Graham's UNISON blog

#VoteYES to Defend Our Pensions

2011-10-25T19:11:00.000+01:00

Jimmy Reid: Rectorial Address

2011-08-09T12:07:00.000+01:00

This post was scheduled to appear tomorrow (10th August) to commemorate the first anniversary of his death, but with recent events in London and elsewhere I feel compelled to post it now. The message in this speech is extremely pertinent in light of recent events.

In memory of Jimmy Reid, A Bloggers' Celebration. His 1972 Rectorial Address follows:
Alienation is the precise and correctly applied word for describing the major social problem in Britain today. People feel alienated by society. In some intellectual circles it is treated almost as a new phenomenon. It has, however, been with us for years. What I believe is true is that today it is more widespread, more pervasive than ever before. Let me right at the outset define what I mean by alienation. It is the cry of men who feel themselves the victims of blind economic forces beyond their control. It's the frustration of ordinary people excluded from the processes of decision making. The feeling of despair and hopelessness that pervades people who feel with justification that they have no real say in shaping or determining their own destinies.

Many may not have rationalised it. May not even understand, may not be able to articulate it. But they feel it. It therefore conditions and colours their social attitudes. Alienation expresses itself in different ways by different people. It is to be found in what our courts often describe as the criminal anti-social behaviour of a section of the community. It is expressed by those young people who want to opt out of society, by drop outs, the so-called maladjusted, those-who seek to escape permanently from the reality of society through intoxicants and narcotics. Of course it would be wrong to say it was the sole reason for these things. But it is a much greater factor in all of them than is generally recognised.

Society and its prevailing sense of values leads to another form of alienation. It alienates some from humanity. It partially dehumanises some people, makes them insensitive, ruthless in their handling of fellow human beings, self-centred and grasping. The irony is, they are often considered normal and well adjusted. It is my sincere contention that anyone who can be totally adjusted to our society is in greater need of psychiatric analysis and treatment than anyone else.

They remind me of the character in the novel, Catch 22, the father of Major Major. He was a farmer in the American Mid West. He hated suggestions for things like Medicare, social services, unemployment benefits or civil rights. He was, however, an enthusiast for the agricultural policies that paid farmers for not bringing their fields under cultivation. From the money he got for not growing alfalfa he bought more land in order not to grow alfalfa. He became rich. Pilgrims came from all over the state to sit at his feet and learn how to be a successful non-grower of alfalfa. His philosophy was simple. The poor didn't work hard enough and so they were poor. He believed that the good Lord gave him two strong hands to grab as much as he could for himself. He is a comic figure. But think, have you not met his like here in Britain? Here in Scotland? I have.

It is easy and tempting to hate such people. However it is wrong. They are as much products of society and a consequence of that society, human alienation, as the poor drop out. They are losers. They have lost essential elements of our common humanity. Man is a social being. Real fulfilment for any person lies in service to his fellow men and women.

The big challenge to our civilisation is not OZ, a magazine I haven't even seen let alone read. Nor is it permissiveness, although I agree our society is too permissive. Any society which, for example, permits over one million people to be unemployed is far too permissive for my liking. Nor is it moral laxity in the narrow sense that this word is generally employed ~ although in a sense here we come nearer to the problem. It does involve morality, ethics, and our concept of human values. The challenge we face is that of rooting out anything and everything that distorts and devalues human relations. Let me give two examples from contemporary experience to illustrate the point.

Recently on television I saw an advert. The scene is a banquet. A gentleman is on his feet proposing a toast. His speech is full of phrases like "this full-bodied specimen". Sitting beside him is a young, buxom woman. The image she projects is not pompous but foolish. She is visibly preening herself, believing that she is the object of this bloke's eulogy. Then he concludes - "and now I give ... " then a brand name of what used to be described as Empire sherry. The woman is shattered, hurt and embarrassed. Then the laughter. Derisive and cruel laughter. The real point, of course, is this. In this charade, the viewers were obviously expected to identify not with the victim but with her tormentors.

The other illustration is the widespread, implicit acceptance of the concept and term, the rat race. The picture it conjures up is one where we are scurrying around scrambling for position, trampling on others, back-stabbing, all in pursuit of personal success. Even genuinely intended friendly advice can sometimes take the form of someone saying to you, "Listen, you look after number one". Or as they say in London, "Bang the bell, Jack, I'm on the bus".

To the students I address this appeal. Reject these attitudes. Reject the values and false morality that underlie these attitudes. A rat race is for rats. We're not rats. We're human beings. Reject the insidious pressures in society that would blunt your critical faculties to all that is happening around you, that would caution silence in the face of injustice lest you jeopardise your chances of promotion and self-advancement. This is how it starts and before you know where you are, you're a fully paid-up member of the rat-pack. The price is too high. It entails the loss of your dignity and human spirit. Or as Christ put it, "What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?"

Profit is the sole criterion used by the establishment to evaluate economic activity. From the rat race to lame ducks. The vocabulary in vogue is a giveaway. It's more reminiscent of a human menagerie than human society. The power structures that have inevitably emerged from this approach threaten and undermine our hard-won democratic rights. The whole process is towards the centralisation and concentration of power in fewer and fewer hands. The facts are there for all who want to see. Giant monopoly companies and consortia dominate almost every branch of our economy. The men who wield effective control within these giants exercise a power over their fellow men which is frightening and is a negation of democracy.

Government by the people for the people becomes meaningless unless it includes major economic decision making by the people for the people. This is not simply an economic matter. In essence it is an ethical and moral question for whoever takes the important economic decisions in society ipso facto determines the social priorities of that society. From the Olympian heights of an executive suite, in an atmosphere where your success is judged by the extent to which you can maximise profits, the overwhelming tendency must be to see people as units of production, as indices in your accountants' books.

To appreciate fully the inhumanity of this situation, you have to see the hurt and despair in the eyes of a man suddenly told he is redundant without provision made for suitable alternative employment, with the prospect in the west of Scotland, if he is in his late forties or fifties, of spending the rest of his life in the Labour Exchange. Someone, somewhere has decided he is unwanted, unneeded, and is to be thrown on the industrial scrap heap. From the very depth of my being, I challenge the right of any man or any group of men, in business or in government, to tell a fellow human being that he or she is expendable.

The concentration of power in the economic field is matched by the centralisation of decision making in the political institutions of society. The power of Parliament has undoubtedly been eroded over past decades with more and more authority being invested in the Executive. The power of local authorities has been and is being systematically undermined. The only justification I can see for local government is as a counterbalance to the centralised character of national government.

Local government is to be restructured. What an opportunity, one would think, for decentralizing as much power as possible back to local communities. Instead the proposals are for centralising local government. It's once again a blueprint for bureaucracy, not democracy. If these proposals are implemented, in a few years when asked "Where do you come from ?", I can reply: "The Western Region". It even sounds like a hospital board.

It stretches from Oban to Girvan and eastwards to include most of Glasgow conurbation. As in other matters, I must ask the politicians who favour these proposals - where and how in your calculations did you quantify the value of a community? Or a community life? Of a sense of belonging? Of the feeling of identification? These are rhetorical questions. I know the answer. Such human considerations do not feature in their thought processes.

Everything that is proposed from the establishment seems almost calculated to minimise the role of the people, to miniaturise man. I can understand how attractive this prospect must be to those at the top. Those of us who refuse to be pawns in their power game can be picked up by their bureaucratic tweezers and dropped in a filing cabinet under "M" for malcontent or maladjusted. When you think of some of the high flats around us, it can hardly be an accident that they are as near as one could get to an architectural representation of a filing cabinet.

If modern technology requires greater and larger productive units, let's make our wealth producing resources and potential subject to p1ublic control and to social accountability. Let's gear our society to social ~-need, not personal greed. Given such creative re-orientation of society, there is no doubt in my mind that in " few years we could eradicate in our country the scourge of poverty, the underprivileged, slums, and insecurity.

Even this is not enough. To measure social progress purely by material advance is not enough. Our aim must be the enrichment of the whole quality of life. It requires a social and cultural, or if you wish, a spiritual transformation of our country. A necessary part of this must be the restructuring of the institutions of government and where necessary, the evolution of additional structures so as to involve the people in the decision making processes of our society. The so called experts will tell you that this would be cumbersome or marginally inefficient. I am prepared to sacrifice a margin of efficiency for the value of the people's participation anyway, in the longer term, I reject this argument.

To unleash the latent potential of our people requires that we give them responsibility. The untapped resources of the North Sea are as nothing compared to the untapped resources of our people, I am convinced that the great mass of our people go through life without even a glimmer of what they could have contributed to their fellow human beings. This is a personal tragedy. It's a social crime. The flowering of each individual’s personality and talents is the pre-condition for everyone's development.

