rough comprehensive in a London Overspill town in Hampshire in the 70s)

As the previous anon poster asked, what about the middle class university educated upstarts that run the Labour Party who are busy leading its hard working members to defeat at the next General Election?

Ian

Anonymous said...

What I find most amusing by all the above comments is how seriously you all take your completely irrelevent local politics. You should try engaing in a bit less navel gazing. Its good to see that class envy is alive and kicking though. You can't make any positive progress yourselves so find some more successful people to deride. I went to Public school and I'm proud of it - I would rather sell the big issue than inflict comprehensive educashun on my children. Reading your coments and looking at you from afar it seems like you are all swirling around in a cess pit of your own making! Is this the very best you can aspire too? Sad losers.

Jon Rogers said...

I see you continue your tradition of inaccurate reporting from the Lambeth Branch AGM John.

I deplore your personal attacks upon fellow UNISON members, to which I assume you stoop because you cannot actually win an argument honestly even with those you deride.

I suggest that your anonymous informant reveals themselves and - if they have any issues with the Lambeth branch they come and talk to the branch about it.

I am very proud to be an officer of the Lambeth Branch of UNISON, representing all of its members including those whom you attack. I suggest you check the branch blog over the next couple of days to see what we are doing in the branch, working together to pursue UNISON policy.

ian said...

"What I find most amusing by all the above comments is how seriously you all take your completely irrelevent local politics. You should try engaing in a bit less navel gazing. Its good to see that class envy is alive and kicking though. You can't make any positive progress yourselves so find some more successful people to deride. I went to Public school and I'm proud of it - I would rather sell the big issue than inflict comprehensive educashun on my children. Reading your coments and looking at you from afar it seems like you are all swirling around in a cess pit of your own making! Is this the very best you can aspire too? Sad losers.""

Who are you? No name? Why should your opinion count then you coward!!

Anonymous said...

Ian Spart..I'm, not interested in your warped opinion...so get used to it comrade. Try getting a more fufilling life.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately John the gang of 4 (not 5)love the publicity you are giving them. At best they are an irrelevant spot on the bottom of Lambeth Unison. But all spots eventually go away. Members in Lambeth are more intelligent than you give them credit for. Think Rogers and co (as you describe them) are amused with their antics and use the so call fight with them (there isn't one they love each other) to hide the fact that they themselves are bad at organising the branch. They are laughing with thise God send gift of the Lambeth miliraist or whatever they call themselves. Exposing them is good but they love the publicity.

Anonymous said...

Hello,

Firstly:
1. My name's Sacha Ismail.
2. I grew up in Lambeth and have lived here most of my life, but I don't work at Lambeth council and never have. I'm friends and work politically with some people who do.

Secondly, on the educational background of the Labour Party leadership. There seems to have been a slight decline in private school involvement under Brown, but still, of 31 people allowed to attend the cabinet, 9 (29%) were privately educated; 12 (37.5%) went to Oxbridge; the great majority went to posh universities; and only 13 (41.9%) went to a comprehensive.

Contrast that to the people actively involved in Lambeth Activists. One, Heenal, went to a private school, which you pick on of course; the rest all went to comprehensives.

Fact are so inconvenient, aren't they!

Thirdly, on the question of me and the BNP invitation, here's what actually happened.

When I was 18 and a first year at university, I was elected co-chair of the SU anti-racism committee. I organised a week of meetings and events, as part of which I agreed to a proposal made by someone else to invite the head of the BNP, John Tyndall, *for a debate*. Clearly this was very stupid, but my idea was that we'd give him a kicking. (I like the implication that I invited him because I thought he'd have something wortwhile to say!)

There was, as you can imagine, a big campaign against this, which included the organisation I'm now a member of, Workers' Liberty. The invitation was cancelled and I learnt my lesson about the nature of fascism and the idea of 'no platform'.

What a scandal.

Lastly, I find the claim you didn't write this yourself hilarious.

James Caspell said...

This is probably the most poorly researched hatchet job I have ever seen in my life. What it lacks in political analysis it more than makes up for in unintentional comedic brilliance and irrelevance. That said these sorts of personalised attacks are an embarrassment to our movement and what puts thousands of would-be activists across the leftist spectrum off from getting involved. No doubt the right in our union wants a passive, docile union from top to bottom, but you will find that this is not what memebrs wants in the face of pay cuts and job cuts.

You're "source" can't be that "fed up" if they won't even put a name to their likely hours of diligent yet incorrect research. Other than this, this is a thoroughly ageist and unsubstantiated embarrassment of a post really. No wonder our union keeps losing disputes, with the "pragmatic" "moderates" such as yourself spending their valuable time posting this sort of bilge up instead of addressing bread and butter issues in workplaces. Anyone would think that you were a stooge for New Labour and our employers...

Where to start?! Perhap a few facts to contrast with your post:

1. I've never been to a "public" nor any form of private school in my entire life. Sorry if that means you might need to criticise me politically rather than personally (and "anonymously"). I was also the first member of my family (immediate or extended) to go to university and this remains the case. I didn't even apply to Oxford or Cambridge, let alone go there (not that that would be anything for any student to be embarrassed about.)

2. Sacha, Heenal and Gurmeet are not white. Gurmeet is female.

3. Every candidate on the Lambeth Activist slate at the Lambeth UNISON AGM went to a state school. Admittedly, some of us did have the petty-bourgeois audacity to attend university! I am sure that come the revolution we will all be first against the wall...

4. Sacha doesn't even work for Lambeth Living, nor LBL.

5. Lambeth Militants is a blog contributed to by a number of workers and residents who live in the borough of Lambeth, but don't necessarily work for LBL. Some of its contributers are members of unions other than UNISON, including the IWW and Unite. I think around 5 different political parties are represented on the blog.

6. Our elected convenors and certain Branch Officers do have facility time and work hard for members' interests – whether they ran on a Lambeth Activists platform or otherwise, the same as thousands of other activists in our union. We are a very active Branch, as seen by out recent solidarity work for Gaza (see our blog as Jon Rogers stated). This is why the Lambeth AGM is probably one of the best attended in London, because of its political vibrancy and a culture of confronting employers when necessary rather than rolling over and voting New Labour for another decade of political and economic masochism.

7. Stopping council housing from being privatised is a national and local priority of UNISON, not a Lambeth-centric socialsit indulgence. The majority of tenants did not vote for the ALMO, yet it was pushed through anyway by New Labour locally and nationally, with apparantly no gain for tenants or staff.

8. You are quoting employers strike figures which are in fact wrong and were ephemeral, given they were published before most managers had even returned their strike absence forms!

9. I am not 27 and never have been.

10. Green Left is a constituent and recognised part of the Green Party. I have been a Green Party member for 8 years campaigning for environmental justice, socialism, peace and democracy. I am proud to have stood in local elections and offered an alternative to cuts in public services and jobs in Romford.

11. My postgraduate degree was an MSc. Not an "MA". It was actually extremely challenging and I worked hard for it, as millions of students do all across the country. Increasingly students are facing record levels of debt, poverty and mental illness in order to excercise their right to education. Belittling these obstacles by implication is an embarrassment to trade unionism and this "political" blog.

12. I did not undertake a Masters simply to have it on my CV.

13. Not sure what you mean by a "real" job, but I have held regular employment since the age of 15. I have over 5 years experience of working in local government alone (4 of which is for Lambeth) including for two different local authorities, including around 5 different full-time jobs.

Apart from that...keep up the good work!

James Caspell

Lambeth UNISON Shop Steward, Young Members' Officer and Publicity Officer (elected with circa 60% of vote)

Anonymous said...

John,

If I were any one of the people you've just slandered and potentially libelled, I'd be taking out a Rule I complaint forthwith.

Your attacks on fellow activists - political disagreements notwithstanding - are now becoming petty at best and sickening at the extreme, for a long-term UNISON activist like myself.

Why do you seem to be physically incapable of showing at least 10% of the wrath you show the UNISON lefties to the employers? Or it is just not as fun?

Your claim to serve "the members" is a complete and utter joke. Instead, you just look out for your interests and building your career.

If this blog is anything to go by, I feel - HARD - for the members you dupe into representing them.

Jack

Anonymous said...

Hi john, Well the truth is out i don't need a middle class twit fighting my corner, what do they know about me growing up in a working class family in south london,they are not interested, It's the same old story they think we are silly and don't know better well will do it was the high and middle class pissing on us in the first place, So jog on middle class trot's.

Anonymous said...

Accept "Paulmcc" the problem for you is that Lambeth Activists aren't middle class (as has already pointed out all four candidates went to comprehensives), unlike most people in New Labour and their allies.

ian said...

"Ian Spart..I'm, not interested in your warped opinion...so get used to it comrade. Try getting a more fufilling life."

Ouch. How clever.
By the way, check your spelling!!

Love

Ian

Anonymous said...

Well done John for exposing the mess Lambeth Unison is in. The region should close the branch down. Lambeth militia are a good reason to do this. Go for it close it all down do us all a favour! Rogers is only interested in his NEC position and the rest of them want to use the branch as a vehicle to regional politics.

So go easy on your criticism of the militia tendency (or whatever they are called) because they are doing a grand job for the rest of us who are sick and tired hearing what Lambeth do! I love them!

Simon De Potato

Anonymous said...

I love trots who make a stand for the principle

get branches and lowly paid workers to pay their legal fees

then run off with the a behind closed doors cash pay off

just how much did he and (she) get

so much for principle

Anonymous said...

London weighting dispute was run by the ultra left and lost by the ultra left
costing us two and half million

the truth hurts but its the fact

as with the recent 2 day pay strike no unison branch got more than 30% of members out

a disgrace

Anonymous said...

60% vote

what does that mean 00.5% of unisons membership in Lambert

Anonymous said...

Again John Gray if this was from a Lambeth Member then name them.

This is an outrageous post full of lies and inaccuracies and you can't give yourself cover by saying it was someone else who sent this in (which I very much doubt). Given the seriousness of this I think an official complaint will be put in to UNISON for investigation.

Lambeth is "a mess" eh? Given that it has one of the biggest AGMs in London and one of the biggest memberships I'd say the facts say otherwise.

Also I find it amusing that people talk about the percentages voting for people given that the post of General Secretary is voted on by about 17% of members and the NEC is voted on by about 5-6% of members.

If you want to see branches in a mess have a look at somewhere like the pro-Prentis Lewisham branch. Tiny AGMs (of 40-50 people!) and no links with the membership. As there are no far lefts in the Lewisham branch what excuse do you have?

Given the size of the far left and the fact that the right of Labour runs the union it's pathetic that they blame the far left for the state of UNISON!

Anonymous said...

I think you are going to find yourself in hot water with the region yourself with this flagrant breach of UNISON rules.

Not before time to!

Anonymous said...

John, great post. I love the picture. But watch out mate you haven’t been set up by Rogers fighting his own battles with the militia. This unnamed Lambeth unison member(s) is definitely someone from the local branch. Who is well known for obsessively googling everyone he comes across, particularly his enemies on his commutes into work? This is just his style to get back at them and try to make himself appear good. His fingerprints are all over it I reckon.

Go on and post(3)

Anonymous said...

John - given how many positions you fill, don't you have better things to do than collude with the bureaucracy and employers, and lay into (most likely) hard working union activists?

As for the lack of politics in this piece, you couldn't analyse your way out of a paper bag, clearly...

Anonymous said...

i was at the AGM and am glad that people with new ideas are getting involved to work with the more experienced people like Jon Rogers.

Anonymous said...

Given most of this is quite clearly not true, do you not think you might want to cover yourself and take it down?

Ever heard of solidarity?

Peter M

Anonymous said...

Peter,

Unfortunatly, John does not seem to think that the rules on treating activists fairly and with respect do not apply to him.

I think that if even the mildest form of abuse John has dished out here were to be subjected to him by the left, threats of disciplinary action would be quickly forthcoming.

A number of people here have advised John to take it down, with someone else threatening a complaint to the union (I merely suggested that, if it were me at the receiving end, I would; however, it is not me, thankfully).

Hopefully common sense (I wouldn't hold out for solidarity) will prevail, John will take down this blog and apologise in writing to those who he as libelled.

I hope.

- Jack

Anonymous said...

Seems like the revolutionary/reformist battle in Lambeth is getting a bit out of hand!

A bit embarrasing if the best the right wingers/reformists can come up with is half-baked personalised attacks and outright lies without any political substance...nothing changes...

At least the "militants" are sticking to the politics of their differences on their blog, which is more hthan can be said of some (this one included) ...

Camden UNISON Activist

Anonymous said...

Sorry comrades, I'm not used to all this technology.

The first line is meant to be:

"Unfortunatly, John does not seem to think that the rules on treating activists fairly and with respect apply to him."

Apologies.

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with being militant anyway?

Better than being as weak as a pint of piss like most Labour Party activists these days...

Anonymous said...

Someone might also want to contact whoever hosts John Gray's blog to warn then of any potential issues with libel. They might not be happy about leaving this blog up.

Anonymous said...

Well well,what a head of froth this has stirred up from the fringe left.
I think it is quite legitimate to use google (and it looks like the search engine of AWL) to see exactly where these 'jonnie come lately's' are coming from esp. if they want to build an alternative "workers" government that is answerable to the trade union and working class movement. Socialist history is full comrades who have been betrayed,setup, jailed and I dare say bumped off as a result of taking gushing new activists who have suddenly 'seen the light'at last. Remember the special branch and mi5 infiltration in the 70's and 80's ?
Nothing personal intended but who wants to have a serious political debate with this lot who it would appear are totally out of thier depth.
I was more interested to find that on the front page of their glossy manifesto there was a picture of AWL member Rajani holding the compulsory megaphone and right behind him is a grinning Jon Rogers,no doubt lapping it up as he always does (he dosen't do much else !)

Given that JR appears to endorse thier activities by appearing on the launch publicity it does appear to be logical to suggest that they were all 'groomed' politically by him ? and now it has all gone wrong with the Militia declaring independence and going thier own way after the lambeth Branch shut them off from the Branch Blog ?
Are the Almo Militia with or against the United Left in London ? and if they support the UL line will they all be attending the London Regional AGM on Tuesday coming to vote for the depleted UL slate ? If not perhaps JR did have a hand in exposing the Militia in his usual machiavellian style to get rid of any challenge on his own doorstep ??
keep up the sterling work.

Graham (Newham)

Anonymous said...

Graham I don't think it is legitimate to put up personal information about people, especially when it is inaccurate and/or lies. As is the case here. Surely better to stick to the politics.

Indeed you talk about the AWL but the person mentioned (Sacha) isn't even part of Lambeth, he just happens to look at a blog!

John Gray has also posted stuff up about people going to public schools as a smear campaign but conveniently leaves out that all the Lambeth Activist candidates went to comprehensives!

Also three of the four candidates have over 10 years trade union experience each (one has over 40!). Hardly "johnny come latelys". Again the post by John Gray says nothing of this and you are obviously taken in by it, which makes the original post by John Gray all the more shameful.

You then go on to say Jon Rogers endorses Lambeth Activist on the basis that he appears in the background in one picture!! Actually Jon Rogers stood on a slate which stood against Lambeth Activists and never had anything to do with Lambeth Activists. It really is better to get your facts right before you say stuff. However Lambeth Activsts have a constructive relationship with Jon Rogers and we are working together on many campaigns, both in the branch and doing wider work like raising money for Medical Aid for Gaza (which was a great success).

Lambeth Activists are a branch based initiative and have both supporters of the United Left and those who are more critical.

Seriously this mud slinging should have no place in the union movement, better to stick to the politics.

"Sterling work" isn't this kind of rubbish, it's doing the day to day work to build up branches and building a union that can take on struggles and win.

Anonymous said...

Point of clarification: Heenal Rajani is not an AWL member. He used to be, but isn't now.

I don't say that in order to repudiate Heenal either politically or personally; or to 'cover his back'; it's just a fact.

Heenal is a good friend of mine; and more importantly a good trade union militant and a revolutionary socialist who shares much of the AWL's politics, unsurprisingly given that he spent four or five years in the group. He works pretty closely with the AWL (and with other socialist groups) but he isn't a member. There it is.

Sacha Ismail

John Gray said...

Hi Anons
Oh dear, I seem to have upset some folk. Thanks to those who enjoyed the post but due to time constrants I’ll only try to respond in part to those who are having a pop at me.

To be clear, there are violent aggressive united left SWP/thugs who threaten, intimidate, tell lies and other wise bully unison members.

Hi Anon 00.46
“What a pathetic, lying and apolitical piece.... you moron” etc.

It is strange that the Ultra left are so fond of dishing abuse out but have temper tautrons when they get some stick back in return. Must be a reason I suppose? Perhaps I should ask for a rule I complaint!

Hi Anon 00.58
“your beloved Labour Party leaders”
I always felt that a major flaw in Blair was his lack of fundamental understanding of traditional working class issues. Brown for all his flaws (we all have them – even me!) is I feel much better Labour leader because of his roots and early life experiences.

Hi Charlie
Yes, you are quite right. In fact “some of my best friends” were indeed privately educated. They are perfectly entitled to express their views and play a full role in the Labour movement. Equally the most reactionary person I know was brought up in a very tough Northern English Council Estate in absolute poverty yet has turned from a SWP activist to a ranting Tory (no real difference there I suppose).
The difference is that I would not accept my public school aquitances to lecture me on the rights and wrongs of working class politics. While the former SWP/Tory does of course talk nonsense but at least he had the right due to his life experiences to be heard (and be dismissed)

Hi Anon 01.55 (what are you on?)
You are talking rubbish. I don’t know Lewisham branch all that well, but you are doing the normal distructive trot trick of slagging off branches that don’t conform to your Central Committee orders. Lewisham UNISON do a bloody good job and I am pretty sure that if you turned up to a meeting and accused them of being “New Labour” they will point out in no certain ways the error of your ways. But you won’t will you, since you people are simply anon cowards.

Hi Ian
Nah, I don’t agree with you on this one. How can we fight for working class people when these middle/upper class wombats/bosses think it is their right to still order us about.

Hi Anon (tory cess pit) 09.26
Every man to his own I suppose.

Hi Jon
I think you have got your years mixed up? I’ve not attacked no-one in Unison? But I will make of course make an exception in your case.
Seriously I’m not sure at all what you are really on about? I am afraid that for various reasons some UNISON Lambeth members do not want to contact you about their issues. I think I know the reason why and others who know you will also understand.

Hi Sacha
And..and...and what?

Hi Jamie
The only thing I think you have substance to winge about is you are not 27 (no argument) the employers strike figures were actually much less than 22 (you are a completey fake revolutionary if you cannot get your people out), fair enough you did a MSC not a MA – no real difference?

Hi Jack
If you think I have broken union rules you can of course make a complaint yourself. Shut up or put up.

Hi Anon
“outrageous post full of lies and inaccuracies”
And? What a plonker!

Folks – please if you think this is libel then bring it on, don’t threaten it, just do it, and I look forward to pursuing you for full costs. I am now fairly experienced at this sort of stuff. I might indeed bring justifiable libel actions against certain individuals who should know better.

Unison or the branch will not pay for it and certain individuals are I think bang to rights for a specific order.

Anonymous said...

"I always felt that a major flaw in Blair was his lack of fundamental understanding of traditional working class issues."

But it's not just Brown. See above for the amount of cabinet members who went to private/public schools and Oxbridge.

“The difference is that I would not accept my public school aquitances to lecture me on the rights and wrongs of working class politics.”

But as pointed out to you all four candidates from Lambeth Activists went to comprehensive schools. So what have public schools got to do with anything? Indeed the person you talk about the most, Sacha Ismail, doesn’t work for Lambeth and isn’t part of Lambeth Activsts. Still don’t let that stop you! Indeed you carry on making comments about middle/upper class “wombats” ignoring the fact that the people in question just don’t fit into your stereotype, unlike the leadership of the Labour Party. And ignoring the politics entirely.

