Unite General Secretary Election
- Thread starter magneze
- Start date
It's probably fairly representative of the active or at least engaged members.
Urbanblues
Was that it, life?
If ifs and buts were elephants' nuts...If Jerry had stood and argued his corner at the Manchester hustings...If Jerry had the support of the United Left within Unite... If Jerry wasn't so full of contempt for Unite...If Jerry's arguments could have impressed more people...fuck off with your ifs. He lost.
Urbanblues
Was that it, life?
Yes, Hicks did well. Though, I’d not say spectacular. Let’s remember that Hicks began his campaign nearly 18 months before McCluskey – Bayliss began his about a year before McCluskey. Thus, Hicks was campaigning for around 2½ years.
As a full-time campaigner Hicks also had an advantage over McCluskey who, as an officer of the union, held down a full-time job – and that isn’t a 35-hour week. We also need to dispel the myth of poor down-at-the-heels Jerry fighting a cash rich machine. McCluskey funded his campaign from his own pocket and through donations from Unite activists and supporters; Jerry on the other hand was bank-rolled by the SWP.
Bayliss’ ‘support’ from the mainstream media was actually a hindrance as his collapsed vote proves. In pandering to certain newspapers, most notoriously the NoTW, he alienated pretty much the entire GPM Sector of the union; his condemnation of the BASSA strike took care of rest – right-wingers and die-hard retired AEEU excepted.
So, congratulations, McCluskey.
And, well done Hicks. But, what a shame you had to run such a negative campaign treating McCluskey as the enemy instead of Bayliss. Shame on you for splitting the vote on what would have been landslide Left victory. Let’s hope now you’ll do the decent thing and work within the union; instead of your more usual role as of attacking everything and anything carried out by Unite.
Jerry, the election is over; you now have the choice to work with the United Left of the union or to go your own way. Please, choose wisely.
As a full-time campaigner Hicks also had an advantage over McCluskey who, as an officer of the union, held down a full-time job – and that isn’t a 35-hour week. We also need to dispel the myth of poor down-at-the-heels Jerry fighting a cash rich machine. McCluskey funded his campaign from his own pocket and through donations from Unite activists and supporters; Jerry on the other hand was bank-rolled by the SWP.
Bayliss’ ‘support’ from the mainstream media was actually a hindrance as his collapsed vote proves. In pandering to certain newspapers, most notoriously the NoTW, he alienated pretty much the entire GPM Sector of the union; his condemnation of the BASSA strike took care of rest – right-wingers and die-hard retired AEEU excepted.
So, congratulations, McCluskey.
And, well done Hicks. But, what a shame you had to run such a negative campaign treating McCluskey as the enemy instead of Bayliss. Shame on you for splitting the vote on what would have been landslide Left victory. Let’s hope now you’ll do the decent thing and work within the union; instead of your more usual role as of attacking everything and anything carried out by Unite.
Jerry, the election is over; you now have the choice to work with the United Left of the union or to go your own way. Please, choose wisely.
fractionMan
Custom Title
I'm in unite and I'm one of the 84% that didn't vote. The reason? I'm not involved enough to have an opinion. I'm guessing they're politicians enough that their preelection sloganeering has nothing to do with their post election behavior.
So the bloke who won, is he any good? Why?
So the bloke who won, is he any good? Why?
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
There are many reasons for low turnouts in ballots, disengagement is only one of them, and not the central one. The most significant factor is actually the very simple on that postal ballots are shit, and lead to lower turn outs than workplace ballots. As soon as they were introduced, turnouts immediately dropped by half.
Well he does have a programme for building the organisation and the active participation of members of the union at activist and rep level, and he won't roll over for this government, and he does have years of experience as a decent full time officer.
Getting him to go further will mean the members putting pressure on him, like with all GS's.
He was the best on offer, and time will tell whether he is good enough.
Len McLuskey on the cuts etc:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/19/unions-students-strike-fight-cuts?CMP=twt_gu
worth a skim read. talks about supporting the students and condemns police tactics on recent protests.
if the rumours about a Brendan Barber / David Cameron meeting this week are true (i.e. that such a meeting will be related to the TUC March 26th demo in London, i'm very sceptical myself), then this may be a shot across the bows to the TUC: pull out and we'll do it ourselves.
total speculation all round though.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/19/unions-students-strike-fight-cuts?CMP=twt_gu
worth a skim read. talks about supporting the students and condemns police tactics on recent protests.
if the rumours about a Brendan Barber / David Cameron meeting this week are true (i.e. that such a meeting will be related to the TUC March 26th demo in London, i'm very sceptical myself), then this may be a shot across the bows to the TUC: pull out and we'll do it ourselves.
total speculation all round though.
magneze
🎧
Heard about this on the radio this morning - normal bollocks repeated about "Ed Miliband must not be seen to be in the pockets of the unions". Just read the above article - it's very good, says all the right things.
I can't believe the TUC would pull out of the 26th March - that would be a total capitulation.
fractionMan
Custom Title
Have to say I thought it was a decent piece by McCluskey
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
I suppose it shows just how far we've come from expecting the unions to be aggressively defending us (workers and the wider community) as a matter of course that something so weak can be jumped upon with such joy (don't necessarily mean on here, but across the nominally left part of the media). It's an explicit call to stick with labour (whilst pressuring them from within of course) and to keep fight-backs in the official channels. And miliband has already said that he can fuck off this morning. Now what? Where else left to go?
'And we should work closely with our communities bearing the brunt of the onslaught. That is why Unite has agreed to support the broad Coalition of Resistance established last month, which brings together unions and local anti-cuts campaigns from across the country.'
the SWP will be gutted!
the SWP will be gutted!
magneze
🎧
BBC coverage of the Cameron/Barber meeting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12037166
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
Ballots are out again!
And the union has a new column in the Daily Mirror - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ros-wynne-jones-real-britain-column-1773958
That's the Daily Mirror which refuses to recognise Unite at its Canary Wharf HQ...
And the union has a new column in the Daily Mirror - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ros-wynne-jones-real-britain-column-1773958
That's the Daily Mirror which refuses to recognise Unite at its Canary Wharf HQ...
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Didn't read the date of this thread and just liked a post from three years ago!
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
supported by the 'discredited SWP'
Outside and against eh?
articul8
Dishonest sociopath
I don't think he'll win, but a decent left vote at least signal to McCluskey where the membership is at. If he does win, so much the better.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Many unions many votes eh?
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
I winced at that. It was cheap and unnecessary.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Are you? Thought LM would be seen by you as an important figure to maintaining the link and to your project of moving the Party 'to the left'
articul8
Dishonest sociopath
I think a LM walkover would be seen as a green light for a quiet life and more talk without action.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
More evidence of left movement - in one face and the opposite in the other spare one.
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