It’s good to see a strong, positive statement issued on behalf of a sizeable majority of the members of the newly elected UNISON NEC, which I shall take the liberty of reproducing in its entirety below;
“The #TimeForRealChange campaign is delighted to announce that 37 of its 56 candidates were successfully elected to the UNISON NEC. Congratulations go to all our successful candidates who are committed to real change in UNISON, and commiserations go to those who fell just short this time. This majority for change on the UNISON NEC must now enable a positive transformation of our union.
#TimeForRealChange are grassroots trade unionist and socialist candidates who are determined to change UNISON into a more democratic, inclusive and fighting trade union. We are the largest trade union in the UK, and as such we believe we can have a transformative effect for the working class and of course those who work in our public services, whether they be employed in the public, private or voluntary sectors.
#TimeForRealChange has a collective vision for change. UNISON members are at the heart of that vision. We are determined to make ‘member-led’ more than just a turn of phrase in UNISON. The members have spoken in these NEC elections, giving a mandate for real change. We thank all UNISON members who voted in these NEC elections, and we wish to reach out to members who did not vote and non-unionised workers who would be eligible for UNISON membership due to them working in public services. We are excited about the tasks in front of us, but do not underestimate the discipline needed and hard work ahead: we are determined to change UNISON into a force that can protect and improve your terms and conditions at work.
We look outwards to other trade unions in a spirit of comradeship and cooperation. We look outwards to the Labour Party and wish to see it fight for workers in the way we intend UNISON too. We are focussed on UNISON members and UNISON branches – you are the driving force and beating heart of our union, and we are determined to make the union work for you.”
This is a very good start - and it invites a similarly positive response from UNISON’s recently elected General Secretary who now faces a challenge unlike that faced by any of her three predecessors, with an NEC likely to demonstrate that it has a mind of its own. UNISON Rule B.2.2 clearly states that one of UNISON’s aims and objectives is “to promote and establish a member-led union and to carry out and fulfil decisions made by members in a spirit of unity and accountability.”
UNISON officials who have been used to directing UNISON lay members will need to find a new way to work in partnership with what will clearly be a newly assertive lay leadership. UNISON officials who may have been hoping that a new General Secretary would liberate them from a conservative bureaucratic and risk-averse organisational culture may find that these NEC election results give them what they have been wishing for. Rule D.2.1 states that “the general management and control of the Union between National Delegate Conferences shall be vested in the National Executive Council.”
If the General Secretary and Assistant General Secretaries reach out constructively to the newly elected NEC, accepting the democratic changes which will obviously follow the election results and finding ways to work in partnership with the new elected lay leadership then UNISON as a whole can benefit immediately from the enthusiasm and determination of its new lay leadership. This can be an exciting time in which the hope that was born in July 1993 is rekindled.
There may, however, be some who will be tempted to work to undermine or divide the incoming majority, to delay or minimise change in the hope of reversing this outcome in two years time whilst meanwhile basing themselves on those parts of the UNISON lay structures which retain the approach of the previous lay leadership. That would, for any such individuals, be a mistake of a career-defining kind. Rule E.3.1 states that “the General Secretary shall act under the direction of the National Executive Council.”
As a long serving former member of the UNISON NEC I know that the newly elected National Executive has not just the formal authority but also the will and determination to give effect to the democracy of the trade union as guaranteed in our Rule Book. This can be a very good thing for UNISON members, for recruitment to the Union and for our class.
People looking for a blog post about the implications of these developments for UNISON’s relationship with the Labour Party can just wait. Trade unions are not simply part of a drama within a political party - they are (much more importantly) workplace organisations which (at our best) can provide dignity and justice for working people.
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