Statement on Surrey County Job Cuts - Paul Couchman UNISON

As I found out from the news this morning there will be cuts of 650 jobs at Surrey Council - however the staff and unions at Surrey County Council also found out through the media! (The branch publicity officer first saw it when I tweeted what I'd heard on bbc news!)

It is an absolute disgrace that staff and unions found out about these job cuts through the media!

See below the initial response from Paul Couchman Surrey unison Branch Secretary


"Surrey County Council definitely did not tell us of these job cuts. In fact, at a meeting with HR to talk about current job losses and potential redundancies they clearly gave the message that they were looking at 2-300.
 
Whe the public realise what this means in reality - when their parents and grandparents lose the services they rely on such as mobile libraries - when vulnerable adults cannot get support because there are not enough qualified staff - when young people turn to crime and deliquency because their youth services have gone - the people of Surrey will not just stand idly by and let the politicians decimate services.
 
We will defend our members jobs and support them in whatever action they choose to take - including lawful industrial action.
 
Hundreds of local people got involved in the successful campaigns to save Shortwood Infant School in Staines and Brooklands FE College in Ashford last year - before the big cuts were announced by the new ConDem government. I was proud to be part of those campaigns and our UNISON branch will support anyone fighting to save a vital local service."

Paul Couchman

Further info here http://www.surreycountyunison.org.uk/2011/01/31/unison-reaction-to-surrey-council-jobs-announcement/


MarshaJane

UNISON NEC nomination Request Jamie Davis - Wales regional Male seat

Candidate Name: Jamie Davis

Membership Number: 5767061

Dear Colleague

RE: UNISON NEC Elections 2011, Wales Region

I am seeking the nomination of your branch for the Wales Male Regional seat in the forthcoming NEC elections. My name is Jamie Davis, I am currently Treasurer of the Vale of Glamorgan LG Branch. I have been active in this Branch for the last two years. The eight years prior to this I was active in the Police Sector of UNISON.

I am standing around the platform of "Reclaim UNISON", a rank and file pressure group set up three years ago to galvanise and transform our union into an organising, fighting one.

The election of the "ConDem" Government last year has presented us with by far the greatest challenge that the trade union movement has faced for decades. Their ideological agenda to destroy the public sector and the welfare state within the next five years has to be met by the full might of our trade union, in conjunction with all other trade unions and wider community groups. This must involve the calling of coordinated and generalised industrial action in defence of jobs and services. I believe the leadership of the union have a responsibility to organise and plan such action, and not to leave branches to fight alone to stave off the worst of the cuts.

As I write this letter, almost one quarter of all councils in the UK have issued their staff with compulsory redundancy notices, and the Government is proceeding in England to sell off our prized asset, the NHS, to privately led consortiums. And in Wales the Assembly government is proposing to significantly cut health spending. In South Wales the public services are the largest employment sector, and spending cuts will devastate entire communities unless they are stopped. Unless we stand up and say "NO".

I welcome the call by the newly elected General Secretary of the UNITE union, Len McCluskey, for joint coordinated action by all trade unions against this onslaught, which must be the clarion call for us all. We must also hammer home the clear message that there IS an alternative to the cuts agenda:

• Cancel the national debt owed to huge banking interests
• Tax multinational offshore companies - corporate fraud and tax avoidance costs the treasury £80billion per year
• Cancel the Trident replacement programme
• NO to bankers' bonuses
• The answer to the fixing the economy is to create jobs, not to cut them - Ireland has shown how public spending cuts can cause massive damage to a national economy.

The protests by young people to prevent the rise in tuition fees and the cancellation of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) have shown the trade union movement how we need to organise. In Wales the protests and occupation of Cardiff University played a part in the Welsh Assembly's concessions over fees and EMA. We should be linking up with these young people, user and community groups, and other interested parties to forge local "anti-cuts" campaigns. In our region this work has already started, with the formation of the "Cardiff Against The Cuts" group, initially called together by Cardiff Trades Council, and responsible for a sizeable "all-Wales" anti-cuts demonstration in Cardiff last October.

Our message should be clear and simple:

• We are opposed to ALL cuts in jobs and services
• We are opposed to "backdoor" privatisation and outsourcing
• We are opposed to ALL cuts in pay and conditions of service

It is the responsibility of the NEC to unite our union around this set of demands.

As well as opposing the ConDem Government, I believe we should not flinch from criticising those Labour MPs and Councils who choose to attack public services rather than stand up to the Government's diktat, including the Welsh Assembly Government. WAG may try and "soften the blow" by saving the cuts until after the Assembly elections next year, but we all know what happens to promises after the ballot boxes have closed! It should be up to the membership of the union to decide whether or not we continue to fund New Labour, where it is apparent they cannot or will not support the defence of public services.

I will also work to stop the unnecessary and divisive "Witch-hunt" of left-wing activists within our union. Too many good representatives have been suspended or expelled from our union at a time when we need to stand strong, united, and with all our resources to defend public jobs and services.