You also call others cowards yet put up lots of lies (which have been refuted above) yet refuse to say who said this. Are they “cowards” for not being open?
You then say “and?” to it being pointed out that you have put up lies and inaccuracies. Says it all really.

I’m not slagging off branches that don’t conform to the “central committee” (what central committee is that then?) I’m saying that Lewisham has extremely poorly attended AGMs (40 or 50 members), few stewards and no workplace meetings for members. Don’t you think that’s a problem? How can that be a “bloody good job”. I know people who work for Lewisham yet you make your comments despite the fact that you “don’t know Lewisham branch all that well”.

As for the strike figures about the ALMO you’re just being ridiculous. Far more people than that went on strike but if you want to do the job of the bosses then go ahead.

Anonymous said...

John

I usually like your blog but you really have lost the plot with this one! Don't you have better things to do?

The credibility of this entire post, and its political relevance, is totally found wanting and yet you continue to dig your heels in further. I suspect its come from an LRC/LP comrade of Jon R, given the level of detail that appears clouded by a vomit of google-searches?

Swallow your pride and take it down so we can all get one with our jobs ratehr than go through some form of internal investigation which is a waste of all of our time...

ISlington comrade (of the left and right in our union, incidentally)

Anonymous said...

John

tell you what why not do what our local socialist party/unison branch secretary did this Valentines day ?

and use thousands of pounds of members money to put a picture of him and his partner on the back of a bus in South East London.

now I hear hes joined the GMB according to Socialist unity

more pictures more buses maybe

Anonymous said...

John,

How on earth can this sort of red-baiting crap be listed on the "No 1. trade union" blog in the country?

No wonder our union movement is so weak...I shan't be allowing my branch to ever support you!

Embarassing.

Anonymous said...

shan't be allowing my branch to ever support you!

so not a one man band then
and open and democratic

just trot shit

Anonymous said...

what about the lies they pedel against the regional exec or national exec or Gs

those of course are ok

where as you attacking them as Trots is an outrage

Anonymous said...

John, do not worry about what the Lambeth militia say I don't think anyone should lose sleep about what 3 losers have to say? They obviously live on a differet planet if they think that by getting one branch position (very low ranking) they have achieved revolution.. they forget that they lost all other positions (according to the Lambeth official blog) lol

It is about time someone was brave enough to expose these people for what they are. You represent the opinions and aspirations of the silent majority. I would say the reverse of what one of these anonimous militia stated in that I never liked your blog but I find it excellent now. Keep up the good work and the person attacking the Lewisham branch (we think we know who he is..) was someone who couldn't get his way when here and couldn't cope with that very simple but healthy concept called democracy?

Let them try and sue you the whole of London will rise up and support you!

Dave from Lewisham

Anonymous said...

You talk about pedaling lies but it seems to me that Lambeth Activists have totally stuck to the politics, indeed I can't see anything personal in what they've said.

John Gray's post on the other hand is full of personal insults and it seems clear is full of inaccuracies and falsehoods.

John you should seriously think about this and admit you've made an error of judgment. Take this post down and move on.

Anonymous said...

John your fellow supporter "Dave from Lewisham" seems to enjoy your liking for slander and personal abuse. The fact that Lambeth Activists is clearly not three people doesn't seem to matter, heh just say it anyway.

Also where have they ever said that getting one branch position means they have "achieved revolution". But again don't let that stop you saying it.

As for "exposing these people" it doesn't appear to expose anything. John Gray has gone on about private/public schools but it turns out all the candidates went to comprehensive schools. Another person mentioned isn't even working at Lambeth! It's just full of lies and inaccuracies and on that basis should be taken down.

As for the "silent majority" is that what you say supports you at Lewisham? As rather than come back on what is said about your branch you just throw out more abuse. Do your AGMs only get 40 or 50 people? Do you have very few stewards? Are there regular (or any?) workplace meetings for members?

"Let them try and sue you the whole of London will rise up and support you!"

A little melodramatic don't you think?

Anonymous said...

John,

I could make a complaint but it's not my complaint, really, to make. If anyone should make it, it should be those who are the subject of the post.

I don't like being labelled a Trot, by the way. I've spent years fighting them in the Labour Party and in the union.

I tried to it politically. I never resorted to slander and lies. I answered their point politically.

But then again, I see the pathetic state of my CLP, where we get excited if there are more than five people at a GC, or of my union branch, where 10 is cause to get the bubbly out.

Was it really worth it?

If you want to respond to them John then for god's sake have some decency and do it politically. I've read through your blog and you seem to be an articulate bloke, not short of a braincell or two, and really, this sort of thing should be beneath you.

There isn't anything wrong in admitting you made a mistake.

- Jack

Anonymous said...

This is quite clearly libellous given you paint these activists as "white" "posh" "public schoolboys" and it's been seen that none of this is in fact to be the case...

Anonymous said...

Well, well. Word gets around. I work at Lewisham.

Dave from Lewisham are you really going to say that our branch is doing a good job in the ALMO with the bullying and redundancies? Do we count if we are part of the ALMO as this blog seems to suggest not.

Hasn't the person who runs this blog got better things do do? Most members will see this kind of thing as all that is bad about the union.

Anonymous said...

the trots live by slander and lies
just dont like it back at them

Anonymous said...

John,

Why don’t you actually reply to some of the points people have made?

Firstly, you repeatedly ignore the point that there are so many private school and Oxbridge-educated people in the New Labour cabinet (even though the numbers have gone down under Brown): 29% and 37.5% I think it was. Contrast that to eg the AWL national committee, on which one person out of sixteen (me) went to a private school.

Secondly, you ignore the fact that only one person involved in Lambeth Activists went to a private school, and that everyone else, including all their candidates, went to comprehensives. (And also the fact that several of the people you mention are of Asian background, and two are women, despite your claims about ‘white male local government workers’.)

Thirdly, you say that Brown has a better understanding of working-class issues. In what way? In fact his staffing and his policies suck up to the rich and the bosses just as much as Blair – look how many big business types he has appointed as ministers (including the former head of the CBI and the guy who asset-stripped the AA, fucking the workers and their union in the process!!)

Fourthly, a related point: are you saying that someone can’t be working class because of the background they were born into? I have a comrade who went to a private school because her parents are from a wealthy background, but is no longer rich and has been working on the Underground and living on a council estate for decades. Is she not a worker? Whereas Brown et al, despite being rich, mixing with the rich and promoting policies that help the rich, are working-class? And is Alan Sugar working class, despite being a multi-millionaire capitalist?

Should people of originally middle-class background who end up as workers and involved in the labour movement not join unions? Or just keep quiet in meetings? Come on, this is not serious.

Anonymous said...

You've let yourself down with this one John!

Anonymous said...

How can a so-called trade unionist post up such a blatant example of bullying?

Do you even know these people?

Anonymous said...

how much money from big business did the swp take

John Gray said...

Hi Anons
This is getting confusing and we are all being a bit repetitive I think. Again, I’ll only respond to those who are attacking me and I think I will try to reply to stuff that hasn’t been answered before. If you didn’t like the answer beforehand then you hardly going to agree with it a second time.

Once again, I didn’t write this post, I have always been very upfront about my views and if I had written it I would that said so. If you don’t accept that well, tough!

People cannot have it both ways – having a go at someone for remaining anon while being anon yourself is not a very coherent argument.

I would prefer that people did declare their names but I can also understand if people don’t. That of course goes to the ones that attack me. It’s fair enough after all. I can’t complain.

I don’t understand why some are arguing for censorship? They may not like what was posted; they may disagree with it but to call for its removal? Why? I have “approved” every single comment so far (but only so far). There has been ample opportunity for people to challenge and point out “errors”.

Yes, the post was polemic and designed to provoke. It is obviously a “p*** take”. But to be honest when I compare what was actually written with a lot of the stuff on the AWL and Lambeth Militant etc sites and the way they refer to their political foes and enemies (or even former friends!)I think it is frankly, pretty mild.

When I compare the language used in the comments with the post (I put my hands up to being a little out order myself above) calling people “liars” and “morons” etc I think it is a fair point to make again that some people seem to think that while it is okay for them to slag people off they are somehow above the fray and how dare people say similar things about them.

To be frank the few very minor “inaccuracies” have been pointed out by now. The post as a whole I think from the comments made is accurate in its facts.

Again, people may not like what is written but so what? The author(s) assertions about class and education have been argued over and you can believe one side or other.

I did find it interesting that someone posted “This is quite clearly libellous given you paint these activists as "white" "posh" "public schoolboys" and it's been seen that none of this is in fact to be the case”. I would love to see the libel case were someone claims damages for being called this!

Finally (for now) the class thingy by anon who states that he or she is on or was on the AWL national committee.

I don’t believe that you can “become” working class. You are either born into it or you are not. It is about shared experiences and upbringing. Economically you can become “middle class” or live in poverty. But in my view (for what’s its worth) you can never call yourself working class without being born and brought up as working class. That doesn’t mean you can’t be middle class and be a Labour movement activist (Atlee springs to mind).

What does stick in my throat is seeing good trade unionists being being shouted at for being "weak" and a “class” traitor by someone born into privilege and I think you will find that I am not alone in this.

Mention no names of course.

Anonymous said...

So if you can never become working class, presumably that means you can never become a capitalist either? So, to cite the already mentioned example, Alan Sugar is working class?

I suppose the basic thing here is different definitions of class. For you 'working class' is a cultural label, not a description of economic class relations; presumably you don't even believe there is such a thing as the capitalist class.

You say you don't want people from a privileged background to accuse other people in the labour movement of selling out; so are you saying that some people can make this accusation, but others can't? Isn't this nonsensical? Isn't it more that you don't like *anyone* accusing your lot of selling out and this is just another excuse?

Anonymous said...

A blog where you bully other trade unionists, nice!

I think it is particularly bad that this is aimed at bullying younger trade unionists. If a manager did this to members of staff then there would be an outcry and rightly so.

Add to this that it is an older male (John Gray, whether or not you wrote it, you have put it up and agree with what it says) heaping abuse on young and female members then it gets even worse.

The post also says "I am fed up with these public school middle class oxbridge.....taking our jobs and wasting our union dues"

But it turns out that not a single candidate from Lambeth Activists went to public school or oxbridge.