In this context education has a vital role to play. If automation and technology is accompanied as it must be with full employment, then the leisure time available to man will be enormously increased. If that is so, then our whole concept of education must change. The whole object must be to equip and educate people for life, ne solely for work or a profession. The creative use of leisure, in communion with, and in service to our fellow human beings can and must become an important element in self-fulfilment.

Universities must be in the forefront of development, must meet social needs and not lag behind them. It is my earnest desire that this great University of Glasgow should be in the vanguard initiating changes and setting the example for others to follow. Part of our educational process must be the involvement of all sections of the university on the governing bodies. The case for student representation is unanswerable. It is inevitable.

My conclusion is to reaffirm what I hope and certainly intend to be the spirit permeating this address. It's an affirmation of faith in humanity. All that is good in man's heritage involves recognition of our common humanity, an unashamed acknowledgement that man is good by nature. Burns expressed it in a poem that technically was not his best, yet captured the spirit.

In "Why should we idly waste our prime," he writes:
"The golden age, we'll then revive, each man shall be a brother,
In harmony we all shall live and till the earth together,
In virtue trained, enlightened youth shall move each fellow creature,
And time shall surely prove the truth that man is good by nature".

It's my belief that all the factors to make a practical reality of such a world are maturing now. I would like to think that our generation took mankind some way along the road towards this goal. It's a goal worth fighting for.

NEC Report: 12th/13th July 2011

2011-07-14T12:28:00.006+01:00

My first NEC meeting as a 'full-termer' over the last two days had a very different tone to my short term previously. Our meeting on Tuesday focussed on this year's National Delegate Conference and of course, our most pressing issue, pensions.

Splitting into work groups, I made clear my feelings about the atrocious conduct by those using the the BNP rule-change debate to grandstand - keeping us from bashing the fash out our union for another year (at least!). My praise went to UNISON staffers who put together the video clips interspersed throughout the week - the quality of which you can see a couple of posts ago.

Our session on pensions afterwards kicked off with a helpful presentation on the 'lay of the land' for the benefit of new members; hammering home the true scale of the government's attacks for the rest of us. Our General Secretary, Dave Prentis, gave his report of the state of negotiations. As it stands, the central government talks are coming to a close, now about to lead into specific discussions on the LGPS & NHSPS.

That session closed off our first afternoon, but it seems like someone forgot that to tell the huddled masses (34 at my generous count) gathered outside UNISON HQ on Wednesday morning! Calling on the NEC to set a date for strike action before specific pension scheme negotiations have started, they got their date wrong, showing clearly that it was an excuse to call a demo rather than a genuine effort to influence the NEC. That also ignores the fact that national industrial action in UNISON is called by service groups, not the NEC.

It has to be said, the demo was well behaved compared to that of the female member from London who, after the election of committee chairs, decided that it would be a good idea to offer a square go to our new President, Eleanor Smith - after being told repeatedly her behaviour was inappropriate. Jon Rogers quite correctly does concede that it wasn't the appropriate forum for her to make her complaint, but he fails to mention the repeated barracking and standard of behaviour that wouldn't be fit for a school playground - never mind a National Executive meeting. There may be no enemies in the room, but anyone whose actions seem to be set on cruise-control to martyrdom isn't much of a friend of mine.

All in all though, it was good to meet our new NEC members coming on after the recent election, and I'm glad to say I nominated two of the successful candidates; for Lucia McKeever as Vice-Chair of the Industrial Action Committee, and for Steve Warwick as Vice-Chair of the Policy, Development & Campaigns Committee. We've got a power of work ahead of us this term, but I'm confident we have the right team taking the lead.

#uNDC11: Two good, one bad

2011-07-08T06:05:00.001+01:00

While unwilling to encourage too much cheese, here's my compliment sandwich from #uNDC11:

Young Members both in and outside conference
I had a good amount of people coming up to me in the Unizone, commenting on the excellent number and breadth of young members taking an active role at conference. Good on all of them! Our fringe event was packed to the gills, with loads of passionate speakers advancing the case for young people against cuts. Our social was excellent and my thanks go to all those who came, participated enthusiastically and met new folk.

Losing the BNP rule amendment
This is the one I'm particularly gutted at, after personally finding BNP members in my union. After a debate based upon a patently false interpretation of the amendment's language. To the speaker who said it would give a mandate to expel Greens, why would this turkey vote for Christmas? Many didn't look at their rulebooks, with the specific reference to our equality provision. I hope the wording can be altered in consensus in time for next year's conference so we can boot out the BNP.

A 'unity of purpose', if you like
There was, for me, a feeling - of determination of purpose throughout conference. As a union, we are only too aware of the task that faces us: saving our public services outright. This felt better than the pointless arguments of years past that I've witnessed, and I hope this will prevail as we continue to fight for our services over the coming years.

All in all, a good conference; albeit one where Thursday afternoon's session was not a pleasant one for the NEC. I look forward to working with many of the new activists I met there, many of which have became active in UNISON over the last year. I hope to see all of you there and speaking next year!

The State of Play

2011-07-08T05:24:00.002+01:00

Though "thou saw fields laid bare an' waste", organise for change.

Over the last year we've seen some of the most horrendous attacks on our public services ever known; brought about by an odious wee patchwork government set upon the privatisation of the services we depend upon, in the mood of replacing them with no more an aura of faux 'localism' in the form of the Big Society.

An alternative: services delivered according to need, locally controlled and democratic

It's not really an alternative, it's how the public want our public services to be delievered - but when the media consensus fails to challenge the underhand privatisation that's perverted the principle of local control for years now, we are forced to present it as such. If Andrew Lansley's reforms to the NHS in England come to pass, with the mantra of 'any willing provider', the NHS will be no more than an a hollow branding exercise. UNISON, together with other health unions already are coming out fighting for our Public NHS, but we must continue to work to mobilise our members and the public so there are enough "folk left with the faith to fight for it."

As with everything, it doesn't always work out right - especially when that local control is in the hands of the ultra-right, determined to do in public service workers. As we've seen in Southampton & Shropshire, when the nasty party are in control, they'll resort to sacking and re-engaging their workers on vastly inferior terms and conditions; often with the aim of softening up our public services for privatisation by the third and private sectors. Removal of the services we rely upon from public control has left us to deal with the aftermath of the implosion of Southern Cross.Whittling away our terms and condition only serves that ConDem ideological goal of flogging off our public services to the cheapest provider, regardless of the impact upon the people who deliver and depend upon those services.

Pensions aren't a taxpayers' gift: they're pay deferred for a decent retirement

The ConDems' pension reforms can be summed up in three bullet points (hat tip to Active):

WE WILL PAY MORE
WE WILL GET LESS
WE WILL WORK LONGER

For young members, if we allow these reforms to go through - we'd pay much more, we'd get much less, and we'd work much longer than most of UNISON's members and activists. I joined UNISON in 2006 during the pensions dispute then, so I know first-hand just how important it is to harness the enthusiasm of our Young Members now as we are "on the road to industrial action". Our National Young Members Forum's AGM is next weekend, and this will be a crucial item on our workplan. In the NEC, we need to make the right decisions on pensions; that the nature and character of industrial action is based upon our facts and figures, on our organisational strength and on our industrial readiness. When we do strike (and I stress 'when', as the ConDems will not easily see the folly of their 'reforms'), I want us to win - for our members, there is no alternative.

Invest In Our Future

2011-07-08T03:25:00.008+01:00

For posterity, Edinburgh University Anti-Cuts Coalition's entry for the 2011 TUC 60 second Ad comp. Not as professionally made as the winners, but I think it gets the message across!

#uNDC11: 26th March Video

2011-07-08T03:15:00.005+01:00

When I first saw this video at our National Delegate Conference, I was blown away. Very different perspective from street level and a fantastic Turin Brakes song to accompany it. We are stronger together.

NEC Elections: Make your vote count!

2011-04-12T08:15:00.002+01:00

#26March For the Alternative

2011-03-28T11:17:00.000+01:00

Credit to Gary Williams for the brilliant footage taken on the march.
Full blogpost to follow!

My Election Leaflet

2010-09-27T16:11:00.001+01:00

Here's a PDF copy which you can print off or send to friends. It is important we get as many young members involved in this election - the turnout was disappointingly low last time round and we need to reach out to those who we don't engage with.

2010-09-24T16:12:00.000+01:00

I ask that you vote for me as your representative on UNISON's National Executive Council because now more than ever, we need a strong voice to speak up for Young Members.