I wish to see our union genuinely "member-led", which is why I also advocate that all elected officials in UNISON should be on the average wage of the members that they represent. I practice what I preach.

Thank you for your time, and I hope that you will support my nomination.

Jamie Davis

Paul Holmes request for nomination to UNISON NEC Local Government General seat

National Executive Council Elections

Nomination for the Local Government Service Group -

General Seat

 

Name: Paul Holmes

Branch Code: 13325

RMS Number: 1787781

 

I am seeking nomination from your branch for the NEC for the Local Government Service Group (General Seat). I am currently the NEC member for this seat which I first won in 2007 and won again in 2009 (with a 450% increase in my majority). As an NEC member I have a proud record of continuously campaigning for the policies on which I was elected.

 

My Experience

I have been a member of the union for 37 years, a steward for 36 years and Branch Secretary of Kirklees UNISON for 21 years (I am also a former member of the NALGO NEC). I am currently a member of the NJC for Local Government and the Local Government Service Group Executive. I am proud to be a socialist and a trade unionist.

 

Activity

I regularly contact local government branches in dispute to see if I can be of assistance. I have visited over 40 branches this year. One of the proudest moments of my life was to be involved in the Leeds Refuse Workers' Strike. The members' problems are the same wherever I go. So are the solutions - leadership, organisation, solidarity, resources, hard work and planning. Local Government branches felt isolated about Single Status and they feel the same about cuts. The main purpose of an NEC member is to give leadership. That is what I try to do. An NEC member should also listen.

 

The Future

No-one doubted the Coalition Governments' desire to cut, but no-one should doubt that it is a weak government. Our future is in our hands. The debate over student fees has shown that young people are not apathetic - they have been lied to as we all have. Together the unions, sympathetic councils, community groups and service users can come together and win.

There is no doubt that further attacks will come. Bankers are greedily looking at the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). We will need the full force of the union to defend the LPGS. All the forthcoming battles can be won - but to win them we have to return to our roots. Union organisation, recruitment and planning are vital. We have to re-introduce basic trade union principles to our movement.

 

Nomination

I ask your branch to support my nomination for the NEC Local Government Service Group General Seat. If your branch do nominate me you should complete the nomination form and return it to UNISON HQ. I hope that your branch does support my nomination. I have kept my campaign promises. I have spoken at many UNISON branches across Britain since becoming an NEC member and have always had a good reception among the members. I will continue to help to fight to build this union. We have to build - we have no choice. The enemies of the labour movement did not go away and they have returned with a vengeance. United we can beat them.

 

Yours Faithfully,

 

 

Len Hockey nomination request to UNISON NEC Health Seat

Leonardhockey789@hotmail.co.uk

Branch number 03378-Waltham Forest Health Branch

Dear UNISON Branch Secretary

UNISON National Executive Council Elections (NEC) 2011

Nominate Len Hockey for the Health Service Group Male Seat

UNISON membership number: 0748487

I am writing to seek the nomination of your branch for the health service group male seat on the NEC.

I have 22 years trade union activity in UNISON and NUPE becoming Branch Secretary for Waltham Forest Health Branch in 1990. I have served on the Health Service Group Executive up to 2010 and represent the Greater London Region on the National Ancillary Sector Committee. I am currently a member of the Greater London Regional Committee and have been an active socialist and trade unionist since 1980.

FOR A FIGHTING DEMOCRATIC UNION

The threat posed by the election of the ConDem government to all of the social advances working people have made in the last 80 years demands a radical programme of united action across our union and all service sectors. I believe firmly in the militant and campaigning traditions of the labour movement. This requires strategies that build from the bottom up, fighting public sector trade union alliances, including coordinated industrial action which is the agreed policy of the TUC. This together with our involvement in the mobilisation of the growing anti cuts union organisations in the communities will be crucial if we are to defeat every threatened job cut and every threatened service cut.

DEFEND THE NHS

Our National Health Service under the mis named Government White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" is to be further privatised and seriously downsized with workers now facing attacks on pay, conditions and national and collective agreements. Working class communities will be confronted with the nightmare of a reduction in services that the NHS will no longer undertake. Hinchingbrooke hospital in Cambridgeshire is the first NHS hospital to be transferred completely to a profiteering private company.

NO TO PAY RESTRAINT

The attempts by those who would have us accept pay restraint, in reality pay cuts, has to be resisted. Pay freezes and the forgoing of incremental pay uplifts for spurious, localised "agreements" to avoid compulsory redundancies is a dangerous trap and must be opposed! In reality this ends up with the worst of both worlds. The employers are already on the offensive and pushing down bandings all over the place while trusts have no money for redundancies anyway!

MAKE THE BOSSES AND BANKERS PAY

But these threatened brutal attacks are neither necessary nor inevitable and UNISON at National level needs to be saying that loudly and clearly to its membership, the employers and the predatory profiteers now circling above.

This crisis that originated with the bankers is being used ideologically to try and grab back the past won gains of our movement. The UKs debt is nothing to do with us and everything to do with the employers and the unmitigated chaos of their unplanned capitalist system.

