Elect a fighting and democratic leadership for UNISON
Fight Labour and SNP austerity
Jim McFarlane, UNISON NEC candidate
UNISON members suffered fourteen years of vicious cuts to jobs, pay and services at the hands of the Tories. We were all glad to see the back of them, but Rachel Reeves’s Spring Statement promises a return to savage austerity and privatisation.
Our members in local government, NHS, education and all other sectors will face more misery.
Unfortunately, Unison’s national leadership has not stepped up to meet the challenges members face in their workplaces.
A history of right-wing leadership has left the union organisationally weak, even though it is the largest trade union in Britain with 1.3 million members. Their policy of building a ‘members-services-based union’ reduced the activist layer, as well as attacking the democratic structures and participation of the membership.
It is clear that the current general secretary, a large section of the paid officials, and a layer of self-serving lay officials want UNISON to become a ‘partner union’ of the Labour government.
They have never been prepared to fight alongside the membership in militant struggle, but have largely seen the role of the union as another pressure group or lobbying organisation when opposing attacks on members.
This year’s UNISON NEC election is our chance to win a leadership that is prepared to stand up to Starmer’s government and the cuts coming from Holyrood.
After years of failing to mount the fight we needed, in the 2021 NEC elections members booted out the right-wing leadership of UNISON, which had dominated the union for decades.
To strengthen the position of the left-led NEC, and give the leadership members need to win, means a fighting programme and a real strategy for action are needed.
Later this year there will also be the election for general secretary. Christina McAnea, elected in 2020, was the ‘continuity candidate’ of the old right wing. Now we have the chance to win both an NEC and general secretary that will stand up to Starmer and fight for members.
Socialist Party Scotland is part of the fight to transform UNISON into a fighting left union.
Increasing the number of Socialist Party members on the National Executive Council will help win the programme and strategy necessary.
Socialist Party Scotland are supporting Jim McFarlane as well as calling for a vote for Socialist Party candidates for the NEC who UNISON members in Scotland can vote for:
- Adrian O’Malley – Health general seat
- Ellie Waple – Disabled Members female seat
- April Ashley – Black Members female seat
