Vote to Reclaim Unison

Unison members across all services will have the opportunity to alter the direction of the trade union when they vote in the forthcoming National Executive Council elections. The ballot runs from 14th April until the 15th of May  

by Ian Leech, Glasgow Unison member  

A Reclaim the union slate, which includes members of our sister party  the Socialist Party in England and Wales, is fighting to reclaim the union for ordinary members and is contesting most of the seats in these elections. For too long the union has played a pitiful role by defending the interests of the New Labour Government and Labour controlled local authorities before those of the members it represents. A victory will begin to change this. It can also undermine the attempts of the right wing leadership to witchhunt the left from Unison which the Socialist has reported on regularly. 

Across the whole of the public sector there is a growing realisation that budget settlements over the next 12 months will see the biggest cuts in public finances ever experienced as the economic crisis is off-loaded by the bosses onto the backs of the public as service users and the staff as providers. In Scotland the media has already made it known that a cut of £500 million will be demanded by Westminster and an additional cut (so-called ‘efficiency savings’) demanded by the Scottish Government will create a budget crisis of mammoth proportions.  

In addition, rather than recognise the crucial role the public sector plays in periods of recession, the Government along with their friends in the CBI have begun a public campaign pitting the private sector, under the cosh of cut backs and pay restraint versus the ‘feather-bedded public sector workers with their ‘gold-plated pensions’ and ‘jobs for life’ in order to try and turn public opinion against staff.  Gone are the days when it was recognised that the public sector played a crucial role in providing local employment and stimulating the local economy, today’s public sector is about income generation, the internal market, privatisation and PFI. 

Opportunity 

Now is the time to act by voting in favour of the Democracy slate of candidates. The future appears grim for public sector workers and that is why we need a union leadership that is prepared to fight on our behalf. Attacks on our pensions, cuts in services, privatisation and attacks on our conditions of service are being stacked up. But we can and must fight back. Until now we have fought with one arm tied behind us hampered by a leadership that talked tough but lacked the resolve to lead. That can all change with these forthcoming elections.  

For a full list of candidates see www.socialistparty.org.uk