LEARNING FROM THE YOUTH

The inspirational movement of young students against the attacks on the right to education holds valuable lessons for the labour movement. Many of these students have generalised their experience into opposition to all cuts including participating in RMT picket lines on strike days. To thrive and survive UNISON must attract radicalising young people if we are to reinvigorate our organisation.

UNITY IS STRENGTH-FOR NATIONAL ACTION FOR JOBS PAY AND SERVICES

If elected to the NEC I will vigorously campaign for the ideas outlined above. The attack on the welfare state is at the same time the opportunity to break out of the old ways of doing things; to take the campaigning initiative on a nationwide basis in defence of our hard won democratic rights and to champion the politics of social need over private greed.

The nomination period opens on 11^th January and closes on 18th February 2011. I hope that your branch will nominate me. Also please nominate Kate Ahrens, John Malcolm and Shona Greig in the other health seats.

Please get in touch with me if you have any questions about my candidature or my views on any issue within the union.

Fraternally

Len Hockey

Paul Couchman request for unison NEC Local Government seat

Appeal for nomination to the

National Local Government Male Seat on the UNISON NEC

 

Dear comrades

 

I am writing to ask your branch to nominate me as a candidate for the above NEC position.

 

I am currently Branch Secretary for Surrey County. I am also the South East Region Representative on the National Social Care Forum.

 

I have been an active socialist and trade unionist for all of my adult life. I joined the National Union of Railwaymen (now the RMT) when I left school and started on the railways. I spent two years working in Glasgow for the Anti-Poll Tax Federation and have been active in Surrey County UNISON for over ten years now.

 

I am proud to be part of a strong, democratic and growing branch which is never afraid to lead our members in struggle. Over the last few years we have seen strikes over pay and conditions (we are on a local pay agreement) and I led a high-profile and successful strike of mental health social workers for overtime payments. We are currently fighting a barrage of cuts and our Unison branch took the initiative in launching a County-wide anti-cuts group called Save Our Services in Surrey which has gone from strength to strength.

 

I have also led campaigns to increase mileage allowances, increase the Surrey minimum wage and against introducing car park charging for staff. All these campaigns involved mass meetings, campaigning activity, hard negotiating and industrial action ballots. All these campaigns were successful.

 

I am also active in local community politics and last year I was active in two major local battles in my constituency of Spelthorne – the fight to save a local infant school and the local FE college from complete closure – both were huge local campaigns involving hundreds of parents, students and trade unionists. Both the school and the college were saved. I believe strongly in building the widest solidarity and campaigning networks possible to defend not only our members but the services we both provide and need.

 

I am standing for the NEC as part of the national 'Reclaim our Union' group of candidates. I believe we need a more democratic, fighting union and I will do everything I can if elected to make this happen. I would also ask you to consider supporting other candidates who are part of the 'Reclaim the Union' group.

 

We are facing the most important time ever for our union. Our members are looking for a lead – to defend their jobs, pay and conditions. I do not believe we are currently doing enough at a national level. We should be coordinating with other trade unions and planning national action now! UNISON in Scotland are building for this – so should the rest of us be. I moved motions at both our Regional Council and Local Government Regional Conference calling for the NEC to work with other unions and call a date for a national demonstration earlier than the TUC demo at the end of March – both events carried the motion but we are still waiting.

 

I am also opposed to UNISON maintaining our affiliation to the Labour Party. Under 13 years of New Labour we saw a massive increase in privatisation and outsourcing and the launch of the academies programme. The Labour Party would have made cuts if they had won the election. Labour councils are making cuts. UNISON should only support politicians who stand firm against ALL cuts.

 

• Build for the TUC demo on 26^th march (our branch has already booked and paid for 4 coaches)
• Build UNISON
• Build the Anti-Cuts movement
• For national coordinated public sector strike action now!
• Oppose ALL cuts – in jobs, services, pay, conditions and pensions
• Challenge the politicians – fight the cuts or get out of the way!

 

Please consider nominating me as a candidate for the UNISON NEC

 

Yours in solidarity

 

 

 

Paul Couchman

UNISON Membership No: 6022529

Surrey County Branch (Local Government)

 

HUGO Pierre - request for nomination to UNISON NEC Black members male seat

NISON National Executive Council (NEC) Elections 2011   Nominate Hugo Pierre for National Black Members (Male) Seat   UNISON membership number: 1140926 I am writing to seek the nomination of your branch for the NEC. I want to stand because our members will have to plan and prepare to fight the attacks on public sector workers. I am the Convener for school staff in Camden UNISON. I have represented members in Education and schools for over 25 years during which time I have organised successful campaigns to raise members out of poverty pay; organising industrial action amongst nursery nurses and teaching assistants to increase their pay and fight for better conditions of service. I have also organised to stop cuts and closures recently preventing the Authority from closing a deaf school. In my experience UNISON members have enormous enthusiasm for campaigns against the attacks of their employers when they have a leadership they know will fight to the end alongside them. Members and activists I meet regularly ask the question 'why isn't the national union fighting for my pay or pension or job?' I want our national leadership to change our union into a fighting democratic union. Service & Job Cuts A Coalition of losers is preparing to slash 1 in 4 public service jobs and the services provided. By Christmas Eve 2010 over 87,000 Local Government workers in 107 councils have their jobs under the axe. Many Councils still haven't issued their full plans for job cuts. Those that have are now claiming youth workers, nursery workers, social workers and many other UNISON members delivering services face the sack. This situation is mirrored in Health, Higher Education, the Public Utilities and the energy sectors. What they can't cut they'll try to privatise. I believe UNISON must co-ordinate a national fightback against these national attacks. The TUC demonstration in March should make a clear call for united national action of the 5 million unionised public sector workers to defend our jobs. I will fight to untie the hands of members who want action to defend their jobs but are prevented by bureaucratic obstacles. But branch by branch will leave members in weaker branches in trouble – we must fight together. Pensions The government are using the media to claim we have 'gold-plated' pensions that cost the tax-payer. We need a national campaign now to protect our pensions but also a leadership that will stand up to the government and organise action to defeat their plans. We should be planning action with other public sector unions to save our pensions. Pay The hard-nosed Local Government Employers have introduced the pay freeze one year early. We need a hard-nosed union leadership to fight to keep our members from taking a pay cut year on year. Successful national pay campaigns build confidence and organisation vital for the fight against cuts. Schools Schools Workforce Remodelling has failed to deliver our members out of poverty pay or provide them with a career structure. It has delivered more exploitation by Headteachers who want teachers on the cheap! School staff need national agreements binding on schools but nationally UNISON must organise members to fight for the best pay, terms and conditions. No to Racism We must fight to defend a unity amongst our membership. The Government and our employers could increasingly turn to sacking, privatising or slashing the pay of minority ethnic workers first. Our unity in fighting all cuts is our strength. We must oppose any who attempt to sow racial division in our union. Economic Crisis This recession will mean ruin for many working families, including UNISON members, as an estimated 1.3 million face unemployment and housing repossessions unfold. Public Sector workers will be asked to pay for a crisis they did not create. Our union's strategy must put our members' interests first! I want to be part of a leadership that: ·         fights to defend every public sector job, ·         ends privatisation plans such as PFI in our schools and hospitals, ·         supports those in the private sector fighting to defend their jobs, pay and conditions. Stop Funding New Labour! The Con-Dem attacks are coming thick and fast. But Labour prepared the ground. Across the country how many Labour Councillors will genuinely stand on our side to oppose the cuts? Which Labour Councils will refuse to pass on the cuts and fight for the budgets needed for our services? Incredibly UNISON is still handing over our funds to New Labour when most members see little difference between them, the Tories and the Lib Dems. Members look at our struggles over pay, pensions and privatisation and draw the conclusions that our link with New Labour has stopped us from fighting these battles successfully. I would campaign for us to change our rules so that UNISON members could decide to fund candidates in elections who were prepared to support UNISON policy – not sponsor New Labour candidates who pass on cuts and privatisation. As a socialist, I believe its time the trade unions got together to form a new party that would fight for working people. Comradely, Hugo Pierre

Marshajane Thompson's Request for nomination to the NEC London Region female seat

 

To London Branches,
UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) Elections 2011
I am writing to ask your branch to consider nominating me for one of the London female seats on UNISON's National Executive Council (NEC).

 

Leadership

I am standing for election because I believe in this time of attacks from the "ConDem" Government we need a UNISON leadership that is prepared to fight tooth and nail to defend our members' jobs, terms and conditions, fight for our pensions, and stand up for directly provided, democratically accountable public services. We need elected representatives with a strong track record of campaigning and fighting back, representatives who are willing to stand up for our members.

Working Together

Across the service groups in every branch UNISON members are facing serious and unprecedented attacks. We need a leadership prepared to forge links across the public sector unions for joint action against attacks we face. I was pleased to see the newly elected Secretary of Unite Len McCluskey in the Guardian on the 20^th December calling for us to work together and fight these cuts – UNISON as the biggest union in the public sector should be at the forefront of leading campaigns and actions in defence of our public services.

 

Markets over medical need?

Even the Telegraph (!) reported "Patients are so angry about NHS reforms that doctors may face demonstrations outside their surgeries" as the Government plans - through Andrew Lansley's White Paper  – to completely privatise huge swathes of our health service, threatening the historic guarantee that our NHS would provide care free at the point of need.

 

And all this before I've even mentioned:

• The attacks on social housing,
• the ideological attack on local authority schools,
• Slashing of benefits,
• Cutting EMA and tripling of Tuition fees,

 

Fightback

The government is illegitimate; many of the policies did not appear in either manifesto and the Lib Dems have lost any credibility over their lies to students.

Yet the daily message from the media remains "we are all in this together and we have to tighten our belts". For those facing the prospect of redundancies, reorganisations and the struggle it is to fight off attacks on our Pay, terms and conditions (as well as drowning under the volume of case work we are getting in our union branches!) it would be easy to slide into despair.

Yet we have already seen the cracks in this fragile coalition appear – the students have set an example for us all and the Trade Union movement needs to join in.

We can protect our public services and members conditions if we take the fight to this Government. In UNISON we are 1.3 million strong and we need to remember that and show the force of our members.

We need to build for the march that the TUC have called for March the 26^th – We need to and can have millions of us on the streets of London.

London

In December almost every London Borough lobbied councils against the cuts – in Havering we had a hugely successful lobby with members of the NEC and the regional committee in attendance. In Croydon the branch fought off an attack on sick pay, in Havering we successfully fought off attacks on members pay and stopped them introducing annualised hours for our cemetery staff, in Lambeth they stopped all job losses in the one o clock clubs .

As a Region we should be publicising dates of and reports from lobbies and success stories like this on our regional website and in regular communications with branches. We need to be working together sharing knowledge, tactics and experience to successfully fight the public sector cuts.

If we had reports like this circulating around our branches we would better inspire our activists to carry on fighting and show that we can win.

We also need to work with other public sector unions to beat back the wide ranging attacks – I was pleased to be at the TUC in September to see Mark Serwotka from PCS and Dave Prentis our General Secretary sign an agreement for joint working, We need to start using this in our region and get these two crucial unions working together at community and branch level.

 

Anti-Racism

I have been proud to be part of many anti racist/fascist campaigns. UNISON is at the forefront of many campaigns including against the BNP as a union we need to challenge racism wherever it rears its ugly head.

I was pleased to see the BNP lose seats last year in Barking and Dagenham and in Havering – but we need to remain active defending our public services and countering the arguments of those who would scapegoat migrant workers, Muslims and other minorities, so that the likes of the BNP and the EDL cannot feed on the politics of despair.

 

Experience

I have worked in Local Government for 12 years, mainly in Housing and Homeless services but I have also worked as a youth worker in the Community and Voluntary sector. I am currently a Branch Officer of Havering Local Government branch and on the Regional Committee, I have also been proud to serve UNISON members as a shop steward, on a Regional and National basis. I have represented members at all levels, led campaigns against privatisation, campaigns to bring services back in house and organised events, campaigns and fightbacks locally, regionally and nationally over the last few years.

 

I have also helped and supported members when they have been under attack from our own union like Yunus Bakhsh, Glenn Kelly, Suzanne Muna, Onay Kasab and Brian Debus.

I am standing alongside Helen Davies and our current representative Jon Rogers and would ask you to consider nominating them as well.

My membership number is 8115644 and I can be contacted on 07983 592 998 if you need any further information. I hope that your branch will consider giving me your nomination.

 

Emma Macbeth - nomination request unison nec South East region

Dear Colleague

Nomination for UNISON National Executive Council:

South East Region - Female Seat.

I am sending this letter to seek the nomination of your branch for one of the South East Region female seats on UNISON's NEC.

I was Branch Secretary of Oxford City from 2003 to 2007, Branch Chair 2007 to 2009 and on the Regional Committee from 2003 to 2009. I was a Local Government representative on the NEC from 2007 to 2009 but did not stand last time as I took a step back from high-level union activities to focus on my daughter, who was born during my term of office. She is now three and I also have a one-year-old son but, due to the outrageous attacks on our public services which we are all facing, I felt I could no longer take a back seat.

I am currently my branch's Communications Officer and Regional Council delegate. I have just co-ordinated a branch-wide consultation on Oxford City Council's draft budget, which has seen not only unprecedented membership involvement, but also an increase in our membership. I have set up and now run our branch website: www.oxfordcityunison.blogspot.com.

My recent experience will be extremely relevant, if I am elected, but my previous experience even more so. In particular, as the chair of the South East Regional Publicity and Campaigning Committee, I oversaw the region's pension campaign, including the organisation of the well-attended regional pension forums. All service groups were involved and many new activists came forward as a result of the campaign.

It is essential that we fight now to defend our public services - this is not something that can wait. UNISON members are being made redundant NOW. UNISON members are seeing their terms and conditions cut NOW. The services our members and their families use are being cut NOW.

We must fight back NOW.

If elected to the NEC, I will campaign for:

A strong leadership, fighting to defend our jobs and services, and working with all our branches.

A strong union, showing other unions the way rather than following behind.

An accountable leadership.

A political fund, accountable to those who pay into it and acting in line with the ideals of UNISON as a whole. (I am my branch's Labour Link officer).

I hope that your branch will support my election. A completed nomination form is to follow.

If you need more information, please contact me. I am happy to answer any questions you may have and will make every effort to attend your Branch Committee, if that would help your branch make your decision.

Best Wishes

 

Emma Macbeth

Max Watson Request for nomination to UNISON NEC Higher Ed seat

Dear colleague,

RE: Nominate Max Watson - Chair of London Metropolitan University Branch, and NEC Higher Ed General Seat – for a fighting, democratic union!

