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, July 17, 2013

Model motion on the Labour-union link?

I'm more used to drafting motions for use within my trade union than the Labour Party, so would welcome comments on the competence or usefulness of the following motion (or someone telling me where a far better motion is already available online);

The Collins Review and the Party's relationship with the trade unions

This branch remembers that the Labour Party was founded as an alliance between trade unions and socialist organisations to provide a political voice for working people.

We believe that Labour's continuing relationship with three million trade unionists who are affiliated members of our Party helps to root our Party in our communities and workplaces. It is a relationship which has seen our Party through its greatest crises and to our greatest triumphs.

We want our Party to continue to be a Party funded primarily by millions rather than by millionaires. We recognise that trade unions are collective organisations of working people, and understand that the relationship between the unions and the Party, locally and nationally should be on the basis of collective affiliation.

We note that Ray Collins is currently leading a review of the Party's relationship with the trade unions at the request of the Party Leader.

We would support positive measures to strengthen and improve the relationship between the Party and the unions, for example by encouraging the greater democratic engagement of ordinary trade unionists in union and Party structures, or by developing the understanding of the nature and purpose of trade unionism among Party members who lack experience of trade unionism. We call upon all individual Party members to join, and become actively involved in, an appropriate trade union.

We oppose any and all suggestions that would weaken or undermine the relationship between the Party and the trade unions based upon collective affiliation. We call upon the NEC to ensure that any proposals for change reflect the views expressed in this motion.

We resolve to submit this motion to Ray Collins, and to the CLP for consideration of the motion (excluding this paragraph) as a contemporary resolution to Party Conference.

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"an alliance between trade unions and socialist organisations" - well the trade unions are still here, thank god, but we seem to be short on Socialism.