I was very pleased to be part, at today's meeting of the Development and Organisation (D&O) Committee of the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC), of a unanimous decision completely to remove our Newham branch from regional supervision after three and a half years.
Regional supervision is intended to be an exceptional short-term measure to assist members in branches which become totally dysfunctional. In the case of Newham, regional supervision was imposed virtually immediately upon the departure of a long-serving Branch Secretary who was (and is) a long-serving member of our NEC and an award winning recruiter.
I never quite understood the rationale for regional supervision in Newham as there were no insurmountable problems in the branch, other than the "problem" that its leadership might pass into the hands of those unwilling to be compliant with the lead employer. Newham had been one of the strongest branches in London and had played an exemplary role in the London Weighting dispute.
I hope that now the affairs of the Newham branch are the exclusive business of its own members the branch can return to its previous strength over time. Any branch can invite support from the Regional office and it is often wise to do so. In the normal course of events such an invitation remains the property of the branch and can be extended or rescinded by democratic decision of the branch.
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