Thank you to all those branches that nominated me in the recent by election – I am pleased to report that I successfully contested the election and have attended my first NEC meeting. I am writing (again) to seek nominations to the Higher Education General Seat of UNISON's National Executive Council (NEC).

We are in the middle of an enormous struggle against cuts and the wholesale privatisation of Higher Education: our students have been showing the way in the fight against fees and the scrapping of EMA. Winning the by-election in November confirmed that our members want to see their union at the forefront of the resistance to these cuts. As Chair of London Met University Branch, members and activists are well aware of my history as an energetic campaigner – a fighting, militant union activist. Being elected was a vindication of our campaign's central message: we need to step up a gear in the fight against the cuts and in defending education.

In our 2009 dispute my branch took action against cuts and won significant concessions: we stopped the outsourcing of IT and saved 200 jobs. Our branch continues to be dynamic and responsive to our members needs, engaging new activists and growing in membership: we have a full compliment of officers, our members are confident of our own strength and voice. We rejected the pay offer by 81% and our members have again shown a willingness to take further industrial action – at packed branch meetings recently, 100 members voted unanimously for taking action over compulsory redundancies.

I believe members of UNISON are willing to take action – whether over pensions, pay or against cuts – if the union is willing to show real leadership. Our time is now: this is a crucial year to coordinate action against the cuts. As well as build for the 26th March demo, we must also prepare for coordinated industrial action with our sister unions in the public sector.

I'm an independent, unaligned socialist; I'm not a member of any party. I am a supporter of UNISON United Left and believe in a democratic, lay member led union. I believe the establishment inside UNISON must end the sectarian witch-hunt against left activists so we can focus on building unity in the fight against the neo liberal Con-Dem government.

Unity with students' movement

In November, I was also elected as a representative of education workers onto the steering committee of the Education Activist Network (EAN), which has been central to mobilising the recent protests against the cuts and increase in fees. I believe the key to winning in the fight against cuts is building strong alliances with the students' movement and our communities as well as with our sister unions.

Locally, our branch showed genuine support for our students went they went into occupation, buying them food, donating money and collecting money in our workplaces; helping organise lectures; providing advice and moral support when needed. Our members have been cheering on the students and joining them on demonstrations and when we will take action next year, which we're bound to need to, we can expect full support from the students in return. Our fight is their fight.

On 9th D^{ecember, the day of the vote on fees, our members took to the streets to march to Parliament alongside the students' just as we did with pride on the 10th November.}

These cuts are a challenge, but I genuinely believe we should see this new era as an organising opportunity – a chance to make ourselves relevant to a whole new generation; to be attractive to young workers and students, to show them that we too have vast experience and they should naturally gravitate towards us. Our union could be increasing our membership and lowering our average age in the next period if we put ourselves at the centre of the resistance to the cuts – but only if we show courage and determination, be bolder, more radical, as the students have been.

Living Wage and outsourced workers

We've also begun a Living Wage campaign at London Met. I believe the union must throw its full weight behind organising outsourced workers in the public sector. Contracted out staff, sometimes called the 'Hidden Workforce', are the most vulnerable and have the most to gain from union membership. The best way to win back in-house is by organising the workers themselves. I've met cleaners who have won the Living Wage and are speaking confidently and with pride as UNISON activists, and am proud to say our campaign at London Met is showing real potential to win – just as they won at UCL, SOAS, Birkbeck, UEL and 10 other London Universities.

Unite Against Fascism

I recently chaired a meeting at London Met, to launch the beginning of a 'Unite Against Fascism' student society and our branch actively, successfully opposed the racist BNP in nearby Barking and Dagenham in the elections last year.

Solid activist track record

Since joining in 2006, on my first day at work, I've gone on to serve our branch as Young Members officer, a steward, Assistant Secretary, and for the last 18 months as Chair. I'm proud our branch had a strong record of resistance and our members are keenly engaged in what we do: whether it's with our widely praised campaign against stress or fighting job cuts, or talking to one another in discussion forums online, our branch is healthy and dynamic and has well attended branch meetings and socials. I believe good communication is a fundamental part of our union organising: my branch has a lively 'Facebook group', a great website, with our own 'Youtube channel' and I write a weekly email to all members with news, events and activities to get involved with: http://www.londonmetunison.org.uk/

In between leading another local campaign against job cuts at London Met, getting involved with the EAN and local anti-cuts networks, I also managed to win the election to the NEC in November. Since then, I attended my first NEC in December, and my first committee meetings will be after I send out this letter. I cannot report back too much yet, but read reports and find out a bit more about me, by visiting my website: http://maxwatsonunison.blogspot.com/

You can also contact me via:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Max.Watson77

Twitter: http://twitter.com/salaam_max

Email: salaam_max@yahoo.co.uk

Phone: 07793 145 754

Please also feel free to invite me to speak to you branch committee if you wish to meet me or hear for me in person. If you would prefer to write me a letter the good old fashioned way, please get in touch and I will send you my home address.

