GRL 3rd National Conference - Birmingham, Nov 17th

Grassroots Left 3rd National conference

In the Conference Room

At The Comfort Inn 

Station Street, B5 4DY.

Opposite New St Station, Birmingham City Centre

 

Saturday 17th of November 2012  

From 12 noon to 4pm.

 

This establishment is also a short walk from Snow Hill & Moor St stations.

 

This meeting is open to members of UNITE the union, their families & friends. Fellow trade unionists who are supporters of the Grassroots Left initiative are also most welcome to attend. Refreshments are available from the hotel bar on the ground floor.

The March on Ocober 20th 'A bit like the Grand old duke of York'

The Third Grand Old Duke of York Demo:

TU leaders must fight for “needs budgets”!

Enough of the bogus “protecting frontline services”, “caring cuts”, “dented shields” and “cuts too far too fast”!

WE have seen only a fraction of the cuts to come first planned by Chancellor George Osborne in 2010—the total is almost £600 billion, and that is without the readjustments necessitated by the shrinkage of the economy and tax take due to these deflationary policies. So far less than 15% has been implemented.

What are the prospects of the official Labour movement leading a fightback against these vicious cuts? Even if Labour wins in 2015 it will continue these cuts without let-up. Shadow chancellor Ed Balls told the Guardian, “The public want to know that we are going to be ruthless and disciplined in how we go about public spending”. And at the Labour Conference, “we cannot make any commitments now that the next Labour government will be able to reverse particular tax rises or spending cuts.”

And what are the intentions of the trade unions and Labour council leaders, surely they will lead a fightback? They have no intention of doing so.

At a meeting with about fifty of its Councillors, including Council leaders and Labour group leaders, on 12 November 2010 in Leeds Unite newly elected Gen Sec Len McCluskey got Gail Cartmell to instruct them to carry out all the cuts by setting legal budgets whilst hypocritically protesting. Not one balked at this disgraceful instruction. Not a single Labour councillor voted against the cuts imposed in April 2010, despite panic and soul-searching in Lambeth and Hackney. There was no question of setting ‘needs budgets’ to protect the vulnerable against the cuts. Len McCluskey made his usual anti-cuts speech at this year’s TUC but meekly acquiesced to the cuts agenda at the Labour party conference.

Back at the first 500, 000-strong ‘Grand Old Duke of York’ demo on 26 March 2011, just to make sure that he did not whip the troops into a revolutionary frenzy, McCluskey had Unite’s stewards sporting the Ed Miliband slogan “cuts too far too fast” on their hi viz vests. What are the mobilising marching chants appropriate to this inspiring idea; “An injury to one is an injury to one and that’s all, and that’s all”, “cut some not all, cut some not all” and, "cut their jobs, not our jobs, cut their jobs, not our jobs, do dah, dah do dah”? Bureaucrats save their fiery speeches for the big occasion to hide their sell-outs when no one is on the streets.

On 30 November 2011 we had the ‘Grand Old Duke of York’ one day Public Sector Pensions Strike. This saw a series of strikes over the whole of the UK. 60% of schools in England were closed and 6,000 hospital operations cancelled as up to two million public sector workers went on strike. Again a tokenistic series of protests, with no follow up to build the movement just as the Socialist party’s “one day general strike” would become if not developed into an indefinite one.

The strangle-hold the TU bureaucracy has on the rank and file of the movement is stronger now than ever. They actively foster the two tier workforce to split and divide us. We saw this in Ellesmere Port, in the London buses and in countless other workplaces; new starters are second class TU members, with lower pay rates and far worse conditions. Almost all left groups do not fight this in any serious way, thus they do not prepare for this impending catastrophe. The National Shop Stewards Network, Unite the Resistance and the Coalition of Resistance cosy up to bureaucrats, left and right, with Len McCluskey’s treachery alibied and excused by all.

To begin the real fightback we must build a genuine rank and file movement in the trade unions, which fights ALL the sell-out bureaucrats by the united front method; ‘with them where possible, without and against them where necessary’. This is the task the Grass Roots Left has set itself. From the foregoing it is clear that we must also bring that fight into the Labour party to being to prepare for the 85% cuts to come and the inevitable political consequences of a Labour government viciously attacking its core supporters as Ramsey McDonald did in 1931.

