Vote Tracey Delaney, Carol Lukey, Bob Oram and Glen Williams: All of UNISON - staff and activists - must make protection of members our number one priority in this coming period. We face unprecedented challenges as the Tories and their Liberal allies seek to roll back the state and forever change the face of public services in this country.
Our defence in the workplace is collective bargaining, and where we vote for it - industrial action. Our union must be focused on this fight, at every level. No service group or sector or branch can stand alone. We are actually all in this together.
We need to recognise the need for new ways of organising, and to connect with those beyond our usual ranks and maintain our membership by reaching out to those currently unorganised.
· This means giving members the confidence to fight;
· Actively campaigning for a positive bargaining agenda in the workplace
· Ending the pay freeze and stopping the decline in UNISON members living standards
· Defeating any proposals to reduce or destroy your deferred wages – your pension.
· Fighting and opposing all privatisation and avoiding compulsory redundancies
· Demanding investment in learning and development, health and safety; work life balance and trade union/workforce engagement.
It is essential UNISON builds a campaign which can deliver action, mobilising for demonstrations and rallies, prepared to take direct action including strike action and occupations and capable of challenging all parts of the coalition Govt, calling both Tories and Lib-Dems to account exposing its lack of a mandate and if possible forcing an early general election.
We need to engage with those most severely hit by the government’s policies – students, women, young people, welfare claimants and the disabled. With these groups we must build coalitions and alliances, bringing together trade unions, service users, community and voluntary groups. Our coalitions must be democratic and participatory, and provide the opportunity for genuine discussion and dialogue, sharing ideas and tactics.
Within UNISON we need to recognise the key role regions have to play supporting branches and building regional campaigns, bringing together trade unions across the public and private sectors, under the banner of regional TUCs. The attack on pensions offers the real potential for co-ordinated industrial action and regions should be establishing campaign bodies within Unison and in conjunction with other public sector TUs to build the campaign and prepare for action.
We must develop our political strategy which seeks to get MPs, Councillors and political parties to support our campaign and sign up to our agenda, and producing a public services manifesto for the local elections in May.
As activists at branch, regional and national levels, we have been at the forefront of developing the North West region of UNISON as an effective and influential body both within the region and the national union. We have a detailed understanding of regional and national structures and are regular attendees at all committees, Regional Council and other events. This enables us to understand and promote the interests of North West members and branches. Unlike our opponents in this election we are not beholden to divisive and unrepresentative factions or political sects.
We are committed to democratic accountability and will regularly report back and be available when and if a branch needs assistance.
It is important North West members bearing a disproportionate brunt of Con Dem austerity measures have an NEC fighting to make the union strong.
Vote for Tracey Delaney, Carol Lukey, Bob Oram and Glen Williams.
The ballot closes at 5PM on 13 May 2011.
More on NEC elections at http://unisonactive.blogspot.com/search/label/NEC%20Elections
