Unite - our opportunity
I am proud to be here at this conference, for me it represents the hope and opportunity that is Unite.
However today Unite’s true potential is as yet unfulfilled. It can be a vibrant union that meets every new challenge head on.
Our unique structure allows us to accommodate different needs at the same time fighting for common goals. Fighting to win! In our strong union I back our members in dispute, but won’t lead people to the top of the hill and leave them there alone.
Championing change
We have all seen leaflets this week being handed out outside the conference by the various campaign camps. They contain lots of rhetoric - “new future” – “decentralisation” it is all meaningless. These messages short change the members.
I love this union, the union I joined as an apprentice 40 years ago. I have been on picket lines, run campaigns, recruitment drives and been involved politically and industrially at every level. And most recently I have negotiated the mergers that have brought in great unions to form Unite. I wan the future of Unite to be about creating to a state-of-art union.
I will end; the duplication of services in every region, the wasting of resources, wasting expertise and the weakening the union with fragmentation.
I will use the technology at our disposal to engage and politicise our members.
Service is key
The old reliance on big bargaining units servicing themselves is sadly dead. Political understanding is at an all time low throughout society and the union. For this reason within twelve months I will establish 24 hour support centre for our reps as well as our members. I believe that every member is important and deserves a first class service from their union. We must value all members equally regardless of sector or branch size.
Member contact
It is vital that we reconnect with our members. Today in Unite 48% of members join online and 50% are unorganised. These people have a poor service experience from the union. Many members have never had a magazine or direct communication from the union.
Our union relies our reps, who do a fantastic job in difficult and sometimes impossible circumstances. I think it is a disgrace that the reps get more information from the right wing media or papers than they do from our union.
Effective organising
In my view organising and campaigning key to our success. In Unite we have seen massive investment in organising. Let me make one thing clear, people say I am opposed to organising - I am not. But I do think that the current model is too narrow, a model that is too narrowly applied, one size fits no one.
I want to see organising lead by workplace groups and sector committees, which is co-ordinated through our branch structures. We need our organising campaigns to be run, administered and evaluated by those at the heart of the campaign.
Political influence
The Labour Party is us. Some in the media have tried to attack us by saying: “the Labour Party is the political wing of Unite.” I think we have to make this a reality. Now is the time to reclaim Labour’s agenda and politicise our members - not merely complaining from the sidelines. Our army needs to be ready for the next election.
We must influence and involve our members in our Labour Party. So I will introduce a programme to recruit an accredited political rep in every workplace.
Fighting to win
I want to be absolutely clear here, as General Secretary of Unite I will always support our members in their industrial disputes. But being angry doesn’t win an industrial dispute. Our future isn’t a choice between rolling over or militancy, our every fight is to win and every loss weakens us.
Tony Woodley said: “If you fight you won’t always win, but if you don’t fight you will surely lose.” I agree but we should not fight with our eyes closed and our arms tied behind our backs. We need strategic campaigning. I will not back: bravado and mock militancy, cheap publicity stunts and ‘back of a fag packet’ bargaining strategies.
For too long we have seen: a lack of leadership, ignored legal advice and no strategy for communication. I will introduce a strategic campaigns unit to back our members not just in dispute but in negotiation so we can win without disputes. But if we do go into battle we go in to win!
Commitment to Unite members
This election is an opportunity to change the union to fit the members. To service the members we have, not those we wish we had and to change our Labour party by involving our members.
We need to educate and politicise our people to win in the workplace and politically. To build equality into everything we do industrially and organisationally
This our one chance to release Unites’ potential and improve the lives of working people in UK and Ireland and around the world
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment