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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Greater (London) expectations of the Regional Committee

Today is that most exciting of days – there is a meeting of the Greater London Regional Committee of UNISON. I have read elsewhere in the blogosphere that great things are now to be expected of this Committee and I therefore hurry towards the meeting full of eager anticipation.

We’ll be discussing recruitment and organisation, of course. I am keen to find out whey the Regional Pool is being so little used these days. A few years ago when myself and Louise Couling were co-Chairs of the Recruitment and Organisation Committee we worked with the then Secretary of the Committee to push substantial sums of money into the hands of branches with good ideas to develop UNISON organisation. It is a shame that this seems to have come to a halt.

We’ll also be discussing pay, of course, the health service, equal pay and – no doubt – the outcome of the London elections. I’ll report here later on about anything of particular interest.

We will also be looking at arrangements for the Regional Council meeting on 5 June, to which branches have submitted very few motions, but which will in all probability be taking place during a national local government strike ballot, at the close of consultation on health service pay and a few days ahead of the TUC lobby of Parliament.

I hope that the Regional Committee will be able to work out how to use the Regional Council meeting to good effect in these circumstances – and that the Regional office and leadership will use their proven skills in encouraging attendance to make sure that our Region pulls its weight in the campaign on public sector pay.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:09 am

    Did you and John Gray attend the same meeting????

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  2. it doesn't much look like it does it anon? I thought that was John over the other side of the table but perhaps he has been cloned? He must have been in a meeting with someone he thought was me, who he heard "gloating" about the prospect of a Tory Government. But since I was a Labour Party member right through the Tory Governments of the 80s and the 90s (and ever since) and view the prospect of a Tory Government with horror perhaps John was watching some hologram which simply looked like me? It is all very perplexing. Still John has promised to let us all know what the "Plan B" is to defeat the pay freeze without strike action so that is something to look forward to :)

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