After representing Young Members at all levels in UNISON since I joined as an apprentice four years ago, I know I've got the ability, the experience and the passion needed.

I'm proud to have received the backing of the National Young Members' Forum, from branches and from Young Members across the UK so far – I hope you'll support me too.

Speaking Out Against Cuts & Keeping our NHS Public

The Tories have made it clear that they are set upon demolishing the public services that we use and deliver. It isn't the mega-rich that will lose out - instead it's the poorest that'll suffer the most. I believe this is fundamentally unfair and will work towards:

· Putting Young Members at the forefront of organising against Tory cuts
We need to take the lead, especially as young people are some of the hardest hit

· Defending Connexions services from savage cuts
Record numbers of young people out of work need help urgently, not service cuts

· Involving our friends and communities to campaign to keep our NHS public
Tory plans to 'liberate' the NHS only stand to help their friends in big business

Speaking Up For Decent Housing

Housing is an issue that affects each and every one of us; no matter whether it's unscrupulous landlords, the lack of availability or simply trying to find somewhere to afford. These problems have been made much worse by the recession and I promise to campaign on housing for Young Members by:

· Making the case for urgent investment in public housing
To give young people the chance of getting their own place at a decent price

· Ensuring Young Members have clear guidance on their housing rights
Working with our members, the experts, to get the right advice needed

Speaking Out Against Youth Unemployment

The impact of the bankers' recession upon young people is most striking when we look at unemployment figures – more than one in every five young people are out of work. UNISON must fight against this massive injustice while opposing the ill-informed hate spouted by the BNP, who blame the unemployment problem on migrant workers. I will:

· Campaign for an increase in the number of apprenticeships for young people
I believe every young person should have the right to undertake an apprenticeship

· Fight against the loss of posts for newly qualified nurses and social workers to come into
Our members in education are training for public service work: they need our help now!

We urgently need good representation for Young Members on our NEC, especially as we face the biggest attack on our services seen in decades.

Vote for me as a strong and committed defender of our services!

Young Members NEC Election

2010-09-24T15:15:00.007+01:00

The Young Members seat on UNISON's National Executive Council was vacated this summer, and ballot papers for the by-election are going out to Young Members on Monday. This summer, branches and Young Members' forums sent in their nominations, and I'm glad to say that I've been accepted as a valid candidate!

My letter to members sets out why I believe that I'm the best person to represent Young Members' issues on UNISON's executive, so have a read if you want to see where I'm coming from. Keep your eyes peeled for more materials coming out this weekend!

You can support my campaign by making sure your friends and colleagues use their vote - it's important we get as many Young Members engaged in action to defend our services. Make a start by inviting them to join the Facebook page on the right: www.facebook.com/GrahamNEC
Lastly and by no means least! I'm proud and extremely thankful to the following bodies for their nomination :

Young Members' Forums
National Young Members Forum
Scottish Young Members Forum
West Midlands Young Members Forum

Branches
Birmingham City
Bolton Health
Calderdale Branch
Cangen Torfaen Branch
Cymru/Wales Gas
Durham LG
EDF Energy (Doxford)
Essex Police
Liverpool Community & Hospitals
Lothian Health
Monmouthshire County
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
North Lanarkshire LG
North Tees & Hartlepool Health
North West Gas
North Yorkshire
Northumbria Police Authority
Portsmouth City
Ribble Valley
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough
Scottish Electricity Branch
Scottish Regulation of Care Branch
Sefton
Stockport LG
Strathclyde Police & Fire
United Utilities
University Hospital
University of Bristol
West Midlands Police Staff
Wiltshire

Others (Nominations not accepted because of admin issues)
East Renfrewshire
Hampshire
Manchester Branch
Teignbridge LG
West Dunbartonshire LG
Western Isles Health

Health Conference 2010

2010-04-18T10:08:00.003+01:00

Yesterday's SYMC meeting where Dave Watson gave a really interesting presentation on the effects of service cuts on young people led us to focusing our work this year on apprentices - especially vital given the Scottish Government's 25% cut in apprenticeship places this year. More to come on that as we start to flesh out the campaign!

As I sit just now on the East Coast service down to Brighton (thanks for cancelling my flight Eyjafjallajoekull!) for UNISON's Health Conference, I can't say I'm unhappy to get out of a wet, grey Edinburgh... sunny weather and quite a few interesting debates are only 5 and a half hours away!

I'll be tweeting from Health Conference - I can't promise how interesting they'll be to most, but have a peep at the conference feed below!

10th April: Come out and Shout!

2010-04-04T22:06:00.000+01:00

For Saturday 10th April, UNISON Scotland have organised a March and Rally in Glasgow against public service cuts. We need to make sure that we get as many people possible to come out and take a stand against politicians who threaten the ability of services to take care of the most needy in society.
We need people to shout out against 'efficiency savings' - cuts in sheep's clothing which hit front-line services and the people who make them happen, rather than the real waste in our public services such as mortgaging our future on PFI and millions plowed into £1000 a day consultants pushing a privatisation agenda.

With the recession creating an increased demand on public services, we need now more than ever to be pressuring our elected politicians to save the services we use every day. With a general election being held within the next month or so, this is our chance to tell them It wasn't public services that created the recession - that we need to take the bankers on for destroying our economy through their greed. We need to tell our politicians to scrap wasteful schemes like the National ID card & database and Trident's £100bn replacement, to rather spend the money on extra cleaners in hospitals to reduce the human and monetary cost of healthcare acquired infections in the NHS.

Come along on the 10th and make your voice heard!

WHAT: UNISON Scotland's 'Public Works' March & Rally against the cuts
WHERE: University Avenue, Glasgow
WHEN: 9.30am, Saturday 10th April

Scotland vs Facists

2010-02-21T22:19:00.000Z

Yesterday's widely reported Scotland United rally hit the streets of Edinburgh with 2000 people marching behind a united banner of opposition to the racists and fascists of the SDL/EDL. On the platform were speakers from across the political spectrum alongside students, religious leaders, anti-facists and trade unionists. In the crowd, all of those groups were heavily represented alongside people from all walks of life - a really good turnout to oppose the sieg-heiling thugs of the SDL and EDL.

Just a couple of minutes down the road, members of the Edinburgh Anti-Fascist Alliance laid siege to Jenny Ha's bar (remind me not to drink in there!) where around 30 fascists were lying low. Eventually the SDL were bussed off outside town and told not to return. Others were caught before they even left Waverley station - they were sent off on trains to Newcastle.

I thought it was an excellent day - the SDL weren't allowed on the streets, never mind being allowed to march. The response from people on the day was brilliant - showing that there's no place in Scotland for the ideas of the SDL. With the election campaign coming up, we need to be ready to challenge them at every turn - prepare to lose a few more weekends I'd wager!

Million Voices: Young Members

2010-02-05T00:13:00.000Z

In the spirit of hopefully starting a bit of discussion, and a blatant thank-you to those who've spoken to me about the blog, I'd like to ask your thoughts: What can young members do to take a bigger part in the Million Voices campaign?

Defend Education Demo

2010-01-28T03:20:00.006Z

I jumped down to today's demonstration against cuts at Moray House and was very impressed with such a good turnout for an event organised in less than a week! At the planning meeting against HE funding cuts afterwards, representatives from the EIS, UCU and NUS all spoke and pledged support for an ongoing campaign against education funding cuts at a local and national level. It looks like there's a real attempt to unite under a wide banner of defending education: not only the bog-standard student contingent, but parents groups and service-users were also making themselves heard today. My eyes will be kept well peeled!

P.S. I recently got my digital camera back after a few months back home. Expect more photos!

If a case for peace had to be made...

2010-01-24T21:18:00.006Z

"The video is taken in the Palestinian village of An Nabi Saleh (population approx 500).
Settlers attempt to re-annex An Nabi Salih land despite the December 2009 Israeli court case that ruled the property rights of the land to the An Nabi Salih residents."
The Israeli soldiers featured in the video are actually Border Police, but these aren't normal police - they're trained and commanded by the IDF.

What is Organising?

2010-01-12T00:53:00.002Z

Over at UNISON Active, there's been a debate ongoing for the past few days on the topic of organising: what ten skills are most needed? I'll admit that it's taken me way too long to respond, but while I remember, I've got a couple of hats to toss into the ring!

Communication
A good organiser needs to be able to communicate with the people they're working with; the increased use of email is vital in ensuring that information reaches members as accurately and quickly as possible - encouraging action when needed at short notice and enabling members to ask questions.
The example set by Hope Not Hate in using email in their campaigning work is brilliant - regular updates and calls to action are essential to keep people engaged in the work of the organisation.