Please note the nomination period opens on 11th January and closes on the 18th February 2011, so you can only nominate during that period. Please also nominate Carole Hanson, from Brighton University, who is standing for the Female Higher Education seat.

Nominate Max Watson to re-elect a dynamic, fighting candidate with a strong track record of activism. It's time for a change in direction, with 'new blood' on the NEC. And contact me to find out how else you can get involved in our growing campaign for a fighting, democratic union.

In solidarity,

Max Watson

Thanks for taking the time to read this – I know how busy you all are. If you haven't received a nomination form by 11th January, 2011, please call: 0845 355 0845 or visit: http://www.unison.org.uk/elections/

Emilse Ocampo Medina - request for nomination to unison NEC London reserved seat

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UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) Elections 2011

Nominate Emilse Ocampo Medina for Greater London Region Reserved Seat

UNISON membership number: 9290781

 

All Greater London Region branches can nominate for the reserved seats and all Greater London Region members can vote in the election for this seat.

 

My name is Emilse Ocampo Medina and I writing to ask that your branch consider nominating me for the Greater London Region Reserved Seat on the UNISON National Executive Committee.

I am of Latin American origin and was born in Colombia.

 

For the past 10 years I have been working as a cleaner at Birkbeck College, University of London, I am currently employed by the private contractor Ocean.

 

I have been an active UNISON member for several years fighting to ensure that my colleagues - predominantly low paid, outsourced, migrant workers - are treated like human beings with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

 

I supported my branch in the successful campaign to win the London Living Wage for all outsourced workers in the College and have participated in the Bloomsbury Living Wage Campaign that has resulted in a number of notable victories, most recently at University College London.

 

At a time when the public sector is facing unprecedented attacks we should be campaigning in defence of the services we deliver and the workers who deliver them. I believe that a trade union such as UNISON must stand up for the most vulnerable in our society.

 

I want to see our union involve low paid workers, particularly migrants, in a campaign to defend our rights and to defeat all kinds of discrimination we face in our jobs.

 

Low paid workers and migrants are certainly not "all in this together" with millionaires like Cameron, Osborne and Clegg.

 

I believe I have the commitment and ability to represent low paid workers and migrants who I believe are looking for someone who can voice their concerns and issues at the heart of our trade union.

 

 I would like also like to encourage more low paid workers and migrant workers to join UNISON, and I think that seeing a migrant worker elected to the NEC would help in this aim.

 

I believe UNISON should be leading in the struggles that low paid and migrant workers face.

 

I hope that your branch will consider giving me your nomination.

 

Emilse Ocampo Medina

 

To be valid, nominations need to be made at a quorate meeting of your branch or branch committee during the nomination period. The nomination period will open on 11 January 2011 and close at 5pm on Friday 18 February 2011. Copies of the nomination forms will be available on UNISON's website at http://www.unison.org.uk/elections/pages_view.asp?did=12231

Kathy Smith request for nomination to UNISON NEC - Local Goverment seat

UNISON National Executive Council

Elections 2011

Nominate Kathy Smith for

Local Government (women's) Seat

UNISON membership number: 0880027

 

Dear Branch representatives

I am writing to seek the nomination of your branch for the NEC in the forth coming elections.

 

Who I am

I am currently the branch Chair of the Bromley Local government branch and have been active in UNISON and NUPE before it since 1975. As a cleaner then caretaker and now Library Assistant I have seen the constant attacks on our jobs and services and the employers drive to force us to constantly take on more work in order to get services on the cheap.

Bromley Branch

I am proud of the role and reputation our branch has had over many years of not being frightened to speak out when we see the union leaders and union bureaucracy fail to act in the interests of our members.

The right to speak out should be a basic democratic right in our union and not a crime, that is why I will continue to fight against the unjust ban on our branch Secretary Glenn Kelly and the union's undemocratic actions in taking control of our branch out of the hands of the elected local representatives.

Threats we face

The election of the Con Dem Government last year is by far the greatest challenge facing the trade union movement for decades. Their ideological agenda to destroy the welfare state within the next 5 years has to be met with the full might of our trade union, in conjunction with all other trade unions and wider community groups. This must involve the calling of coordinated and generalised strike action in defence of jobs and services. We believe the NEC has a responsibility to organise and plan such action, and not to leave branches to fight alone to stave off the worst of the cuts. I believe that the union should immediately call a special local government conference to plan our national fight against the cuts.

As I write this letter, almost one quarter of councils have served compulsory redundancy notices on its staff and the government is proceeding to sell off our prized assets like the NHS, to privately led consortiums.

Attack on Pensions

On top of this the government are using the media to claim we have 'gold-plated' pensions that cost the tax-payer in preparation for an all out attack on our pensions. We need a national campaign now to protect our pensions but also a leadership that will stand up to the government and organise national strike action to defeat their plans. We should be planning action with the other 5m public sector workers and unions to save our pensions.

