Tuesday at the TUC - guest speaker

I am listening to the guest speaker from the AFL-CIO, Arlene Holt Baker, who is talking up Obama in her address to the TUC Congress.

I am afraid I am not at all inspired or even very interested to hear about the work the AFL-CIO will be doing to get the vote out for the Democrats.

One quarter of delegates at the Democratic Convention were from union households.

Which means that the other three quarters were not.

The US trade unions are in an even weaker position politically than we are. We have at least the memory of a trade union based political party.

We however need massively to raise our game as a movement if we want political influence such as we currently do not have.

Later today John McDonnell is chairing a meeting called by the RMT, NUJ, PCS and FBU to launch a Trade Union Co-ordinating Group to provide a voice for trade unions in Parliament.

Since the current trade union group of MPs is worthless, and the Parliamentary work of the trade unions deeply unimpressive, this initiative is timely.

I'l report here later on how it goes.