Unite elections

Lesley Mansell

Please nominate Lesley Mansell for the LGBT NEC seat. Following Unite’s first rules conference, two additional seats have been agreed for our Disabled and LGBT membership for election onto your Executive Council. Nomination papers will be sent directly to all branches and Chapels workplace reps need to contact their regional secretary to request a form.

All Unite Branches, workplaces and Chapels can nominate. All Unite members can vote in this election.

The timetable for these elections is as follows.......... Nominations period is: 14th November to 6th January.                           Ballot period is: 30th January to 22nd February

Cops versus demo’s: A game of two halves

Last Wednesday saw big sparks protest in London and Edinburgh. London’s early ‘kick off’ organised by rank and file electricians began at the Pinnacle at 7am The police out in force tried to try stop us from taking the fight to the rogue 7 but they were run ragged.  

Later when the official Unite demonstration had ended the Rank and file chose not to lobby an MP or two at parliament but instead aimed to link up with the students demo, in solidarity. But the police now doubled in numbers managed to kettled us [which they now call ‘bubbled’] for over an hour stopping us getting to the students.     

Then as the sun went down came the late winner for the day...

Barred UCATT man Dooley wins tribunal hearing

From construction enquirer

Mick Dooley

Banned UCATT leadership candidate Mick Dooley has won an unfair dismissal case against against the union which could net him a £100,000 payout.

The decision is the latest embarrassment to rock UCATT following recent election scandals and the fiasco of its ongoing attempts to elect a new general secretary.

Dooley was dismissed from his role as a Ucatt official in February  following claims that he did not have the right paperwork filled-in when signing-up new members.

He was still standing as a potential candidate to replace former general secretary Alan Ritchie who was removed from office following

Grass Roots Left National Conference Nov 5

Don't miss the fireworks!

Don't miss the fireworks!

Don't miss the fireworks! - Independent of the Union machine - Free from the control of 'appointed' officials - Reclaiming the union/s for the members Get involved: Find out more: Be part of it. Jerry Hicks: "Six months ago saw the launch of the ‘Grassroots Left’ at a conference convened following the incredible 52,527 votes that we managed to get when I finished as runner up in the Unite General Secretary election. Jerry Hicks Conference elected an interim Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and National Committee, deferring the adoption of a constitution and to hold a recall meeting in 6 months . So here we are!"   'Grassroots Left' National Conference Birmingham 12 noon to 4pm Saturday 5th November 2011 Comfort Inn Conference Room, Station Street, B5 4DY. Opposite New St Station, Map at end. All supporters of the Grassroots Left welcome. Agenda: Speakers and discussion: Elections/Constitution and decisions: Activities: Who’s been doing what and where. Including.....

UCATT Courts Disaster

UCATT GENERAL SECRETARY CANDIDATE MOUNTS LEGAL CHALLENGE

OVER ELECTION BAN

Michael Dooley, a nominated candidate for the General Secretary election in construction union UCATT, is to mount a legal challenge over a ban imposed on him from standing for election. Three members of the UCATT general council and three members of its executive council, including President John Thompson, formed a selection panel which determined Mr Dooley's fate.

Michael Dooley was nominated by 30 UCATT branches to contest the election which was forced on UCATT by the Certification Officer, the Trade Unions watchdog, following his successful challenge over the validity of the previous election earlier this year. Dooley came a close second in the election to Alan Ritchie, who won by a margin of only 2000 votes.

The CO upheld the challenge from Michael Dooley after it was found that over 60,000 members, more than half the union’s membership, had not received ballot papers. Now in a surprising move the union has banned Michael from standing in the re-run election.

Michael Dooley has announced that he will seek a High Court injunction this week to prevent the union from proceeding with the election in November without his name on the ballot paper.

Michael Dooley said today "why not allow all the candidates to state their position on the election address and allow the members to decide. Then get behind the democratically elected candidate and work together to establish a strong union in the construction industry. Building workers work in harsh, dangerous conditions, they have no pensions, holiday pay, sick pay and notice pay. They do not have a viable union in the construction sector which employs over 2 million people.”

Michael Dooley is also seeking election to the union's highest office on an anti-corruption ticket. He has vowed to open up the books of the union and launch an investigation into the union’s finances and membership. He will also stamp out accepting money for contributions from members who do not join the union themselves.

He has pledged that if elected he will only take an average workers wage.

Dooley complained last year about the union’s funds being “mismanaged” and demanded an investigation. After five investigations into allegations of misconduct Dooley, a full time official with an impeccable reputation for integrity, was later sacked.

A decision from his Employment Tribunal claim for unfair dismissal is expected soon.

Ends:

Notes for Editors:

Michael Dooley can be contacted on his mobile for an interview Tel: 07960032101

The Certification Officers decision can be viewed at:

http://www.certoffice.org/CertificationOfficer/media/DocumentLibrary/Decisions/D44-49.10-11.pdf

The Art of Civil disobedience

Let’s show the Tate Modern the ‘Art of Civil disobedience’!

London: Wed 12^th Oct 7amTate Modern, Summer Street SE1. Bankside, nearest tube Southwark on the Jubilee line.

Seven weeks of fantastic rank and file protests has seen off one of the big 8 [MJN Colston]. At rank and file meetings committees have been elected in London, Manchester and the North East. And this weeks target sites have been chosen [see below].

But, with the D day approaching, December 7^th new contact signing deadline, and the ballot still nowhere to be seen [email Mr McAulay bernard.mcaulay@unitetheunion.org demanding a ballot date]. We need to be ‘upping the ante’ , walk-outs, occupations, demo’s and ‘protest picket lines’ stopping the job where ever and when ever possible.

Concentrating on the weakest links seems the right tactic Tommy Clarkes, SPIE Matthew Hall and Grattes. If we are also in the faces of the clients, who are getting increasingly jarred off with the protests, they can make life hard for t

Scotland Yard attempt to ban latest sparks protest

Scotland Yard has been in contact with UNITE the Union to try and stop a planned protest outside a building site in Oxford Street tomorrow morning Wednesday 5th Oct.

For the past 3 weeks thousands of electricians have been involved in protests at Kings Cross, Farringdon Crossrail Station, the Shard and Blackfriars Station in a bitter campaign against a 35% pay cut and de-skilling of the industry.

The dispute has already spread beyond London. Last week the Tyne Tunnel was closed by protesters and walkouts have occurred at Grangemouth in Scotland and Lindsey Oil Refinery on Humberside.

The action has been organised by a grassroots network led by rank & file activists rather

This is What Democracy Looks Like

Report of the fantastic ‘Rank & File’ construction workers meeting.

Some names have been left out deliberately to guard against any employer retribution.

5OO Electricians and pipefitters sent out a clear message to JIB/HVCA employers and Unite the union that they will not accept the de-skilling of their trade or the pay cuts to their national agreements. The meeting, on Saturday 13 August, was organised by Unite rank and file activists from London and the south coast. Conway Hall was packed, standing room only.

The main issues were the pay cuts 8 firms had said they would be implementing in March 2012. There would be 3 new grades for electricians - metalworker £10.50 per hour, £12 for wiring, £14 for terminating. At the moment electrician’s JIB rate is £16.25p per hour across the board.

The meeting opened and elected a Chairperson, who gave an excellent speech saying

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