Now -read the book!

Here is a link to my memoirs which, if you are a glutton for punishment, you can purchase online at https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/an-obscure-footnote-in-trade-union-history.
Men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name. (William Morris - A Dream of John Ball)

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

NEC scrape through on branch funding - what next?

The National Executive Council's Motion 121 on branch funding scraped through UNISON Conference‎ by 52% to 48% in a card vote this morning.

This result will come as something of a relief at the UNISON Centre - but, particularly‎ in the light of the strength of support for democratic change in UNISON expressed at the 250 strong fringe meeting for lay members last night, a more considered response would be better advised (particularly since just 29 people showed up at the eariler competing meeting called to express support for the leadership).

The question of the allocation of resources - and therefore power - within our trade union is by no means closed. A broad-based wide-ranging network of lay activists is emerging which is determined to change our union for the better. The question of branch funding will doubtless be of the issues on our agenda.

Those whose hold on power is increasingly tenuous must decide whether to accede to the demand for democratic change or to assert their increasingly shallow and brittle authority ‎by hectoring Conference and bullying activists.

And in relation to that final point I shall of course blog further in the near future (but if I publish anything I tell you is confidential please don't pass it on...)

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the EE network.





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