Labour makes no promise to tax the rich, Balls has not even promised to reinstate the tokenistic 50p rate of tax. He was booed at the TUC promising to continuing the attack on the public sector. Given the dire consequences of the 15% cuts we have already seen the effect of the remaining 85% amount to the total destruction of the welfare state built up since 1945—the NHS privatised and local council no more than paymasters for privatised and decimated services. This will inevitably split the Labour party, despite the apparent weakness of the left there and in TUs right now.

 

Stop marching us up to the top of the hill, only to be marched back down [Or left up there]! 

We must prepare for this by renewing the Labour movement, linking up with those within and outside the Labour party who want to fight. We begin with the core organised working class movement, the trade unions, and from there we must take the struggle into the Labour party. To do this we promote the principles and practices of the R+F in all our areas of work. These principles should include,

a) Democratise the unions!

b) elections of all union officials!

c) Officials to be paid no more than the average skilled worker’s wage!

d) Defiance of the anti-union laws!

e) A steeply progressive wealth tax!

f) Public works at TU rates of pay to give work to the unemployed!

What happens when 28 construction workers are sacked by EIS on the Crossrail site? The 'Rank & File' fight back!

28 EIS workers sacked on Crossrail project.....

So the 'Rank & File'  fight back!

28 workers including 2 reps have been sacked at the Westbourne Park site for daring to join a Trade union! One of those sacked was a safety rep. Shortly after the sacking there was potentially a very serious accident at the site, when an earth moving conveyor [hopper] collapsed, luckily though no one was injured, this time anyway! 

Since the sackings, and for the last 3 weeks there have been daily pickets at the Westbourne Park site. Please get to the picket anytime between 7am to 1pm. The nearest tube is ‘Westbourne Park’ and the site is opposite the station. 4 or 5 pickets can cause havoc at the Crossrail site, just imagine what 40 or 400 could do!

Remarkably there are those that still say blacklisting is a thing of the past?! But its going on right here right now! So as well as the daily pickets we have had a some great protests over blacklisting and EIS sackings with our comrades in Blacklisted Supporters Group [BSG].

BAM the main contractor at Westbourne Park are one of the biggest ‘Blacklisters’ going. There has been plenty of coverage in the press lately on ‘Blaclisting’ Massive thanks to BSG.

When employers break the law our response has to be. ............................................'CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ALL THE WAY'

Combine meeting? What Combine meeting??

Did you know that there was a Combine meeting on the 3^rd October? No? Neither did many of those who did not receive notice of the meeting! So at the meeting on the 3^rd Oct there were only 10 in attendance. If you were not informed about the meeting then please send emails/letters of complaint to: Bernard ‘moving forward’  Mcaulay. Email address: Bernard.McAulay@unitetheunion.org

Note: Another combine meeting is planned for November, so make sure you are informed.

Play by the rules? Crown House don’t!

We know that Crown House are still up to no good, so keep the ‘play by the rules’ forms going and also the weekly protests near you, if you can.

National TUC March on October 20^th in London

Unite may be assembling at the Head Office in Holborn early on the day, to march to the Embankment. So get your banners out and show the Con-Dems what we think of their cuts!

Dig deep and give generously.

We are appealing to you all to contribute the EIS hardship fund, make cheques payable to ‘Joint Sites Committee’ and send to: 70 Darnay Rise Chelmsford CM1 4XA. Please raise at your workplace/union branch/Trades Council/any meetings or wherever you can. Cheers. 

Finally [and good news], we now have now got a few activists on Unites [construction] Regional Industrial Sector Committees [RISC’s] and the National Industrial sector Committee’s [NISC’s]. Nice one, keep on keeping on eh!!

For more info please visit..... http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

To get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

‘An injury to one is an injury to all : Solidarity forever’

After sackings, a call for a 'Mass Picket' of Crossrail Westbourne Park

BREAKING NEWS: Call for Mass Picket of Crossrail Westbourne Park:

 

Today [14th September] we hear that 25 Unite members and 3 reps have been sacked by notorious 'Blacklisters' Crossrail, after the union had raised safety concerns.

This is seen as a deliberate attack on the ubnion and it's members.

Siteworker say's "If the 'Blacklisting' building contractors want  a fight they can have one."

Mass picket of Crossrail 

Westbourne Park

Monday 17th September 6:30am

 

Unity is strength : Solidarity forever :

Construction Rank and File update 'Threats of walkouts forces Balfours to reinstate sacked worker'

Stewart Hume reinstated.

A great victory and a massive well done to all our Scottish brothers!

There is power in the Union. We know it and so do the employers.