The skills needed of an organiser in talking to people and understanding their concerns is clearly highlighted in the article and I'm very much of the same opinion. For effective organisation, the ability to listen to concerns, investigate the root causes and then act upon them is essential; if organisers are not working with people 'where they're coming from' then the chances of any real result from the work are seriously limited and will sew the seeds of distrust in members who don't see their concerns being addressed.
While our campaigning work such as the 'Million Voices' campaign makes it clear to members that UNISON are making the case for effective properly-resourced public services, it's the organising work that addresses local issues that has the most direct impact on our members and makes a clear case that membership of the union does bring results.

An organiser needs to be able to gain the trust of the people they're working with. While I'd hope that most of the organising work that UNISON does is successful, it's a certainty that some work will end without a positive result for our members. It's unreasonable to expect perfection from human beings, but we need to be able to admit our failures when they happen and learn from them - assigning blame in a collective movement like ours is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard, but these lessons still to need to be learned and it's vital that we learn these with our members, rather than trying to safe face but destroying their trust in the organisation.
A good organiser needs to be able to balance accountability and risk-taking: while we don't expect them to make the right call all the time, they need to have the freedom to take risks when time is right.

Knowledge
A good organiser needs at least a basic knowledge of the trade union movement and the political environment in which they work. From the perspective of a young member that puts us at an instant disadvantage due to the lack of political experience and time on the planet. That's why our Scottish YM training weekends often include an element of 'political education' in understanding the struggles our movement has fought in the past, the major political decisions that have shaped our work and where we can look to next.
While I won't try and force anyone to make their granny sook eggs, I think there's a case for including an element of political education in steward's induction courses: those that know their stuff can share their insight while those of a less-political bent can gain from their coursemates' experience and knowledge of the major issues and their effects on us today.

My reference to learning the mistakes of the past was no error - for an organiser to work effectively they need to be able to draw on their knowledge and use that make assessments on the work they are doing. Will their intervention have the desired result? Is their work politically acceptable in the local situation? Good organisers need to have foresight to manage expectations where they're not achievable, while also keeping their knowledge up to date and relevant. They need to be able to cultivate a piece of work, provide leadership in its formation and then support the participants to take the lead at the same time as becoming more hands off and having a solid exit plan.
While the organiser needs to be able to identify where aspirations are pie-in-the-sky, they need to be able to take the leap into the unknown when required. There's a real need in that situation for transformational leadership, giving those involved in pieces of organising work a clear vision for positive change. Their communication abilities will be tested in this case by the need to support individuals, persuade participants to become active and stimulate and encourage them as they do.

2010: Who knows?

2010-01-02T16:05:00.000Z

Well I'd like to wish a happy 2010 to you all, but I don't know how true that will be - it's shaping up to be a year of conflict due to a few explosive ingredients being added together: a very strong chance of an incoming Tory government, public services being cut due to the recession and bank bailout, and most importantly, hundreds of thousands of workers being afraid for the future of their jobs whether due to redundancy or 'outsourcing' deals. When added together these ingredients make for a dangerous mix and if a snap March election is held as has been rumoured, April's budget may be the spark that lights the powder.

No matter what colour of party takes control in Westminster, we'll still have to deal with the fallout from that first budget of 2010. If that colour happens to be blue it's clear that there's enough of a collective memory out there that remembers the effects of a Tory government, and while I've not spent much time under one, I've seen the human and economic effects that an unadulterated pursuit of greed brings. We have a collective experience in our movement critical to fighting those that attack us, but we must remember the lessons of the past or else we're doomed to repeat them. While the temptation to take action against a Tory government is understandably strong, there's no value to members and the wider movement in picking fights where they don't need to be fought. On the other hand, I'm glad to see UNISON taking action against employers who won't meet their side of the bargaining agreement, but action like this requires a lot of the union's resources and it seems to me the membership density just isn't there across the union to support really effective national action.

UNISON's focus on organising and the experience gained from it in these 'better' times is undoubtedly needed to work effectively under an openly hostile government, but what if the public delivers another Labour parliament? No matter what colour the party in government is, in 2010 we're going to see funding cuts which will mean job losses. While I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd like to get out through voluntary redundancies after seeing the outlook for the next few years, it'll still mean compulsory job losses. While there's a fear of biting the hand that feeds, a Labour party that's 80% trade union funded needs to be responsive to the needs of working people and we mustn't be afraid to remind them of that.

