Workers' Liberty

The snap General Secretary election called last Wednesday has exposed the current weaknesses of the left in Unison.

It would be better if the individuals and groups who define themselves as left in the Union could agree to support common candidates in national elections. It will be important in the period ahead to consolidate the small majority the left has gained on the national executive and avoid the prospect of Broadly Speaking regaining either the Executive or the GS or DGS positions. Just as important is the need to build a clearer, sharper, more determined left which acts collectively on the key issues facing members, particularly those which require us to mobilise members for action.

The public services Unison has just published the results of the elections to its National Executive elections. The scores for the contested seats are listed below.

The coming election for Deputy General Secretary of the civil service union PCS will be a choice between the old centre-right of the union and a candidate, AWL member John Moloney, backed by the Independent Left.

The PCS union “machine”, though on paper left wing — dominated by the Socialist Party — will be backing the centre-right candidate, Hugh Lanning.

Tubeworker has long advocated that the unions need to make themselves more relevant in the workplace, and one way of doing this is to run more democratic decision-making at work.

RMT members are about to get a say in a very important election.

Steve Hedley is a candidate in the election for RMT London Regional Organiser. As the RMT in London is facing a big political and industrial fight against Tory mayor Boris Johnson and a potential Tory government intent on breaking the union and imposing pay cuts, this an important election. Steve spoke to Tubeworker, the bulletin produced by AWL tubeworkers.

Tubeworker is backing Steve Hedley in the election for RMT Regional Organiser. Here, we interview him about the key issues in the election ...

Members of the public service union Unison should have already received ballot papers for the Service Group Executive (SGE) elections being held now.

Tubeworker is well in favour of elections for union reps taking place in the workplace, so we are pleased to see that two RMT branches have decided to introduce this system.

RMT members are now voting for our Executive representative. The choice is beteen Olly New and Brian Munro.

When the two candidates went round the branches asking for nominations, Brian generally came across better, with more passion, more focus on rank-and-file workers, and more 'fighting talk'. Because of this, several branches nominated him, in a number of cases against the recommendation of their branch officers. Overall, though, a majority nominated Olly.

John Leach has won the election to be National President of the RMT for the next three years. John is my partner, but RMT activists will be aware that I don't subscribe to the Tammy Wynette school of trade unionism, and regularly refuse to stand by my man on industrial issues. But I am convinced he was the best candidate in this election, and am delighted to say that he romped home.

John Leach has won the election to be National President of the RMT for the next three years. AWL thought he was the best candidate in this election, and we are delighted to say that he romped home.

In the RMT President election, we think the best candidate is John Leach. He has the most commitment to rank-and-file members and to fighting the employers. His record includes leading unofficial action in defiance of the anti-union laws. He has also stood up to the union bureaucracy.

RMT members will soon get their ballot papers in the election for National President.

Tubeworker’s vote will go to John Leach, because we believe that he has the most commitment to rank-and-file members and to fighting the employers. He has a record of doing this, including leading unofficial action in defiance of the anti-union laws. He has also stood up to Bob Crow and the union bureaucracy, and will not simply be a bag-carrier for the General Secretary.

UNISON Service Group Executive elections are now on. In the East Midlands region, I am standing in the Health SGE General Seat - against the current Chair of the Health SGE! My election leaflet is att

By Gerry Bates

From 23 January members of the shop and distribution workers' union USDAW will be receiving ballot papers for the election of our union executive and president.

This article was wrongly attributed to Tom Cashman. To read an apology click here.

As we go to press, elections are taking place for the General Executive Council of the TGWU.

Fire Brigades Union press release
6 May 2005

Matt Wrack has been elected General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union. He defeated Andy Gilchrist in a secret postal ballot conducted by Electoral Reform Balloting services in which over 40% of members voted.

By a UNISON member

The National Executive Committee elections in Unison are now underway. The left in Unison has been split recently. Last year the Socialist Party walked out of the Unison United Left. In the recent election for the union’s General Secretary current General Secretary Dave Prentis won comfortably, as the left fielded two candidates, Jon Rogers backed by the UUL and Roger Bannister of the SP, who between them managed only a quarter of the vote.

Left-wing candidate Christine Blower has been elected as Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers. She defeated the more right-wing candidate, John Bangs, by just under 5,000 votes.

Matt Wrack, a militant activist from the London region, has been elected as the Fire Brigades Union’s (FBU) new Assistant General Secretary, and will soon challenge Andy Gilchrist for General Secretary position.

Matt Wrack, a militant activist from the London region, has won a resounding victory to become the Fire Brigades Union's new Assistant General Secretary.

UNISON’s 1.3 million members begin voting on 25 January in the election for the union’s General Secretary. Current General Secretary Dave Prentis is expected to win — not least because there are two left challengers, who will split the vote for change.

Tubeworker of 25/10/04 supports the campaign for the reinstatement of Joanne White, a Station Assistant at Embankment unfairly sacked by LUL. It recommends a vote for John Leach in the election for the region's representative on the RMT Executive. Read the front page text below. Download page 1 here, and page two here.

By Nick Holden

The leadership of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has conceded that Paul Woolstenholmes, the National Officer suspended in a witch-hunt against those who criticised the leadership during the pay dispute, has no case to answer, and can return to work.

By Patrick Murphy, Leeds NUT

The election for NUT General Secretary was won by Broad Left candidate Steve Sinnott (pictured). Sinnott won around 20,000 of the first preference votes, against about 16,000 for Ian Murch. John Bangs, who stood as the independent of all factions/Doug McAvoy candidate, got 10,000 votes, and Martin Powell-Davies (Socialist Party) 6,400. The combined first preferences of Murch and MPD would have been higher than Sinnott. When the votes of MPD and then Bangs were redistributed, Sinnott had 27,000 and Ian 22,000.

By a Civil Servant

The Democracy slate (made up of Left Unity and the PCS Democrats) has won the National Executive Committee elections in the PCS for the second year running.

In response to this victory the union's hard right-wing group, the Moderates, have split. One faction of the Moderates have joined up with right wingers in the Inland Revenue to form yet another grouping in the union!

The election for NUT General Secretary was won by Broad Left candidate Steve Sinnott. Sinnott won around 20,000 of the first preference votes against about 16,000 for Ian Murch. John Bangs, who stood as the 'independent of all factions' / Doug McAvoy candidate got 10,000 votes and Martin Powell-Davies (Socialist Party) 6,400. The combined first preferences of Murch and MPD would have been higher than Sinnott. When the votes of MPD and then Bangs were redistributed Sinnott had 27,000 and Ian 22,000.

By a Civil Servant

PCS members in the DWP, Prison Services, Treasury Solicitors and the Office of National Statistics are still fighting pay disputes arising from the 2003 pay round, with no resolution in sight. Yet these disputes are just a forerunner of what could happen in the 2004 pay round.