"They appear to be a bunch of immature young guns for hire"

Leaving aside that three of their four candidates have over 10 years experience and one over 40 years experience in trade unions this is more bullying of younger trade unionists.

"dominated of course, as is usual with the loonies, by white male local government workers"

Ironic given that John Gray is an older, white, male local government worker. But it also turns out that this isn't the case at all. Three of the four main people you have a pop at are Asian or female!

"They don’t even now work directly for the council. They all work for Lambeth Living, an ALMO"

Leaving aside the fact that it turns out that two of the four candidates do work for the council, the above is a disgusting thing to say. So if people are outsourced, through no choice of their own, to private companies or ALMOs then they suddenly get second class status?

"they failed miserably to mobilise the working classes to stop the ALMO being set up (as the South London press reported), despite spending lots of UNISON members money in the process."

Another disgusting comment. As has been said above the ALMO vote was lost 51% to 49% (with a lot of don't knows as well) and the campaign was led by Defend Council Housing and involved lots of tenants and residents. It's the kind of campaign which was supported by UNISON nationally yet you choose to mimic the words of the management and New Labour.

"He joined UNISON sometime 2007 when he got his first real full time "real" job. He then politically ‘matured’ by leaving the Green party and threw his all into shaking up the Green Left before joining the ALMO Militia."

This has been shown above to be full of lies. He has worked for Lambeth for four years, leaving aside any other work he has done. And he didn't leave the Green Party. Good research, but who cares about that, just make it up as you go along.

You're being a bully John. Delete this now and eat some humble pie.

Anonymous said...

John,

Your point about the behaviour of the Lambeth Militants could quite easily be turned around. I've had a quick scour on their site and there is nothing that I can see that proves your point, whereas your calling people "morons" and accusing them of being middle class when they aren't is here for all to see. If you can find evidence of the Lambeth lefties or the AWL acting the same vein as the original post here, then I'd be interested to see it.

But that's by the by now. Even if the lefties are acting in the way you accuse them of, it's no justification for you acting the same way. The proper thing to do in the circumstances would be to turn the other cheek and be better than they are. It does require a hard biting of the tounge, but, while you do that and show in reality that your ideas and plans are better in the long term by carrying them out and showing what your ideas are in reality.

There is also the point that the labour movement is supposed to welcome all those who labour for a living.

John, I can see you are going to dig your heals in on this one. I shall not waste my time further by commenting here, since you seem impervious to reason on this issue. I think that our unions are made richer for the wide variety of thought that exists within them - and, no matter how much you or I might disagree - the lefties have just as much a seat at the table as you do.

I just hope you recognise this in time.

- Jack

Anonymous said...

“Once again, I didn’t write this post, I have always been very upfront about my views and if I had written it I would that said so. If you don’t accept that well, tough!”

But you agree with what was written and have put it up on your blog so from that point of view you might as well have written it. You should also say who wrote it as it’s such a personalised attack. Why won’t they say who they are given they have initiated this? If you want other people to say who they are (and some have), don’t you think you should start this process yourself by not putting up anonymous attacks and naming the person who said these things?

The reason people are asking for its removal is because it’s full of lies (as has been clearly shown) and is bullying other trade unionists and will deter new trade unionists from taking part in the union for fear of having to put up with personal attacks. Especially younger trade union members or people who are nervous about getting involved in a union that is dominated by older men.

Can you give examples of how Lambeth Activists (or the blog Lambeth Militants) have referred to people in this way? I can’t find anything that suggests this. None of the candidates were in the AWL and Sacha doesn’t work for Lambeth and as such isn’t in Lambeth Activists, he has just signed up to look at a blog, so what the AWL say is neither here nor there. The post is also out of order because it is naming a young activist who is new to Lambeth and could potentially put her at risk from victimisation from management.

There is nothing abusive about calling people liars if they lie! The post you put up clearly has lies in it. Other than that you have only picked out one word, “moron”, hardly the equivalent of a long winded personal attack or the attacks you have put up in posts above.

And how were the inaccuracies minor? The whole post is having a go at people for being in private schools or going to Oxbridge. Yet it turns out none of the Lambeth Activist candidates went to Oxbridge and all went to comprehensive schools. It also calls them immature young guns, yet ignores the fact that they have a wealth of trade union experience. There are numerous other things wrong, such as peoples age, peoples job experience, the inaccurate sweeping statements about age and gender etc

There is nothing to “believe” in terms of one side or the other about class and education. The facts are clear. All the candidates went to comprehensive schools and the one person you picked on who went to LSE was the first person in his family ever to go to uni. I say he should be proud of that, not given abuse, unless universities like LSE should only be the preserve of the middle classes. What has been said about class and education about the candidates is entirely wrong.

As for good trade unionists being patronised and done down by the middle and upper classes I agree this is disgraceful. And look no further than the leadership of the Labour Party. Peter Mandleson was doing a good job of it today. Those in glass houses?

Anonymous said...

John, why are you letting these people continue to make fools of themselves? You know how idiotic they sound but you are just deliberately provoking them to repeat their vainglory again and again while you play with them like a cat with a mouse.

This is just being cruel. Please delete their comments.

Charlie Marks said...

John, I've always believed that being working class means - a class of people who work or are dependent upon someone who works.

This is a pretty broad category, for sure. But in as far as the labour movement was set up to advance the interests of people who work "by hand or by brain" - it should include people who are culturally "middle class" or "working class", we should treat each other as equals.

Like it or not, these "Trots" are as working class as you, let's not be prolier than thou about it. If they call you a class traitor, it's because they feel betrayed by Labour more than for your own support of Labour.

But I beg you, in future, don't get into this personal stuff. It's not in our interests to divide each other into silly categories - let us argue on the merits of ideas, of strategies. Whether we back Labour or not, we have to work together for common interest. It might be very enjoyable to bitch about each other like this, but please - let's try to remember our enemies aren't reformists or revolutionaries, they're capitalists.

Anonymous said...

John

The only issue I have with you about the Lambeth militrist comments is that you have given Lambeth Unison the exposer they always want just before the AGM and the NEC elections. This militarist group (Militants/Militia?) are probably used by Rogers and co to divert attention from what mess they have made of Lambeth. I don't know much about the individuals in the militia group but my Lambeth contact tells me that they always resort to bully those who disagree with them. If that is true then the region should conduct an investigation into how Rogers is running it all.

The reason some of us stay anon is because the ultra leftists are well known for their bullying tactics. Interesting that one of them keeps criticising those who remain anon but he himself does the same? Double standards? What do you expect! And guys it's not all about local governement! Health and the Voluntary sector are equal partners, they are here, they exist and they will not tolerate these bullying tactics!

Thank God the region is runed by real members representing real time interests!

Silent Majority

John Gray said...

Hi Anon 16.41
Of course you can become “a capitalist”. Alan Sugar is a successful and rich entrepreneur but he is obviously still working class despite his money.

"You can take the boy out of the small town but you can’t take the small town out of the boy” and all that. It’s more than just a cultural thing.

I don’t think there is a “capitalist class”. There is a middle class who I think depends on private education, inheritance and property to pass on wealth from generation to generation. I don’t think you could necessarily call them a Capitalist class since they tend to be in the Armed forces, the law, medicine Universities (professions).

Unlike some more sensitive souls I don’t mind what people call me since I think I am right and they are wrong - I believe in my politics.

Anon 16.47
Now, I haven’t got a clue who you are since you choose to be “anon” (which is fair enough) but at the risk of upsetting Charlie further I think you ought to get out more and find out what “bullying” and “abuse” is really about. Represent some real members for change who are actually being really bullied or abused and see what it is really like– representing members and making a difference that is what trade unionism is about to me. Not passing motions in rooms above pubs and dreaming of the “glorious day”.

Actually, I wish that the author(s) had not written the piece in such a polemic and confrontational style. But I was not going to refuse to publish it. You also appear to be reading things into it that frankly were actually not said or implied, By all means vent your bile but I really do not understand how anyone thinks it was “bullying” and “abusive”. If you think it is just “full of lies” – then just ignore it. Let people judge for themselves. If it is as rubbish as you make out they will make their own minds up.

Hi Jack
I don’t think you have got your facts right? – Anons used the word “morons” about the post not me. Check a little further – Ken Livingstone is a “fake left careerist”. Is he now? This is on LM and AWL. “Institutionally, the bureaucracy is a cancer of the workers movement” LM “In fact they are true Stalinists, and not only in their thuggish disregard for free speech”. AWL. This has taken me 5 minutes – you didn’t look very far?

The real issue is do they help build the union or do they hinder it. What is the purpose of a trade union? Reform or revolution? I think you can guess my answer on that one.

Hi Anon 17:08
See my response above to 16:47. I would have not written this article in this style. But I defend the right to do so as much as I publish you’re anon rants and attacks. As pointless as I think they are.

Peter Mandelson is not a particularly well known trade unionist to my certain knowledge.
Perhaps I have got this wrong as well?

Hi Charlie
I appreciate that there is realms of stuff about class – and I would accept your point about people being “equal”. But my point about having to be born and brought to be “working class” is I think true and relevant. The failure of middle class people to properly understand the working class has bedeviled politics.

Just to point out that the trade union person who was attacked as a “class traitor” by someone I now know went to an expensive private school does not share my politics at all. This person was visibly upset at an aggressive tirade of real “abuse”.

The problem Charlie is more complex – I can work with revolutionaries and many reformers whose politics I happen to think are wrong – but there are some who are simply beyond the pale.

The test is - Do they build or do they destroy?

Anonymous said...

John -I think the title of 'pass the sick bag' is quite appropriate, as a significant cause ( and content) of vomiting is bile?

I am very concerned that your judgement seems to me to be in grave error in posting this 'comment from a Lambeth member'.

I firmly believe no lambeth Unison member would contribute such a diatribe of prejudice.

As a branch officer who regularly visits members -and non members -in a range of LBL and and non LBL buildings a lot of members get the chance to talk to me and freely express their concerns about the positives and negatives of the branch.And yes -members are often critical of the branch -but the criticism is contructive.