Whatever 2010 brings, it's not going to be a good year for working people and I hope that that message is abundantly clear in people's heads and that they vote accordingly. While my opinion of the (mainly the parliamentary) Labour party is that there's been a serious case of amnesia in which they've forgotten their roots and is also way too cosy with the elements of society that created the financial armageddon, I'd still rather a half-baked loaf than none at all. If we get landed with a Tory government, I hope we've got the self-control to fight when it's right and on our own terms, and that Labour (and trade unions' influence therein) use the time in opposition to remind themselves of where they come from to deliver a programme for government that.

What a positive start!

Chase the Tear

2009-12-24T18:03:00.003Z

For those of you in a festive bent, I'd urge you to consider buying the new Portishead single Chase the Tear, it's a tune and a half, with all earnings going towards Amnesty International's work.
Buy it at 7digital.

6 Months are a Long Time

2009-12-20T00:34:00.004Z

I've been meaning to start a union blog for the past ...few months, but I hadn't thought about what to actually write about. After being sent to UNISON's National Leadership School, it give me a bit of a slap in the face about the threats that face us - suffice to say, it's not a pretty picture. I'm going to post a series on the issues most important to me over the xmas holidays while I have the chance, so stay tuned! The recession hasn't had a huge impact on me... in studentland my loan keeps coming in, so I'm still plugging away. On the other hand, I can however look much closer to home to see the toll that years of institutional gambling have had on those around me - my dad being made redundant, friends taking cuts in pay and working hours to keep their jobs, and who can ignore the massive public spending cuts coming our way.

For the tens of thousands of UNISON members in training for public sector jobs, whether they're apprentices, FE or HE students, it's a very bleak picture. What about the youth work apprentice, with thousands of pounds invested in their training? With lots of funding streams being closed down and hiring freezes being imposed, where do they have to go once they qualify? In my cohort of four which qualified two years ago in March, only one of us has been able to get either a full or part-time job in the field. (And yes, before you ask, we're all lovely people!) Two of us have had to pop off to uni to at least have a chance of getting a job we've trained for - looking less likely the more I go on. The public sector has been given a vital role to play in supporting young people out of unemployment through the Future Jobs Fund, giving young people who've been out of employment the chance to gain vital work experience. While it's massively important for government to act swiftly to prevent another lost generation, the glaring problem with the fund is that it's only for six months and there are very very few jobs, public or private, for those young people to go into afterwards.

The government response is of the same nature as the financial industry's problem - the focus on the short term detracts from the long term aims. The bankers chased short-term profit while ignoring the sustainability of their actions, much the same as we'll see a temporary reduction in the amount of young people unemployed, but what happens when the young people on JFJ placements come out after six months, how much are they really better off? If this government is serious about addressing the issue of youth unemployment, then a commitment and a clear plan is required of them to support these young people, rather than letting them float back to the dole queue after their placement is completed.

Who I Am

2009-12-19T18:00:00.008Z

I recently wrote this for Strathclyde Police & Fire Branch, so in the spirit of being green, I'll recycle:

My own story started in North Ayrshire Council as a youth work apprentice, a month before UNISON decided to take industrial action to protect our pensions. I was given a membership form by the local steward as I started and she talked about why I should join, but with the amount of information I was getting at that time it ended up at the back of my drawer and stayed there for a few busy weeks!

It was only when I talked with my new colleagues who were UNISON members and found out why they’d decided to stand up for their pensions – something that I didn’t really care about before as I had (just a few!) years to work before it would affect me. The fact that pushed me to fill in my membership form was that they weren’t all in the pension scheme, but all of them were willing to take a stand to help those who were in detriment. When I met the other officers in the branch, I realised that I’d like to get involved, but as an apprentice, I wasn’t able to spend as much time as they could. I was reassured that if I wanted to get involved that I wouldn’t be handed a half-ton of paperwork, and that it was up to me how involved I wanted to be.

In Scotland, we have loads of opportunities to find out what UNISON does and how young members can play their part: whether it’s campaigning in the branch to improve working conditions and address local issues, in Scotland where we hold regular training weekends for young members and have an active committee, or even in the UK where we send delegates to the National Young Members Weekend.