Supporting Stalin against SOAS

I was pleased that I was able to get along at lunchtime today to SOAS (that's the School of Oriental and African Studies) for the protest ahead of this afternoon's appeal against the dismissal of Jose Stalin Bermudez, victimised UNISON Branch Chair.

There was an impressive turnout given that the appeal was - unfortunately from a trade union point of view - taking place during the academic holidays. The strong showing reflected the strength of feeling about this case.

It is to be hoped that the SOAS appeal panel will see sense and reinstate Stalin. However speakers with knowledge of the organisation did not encourage optimism on this point.

I was therefore very pleased by two things that I heard at the lunchtime rally. First, UNISON Branch Secretary Sandy Nicholl was able to report that UNISON members will be balloting for strike action.

Secondly, the solidarity speaker from the students union said that, whilst they had respected the confidentiality of the process hitherto, if the appeal was not upheld they would provide full details to the student body. Student solidarity could be vital.

It is vitally important in cases such as this (of which I fear there will be more) that our response as workers is not limited to what seems to be legally or procedurally possible. If we want justice we must be prepared to fight for what is right.

SOAS need to understand that if they do not deliver justice for Stalin they will attract a new name as the Shabby Organisation Attacking Staff...

Fight the victimisation of UNISON activists

As I am on leave for the day I have been thinking about fellow trade unionists experiencing enforced leisure thanks to their victimisation by the employers. I’ve blogged before (and soon will again) about the long running case of victimised nurse Yunus Bakhsh, sacked on trumped up charges which have already been discredited.

Unfortunately in recent weeks three more good UNISON activists have shared his fate. My fellow UNISON NEC member John McDermott has been sacked by East and North East Leeds Housing and – in a worrying indication that other new providers of social housing also want to pick a fight with their staff, respected Tower Hamlets UNISON activist Debbie Cordroy has been dismissed by One Housing Group. It tells you all you need to know about John that he was speaking in support of Debbie the evening before he got the result of his own case. UNISON members in Leeds have taken strike action in support of John and members in Tower Hamlets will be balloting for action to support Debbie following a very effective public meeting.

This week Jose Stalin Bermudez, Chair of the UNISON Branch at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and leading campaigner against low pay and for justice for migrant workers, has been sacked. SOAS boast on their website of “a long and distinguished history of widening the horizons of its students and helping them gain the skills needed for careers in an increasingly international environment” – happily the students have had their horizons widened enough already to be supporting UNISON and UCU members who want to fight this victimisation. The UNISON branch will be seeking a strike ballot and I am sure that action will be taken if SOAS do not back down.

In all these cases employers will claim some spurious justification for what is really an attack upon vocal and effective organisers. The employers will seek to pursue these cases behind the closed doors of disciplinary and appeal hearings and cajole the Union into settling at best for paltry compensation. UNISON needs to stand firm against these victimisations or in the coming year of recession we will see many more such cases.

We need public campaigns in which we make clear that we will not bow to bullying from the employers.

Support the strike against victimisation!

This story is nicked entirely from the London Region UNISON website. If we can’t have a strike over pay this year, let’s mobilise all our resources to defend our own!

“Members in Newham have voted for strike action following the suspension of activist and Branch Chair, Michael Gavan.
A day of strike action has been agreed for 31st October, which is the day before Michael’s disciplinary hearing. This allows members the opportunity to show their strength of feeling in order to change the Councils mind about pursuing their unwarranted disciplinary process.
There will be a lunch time rally from: 11:30am At St Johns Church, Stratford (in the middle of the Broadway) Nearest tube – Stratford on the central line.
All welcome to come along in support of Michael and the branch.
Link to map
Michael has been accused by the council of "not acting in the best interests of the council" and organising an "unauthorised" meeting against possible privatisation of services. UNISON has denied the allegations amount to gross misconduct, rather it says they are a direct attack on the union, aimed at gagging an effective negotiator.
"It is no coincidence that the Michael has been suspended shortly after the union started a campaign against the privatisation of the refuse and cleaning service," said branch secretary Irene Stacey.Messages of support can be emailed to the branch at newham-unison@btconnect.com and messages of condemnation sent to Newham mayor Robin Wales at Robin.wales@newham.gov.uk”

I cannot be there on Wednesday as I will not be in London, but I hope as many UNISON activists as possible will show their support. If an employer can establish the principle that a union representative can be dismissed for (allegedly!) failing to breach the duty of confidentiality owed to a union member that would be the death knell of independent trade unionism in the workplace.

Good luck to all the sisters and brothers in Newham UNISON!

Support Union activists at home and abroad!

One of the most important tasks for trade unionists is to defend our brothers and sisters when they are victimised. As I am not in London I won’t be at the protest outside the Iranian embassy tomorrow – UNISON is supporting this protest against the jailing of union leaders.

We don’t face the same hazards in this country!

However it is still important that our Union responds vigorously when our activists are attacked – as is the case with the suspension of Manchester health activist Karen Reissman. Karen has been suspended for speaking out and because she is an effective UNISON lay activist. The result of a strike ballot is expected soon.

Our activists are the heart and soul of our Union – and when employers attack them we have to be vigorous in our response.