Report of Workers Uniting Group – Bristol

6th September, 11.30am

A meeting of supporters from across the UK, of the Progressive Left Workers Uniting Group - including comrades from the former Amicus and TGWU heard Derek Simpson explain the policies that have taken Unite forward since the merger and how these must now be strengthened further and fought for.

Derek said the three pillars on which Unite was founded were:

Organising to build a strong and powerful union at every workplace;

Left progressive policies to win back the Labour Party;

Internationalism - creating a global union capable of challenging and fighting global companies and supporting workers in struggle.

He said that we were now in an important phase in the development of Unite, but the union was still being dogged by tribalism, notably by some members in the TGWU section who wanted to maintain the status quo rather than creating a new union.

He said if this tribalism continued or the main policies went into reverse - faced with the recession and a general election, this would be equivalent to shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic - as the ship steered towards an iceberg.

Explaining the new lay democracy within Unite, Derek said it was based on a strong sectoral model, with lay members able to determine the industrial policies of their own sector.

Over the coming few weeks upto 7,000 lay activists and members will be able to take part in the new structures – Regional Industrial Sector Conferences, Regional Industrial Sector Committees, Equality Committees, Area Activist Committees and National Industrial Sector Conferences.

This was a fantastic chance for the union to develop progressive policies and not spend time trying to maintain vested interests or holding onto old structures.

There then followed a lengthy debate with questions on a wide range of issues. A comrade raised the question the delay in establishing the new democratic structures and the involvement of new and young activists – the delay had turned new activists away.

Derek agreed and said new activists and reps want a modern union one that uses modern technology to communicate and allows them to play a part in the union. They are not interested in such issues as the location of monolithic union offices and the payment of funeral benefits – which had been the subject of debates within the union.

There was a lengthy political discussion on support for the Labour Party. Comrades expressed great disappointment with the Labour Government, however all said we should stay and fight to regain the Party.

A comrade said there was a need to ensure that Unite works in a progressive fashion and welcomed Derek’s comments that this should be a new left-progressive union. Derek reiterated that Unite must become a single, progressive and unified force, not T&G Mark 2 or Amicus Mark 2.

Other comrades said there must be no return to the right wing policies of past as they had experienced in some of the constiuent unions.

A comrade welcomed that the recent Durham Political Meeting but was disappointed that the JGS’s were not available to speak and answer questions.

A comrade referred to the disparity of expenses whilst on union business which was creating problems at workplace and regional level.

Derek responded by saying the union should have fair and reasonable expenses, where members did not gain nor lose financially and it was a matter that needed resolving urgently.

The point was made that members being made redundant should maintain membership and have some contact with the union, which Derek said was already be in place and should be operating

Discussion also took place on the recent Construction Engineering disputes and how building the union, political pressure on the Government and international solidarity with the USW and our French union comrades came to force Total reach an agreement.

Comrades from the aerospace sector reported on the previous days meeting of United Left in Manchester describing the meeting as “shambolic” as they were refused entry even though they been activists and shop stewards for many years and had supported previous left groupings.

They were told as they were not known to the doorkeeper they were - initially - refused entry.

They reported there had been walkouts by one candidate and his supporters. More discussions and information on the Manchester hustings can currrently be found at http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=4605

It was noted that of two of the three declared candidates - one was on the record as stating that Unite should withdraw financial support to constituencies where their MP failed to support Unite policies and another candidate was on the record as saying that the union should leave the Labour Party and form a new party.

On the last point Derek said this had been tried before and these small parties had little support and were on the margins of politics with no influence. He also said, where would withholding support for constituences gain any influence to change the Labour Party? This would play into the hands of those right wing MPs who wanted state funding with unions having no influence at all.

A final report was given on the campaigns Workers Uniting Group were supporting including the campaign to save the steel industry, on manufacturing, the finance sector, Diageo, defending the public sector, campaigning against the coup in Honduras, solidairity with unions in Latin American countries, opposing the attacks on the NHS in the USA and plans for forthcoming regional meetings of Workers Uniting Group.

All those attending agreed with the chair that the meeting had debated serious and important issues, was taking the union forward with a left progressive agenda and had debated them in a comradely and mature manner.

The meeting closed at 2.15pm