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 26, 2013

29 September and the NHS. It's not how we got here, it's where we're going

Following my disappointment at the June meeting of the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) where a majority opposed all talk of a national demonstration, I'm pleased I was right to be optimistic that a better position would emerge at last week's UNISON Conference (http://www.jonrogers1963.blogspot.com/2013/06/unison-and-defence-of-our-national.html?m=1).



After the contributions of our own General Secretary last Tuesday and that of the General Secretary of the TUC a week ago today, it is clear that we shall be heading for Manchester on 29 September for a national demonstration in defence of the National Health Service, with further campaigning ahead in the months to follow.



Some on the left will be critical of the time taken to get to this point, they will warn that, if our only message is "vote Labour", we won't be saying enough, and they will question the extent to which we can rely upon our own leaders. On all three questions they will have a point.



However, now that the call for this demonstration has been made, the most important thing we can do is to make it massive - and use it to boost and bolster local campaigns in defence of the health service, and public services generally.



Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

No comments: