GENERAL SECRETARY ELECTION
We live in interesting times. Can I begin by thanking all those who campaigned for me in the election? It was both an honour and a privilege to have the support of such fine people.
I won't name individuals because I don't think that would be egalitarian or in the spirit of a collective campaign. But those who did campaign for me were people I am proud to be associated with.
I also thank those who voted for me. The turnout was 14%. That was the problem. To win we had to increase the turnout. It was too near the general election. Things will change enormously over the forthcoming period and the union will need to be transformed to face the challenge.
It will be interesting to see how many ''leaders'' leave the movement over the next 12 months and how they are replaced by those who want to fight.
We have no choice but to fight and re-learn the lessons of old.
The Tories haven't changed and neither has the struggle. Some comfortable Labour MP's and trade union officials may think that the class struggle is over but those reared on the playing fields of Eton are returning to try and put us in our place.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the election campaign. It was uplifting to meet so many committed activists, who are a credit to the union. I have been invigorated by visiting branches who are doing such good work.
My faith and confidence in socialist ideas has been strengthened during the campaign. Our members are the 'lifeblood' of this union. Our aim should be to represent members not control them. The gratitude and warmth of someone you represent is worth ten times as much as material gain or political intrigues.
Once again thanks for your support. To quote the immortal Shelley;
'Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number -
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many - they are few.'
Or to quote the Man from North Gawber;
'I learnt my socialism on the end of a shovel'.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Monday, 31 May 2010
Friday, 14 May 2010
Monday, 10 May 2010
Sunday, 9 May 2010
What now for the public sector?
As the dust settles on the General Election, the "horse-trading" begins. Are the politicians, who are seeking to negotiate coalition governments, talking about improving public services, creating real jobs and protecting pensions? Or are they talking about what cuts are coming and their own political careers? I think most people know the answer to those questions.
There is no doubt that the bankers are demanding that the public services are cut. They will also be looking to raid public sector pension schemes and public sector terms and conditions. We have seen in Greece what the bankers want. Next will be Spain and Portugal. These people are ruthless. They care not for public services - they don't use them! They hypocritically criticise public sector workers for striking and shutting services for a day, whilst they (the bankers) demand that the very same services are closed permanently because we "can't afford them".
Has anyone noticed the newly, part-nationalised banks acting with a social conscience? The Royal Bank of Scotland is 84% publicly-owned and yet paid 100 of its investment bankers a bonus of £1,000,000 each and 16,800 of its investment bankers got an annual bonus of £77,000 each.
Don't expect fairness from these people. They think only of their own pockets. Or, as in the words of the leading Goldman Sachs banker of the 1950's and 1960's, Syd Weinberg, the policy of the bank is "long-term greedy".
Unison and other public sector unions can only do one thing - get organised. Get organised in the workplace and in politics. It is only through organisation that we will succeed. It is an old adage but it is true. Unity really is strength. The bankers, employers and many politicians hate the trade unions because they fear the unions being organised. Their friends in the press try to "soften up" public opinion by publicly attacking the working condition of working people - whether it is cabin staff at British Airways, public sector pensions, etc. We saw in the general election where the sympathy of the majority of the press lay. The same people who own the banks, own the press.
So, as politicians return to their "smoke-filled" rooms to discuss in secret what we have supposedly voted for, I have a clear message for our members. I know people don't want to look forward because of what is coming, but we have to. We have been here before. We don't want to return to the pre-Second World War conditions that our forefathers and foremothers lived in. We demand the right to live in dignity, with decent education, working conditions and retirement conditions. We don't want those who have these conditions (i.e. bankers, employers etc) telling us that we can't have them. So we need to organise. We have no option. An individual can do little on their own. All workers instinctively understand this. Let's get organised across the public sector by co-ordinating all public sector trade unions.
It is indeed ironic that politicians, having spent weeks trying to get us to vote for them , are now busy discussing how best to cut our living conditions!
If cuts have to be made - make them in not replacing Trident, PFI schemes, politicians' expenses, etc. We, the trade union members of Britain, don't want our living standards and public services cutting. We intend to organise to make sure they aren't.
Paul Holmes
Candidate
Unison General Secretary election.
Future meeting I am speaking at:-
1. Thursday 13th May 2010 - 7:00pm - ULU, Room 3A, London - Rally
2. Saturday 15th May 2010 - 12:30pm - ULU, London - Unison United Left AGM - Speech
3. Thursday 20th May 2010 - half an hour after the end of the South East Regional Council meeting - ULU, London - Rally
4. Monday 17th May 2010 - Wigan, North West (venue and time to be confirmed) - Hustings
(ULU = University of London Union)
There is no doubt that the bankers are demanding that the public services are cut. They will also be looking to raid public sector pension schemes and public sector terms and conditions. We have seen in Greece what the bankers want. Next will be Spain and Portugal. These people are ruthless. They care not for public services - they don't use them! They hypocritically criticise public sector workers for striking and shutting services for a day, whilst they (the bankers) demand that the very same services are closed permanently because we "can't afford them".
Has anyone noticed the newly, part-nationalised banks acting with a social conscience? The Royal Bank of Scotland is 84% publicly-owned and yet paid 100 of its investment bankers a bonus of £1,000,000 each and 16,800 of its investment bankers got an annual bonus of £77,000 each.
Don't expect fairness from these people. They think only of their own pockets. Or, as in the words of the leading Goldman Sachs banker of the 1950's and 1960's, Syd Weinberg, the policy of the bank is "long-term greedy".
Unison and other public sector unions can only do one thing - get organised. Get organised in the workplace and in politics. It is only through organisation that we will succeed. It is an old adage but it is true. Unity really is strength. The bankers, employers and many politicians hate the trade unions because they fear the unions being organised. Their friends in the press try to "soften up" public opinion by publicly attacking the working condition of working people - whether it is cabin staff at British Airways, public sector pensions, etc. We saw in the general election where the sympathy of the majority of the press lay. The same people who own the banks, own the press.
So, as politicians return to their "smoke-filled" rooms to discuss in secret what we have supposedly voted for, I have a clear message for our members. I know people don't want to look forward because of what is coming, but we have to. We have been here before. We don't want to return to the pre-Second World War conditions that our forefathers and foremothers lived in. We demand the right to live in dignity, with decent education, working conditions and retirement conditions. We don't want those who have these conditions (i.e. bankers, employers etc) telling us that we can't have them. So we need to organise. We have no option. An individual can do little on their own. All workers instinctively understand this. Let's get organised across the public sector by co-ordinating all public sector trade unions.
It is indeed ironic that politicians, having spent weeks trying to get us to vote for them , are now busy discussing how best to cut our living conditions!
If cuts have to be made - make them in not replacing Trident, PFI schemes, politicians' expenses, etc. We, the trade union members of Britain, don't want our living standards and public services cutting. We intend to organise to make sure they aren't.
Paul Holmes
Candidate
Unison General Secretary election.
Future meeting I am speaking at:-
1. Thursday 13th May 2010 - 7:00pm - ULU, Room 3A, London - Rally
2. Saturday 15th May 2010 - 12:30pm - ULU, London - Unison United Left AGM - Speech
3. Thursday 20th May 2010 - half an hour after the end of the South East Regional Council meeting - ULU, London - Rally
4. Monday 17th May 2010 - Wigan, North West (venue and time to be confirmed) - Hustings
(ULU = University of London Union)
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Nominations
FINAL TOTAL
NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS RECEIVED - 59
NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED BY RETURNING OFFICER - 52
NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS REJECTED BY RETURNING OFFICER - 7
(APPROXIMATE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF BRANCHES WHOSE NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED = 140,000)
LIST OF NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED
Local Government
ASHFIELD, BARNET, BARNSLEY, BATH AND NE SOMERSET, BLACKBURN, BOLTON, BRENT, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, CAMDEN, CRAVEN, CUMBRIA COUNTY, DONCASTER, DOVER, EALING, FALKIRK, HARINGEY, HARROGATE, HARROW, HAVERING, ISLINGTON, KENT COUNTY, KIRKLEES, LAMBETH, LEEDS, LONDON FIRE AND EMERGENCY PLANNING, MILTON KEYNES, PLYMOUTH, PORTSMOUTH CITY, RHONDDA CYNON TAFF, ROCHDALE, SANDWELL, SOUTHAMPTON, TELFORD, TOWER HAMLETS, WEST CHESHIRE, WIGAN , WREXHAM COUNTY, YORK.
Health
LEICESTERSHIRE, MANCHESTER COMMUNITY HEALTH, NORTH OF TYNE PRIMARY CARE, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, OXFORDSHIRE, SALISBURY, SOUTH WARKS.
Community
COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS, YMLAEN - FORWARD.
Universities
LONDON METROPOLITAN, MANCHESTER METRO, SOAS.
Police
WEST YORKSHIRE.
LIST OF NOMIINATIONS REJECTED
Local Government
AYLESBURY VALE, VALE OF GLAMORGAN
Health
EAST SOMERSET , HOMERTON HOSPITAL, LUTON AND DUNSTABLE HOSPITAL, NW ANGLIAN DISTRICT, TAUNTON AND SOMERSET.
NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS RECEIVED - 59
NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED BY RETURNING OFFICER - 52
NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS REJECTED BY RETURNING OFFICER - 7
(APPROXIMATE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF BRANCHES WHOSE NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED = 140,000)
LIST OF NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED
Local Government
ASHFIELD, BARNET, BARNSLEY, BATH AND NE SOMERSET, BLACKBURN, BOLTON, BRENT, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, CAMDEN, CRAVEN, CUMBRIA COUNTY, DONCASTER, DOVER, EALING, FALKIRK, HARINGEY, HARROGATE, HARROW, HAVERING, ISLINGTON, KENT COUNTY, KIRKLEES, LAMBETH, LEEDS, LONDON FIRE AND EMERGENCY PLANNING, MILTON KEYNES, PLYMOUTH, PORTSMOUTH CITY, RHONDDA CYNON TAFF, ROCHDALE, SANDWELL, SOUTHAMPTON, TELFORD, TOWER HAMLETS, WEST CHESHIRE, WIGAN , WREXHAM COUNTY, YORK.
Health
LEICESTERSHIRE, MANCHESTER COMMUNITY HEALTH, NORTH OF TYNE PRIMARY CARE, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, OXFORDSHIRE, SALISBURY, SOUTH WARKS.
Community
COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS, YMLAEN - FORWARD.
Universities
LONDON METROPOLITAN, MANCHESTER METRO, SOAS.
Police
WEST YORKSHIRE.
LIST OF NOMIINATIONS REJECTED
Local Government
AYLESBURY VALE, VALE OF GLAMORGAN
Health
EAST SOMERSET , HOMERTON HOSPITAL, LUTON AND DUNSTABLE HOSPITAL, NW ANGLIAN DISTRICT, TAUNTON AND SOMERSET.
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