Sometimes even my irrepressible optimism of the will takes the odd knock. But just when you feel at your lowest, that is the point at which the class struggle comes along and reminds you why you do it all.
Today I have been reinvigorated by an excellent lobby of, and deputations to, the local authority by which I am employed. Even more though, I have found encouragement from a hitherto unlikely place.
The UNISON North West Regional Local Government Executive.
These are comrades with whom I have not always seen eye to eye (not even when looking at an icepick). However, at today's meeting of the UNISON National Joint Council Committee (the democratically elected body of lay UNISON members which dictates the policy of the majority of the trade union side nationally) a motion from the North West was agreed - and it was a motion I could not have written better myself.
In a nutshell, the Committee agreed not to ask our members to choose between the two "rancid horsemeat" options (http://www.jonrogers1963.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-real-choice-confronting-local.html?m=1) on pay offered by the employers but instead to consult members positively about their willingness to take action for a deal better than either of the options on offer from the bosses.
This was at the initiative of the North West Region, UNISON's largest Region (in terms of membership numbers). It reflected the agreed policy of the Greater London Region and -plainly - commanded majority support from Regional representatives.
We go towards the 2013 local government pay dispute with eyes wide open. It won't be easy winning members to take action, and still harder to win concessions as a result of such action. It is however essential that we throw all we can into this campaign.
Every UNISON local government activist must now prepare to secure the largest possible response to this call for action in the forthcoming consultation exercise.
Congratulations to the NJC Committee for giving a lead.
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
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