Bayliss: My Vision for Union Branches and Chapels

Emailed via Les4GS by Les Bayliss who is supported by the Workers Uniting Group for Unite General Secretary.

Dear colleagues,

You don’t need me to tell you that our union branches and chapels are a vital part of our organisation. The members’ first point contact with their union is through their branch or their workplace representative if they have one. It’s how members are recruited into our union and it’s how they are serviced. In my view this is the most appropriate way for the union to operate, face-to-face is always the most powerful.

In Unite we currently have both workplace and geographical branches. I don’t favour one over the other because I understand that in such a diverse organisation it is necessary to be flexible in order to fully cater for the needs of all our members. Big workplaces where the members all do similar jobs and all face the same issues and challenges are perfect for a workplace branch. By the same token smaller workplace groups benefit from an association with members who have different employers; combining their resources makes them stronger. As General Secretary I will not interfere with the branch structure against the wishes of Unite members.

For historical reasons branches and chapels are also funded in many different ways in Unite. Here I think there is definite scope for change. I have no desire to take money away from branches for the sake of building a massive centralised treasury, as some would have you believe. I want branches and chapels to take a full part in all our recruitment, organising and campaigning activities and I want the funding to match the degree of involvement that each branch or chapel wants to undertake.

So as General Secretary I will establish a dedicated Branch Support Unit that will provide assistance, advice, education and equipment to help branches and chapels take the lead in building the union in their area or in their workplace. I will also consider ways of reforming branch funding to get more resources into the branches and chapels that want to take their fight for a better deal for members to the next level.

However, there will be no change in branch and chapel funding without genuine consultation and agreement with activists, and I assure you that this consultation will be driven by the desire, not to save money, but to increase activity at the grassroots of our union.

If you have any views about this issue I would be delighted to hear them, please e-mail me at: lesbayliss@les4gs.org

Yours fraternally,

Les Bayliss