Ban imposed on four unison branch leaders
Following the mitigation hearings Glenn Kelly (Bromely), Suzanne Muna (Housing Association), Onay Kasab (Greenwich) and Brian Debus (Hackney) have all been banned from holding any office in Unison.
Early this morning (5th March) UNISON officials turned up at the UNISON offices of the Bromley, Greenwich and the Housing Association having given no notice; we are awaiting an update from Hackney. The officials have attempted to confiscate computer hard drives and other resources, which include important documents on on-going personal cases.
The officials intend to run elections for new branch officers but as has happened in other branches they may well try to run the branches themselves which has led to moribund UNISON branches.
The Four have conducted a determined and high profile campaign which has meant that it has taken nearly 3 years to get them banned from office. The mitigation hearings also concluded that the length of the bans will be reduced by between 1 and 3 years.
However, this morning's action shows the vicious reality of the UNISON leaderships attacks on socialist activists within the union.
The four are urging supporters to phone or e-mail UNISON Head Office now to protest against the ban and the raids of the branch offices.
What we need you to do:
1. Let as many unison members as possible know what is happening
2. E-mail letters of protest to:
UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis: d.prentis@unison.co.uk
UNISON London Region: greaterlondonregion@unison.co.uk
3. Phone UNISON Head Office to express your disgust on 0845 355 0845
4. Pass a motion at your next meeting to be sent to Dave Prentis.
5. Funds are urgently needed for leaflets, publicity and legal costs.
Cheques payable to: 'Stop the Witch-Hunt' and should be sent to: Defend the Four Campaign, PO Box 858, London E11 1YG.
6. Please let us know details of your protests - e-mail us at: info@stopthewitchhunt.org.uk.
Saturday 6 March 2010
Activists launch socialist challenge
from this weeks The Socialist
OVER 60 people attended a meeting in Greenwich, south east London, for a joint 'defend the four' and 'TUSC launch' meeting.
Paul Callanan
'Defend the four' is the campaign organised in defence of the four Unison members who have been politically witch-hunted by the union's right wing officials for the 'crime' of being Socialist Party members (see stopthe witchhunt.org.uk - also, see Nominate Roger Bannister).
TUSC (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) is a coalition of left parties and union members which is fielding a number of candidates in the 2010 general election. It includes the Socialist Party, and is backed by many leading trade unionists.
The first speaker was Glenn Kelly - one of the 'four' - who told the meeting that the Unison bureaucrats had actually done the Socialist Party a favour "as there are now more left activists and stewards than before the witch-hunt started. Every time they kick out a left branch secretary there will be another one to step into their place", he added.
Glenn also spoke about the disgraceful ruling from the four's recent employment tribunal which, contrary to the evidence presented, decided that they had not been disciplined by the union leadership for their political views. Instead, the tribunal branded 'Trotskyism' as "repugnant" and the four not worthy of protection.
In a clearly political judgment the tribunal made no distinction between democratic socialist views and Stalinist ones. Glenn said that it was an insult to the Trotskyists in Stalin's Russia who were murdered for their defence of genuine socialism.
Elections
Lewisham Socialist Party councillor Ian Page spoke about the successful campaigning work that he and fellow Socialist Party councillor Chris Flood had done on behalf of their constituents.
The Socialist Party is the only party in the council chamber to fight against the public sector cuts being forced through by all the other parties. He also appealed for everyone possible to go to Lewisham and help out with the campaign for their re-election and the election of a third Socialist Party candidate, Jess Leech.
The last speaker was Onay "Kaz" Kasab, witch-hunted Greenwich Unison branch secretary and TUSC candidate for Greenwich and Woolwich in the forthcoming general election.
He is standing in the election to give working-class people, disenfranchised by the ruling est-ablishment parties, a voice. He will be the constituency's only anti-cuts, anti-privatisation and anti-war candidate in this election.
Afterwards, over 20 people volunteered to help out with the election campaign with three people filling out cards requesting more information on the Socialist Party.
Visit the TUSC website:
www.tusc.org.uk
OVER 60 people attended a meeting in Greenwich, south east London, for a joint 'defend the four' and 'TUSC launch' meeting.
Paul Callanan
'Defend the four' is the campaign organised in defence of the four Unison members who have been politically witch-hunted by the union's right wing officials for the 'crime' of being Socialist Party members (see stopthe witchhunt.org.uk - also, see Nominate Roger Bannister).
TUSC (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) is a coalition of left parties and union members which is fielding a number of candidates in the 2010 general election. It includes the Socialist Party, and is backed by many leading trade unionists.
The first speaker was Glenn Kelly - one of the 'four' - who told the meeting that the Unison bureaucrats had actually done the Socialist Party a favour "as there are now more left activists and stewards than before the witch-hunt started. Every time they kick out a left branch secretary there will be another one to step into their place", he added.
Glenn also spoke about the disgraceful ruling from the four's recent employment tribunal which, contrary to the evidence presented, decided that they had not been disciplined by the union leadership for their political views. Instead, the tribunal branded 'Trotskyism' as "repugnant" and the four not worthy of protection.
In a clearly political judgment the tribunal made no distinction between democratic socialist views and Stalinist ones. Glenn said that it was an insult to the Trotskyists in Stalin's Russia who were murdered for their defence of genuine socialism.
Elections
Lewisham Socialist Party councillor Ian Page spoke about the successful campaigning work that he and fellow Socialist Party councillor Chris Flood had done on behalf of their constituents.
The Socialist Party is the only party in the council chamber to fight against the public sector cuts being forced through by all the other parties. He also appealed for everyone possible to go to Lewisham and help out with the campaign for their re-election and the election of a third Socialist Party candidate, Jess Leech.
The last speaker was Onay "Kaz" Kasab, witch-hunted Greenwich Unison branch secretary and TUSC candidate for Greenwich and Woolwich in the forthcoming general election.
He is standing in the election to give working-class people, disenfranchised by the ruling est-ablishment parties, a voice. He will be the constituency's only anti-cuts, anti-privatisation and anti-war candidate in this election.
Afterwards, over 20 people volunteered to help out with the election campaign with three people filling out cards requesting more information on the Socialist Party.
Visit the TUSC website:
www.tusc.org.uk
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