 

We have just had a great week for the ‘Rank and File’. 1] The threat of walkouts at Grangemouth and protests on all Balfour Beatty Engineering Services [BBES] sites was just too much for the blacklisting wretches! BBES were forced to reinstate the ‘sacked’ Rank and Filer, Stewart Hume.  

There is power in the union & the ‘Rank and File’ and when we are on the march we are unstoppable. Put that in your pipe[work] and smoke it Mr Harvey.  

2] Last week the National ‘Rank and File’ committee met with Unites Ass Gen Sec Gail Cartmail and National officer Bernard [moving forward] Macauly. 

It was a good meeting, though there were no massive gains, but we weren’t expecting any really, Unite like to tread carefully “mustn’t break them anti Trade Union laws now must we”! 

A] Crown house was discussed, with still no sign of the ‘sign or be sacked’ letter.  We have got them [CH] on the run so let’s keep at the b******s!. 

B] Blacklisting was discussed, and our demands to get our blacklisted brothers in work. Unite seem to be warming to the idea so watch this space. 

The Scottish Select Committee met last Tuesday and we hear that Gail Cartmail gave em what for thanks for that better late than never. 

C] The ‘crap’ pay deal was mentioned..........It’s a joke/piss take.......... No pay increase until June 2013 a 1.5% increase in first year, well below inflation. 

Unite are sending out letters with the full details and strongly recommending that their members DO NOT accept the offer. This is a consultative ballot for possible industrial action up to and including STRIKE ACTION. 

Unite ‘Rank and File’ construction workers say NO!... NO!!!..... NO!!!!!! 

Make sure you put your cross in the right box REJECT THE OFFER and get ready for strike action. A resounding rejection is essential.  

We should also be receiving paperwork on ‘Blacklisting’, please fill that in too.  

D] Play by the rules was also on the meeting agenda, we know that the employers are breaking the rules all day every day. Please contact your local office, Unite say they will follow up any complaints, so keep the info coming in. 

Finally, a new copy of ‘Siteworker is done, anyone needing copies please let us know by emailing siteworkers@virginmedia.com and we will post them out to you.  

For more info please visit..... http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Just another week in the life of the rank and File eh! Solidarity forever.

Con Dem Coalition reshuffle? Sharper knives deeper cuts!

Waiting for the reshuffle? Actually it's not much more than swapping blunt knives for sharp ones, with exactly the same cuts! Or even worse...............................

Paralympics and Remploy closurers: Double standards & hypocrisy [Plus benefit cuts ATOS etc]

 

Press release: Press release: Press release: Immediate:

Forward by Jerry Hicks Grass Roots Left chair: Please find a press release from my good friend and great socialist Ged Dempsey.

 

Sir/Madam,

With the Paralympics upon us.....

I agreed with much of Denis McShane MP statement regarding the Government stripping away sickness and disability benefits. He was absolutely spot on.

Now after, the Con Dem coalition government announced callous plans to close 36 of the 54 remaining Remploy sites with compulsory redundancies for 1,752 people.

This decision came just days after the government passed the welfare bill, which is supposed to be to help people in to work?

Instead of a commitment to help the most vulnerable people in society, the government is hell-bent on making life much worse for them.

Remploy provides real jobs for many hundreds of disabled workers, giving them the confidence and dignity to be active and contributing citizens. Closing the factories will cause real hardship and push many to the back of the dole queue despite the hollow and weasel words of DWP Minister, Duncan Smith and his rich cronies in the Tory Cabinet of millionaires.

Now they are threatening the pensions of the Remploy workers.

The vile treatment of Remploy workers has been a disgrace and the politicians should hang their heads in shame.

Successive Governments have attacked these vulnerable workers whittling the plants down over the years - but too many politicians sat on their hands and were silent. Failing to stand up for those with little or no voice!

We also demanded an end to the grubby, incompetent and self interest of the directors/management; and a drive for real commitment to getting more public procurement contracts from Government and local authorities.

All to no avail.

 
This is at a time, when seriously injured service men and women continue to flood back to the UK from their time in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Only to find these fine establishments shut.

The solidarity and comradeship of Remploy workers has been a lesson and inspiration for all, in standing up and fighting for their basic rights.

However, the Government and Media friends will attempt to airbrush the Dispute from their story.

The next step, should now be for our Remploy Workers to use the Paralympic Games as a further way to build their public profile and focus public attention on their plight, stepping up their just fight and to name and shame those responsible for the decision to deny them employment.

