Vote Lesley Mansell...

The candidate with the experience and a track record of securing rights for LGBT and all members. 

I have represented members for over 30 years. I founded ‘Lesbians and Gays’ in MSF (1989) and was awarded the prestigious TUC Gold badge for my LGBT
work.
Homophobia and transphobia have not gone away and the economic climate means we can be the first to go during any cutbacks.
I have an outstanding record of giving expert advice and support to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans members to improve their working lives. I’ve led campaigns for:

• Equal rights at work
• Repealing Section 28
• Inclusion of bisexual and trans people (TUC)
• Civil partnerships
• Dignity and respect for HIV+ members.

I started my union activity in engineering as a convenor. I have held various
elected union positions including:

• TUC LGBT Committee
• National LGBT Committee
• Equality Representative
• Regional Council Deputy President
• Standing Orders Committee
I work as an NHS Equality manager and had similar roles in councils, education
and voluntary organisations. I am a Labour party member and Chair the local
Town Council.
I believe that Unite must stop throwing millions of pounds of our money at the
Labour Party, with no guarantees or returns. Unite should only fund those MPs
and councillors who support our policies.I am standing as the Grass Roots Left candidate and will fight for:

Sparks Week of Protest

Sparks week of protest at NGBailey sites

NGB / No Go Besna

Ballot papers gone out for BBES a yes vote is imperative for strike action to be able to begin on 9th February.

This week coming is ‘NGB’ week where Rank and File sparks are hitting ‘NGB’ sites countrywide. It’s time to up our game. This is an important week of demonstrations and it is imperative that we make a huge impression on as many sites as we can.

That means this Wednesday 25th Jan in London we will target Kings Cross Station, platform 9/10 at 645am.

Manchester has chosen the Town Hall Wednesday 25th Jan..

Whilst in Scotland they have a number of protests planned for NG Bailey Week listed below.........

Who Put Ed There?

Union leader slams Ed Miliband but who put him there in the first place? Press Release: Press Release: Press Release: Press Release: Immediate 17/01/2012 Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey has launched a stinging attack on the Labour leader Ed Miliband claiming that he {Miliband] is “leading Labour to destruction”. McCluskey lambasts the Labour leader for “failing to support millions of low paid trade unionists” and thereby “disenfranchising the party’s [Labour] core support”. All this ire from a union leader so influential, and rightfully so, but McCluskey not once mentions that he supported Ed Miliband's leadership bid, he urged 1.3million members to vote for him and gave Ed Miliband £100,000 of members' money so he could campaign to become Labour leader. Worse still, in my view, Unite and Len McCluskey ensured that John McDonnell would not get on the ballot paper, thus preventing members from having a real choice. Strange seeing as it is McDonnell not Miliband who has always mirrored Unite’s policies on repeal of anti union laws and has a record of unwavering support for workers in struggle. At first glance of McCluskey‘s outpourings one might think that Ed Milliband has suddenly and out of the blue made a dramatic rightwards shift in his position. Does McCluskey not remember a year ago in April 2011 Milliband’s ‘Blue Labour’ hitting the headlines? Then weeks later in June he failed to support ¼ million striking public sector workers, some of the poorest paid workers, for what he called ‘irresponsible strikes’, insulting all those prepared to fight. A month later in July he refused to speak at the Durham Miners Gala which is always attended by over 100,000 trade unionists and natural Labour voters. By November last year the Labour leader surpassed himself even by his standards when not backing over one million trade unionists [Unite included] who were taking part in the biggest strike in recent history over cuts to their pensions. McCluskey criticises aplenty and I agree with his comments, but he should have seen it coming, he has been slow to speak out, and he offers no alternative and no solution. There is an alternative, and my position is clear and consistent. Unite should only fund the Labour Party when it supports our union's policies. I say to McCluskey “Stop wringing your hands, stop moaning and stop funding them!” This should be the day we say “Defy the cuts, confront the anti union laws and follow the lead given by construction workers, by supporting demonstrations, walkouts and occupations.” The bosses of the banks and financial institutions caused this crisis. That is why we should not pay the price in cuts to jobs, pay, pensions and services. The very rich and big business owes us the debt and they should be paying the price. They have failed to pay £120 billion in non-collected tax. Tax the banking bosses’ bonuses along with the profits of big business. End the foreign adventures; bring the troops and warplanes home. In times of crisis good judgement is crucial. Oh Len [McCluskey], I can’t seem to stop myself humming the ‘Con’[nie] Francis song ‘Who's sorry now’? ENDS: Notes to editors: 1) Jerry Hicks is thought of by many as being the alternative voice within Unite. 2) Jerry Hicks can be contacted on Tel: 07817827912 Email:jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

Get the Ballot Right

Our message to Unite ‘Get the ballot right this time’!

Unite have announced a new ballot timetable of BBES. Ballot papers should be going out in the coming days. The result should be known by 2nd February, then Unite by law [anti union] has to give 7 days notice before any strike action can begin, that would bring us up to 9th February.

We have no doubt that it will be a resounding YES vote again maybe with an even bigger majority than the last time. All being well [get it right eh!] we will be on strike this time with no challenges from Balfours.

However, Unite will not be balloting NGB or SPIE Mathew, they say that we “have not enough members yet” How can this be? What have the officials been doing for the last 6 months? Get your finger out and recruit!

Even so the on February 9^th we should be seeing strike action at BBES, that being the case, we must hit every Balfour site in the country no matter how big or small, even if they have no workers directly employed, they love an agency do Balfours.

Unite must give full backing to the ‘rank and file’ by providing us with buses to ferry pickets around, seeing as Unite have members who are bus drivers we can’t go wrong!

A strike fund must be set up as well as supplying us with ‘flags’ ‘banners’ and ‘placards’. Every single construction officer should be on standby for picketing, get your donkey jackets out of the cupboard, even a few oil drums, and get the fires going, set up proper picket lines. United as one to defeat the BESNA 7!

If things kick off with BBES in February, no doubt other sites will support the BBES strike, and walkout in solidarity with their brothers. We need to and can escalate the strike to a national stoppage.

Rank and File national meeting report...........

Last Saturday 14^th there was a national ‘Rank and File’ meeting in Birmingham, with more than 80 in attendance, including sparks from, Scotland, London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle. Gail Cartmail Unite AGS [appointed] gave an update on the dispute, the ballot, and plans for the future.

A proposal was put to Cartmail by the meeting for: An ELECTED rank and File member to be taken on by Unite’ in every region as organisers for the dispute.

The aim would be for them to visit sites informing workers about the dispute, and recruiting as many new members as possible. There are some brilliant activists ex shop stewards who are blacklisted an unemployed who we know would do a fantastic job for Unite.

Cartmail agreed that she would put the proposal to the general secretary Len Mcluskey.

The meeting of ‘rank and file’ also agreed to target NGB across the country week beginning 23rd January. They [NGB] have a sites in nearly every big City.

The biggest decision with the greatest potential effect was when the meeting agreed that “If any stewards or workers are sacked during the coming weeks, a mass walkout will take place.

The meeting concluded with a decision to meet again in Birmingham on 4th February, where we can plan around the strike action [pending the result].

Spread the word ‘NO TO BESNA YES TO STRIKE ACTION’!

 Some planned demo’s/Protests to look out for.....

18^th January London 645am T Clarks, Park House, Oxford Street

18^th Wed January London 630pm Unite Construction Branch Meeting Conway Hall

18^th wed January Cardiff 7.00am Spie Mathew Hall, Llandough hospital

21^st Saturday January Cardiff 10.30 Rank & File meeting Unite HQ Cathedral Rd 

25th January London 6.45am NGB Cross Rail Kings Cross Station Platform 9/10

* NATIONAL PROTESTS ON NGB SITES THAT WEEK DETAILS TO FOLLOW *

25th January London 6.30pm Rank and File Meeting Conway Hall Holborn

 2 Feb Wed January London 6.45am GRATTES Victoria.

We need to build up numbers on all the protests so spread the word, don’t sit in doors expecting others to fight the fight, we owe it to our class, our children and grandchildren.

The rogue 7 are determined to get this BENSA through, we must be even more determined and resolute to force the contract where the sun don’t shine.

And then sort out the whole JIB agreement by starting a fresh. And perhaps getting a national rate across the country for all sparks no more ‘London waiting’ or ‘country rates’ how about £25 an hour as a starting point.

We should push for elected ‘Rank and File’ members to be part of a negotiating team and then a vote on a new deal.

No more sweetheart deals thank-you very much!

For more details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit.....

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

 

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

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