Thursday, March 23, 2006
Unison Suspends Labour Link. posted by Richard Seymour
Red Pepper columnist Dave Osler reports:Local government superunion Unison has finally twigged that there is a contradiction between pushing for the re-election of Labour councils at the same time as leading strike action against them. Here's a statement from Unison Labour Link, the body which handles Unison's relations with New Labour:
'In the circumstances of the union taking national industrial action against the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, named as regulator and decision maker regarding the LGPS [Local Government Pension Scheme - DO], it is felt that it is not appropriate or politically sensible to be organising, on one hand, for industrial action by the union while sending out letters and leaflets to many of the same members asking them to vote Labour.
'The decision has been taken to suspend our election campaigning work for Labour in the May elections while the industrial action is going on.
'Labour Link will not be giving any further donations or support to the campaign until we reach a solution to the present LGPS issue.'
Osler says that this is significant because Unison are effectively Labour loyalists and therefore "rank and file disaffection must be palpable". He's right, but I'll be more impressed if the union leadership calls a strike during the elections.