We judge Governments and society by how well it treats its weak & vulnerable.

Ends:

Ged Dempsey, Printworker, Rotherham; Unite the Union member.

Rank and File action is the 'Jewel in our Crown' [House]]

Rank and File action is the ‘Jewel in our Crown’ [House]

Rank and file hit back!

There have already been loads of activities against ‘The rogue that is Crown House’.

We have had plenty of site protests, in Wales, Leeds, London and Middlesbrough too. Top Marx goes to one and all.

Special thanks to some FTO’s who are getting involved and you know who you are, cheers boys. We are moving forward as ‘Bernard McAuley’ would say.

Strangely though, we still can’t get to bottom of the ‘Sign or be fired letter’. ‘The rogue that is Crown House’ are denying it vehemently, but we say that on this occasion there is no smoke without fire, so let’s keep up the pressure...... No to BESNA Mk 2!

Protests planned this week: All starting at 7am.

Leeds City Centre Laing O’ Rourke site:

Cardiff Royal Infirmary:

London, Lime Burner Lane [a substation 5 minutes from St Pauls, Thames link]

* Please also note: The newly elected ‘Rank and File’ committee will be meeting with the Unite Ass Gen Sec Gail Cartmail on the 3^rd September to discuss ‘The rogue that is ‘Crown house’ and other industry business.

Finally, Blacklisting is definitely getting plenty of attention now; Scottish MP Jim Sheridan has been doing the business in parliament, thanks for that big man.

Also on the 24th August the Scots Rank and File had good demo at Balfour’s offices although Balfours denied they are Blacklister’s........... Have you ever heard such pesssssh!

And a new case set to go to tribunal in November, who would that be against??????????

You guessed it ‘Balfour Beatty’! Great stuff.

Finally, please contact us if you know of any more demos happening around the country, unity is strength brothers. Get yourself and your workmates in the union and onto a Crown House protest near you. The other BESNA rats are waiting in the wings.

 Unite and fight: Your industry needs you!

For more info please visit..... Electricians Against The World

 http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

 Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

 

     Trevor Dickenson a very special person:

A sad loss and will be sorely missed.

 

I am very sorry to have to report the sad loss of Trevor Dickenson.

He passed away aged 51 on Friday 3^rd August at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, with the funeral service having been held at Telford Crematorium on Tuesday 21 August.

Trevor [Trev to his friends] had fought bravely against the effects of serious kidney problems over the past eight years.

Despite his illness Trevor was an enthusiastic trade unionist.

He was a regular attendee at Unite Telford branch meetings, he was the branch treasurer and a delegate to Shropshire and Telford Trades Council.

He threw himself ‘body and soul’ into the Unite General Secretary election campaign for Jerry Hicks in 2010, and in recent years, the fight against public spending cuts.

He was also an active campaigner for disability rights.

Trevor was a very special person indeed. He was always willing to go out of his way to help people in whatever way he could. This earned him the respect and friendship of all those he met.

He will be sorely missed.

Jerry Hicks: Grass Roots Left Chair:

Construction Rank & File latest 'Crown House need to be De-throned

We’ve buried BESNA once and we must do it again.

Crown House need to be De-throned.

Last year saw a titanic struggle when we defeated the BESNA 8. But one of the rats Crown House has emerged from underneath their stone. As we write Crown House has issued ‘sign by September 7th or be sacked’ notices.

Crown House have pulled out of the JIB and are trying to bring in BESNA Mk 2.  Though for now they are still paying the same rate as JIB, they are hiding behind a smoke screen.

The fact that they are no longer in JIB means workers lose a number of benefits including:

: Proper holiday pay: JIB pension: Agreed overtime rates: Travel & fares: Bupa : 

Along with all this it will mean that there will be no rights of unfair dismissal claims under JIB disciplinary rules, so you need to have worked for them for more than 2 years to claim unfair dismissal, when under JIB rules you get that from day one.

Crown House will also try it on and say thye don’t recognise Unite. That’s codswallop every person is entitled to join a union of their choice and be represented at disciplinary and grievance hearings always remember that don’t go into any hearing without a union rep.

To defend ourselves against them we must attack!

We are planning demos at all Crown House sites in the coming weeks, they have a lot of work in London as well as other areas so let’s get geared up to do what we do best, fight back!

We did the business last year and the time has come to do it again. If Crown House get away with this all the rats will all be at it.

Get organised, walkout if you are on a Crown House site, spread the word, solidarity action across the country and bring every site to a standstill. No return to work until we are happy and’ no sell outs’.