Bearing in mind how hard our members work I would find it rather bizarre that someone could then expend considerable effort on researching various individual's background histories and accessing University documents etc?

What has been presented as a document from a lambeth member does not ring true for many reasons -a few cited above - but I would say that if any member wishes to discuss concerns about Lambeth Unison as a branch then they are welcome to email me. Khoogendam@lambeth.gov.uk (membership officer)
Katrina

Anonymous said...

Well said Katrina.

John Gray I think it is a real shame you have resorted to this and it seems that bitterness and negativity have pushed you a long way from the reasons I hope you got involved in trade union politics in the first place.

You may agree or disagree with those on the far left but surely you must know that activists such as the ones you have tried to bully and humiliate (including young members new to the movement) are trying their best to build the union and fight for working class people. You might think they are misguided but to stoop to levels such as this to effectively try and drive them out of the movement is really sad if you ask me.

You can throw insults around all you like and I expect you will just mock what I'm saying but trade unionism is meant to be about social justice and fighting for working class interests. Bullying such as this should have no place in our movement and I would hope to think others would come to your support if people who don't want a trade union movement indulged in attacks like this on you.

I've seen many people on the left and in trade unions who have been worn down and forget why they got involved in trade unionism. Think about when you first got involved in trade unionism and how you would have felt about people who used vicious personal attacks to try and belittle you.

It is bad enough that your post was full of lies and vindictiveness but now you threaten to put up another post that you say will be even worse.

Please John, think about what you are doing.

Lee (Manchester)

Anonymous said...

Surely someone should put in a complaint to the national/regional office about this ageist, sexist and perhaps even racist post and we can all move on?

Anonymous said...

John I am very pleased with your blog. you have restored my faith in unison. you really understand. It is sickening when these peoples are in branchs. They look down on us and think we are theirs to be bossed about. Specially black members. They are the real racists. Good members will not go to committees anymore. They will not go on strike anymore. They have joined the gmb. You tell us it straight. They do not like truth. You are a real trade union person.

Anonymous said...

The post above is a bit strange given that the people being talked about are both black and white and the candidates are all from comprehensive schools (and working class backgrounds it seems). Still don't let facts get in the way.

Anonymous said...

No they did not. The posh boy went to a private school. Then oxford with sasha. Their bossman went to posh London school economics. They say they went to states schools. so did tony blair’s. They are not workers children. They think we are too stupid to know what is good for us.

Charlie Marks said...

There's no capitalist class? No billionaires and multimillionaires living off the labour of others?

Can't you see that Alan Sugar is no longer a worker, he's been an employer for years. Did you not hear him talking to Fiona Bruce - his views on maternity leave for women workers, etc. He's chummy with Rupert bloody Murdoch - that friend of trade unionists! - he has sold his business to him.

You amaze me sometimes, John. I mean really. No capitalist class? Give me a break.

John Gray said...

Hi Katrina
(I assume it is in fact you?). Thank you as always for your contribution however, I must say find I find it rather odd and even somewhat naive? I have spoken to many Lambeth members, including branch officers over the years (never to you on this particular issue I hasten to add!) and I have personal friends who are longstanding members but not particularly active.

It always makes me uneasy when branch officers declare “their branch” thinks this or that. I always think – well, how do they really know that? There is I think 3-4000 members in your branch? While I am sure they are all very busy, how could you possibly say “I firmly believe no lambeth Unison member” wrote this post? It is strange?

The same goes for your suggestion that members are always “constructive” in their criticism of the branch. There is not a branch in the country that members are always “constructive” in their criticisms and quite right so. We want challenges and alternative views expressed. Preferably constructive but that is not always possible.

Hi Lee
You and I obviously have different experiences of representing members who have been bullied or abused. I am also well aware of the truly vicious lies attacks and vindictiveness as told by the ultra left. Not that such behaviour justifies similar retaliatory behaviour.

Hi Anon 19.37
If a member wishes to put in a valid complaint about any other UNISON member they are perfectly entitled under rule to do so! No matter how wasteful and pointless it is over this particular post. In my view for what it is worth!

Hi Charlie
Alan Sugar is still working class, no matter how unpleasant he is or his views.

More to the point it is a waste of time and energy to talk about a “Capitalist Class”. It’s not going to help address the real problem. We are the New Capitalists – we own the capital in this country. The issue is that we are denied the right to take responsibility for it and manage it. If we had effective capital stewardship we wouldn’t have been in the mess we are in and there would not be such inequalities of wealth.

Anonymous said...

Again the lies. The "posh boy" you talk about I assume is Heenal. He didn't stand as a candiate, if you read my post I said all four candidates went to comprehensive schools. The "bossman" is, I assume, James, who was the first person in his family to go to university. Is that a bad thing? Should universities like LSE only be for middle class people?
You know absolutely nothing about the candidates yet say "they are not workers children". Yes they are, and you shouldn't say things without knowing the facts.

Anonymous said...

Glad to see you carry on with your patronising behaviour John. Not content with bullying young and female members you now tell Katrina, a long standing union activist, that she is “naïve”.

You now go on to deflect your own bullying by having yet another go at the far left. Whatever the far left do or don’t do is neither here nor there we are talking about you.

You have put up a personal attack about young members and female members from the position of being an older man and a long standing member of the union. This is bullying behaviour and is designed to belittle people and stop them from getting involved. You also seem to have no regard for the fact that your post could potentially mean a young female member could be victimised by management.

Why would new members want to get involved if they thinking long standing members of the union are happy to put up details about their personal lives across the internet? If a manager did this you would rightly say it was an outrage.

Anonymous said...

Johnboy, this is all most amusing. Your best ever responses. I do look forward to them. What personal details? It is all on the internet! They have put it all up themselves about themselves. They then keep on bringing it to our attention. Priceless! I have decided that the foolish commentator masquerading as a schoolboy raving trot is very probably a bnp troll. If he is not then he is doing their job for them. Keep bashing him Johnboy. Keep up your sterling work.

Anonymous said...

Shall I start with what really interests you?...
My name is Ruth Cashman
I was brought up in South London on various council estates
I went to state school
I also went to university (at 'great expense to the state', as I'm one of the few people of my generation who's parents earned so little I was not eligible for fees)
I am in the AWL
re the post from anon: I'm am the child of 'workers - my dad's a bus driver, his names Tom, Google him if you like.
I signed the statement in support of Robin Sivapalan in 2006 as Ruth Cashman Newcastle Workers Liberty. I'm not sure what point you were making here apart from trying to intimidate me with you're ability to google. This was a statement in support of a low paid school worker victimised by management for his politics.

Moving on...

I had been in the Lambeth UNISON branch for two weeks when this very vicious attack on me and Lambeth Activists went up. Can people please think carefully think about the consequences of launching personal attacks on young women in our union who try to become active?!? Ihave been approached by people at Lambeth who've heard that personal things are being posted bout people in our branch, including comments about their families and are very worried about becoming active as a result. This is unbelievable irresponsible.

The idea that you say Alan Sugar is working class, whilst denouncing James Caspell as a middle class loony is shocking.
* Alan Sugar has made his money by the consistent exploitation of workers.
* James Caspell, like many trade unionists in Lambeth, is a committed working class activist who fights day in, day out on bread and butter issues in his workplace and our branch as a whole. You're anonymous source rightly points out he does not have facility time - he can't take it as he is a temp with fuck all rights at work. He did an MA, get over it..
I appreciate your class hatred might come from a good place but I suggest you redirect it.

We have to organise people who don't think they're working class because they have degrees and wear suits to work. This involves moving past silly identity politics of I'm more prol than you and bringing people into the union and the labour movement who are united by a the fight for workers' rights. We need to build big, inclusive strong branches. That is what Lambeth Activists advocated in the AGM election. Below is a selection of things they suggested:

How we will build the Branch:
« Organise to recruit and involve temporary workers, shift workers and young people. Campaign for lower union fees. The more members we have, the stronger we will be!
« A steward and notice board in every shop ? fighting the bosses in every workplace.
« Ensure convenors and stewards visit workplaces and hold regular workplace meetings.
« An easily accessible web site publicising contact details and actions taken by Branch Officers.
« Regular newsletters in every directorate ? let?s communicate our successes.
« Fight against racism, sexism, homophobia and all forms of discrimination. Assist democratic and accountable self-organised groups to get more members involved.
« Branch officers to be fully accountable ? all Convenors and Officers to publish monthly reports of how they spend their time to serve you.
« Make the Branch Office more attractive and welcoming, for the use of all members.
« Branches and Directorates to have the right to elect industrial action committees and control and manage their own industrial disputes.

To read the whole statement:

http://lambethmilitants.blogspot.com/2009/01/lambeth-activists-for-fighting-member.html

A lot of good work has been done at Lambeth recently but noone thinks that we've accomplished revolution. Don't worry we're not finished yet...

Anonymous said...

From the AWL website:

---
Hands off Unison! Hands off John Gray!
Submitted on 22 October, 2004 - 10:04 Against victimisation North London AWL UNISON Solidarity 3/60, 21 October 2004

A Unison Branch Officer in Tower Hamlets, John Gray, is being disciplined for challenging a management decision to stop a day’s pay to a Unison steward. Defend the right of union reps to represent their members!

---
So, John, what part of "solidarity" don't you understand?

Anonymous said...

Yeap stirling work bullying young members of the union. Well done, great work!

Also these personal details aren't all up on the net. The stuff about Sacha changing his name is a personal thing, I don't think it's good to mock someone for the at on a public blog. And if these things are on the web then they are inaccurate. The whole thrust of the post was to suggest that everyone involved was posh, white and male and it turns out it's not the case at all.

But John Gray insulting people for being old, white and male is kinda ironic lol!

Anonymous said...

"The posh boy went to a private school. Then oxford with sasha."

Fundamentally, so what? If everyone involved in Lambeth Activists came from this background, that would be an issue, sure, but as established they didn't. Heenal should be judged as at trade unionist on his record, not on his family background.

"Their bossman went to posh London school economics."

And was the first person from his family to go to university.

"They say they went to states schools. so did tony blair’s."