 

We welcome the call by the newly elected General Secretary of Unite, Len McCluskey, for joint coordinated action by all trade unions which has to be the clarion call for us all. We must also hammer home the clear message that there IS an alternative to the cuts agenda which involves cancelling the national debt owed to huge banking interests, taxing multinational offshore companies, and cancelling Trident.

The protests by young people to prevent the rise in tuition fees and the cancellation of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) has shown our movement how we need to organise. We should be linking up with these young people, user and community groups and other interested parties to forge local anti cuts groups.

 

Our message should be clear and simple, we are opposed

to all cuts in jobs and services

to backdoor privatisation and outsourcing

to cuts in pay and conditions of service

to any attack on our pensions

 

New Labour Cuts

Whilst we should give our full backing to those councillors who campaign against and vote to oppose the cuts, We must not flinch from criticising those Labour councils and MP's who choose to attack public services rather than stand up to the government's dictate. Unison should not give a penny to New Labour where they cannot or will not support the defence of public services.

End the Witch hunt

Finally I will if elected work to stop the unnecessary and divisive witch-hunt of activists in our union. Too many good representatives have been suspended or expelled from our union when we need all our strength and resources united behind our central objective, to defend public services. I want to see our union genuinely member lead which is why we also advocate that all elected representatives of our union should be on the average wage of the members they represent.

 

For a fighting Democratic union - Reclaim UNISON for the members

Vez Kirkpatrick Request for nomination to UNISON NEC - West Mids Female seat

Dear all,

 

I am asking you to consider nominating me for the West Midlands Women's seat on the National Executive Committee. Currently I am the chair of the West Midlands Young Members Forum, and sit on the National Young Members Forum, so have experience in organising members and making regional voices heard at a national level. At this point I am keen to be more involved with the democratic structure of the union. I feel I have the time and energy to represent the members of the West Midlands at a national level and get the issues that matter to you heard by the NEC.

 

I have been a UNISON member for over two years, and have worked as a Health Care Assistant for three years, and in April I will be starting my Nursing training. The NHS is my biggest passion, and at this time it is under severe attack from the coalition government. As a public services union, UNISON needs to fight with every ounce of its strength to protect the integrity and quality of our national health service, to the bitter end.  I am not prepared to see patients wait longer for treatment, nurses' stress levels rise as staffing levels are cut, and the tabloids have a feast on the "appalling" conditions in NHS hospitals. But the cuts threaten every sector of our society, and the coalition government would love to see the public sector crumble away, to be replaced my greedy private sector giants.  

 

In the coming year, I believe that UNISON needs to fight harder to protect our services, and encourage members to actively (and loudly) campaign against unnecessary and regressive cuts. As members of a trade union, we should be supported in whatever action is deemed necessary and effective to make our voices heard, including industrial action. The recent student demonstrations against the increase in tuition fees demonstrate that Britain's young people have not fallen into apathy – we need to take a leaf out of their book and show the same passion and resilience against the attacks on our services.

 

UNISON needs to encourage wider participation amongst existing membership (as far too many members are disillusioned or disinterested) and fully support and fight for all those members whose jobs, pay and conditions are threatened by management greed and government cuts. With your support I will do my best to reclaim the union for the members. I will be an honest and communicative representative who will do everything in my power to make sure the NEC is truly acting on behalf of the membership at large.

 

I would also ask you to consider nominating Clive Shakespeare for the West Midlands General seat.

 

In solidarity,

Vez Kirkpatrick

Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Branch / West Midlands Young Members Forum

Bernadette Gallagher request for nomination to UNISON NEC - North West female seat

Dear Branch Secretary National Executive Council Elections 2011 I am writing to seek your branch nomination for the North West Region Women's Seat. Nominations open on 11th January and close 5pm,.18th February 2011. Nominations must be made at a quorate meeting held between these dates. I have been privileged to represent the North West Region on the NEC since 2007. I firmly believe in the accountability of elected representatives and throughout my period on the NEC I have regularly reported back to my constituent branches. I have always been outspoken and prepared to criticise the union leadership when necessary and appropriate. However I do not believe it is productive to be oppositionist for the sake of it and now more than ever I believe it is vital that we all work together in the huge battle to defend public services, terms and conditions and pensions. We need to ensure that the tough rhetoric of the public sector union leadership is turned into direct action. Our members are facing unprecedented attacks, the trade union movement should respond with a united resistance co-ordinated at the highest level. UNISON should use its influential position on the General Council of the TUC to ensure that resistance to public sector cuts involves the whole of the trade union movement. For too long individual branches and individual unions have been left to fight battles on their own. I believe that I have the necessary experience to represent members on the NEC; I am the branch secretary of one of the largest local government branches in the North West, with a proven track record of defending terms and conditions. Resistance to attacks by the employer on either a branch or national level can only be achieved by good union organisation. I pride myself on setting high standards within my own branch and lead by example in relation to commitment, dedication and hard work. I would very much like to serve on the NEC for a further term of office and would welcome your branch nomination.   Yours Sincerely   Bernadette Gallagher