Crown House [CH] are owned by Laing O’Rourke both are big Blacklister’s and no friends of construction workers We must also fight blacklisting, many of our best activists find themselves being barred from sites because they are the best organisers against the bosses. One of our demands should be ‘employment of direct labour’. The Blacklisting wretches have cost us our livelihoods for years, enough is enough. Look out for a protest near you in the coming weeks.

Report of last weeks ‘National Rank and File meeting’:-

More than 7o ‘Rank and File’ activists from ‘Scotland’ ‘Wales’ ‘Liverpool’ ‘Manchester’ ‘Nottingham’ ‘Leeds’ ‘Portsmouth’ and london, attended last Saturday’s meeting in Conway Hall. 

Item [1] on the agenda was to elect a National Rank and File committee for the coming year.

Item [2] was a financial report [details available on request].

Item [3] Report of the  combine meeting in Sheffield 23/24th July [Next meeting in September].

Item [4] Crown House/BESNA Mk 2.  After much discussion on this it was agreed to start demonstrations on Crown House sites, initially in London St Pancras 17th August. This would be rolled out across the regions ASAP wherever Crown House had sites and possibly a leverage campaign to be started also with Unite. Agreed to approach Gail Cartmail Unite AGS. Unite have said they would be campaigning against Crown House and will provide leaflets, banners, placards, and officer support where possible. Notwithstanding Unites campaign, it was agreed that the ‘Rank and File’ should take the initiative as we did in last BESNA dispute.

Item [5] ‘Blacklisting’ An update on the High Court claim by Guney Clarke Ryan was given followed by a discussion. It was still going on and many activists were being kept off large sites preventing any organisation. It was felt Unite should be doing much more to help our blacklisted activists, but it may well require walkouts by workers to defend our people and ensure they are given work. Gail Cartamail will be approached to try and arrange meeting with the Rank and file committee ASAP to discuss blacklisting and other industry issues as we were not really moving forward quickly enough, especially on rule 17 and pay talks. Blacklisting is a major sticking point for us all.

Item [6] ‘Play by the rules’ a Unite campaign any issues contact local officers.

Item [7] ‘Siteworker’ We were planning a new one soon, if anyone wishes to write an article they should contact siteworkers@virginmedia.com. It was decided that we would try and increase the circulation more and distribute to as many sites as possible.

Speakers: The meeting heard from a guest speaker about possible power station work coming up and a speaker from the ‘Grass Roots Left’ also addressed the meeting

Demonstrations: 24th august Scottish Rank and file are demonstrating at Balfours Head office Glasgow 11am over blacklisting please support.

A room collection was held at the end of the meeting to help cover hire and other costs, meeting closed at 430pm. It was agreed to have next meeting in Scotland before Christmas.

Union hits out at blacklists and bullying

By Tony Patey, Morning Star Industrial Reporter: 17th August 2012 tonyp@peoples-press.com

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/122841

Bully-boy tactics by bosses were in the spotlight today as sparks took to the streets of London against wage cuts and GMB threatened legal action over blacklisting.

About 50 construction electricians and other activists demonstrated outside a building site near St Pancras station, targeting Crown House, who they accuse of making "back door" moves.

Earlier this year rank-and-file protests and pressure won a major trade union victory in a bitter seven-month row over the scrapping of long-standing national pay agreements.

Seven companies, including Crown House, wanted to jettison the long-standing Joint Industry Board (JIB) agreement in favour of a new Building Engineering Services National Agreement (Besna).

They say the firm is now trying to change electricians' contracts and pay rates unilaterally, despite industry-wide negotiations taking place aimed at securing a single, national agreement to replace the JIB.

Activists said they beat Besna and now they'll beat what they're calling Besna2. Protests are planned every Friday at Crown House sites.

Meanwhile, GMB is threatening legal action unless the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) informs 2,863 builders their names are still on a blacklist the office has had since 2009.

In a letter to the ICO the union also wants them to take action against the 44 companies that blacklisted the builders.

It follows a similar letter from Liberty a few weeks ago and both Liberty and GMB are criticising the ICO for refusing to act for the past three years.

In 2009, the ICO seized a database used by companies to vet new recruits and keep out of employment trade union and health and safety activists. Ends:

Finally, If you have any protests planned or want to advertise Branch meetings etc let us know it’s the site for all of us and a great source if information.

For more info please visit..... Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

keep on keeping on!

I