Except that, as established, everyone in Lambeth Activists except Heenal went to a comprehensive - not a selective pseudo-state school.

"They are not workers children."

Yes they are, for the most part?

"They think we are too stupid to know what is good for us."

What are you on about?

Anonymous said...

No, you are the liars. You are the bullys and you are the racists. I know yoru good friends in my branch. you shout down and scream at ordinary members. We have rights as well. We did not go to any colleges but are not stupid. Red Ken is a real man of the people. You call him names and mock him. You are all liars, bullies, racists and cowards.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute Lambeth Activists has both black and Asian members involved yet we're all a bunch of racists?

As for shouting and screaming at ordinary members, don't be ridiculous. I suspect this is John Gray on a not very good wind up. You might want to pick him up on going to a posho university as well.

Andrew Berry said...

It has got absolutely despicable that people now feel required to justify the working class credentials by revealing their childhood background. It should not a competition to see who has the most working class background to demonstrate somehow they can best fight for working people.

Ruth you make some good points but I don’t see the need to justify your background in the way you have, just because the author of this blog appears to demand it.

Here is an extract from the UNISON rule book people can decide for themselves who may and may not have broken it.

"The Union shall seek to ensure that discriminatory acts are not committed against any persons by the Union, or by its organs, members, or officers, on grounds such as race, gender, sexuality, gender identity, disability, age, creed or social class."

Anonymous said...

John Gray -of course you know it is me as I left my name!

Constructive criticism -yes, because i do not walk away and ignore members who have a criticism - i will bother to talk and ask what that is that can be done to improve( radical i know bearing in mind the region we are in -but not naive).

My branch does not have 3-4 k members( and membership figures are reported regularly to regional officers -such as yourself) and I do make real efforts to get out and talk to people -so yes, I do get a feel for what is considered good and bad.

I also talk to members from other branches -and it is with deep regret that at the last Regional council I was speaking with several black women members who cited their real concern at recruiting new(black women) members as they truly felt that the region was not providing the support and leadership it could and should generally for Black women.

I appreciate that you indicate that you say the blog is your personal view but as you highlight your regional UNISON roles you really do need to consider the kind of 'information' you publish. This particular 'information' is simply there -I think - to have a direct pop at people in a specific branch( ok -youngish, relatively newish to UNISON,keen, a different brand of politics, and not familiar with rules etc and who are not necesarily labour supporters -as you yourself were not a few years ago and were brave enough to say that at a council meeting) and is unfortunately reminiscent of Scandalfax -an anonymous blog that attacked a number of people, including myself ( making rather scurrilous,fictitious and silly remarks about my attendance at a meeting when I was on the way to a dear friend's funeral some 300 miles away).


A regional officer has a responsibility to be seen to be inclusive, not promoting abuse, and as far as possible not prejudiced. The give and take of blogging, the point scoring etc is to an extent part of the blogging 'scene' but I think in this instance -whilst it has provoked a deal of comments, which you no doubt relish -you have misjudged the content of this specific 'information' as it seems to me to have been used in a more than provocative way to promote direct attacks on named young
(and no longer young) members. UNISON is not about this and never has been.

It does you no service - nor the union - and I am sad that you chose to publish what seems to be an anon source as this reflects on you and no-one else.As a regional officer I would have expected more of you and I am disappointed in you -on a personal level( as someone who has known you and joked with you over a period of time) and an officer level.
Katrina

John Gray said...

Hi Ruth
Thank you for posting in your name (with the very necessary proviso of apologies if this is not you).

Let be clear what you are complaining about – it’s a post made on my blog by one of your branch members which “accused” you by saying “The ALMO Militia also recruited another AWL permanent student to their ranks when they were joined on their Blog by Ruth Cashman. She signed the statement in support of Robin Sivapalan in 2006 as Ruth Cashman Newcastle Workers Liberty”. This is the only mention of you. Now I assume that you did make this comment and that it is on the internet somewhere (AWL site?). I further assume that at the time you knew that it would be used for publicity and posted on the internet. Otherwise why would you have made the statement? It would also appear that you thought that this statement was a good thing?

Can I now ask how can publishing this statement on the AWL blog is ok but in this post it is now supposed to be “intimidating”?

How can it be “personal attacks”?

How can people be worried about someone saying they hear you are “middle class”?

Now frankly I would have not have written this article in this polemic way myself. It is really a distraction to much more important issues in the region and nationally. But I was not going to stop your fellow member from posting what they rightly or wrongly thought was a justifiable attack on people they thought were damaging the branch. In exactly the same way I haven’t deleted any of the comments (so far) attacking this member for doing so (and heaping loads of very personal and pretty crude abuse upon me in the process! Such is life).

You have all had rights of reply and plenty of opportunities to put your case. Readers can make their own mind up about the merits of the issue.

To be honest if it had been ignored at the beginning no doubt this post by now would have been the electronic equivalent of fish and chip wrapping.

I am pleased that the daughter of a bus driver educated in a state school and like me the first to go to University is a Unison member and activist. I personally despair about the Lambeth militant, Permanent Revolution and AWL bit. I’ve got every right to voice this as you have every right to despair about my politics.

BTW – I don’t hate anyone. Except possibly GG.

Building the branch – some good ideas, others just empty sloganising (in my view). Lower dues? Maybe for introductory membership –yes. How exactly are you going to recruit new members, What about not only a “notice board” (why haven’t reps got that already?)But what about a safety rep in every shop? What about pension and LL Reps’s. What about proper training and support for all reps? How exactly are you going to organise temps, agency and young people? What about organising Council sub-contractors? What about having some targets? To be a force to be reckoned with you need at least 80% density. “Fighting the bosses in every work place”? What on earth does that mean and how will it work in a London LG setting when your bosses are also likely to be a unison member? “Branches and Directorates to have the right to elect industrial action committees and control and manage their own industrial disputes”. I am really amazed at this sort of stuff being widely published and you talk about “consequences”? This is London LG you are talking about. We are not technically skilled and disciplined Lincolnshire pipefitters who have the bargaining position to bring a site on a time priced job to its knees and never will be. We have other strengths but how on earth can people sincerely believe that they could organise a revolution via public sector unions of all people? I cannot believe that I am starting to feel some sympathy with Rogers!

From the AWL website
And what is the point of this? I faced discipline action for standing up to (real) bullying by management who wanted to dock a local steward’s pay that had nearly been killed at work. It was also pay back for challenging senior management over key health and safety issues.

I was very proud of what I did and I would do exactly the same if the same circumstances happened again. I would also expect and not be “grateful” for appropriate solidarity from other union members.

It was actually politically a very important time for me since I realised that despite the morally welcome demos, the leaflets, petitions and lobbies essentially we would not shift management over this since we were not sufficiently organised and in a relatively poor bargaining position. The branch was isolated in the Council and no contacts whatsoever with local councillors. It was dismissed by HR, other unions were taking members, density levels were far, far too low, and we couldn’t recruit and retain enough stewards and activists. While it was embarrassing to the Council and did I think contribute to better industrial relations later on, essentially we were defeated. Pick yourself up, dust yourself down, learn from it, plan and move on.

The lesson I learnt is that trade unions should be in the business of organising its membership and not pontificating Syndicalism. We need to utilise every lever of power and influence that we can. Don’t confuse noise for bargaining power. You don’t get bargaining power without organising.

Hi Andrew

I give up - your point is?

Andrew Berry said...

"I give up - your point is?"

Dont worry I wasnt talking to you, your not worth engaging with.

John Gray said...

Hi Andrew

I know I shouldn’t....now you are a boss you don’t want to engage with mere workers I suppose? Watch out Permanent Revolution are going to want to fight with you!

Can't wait.

Anonymous said...

John Gray, it’s Dan here, another person briefly named in your statement. I am also upset by what you have done.

Posting an anonymous post with no intention of revealing who it is makes you pretty much responsible for what is said. You say that you wouldn’t polemicise in that way but you seem more than happy for a totally inaccurate post to be on your blog even after it’s been shown that the general message that it’s given out is wrong.

So far we have Ruth and James who have shown that you’ve got it wrong about their background. Personally my background is a bit of a mixed bag. One side of my family came from 1930s slums in Bermondsey and were dockers and factory workers, the other half were CPGB stock when they were 50,000 strong but more of a mixture of working and middle class. Another candidate’s parents are a fork lift truck driver and a nursery assistant. Another candidate is a working class person Lambeth born and bred.

So the post has clearly represented all the people who stood on the Lambeth Activists slate in a totally wrong light, including people’s class, gender, race, work experience and age. Now you know this why do you keep it up?

I have also had members in Lambeth say they are very concerned about what you have done. This blog has dragged up people’s personal background, has posts mocking someone for changing their name and clearly someone has trawled through facebook for personal information. You might think this is ok, I think it amounts to bullying and will turn new people off from getting involved in the union. Whatever you think of our politics, this isn’t the way to deal with it.

Someone above asked the question of whether you think it would be ok for a manager to do this in terms of their staff. Well do you? And as a regional official don’t you think you should take a more mature stance and tread carefully where bullying is concerned?

You have had people tell you that this blog has made them feel bullied and worried, but instead of taking this on board you just stick to your guns. You have even said there might well be worse to come.

Here is a selection of things that you are saying arent abusive:

1) “They appear to be a bunch of immature young guns for hire (if they only knew which end the bullets went in)” - this could be perceived as ageist by the way and is abuse.

2) ”dominated of course, as is usual with the loonies, by white male local government workers” – is the term loony not abuse? And again the make up of Lambeth Activists is clearly not what this says.

3) ”They all work for Lambeth Living, an ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation) in Lambeth Borough.” – why is this relevant?

4) “they failed miserably to mobilise the working classes to stop the ALMO being set up (as the South London press reported), despite spending lots of UNISON members money in the process.” – this has been pointed out already. The campaign only just lost. Why is it acceptable to ridicule a campaign which is backed by bother region and nationally?

5)“He had just finished his 3 year degree course at the LSE, that bastion of working class consciousness and then decided to work up a sweat by doing an MA in Political Sociology ( probably specialised in ' how to set up Militia groups ! )” – don’t you think this is abuse?

6)“Rajani still hangs about like a bad smell” – is this not abuse?

7)“In having a quick look at this toff’s school website, the 2008 Summer News records that a “sibling” (methinks) has ‘won’ a place at Trinity & Kings College Cambridge?” – not content with abusing “Rajani” the post goes on to lay into his family who are nothing to do with this.

8)“this nice but dim chappi”- is that not abuse?

9) “He thought it would bring him more revolutionary cred by changing his name from Alexander Salim Ismail to Sacha Ismail ! The student electronic message board of the day was adamant that he changed his name to make himself ‘more Russian’ (and revolutionary?)” – why drag up something personal like this?

I can’t speak for anonymous posters (who could be anyone) but no-one who has named themselves has given you any abuse.

People have said they feel bullied and worried by what you have done. Surely you should take that into account.

As for your suggestions, we have already taken many of them into consideration, an election statement was never going to cover every detail. And agree on density. And I don’t think we have ever said that our work in Lambeth will create a revolution!

But it’s hard to have a proper debate now after what has gone on with this blog. I’ve never met you and had never heard of you before I read this post. I hope to think you will take into account what is said about bullying.

I won’t comment again because as you say there are better things to be getting on with. Hopefully you will take this down.

Anonymous said...

You are all racists liars. People like you in council made sure and stopped us from from getting council homes or mortgages. Ken livingstone stopped this changed things and made sure that we all could get homes. He is good man who looked after us and only tory racists tell lies about him. You tell the same lies about john. We are not stupid people like you think. You are the stupid people, we do not believe any of your lies.

Anonymous said...

John keep up the good work.

Stirling work by the militia bullying black activists and threatening them at meetings. We have seen their behaviour at regional level many times and they target individuals. God help anyone who disagrees with them. You are doing a splendid job standing up to them. They were defeated at regional AGMs and they must be confronted at branch level. Dave Prentis should get an investigation into Lambeth Unison. Bet you anything that a confidential investigation will get black activists there to put on record what these people have done to them and how they intimidate them. That is a challenge and the best way to bring them to justice. They are hiding the fact that they are ineffective by saying that you are attacking them because they are young members? What does that mean? You can't have a debate with anyone under 30 now? Sort that branch out once and for all call for an investigation. Keep up the good work John Unison needs you.

Anonymous said...

"another AWL permanent student"

Sorry, in what way is Ruth a permanent student? She went to sixth form college, worked on her year out, then went to uni for three years and now works. That's it.

Anonymous said...

"I would also expect and not be “grateful” for appropriate solidarity from other union members."

Bit of a hypocrite, then, aren't you John?

Anonymous said...

Nick Venedi
Branch Sec
Lambeth Unison

Dear John,

My mother once said that it is better to be talked about than be ignored. Or was it Oscar Wilde? Anyway you have achieved levels of public fame (limited somewhat within the London wide Unison communnity) as you now have more hits to your blog than Chairman Jon of the Rogers. Congratulations for that.

I personaly find your blog interesting and sometimes entairtaining, you have, however, allowed some of those who publish comments (from both sides) to make unecessary personal remarks. There is, therefore, a mixture of fact and fiction in some of the discussions. I think you should decide whether personal remarks should be edited out?

Lambeth Unison is one of 152 branches in the London region and has the 9th (if I remember correctly) position in terms of membership numbers in the London area. We are a strong, diverse and successful branch but we also have a number of problems and constant challenges. We also have more of our members attending AGM's than many others and I see that as a stregth.

Lambeth Unison was the first branch to have managed the return of a service back to public ownership in 2001 when a 4 year battle was won against the private contractor Capita (Benefits contract) as a result 210 members returned back to the public sector. We also fought many campaigns and have scored a number of victories against the employer. We were and still are able to be successful because we have strong team of activists who are dedicated to true Trade Union principles and haveone of the mostactive Black Worker Groups in London. Our diversity is makes us strong.

I am the branch Secretary, as you know, for the branch and manage our day to day affairs. My brother and commrade in arms, Jon Rogers, is a hard working dedicated activist who puts a lot of energy and effort in helping members in difficulties. His comitment cannot be questioned. But comments about Lambeth Unison and Rogers and co are anything but correct. Jon is very much part of a team and the branch is not about him or me for that matter.

Some of the people who have made comments on your blog seem to suggest that the branch is in some form of a crisis or that there is some mass rebellion. This is somewhat exaturated and inaccurate. It is a fact that there are a number of new activists who want to bring in changes but these people have a legitimate right to promote what they think is a better way and have every right to make proposals using democratic means. I welcome the recent challenges to my leadership and see it as a positive development. We are, after all, a democratic union. I may disagree with what some of them say but will defend their right to state what they feel is an alternative way of doing things. I see this as a positive and not a threat.

I would like to conclude by asking you to consider not publishing any comments that are personal. I am, for example, not at all happy with a comment made about Heenal and the reference to a 'bad smell in the office'. That surely isn't acceptable? I hope that you will consider introducing some form of moderation into your otherwise excellent (in terms of content) blog.

We all have positive stories to tell so lets concentrate on doing that?

Best wishes to everyone reading this blog

Nick Venedi
Branch Secretary
Lambeth Unison

Anonymous said...

That'll be Nick "I have fought many battles and won a number of wars" Venedi, wouldn't it?

This absurd quote from his branch sec report to the AGM shows just what a ridiculous figure he cuts. Self-important and deluded, or what?

And I don't have a photographic memory but I seem to recall the scandalfax website took Katrina to task for her regrettable attitude about the abilities of the substitute member who attended a meeting in her place, not for her absence? Talk about twisting words.

Keep up the good work, John. It looks like they won't stop until they've copped an investigation into Lambeth branch - which actually might suit Nick and Jon just fine in order to root out the Lambeth Militia once and for all!

Patrick

Anonymous said...

Hi Nico, good to hear from you .a bit of sense at last after 96 postings ,yes a bit of a record.
is it true that these activists are trying to put pressure on the Lambeth BWG and are up to there bullying tricks ?
Kat better watch out as they will do the same with the self organizes womens group and then the disabled members group and thereaftor the gay and lesbian groups,. Familiar story isn't it and takes us way back to the 30 s and 40's .

Keep up the good work nico and protect us all fromt all the bullies.
Astrid

Anonymous said...

Can't Nick Venedi even read a hit counter, for God's sake? You're doing very well John, but you're still behind the Rogers chap. I only hope he's not as useless when it comes to defending members.

Anonymous said...

ThePeoples Mujahadeen of Lambeth. They should change there name to reflect what our members in lambeth call them.
I really hope these people have now got the message,more so now that there senior branch officer has spoken.
I do not yet believe that they have twigge d the fact that they were purposly set up to bring them out into the open and away from those smoke filled student and starbucks rooms. Mission accomplished Jon well done now we can see whio the Mujahdeen of Lambeth really are !!!!!

BTY

another part of the mission has been successfull. If you Google 'pass the sick bags' your blog comes 126th out of 3,450,000 hits.
Google 'Lambeth Militia" and your blog comes FIRST and SECOND out of 25,000 hits, well well.

Google lambeth almo and your Blog comes 47th out of 42,000 hits. Not as many hits for Sasha,Heenal , Dan, and James though although there seems to be enough to do 'pass the sick bag ' number 3 AND 4

Keep it up .Adrian

Anonymous said...

An earlier commentator spoke about the froth that this posting has created amongst the Trotskyist groupings. I don’t think it is a froth they have created; it is more like a whirling storm in a giant tea-cup.

As a retired member of unison I have all the time in the world to gaze at the internet (after my grandson put me in the right direction!) and after seeing reference to this piece spent a long time checking out those who appear to be the political and academic ‘brains ‘(?) behind the Lambeth Militanties. Google, AWL website and the 6 blogs frequented by x including his personal one ‘La tutee fruitte’.

Searching Rogers Blog and his mates brought confirmation of other facts.

This search confirmed that the vast majority of the information used in the initial Blog posting is on the very public world – wide –web. All that seems to have happened is that some highly enterprising anti-trot has brought it all together and provided a quite legitimate and political spin. If you want to see what a real and nasty forum is, visit the AWL website and view some of the heavy bullying stuff there!

The stuff on this blog is kiddies stuff (excuse the pun to those who might be distressed) compared to AWL (and the SP and Respect / SWP) and I found lots of postings by x, 20 by x and 3 by xx on the AWL site. Was this why x was trying earlier to suggest that x ‘is not a member of AWL ‘ in trying to now cover x back, now the proverbial beans have been spilt ,or hit the fan, case the Labour Party started to question his membership ?

I also can’t forget the fact that xx was the Unison United Left candidate for the London Regional Link committee (lost of course) and was the ULL candidate, sponsored by Rogers and others as the Regional Finance Convenor at the 2008 AGM. Not only was x trounced in this bid to get his AWL paws on the unions Regional funds but somewhat ironically the clear victor in this election was Mr John Gray ------ is this one of the reasons why you are now being ‘ mobbed ‘ by the entire Trot membership in London John ??

I only hope the Labour party are keeping an eye on x, especially since AWL are publicly showing for all to see (honestly) on their website a letter signed off by x and the other usual suspects who were supporting an initiative by the RMT to put forward a slate of ‘independent working – class candidates in the upcoming GLA and London Mayoral elections’. In my younger days you would be out on your ears and your backside wouldn’t touch the ground. Surely supporting candidates who oppose Labour candidates at these elections should be expelled, just like the Militant thugs in Kinnocks days, remember them, perhaps not?

Silly me, I almost forgot to mention, before I get on to the serious stuff I must share this gem of a posting with you
Educationet.org @2.50 pm on 9th May 2006 http://www.educationet.org/messageboard/posts/86383.html
“xx – freak or unique?”
“Goodness me, that xx ‘student organiser of the AWL: he’s a one and no mistake isn’t he Fancy staying in the student movement until you’re 30”.

Fancy logging into these boards as (most recently) ‘left opposition girl’, and also ‘heens’ ‘vol’ etc etc etc just to make it look that people agree with you! “

What’s the point of this you may ask? Well if x can own up to his dalliance with the BNP can he also own up to and confirm having a range of pseudonyms? Or was that another student prank and political mistake -- seems to make a few of those doesn’t he?

