Workers' Liberty

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.

By Patrick Murphy

This year's Conference of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) was one of the most unified in recent memory.

Fairly militant policies were agreed on most of the major issues facing teachers, from workforce remodelling to pay and pensions.
We even had the bizarre sight of Doug McAvoy keenly embracing Mark Serwotka of PCS and looking to his union and others like it to create a unity of those prepared to defend their members, as opposed to those keen to be partners with Government.

The left in UNISON has missed an opportunity to follow the lead of other unions like Amicus and the TGWU when the Service Group Executive Committees are elected next month.

The Service Group Executives are the "industrial" leaderships of the union. Although they lack the profile of the NEC, they have decision-making powers on issues of pay and conditions and negotiations, thus making them just as important as the NEC. Yet the left, traditionally, hasn't contested them. After a better showing two years ago, this seems to be the case again in 2004.

By a TGWU member



Candidates of the Broad Left have won an unexpectedly decisive 21:16 majority on the General Executive Council of the TGWU. The previous majority faction grouped around fake-left bureaucrat John Aitken has been routed. Despite retaining some influence in the union's regional structure, it is no longer a significant force in the national leadership.

a Socialist Worker pamphlet by Martin Smith

This pamphlet is a propaganda exercise. There is nothing wrong with that in itself. However, it also claims to provide an analysis of the Labour Party, the trade union bureaucracy, the Broad Lefts and members of the "awkward squad." It does not do any of that very well, relying on crass comments such as "bright flashes of a new mood" and "the gaps between the explosions are becoming shorter".

In the regional section of the elections for the Executive of Amicus (the union formed by merging AEEU and MSF), the majority of the votes were cast by retired members.

According to figures published in the "Finsbury Communist", 94,733 retired members cast valid votes for regional representatives on the Executive, and 71,279 employed members.

By a TGWU member

At present, the GEC is narrowly controlled by a bureaucratic clique grouped around John Aitkin. This group claims to be on the left, but its record is one of inertia and nepotism. If they retain their hold, Woodley will be isolated and unable to enact the many positive proposals he championed during his successful campaign for the General Secretary's position.

Paul Woolstenholmes has won the election for National Officer in the FBU. He got 52% of the vote in a three-way contest with the previous National Officer, Mike Lawson, and Bob Pounder.

Lawson played a leading role in the conduct of the year-long FBU fight for a living wage which collapsed toward the end of last year in return for a 3.5% pay rise. This result is widely seen as a victory for those who wanted the fight to be continued and fought with more militancy.

The left slate has won 23 of the 48 places on the executive of Amicus, the union formed by merging AEEU and MSF.

The new executive took office on 1 January. According to Amicus insiders, most likely is the development of a 'centre-left' majority in the executive working closely with new general secretary Derek Simpson.

But it will be spurred on by a harder left minority within the executive and represents progress over the old right-wing regimes in AEEU and MSF.