Also the posts that x has himself put on the Militia Blog tells me he is not an ‘onlooker’ as suggested by one of his supporters above. You have to be very close to get this sort of access even if it is only to re-post stale articles written previously and put on the AWL site. See 12 th Jan /9 th Dec / 2 nd Dec – twice!

In terms of the contents of the initial article which kicked of the kafuffle,
‘Gang of 5 ‘, who are they?
*x White male (stood for B/sec and Asst. B/Sec at Lambeth AGM * x White male (stood for Publicity Officer and Young members Officer and LG conf. at AG M )* x Non White female (stood for asst. publicity Officer and International Officer * x White male ( stood for Chair and Membership Officer and Regional council and National Conf.) *x Non White male (unemployed member , could not stand for anything.)

These were the 5 who put themselves up publicly within the Lambeth branch, no one else.

On this basis it appears to be a logical and mathematically correct statement to conclude that this ‘gang of 5 is dominated by white male Local Government workers!! 3 to 2 that is in favour of the white males. Would it have been better saying ‘the majority of them are ‘,,,,, it makes no difference really as it is still the same outcome, they dominate, win the vote etc because they are the majority.

Why on earth is this a racist slur?

Also why is the term ‘young guns for hire’ ageist?

The AWL SWP and SP and all the other Trotskyite groups have in the past revelled in revealing the ‘background of Labour leaders, Business folk Bankers etc, etc. (have a look at the AWL web site) so why is that principle sooooo wrong now? Only because they didn’t expect such public exposure I am sure.

When you take away all the obvious Trot haters, Stalinists, and loyal Gray supporters from the above postings (try it!) and you are left with a hardcore of views which appear to repeat parrot fashion exactly the same themes, and bile about being attacked unfairly. Apart from the brave and public testimonials (which will now stay on the web forever!) of those named and shamed the rest seem to be from the same two persons (you can guess who) when you look at structure, language, punctuation and spelling (especially spelling) The whole intent of this ‘mobbing ‘approach is surely to overtly and publicly bring a physical presence of pressure on Mr Gray.

This is the crassest form of bullying in its most grotesque form and you are doing it for the whole world to witness what you are doing ,which is probably the best advert as to why one should not get involved in any of your Ultra –Left fringe groups. I have already seen numerous references to this posting during my cyber travels in the last couple of days. In being a much older seasoned political activist I do believe that this posting should stand alone as a reference book to understand

"How the Trots respond to criticism and exposure”, it would surely go down well at the next Unison conference.

Yes I am nearly finished you will be glad to hear.

The whole of the root political issue appears to be the facts surrounding the public emergence of this group. Somebody else refers to the good old special branch and our ever alert and infiltrating MI5 / 6. ? Maybe, but given that the AWL and permanent revolution are involved perhaps it’s the simple fact that these groups thought the time was right to take over the obviously rich Lambeth Branch and its resources and its place in Trade Union history,,, a hijack I call it, by a centralised cell of quite determined individuals . Why else was x a full time worker from AWL ‘drafted’ in. Why else did....x leave Lewisham and join Lambeth, to be followed by x soon after from Lewisham .Why else did x who has a good degree and Masters from the LSE come to work as a middling finance Officer in the Borough.

If there is any investigations taking place it should be by the Labour party and more importantly Unison so that the can get to the bottom of why this revolutionary cell is operating in Lambeth Unison.

I hope this gives you all food for thought. Thank you

Graham retired Unison member ex – Nalgo shop steward

Anonymous said...

Hello again. In having enjoyed statistics throughout my life it rather struck me that the Trots do not enjoy or have even mastered such elementary pleasures.

The person above who refers to Rogers Blog being more popular by reference to the number of on the ‘hit counter’ and deriding Nick Venedi into the bargain, does really want to enrol him/her self on one of the Trot weekend schools ‘ maths for beginners’.

In this rose-tinted corner, Rogers Blog has been going since July 2006and has received some 60,804 hits over these 42 months of existence. This equates on average to 1448 hits a month.

In the red corner, Grays Blog has been going since February 2007 and has received some 57,530 hits over this 24 months period. This equates on average to 2397 hits a month, no contest really is there?

Whilst doing the sums and going back to the Gang of 5 being dominated by white males, X has a picture on his ‘La tutee fruitte’ of a demo outside of Starbucks, near the LSE. Once again it would appear that this group of ‘activists’ are also dominated by white males. Funny world eh, full of coincidences! The picture includes X as well as two of his cohorts from the Lambeth Militia, try and spot them? (See here -link http://jamescaspell.blogspot.com/2008/07/students-and-striking-workers-picket.html)

The other coincidence is that that whilst this picket of the ‘afternoon of free coffee and cake testing for post graduates’ was laudable and even supportable the three Lambeth Militia had clearly got their priorities and political principles thoroughly in a twist. You see the heading above the picture boldly states “Students and Striking Workers Picket LSE Starbucks event”. In knowing it was an afternoon event I am not aware of any Lambeth or Lambeth Living premises anywhere near Kingsway, Holborn. You see 16th and 17th July 2008 were the two days of the National Pay strike. It was a 24hour strike for both days when pickets should have been on all Lambeth and Lambeth Living buildings in the Borough of Lambeth particularly in Brixton where the main buildings are.

Rather than help their comrades, and low paid members in Lambeth around the clock on the picket lines these three (and there may be more depending on them being identified) “striking Local Government Workers” were off on a ‘student’ led jaunt to ‘build solidarity’ with the LSE students by picketing a coffee and cake shop some 10 tube stops and miles away from the Brixton picket lines. X just can’t stay away from the LSE can he.

Ironic yet pathetic isn’t it. These are the very same people who bemoaned the Unison leadership for not putting enough effort into calling further strike days. They are also the same people who could only get a small handful of members out in Lambeth by the looks of it, whilst still calling for a General strike and ’workers led Government’ . Ye p-------c and naive h---------s, you should be ashamed of yourselves. On this occasion you clearly ‘sold out’ the membership, the ones whose vote you crave for. When they find out about this ,I doubt it ,if they have any nouse.

A fuming and very angry Graham

Anonymous said...

Dear very angry Graham,

I'm the person who made the comment about Nick Venedi's mathematical incompetence.

Venedi said - and I quote - "Anyway you have achieved levels of public fame (limited somewhat within the London wide Unison communnity) as you now have more hits to your blog than Chairman Jon of the Rogers."

This is simply not true from the figures on the hit counters. You are right that the average number of hits per day puts John Gray in the lead, but you are wrong to suggest my maths is at fault as you chose to compare them in a different way to the one specfied by Venedi.

Your apology will be accepted, and you can calm down over this minor part of your outrage - everything else of which I can concur with.

Now can we please get back to putting these Keystone Komrades through the mincer?

Anonymous said...

Graham,

Given how much time you have on your hands, I'm surprised that you haven't acknowledged that the UNISON march in central london held on the 17th July 2008 started at Lincoln's Inn Fields, just 1 minutes walk away from where these local govt workers briefly joined LSE students to picket Starbucks, whilst waiting for the march to begin.

I undertand they had been on picket lines from 7am that morning...of course, don't let the facts obscure your warped personalised agenda.

LSE student

Anonymous said...

What a rotten excuse for skiving away from the picket line? What do they mean by “7am” start? Doesn’t Lambeth have any office cleaners, transport, EHO, schools, repairs and “dust” depots? All these buildings and depots should have been covered by pickets from 04.30 onwards. Or is it only for the lower classes to picket at that time of the morning? The pretend trots just waved all those scabs though while they rotted in their beds?

Anonymous said...

I didn't go to public school and never learned Greek so could people please stop writing in it unless they can at least provide a translation for us thickos? It's very alienating and appears designed to exclude the likes of me and not the public school boys and girls who apparently study this at their schools?
Thank you kindly.
Phil

Anonymous said...

So now I know why the Militia were not picketing nor joined in the Rally in Brixton at lunchtime on 17th July,they were picketing a coffee and cake shop in central London on that date, acording to our comrade in the LSE.Surely Rogers will have something to say to that,or will he as usual just melt into the background like he allways does when there are political issues to resolve esp.when United left comrades are involved .
BTY, some advice to the Lambeth Militia and the LSE student above - stop digging ! the hole is getting deeper by the day.

Anonymous said...

Re Phil's comment above about the language issue - yes please don't be an arse by writing Greek, especially as it isn't in Greek characters so we can't even put it througha translator programme. It's just a pathetic thing to do and puts me in mind of the kind of 'philosphical tracts' that emerge from the looney Trot groups in language designed to make things obscure and difficult. Not exactly working-class friendly, is it (except the Greek working class, of course).

John Gray said...

Hi All
Sorry I haven’t responded to any comments recently – been a bit busy. Will do so as soon as possible. In the meantime I have received an official complaint from the Hellenic Horticultural Society protesting strongly at the Greek words used in the anon comment posted 9.2.09 12:00. Apparently these words are suggesting that cucumbers are used in an inappropriate and disrespectful manner. So I have deleted the original comment and reposted it as below without the Greek. I really don’t know the truth of the matter – After all - it’s all Greek to me.
“Re: Nick Venedi's posting on 5 Feb 09:

As an ex Lambeth UNISON activist and HUGE admirer of Nick Venedi, I would like to comment as follows: Nick, bravo ****** you have really summarised everything quite well. You have acted with dignity and responsibility on behalf of your branch.

You have not stooped to name calling, or personal vicious attacks on people - and that is PRECISELY why you remain in the position of joint Branch Secretary!

All I have to say to you is: ***** ******** ******** ************ ********** ******** ******!

For all those public schoolboys/girls who are wondering what I have said above - surely they taught you Greek at your expensive schools!!!!!!!!!

Katrina: I have always known you to be an activist of integrity - so when I read comments such as those in this blog, all I can say is: ****** ****** ****** ******!

Oh, and by the way for all those out there who are wondering..... I am an ex activist, purely because I now work in a different sector and in a different borough and NOT because of anything else!

Let's see you publish that Mr Graham!”