Unite Policy Conference 2016 - Tuesday's business

The biggest debate of the day was around local government cuts. An Executive Statement strengthened Unite's policy, but didn't go as far as the motions which fell as a result of it passing.

Composite 1 (Motions 1 & 2): Campaigning Against Privatisation: Carried
Executive Statement 2: Austerity and Local Government Cuts: Carried
Composite 2 (Motions 3, 4, 5): Campaigning Against Local Government Cuts: Fell
Motion 6: Fighting Back Against Austerity: Fell
Composite 3 (Motions 7, 8 + Amendment, 9 + Amendment): Defending the NHS: Carried
Motion 138: Support the Junior Doctors Campaign Against a Pay Cut and Increased Working Hours: Carried
Composite 4 (Motions10 + Amendment, 11, 12, 13): Campaigning for Homes for All: Carried
Composite 5 (Motions 14 & 15): The Failure of Austerity: Carried
Motion 16: Defending our Libraries: Carried
Composite 24 (Motions 100, 102, 103, 104): Campaigning to Defeat TTIP, CETA and TiSA: Carried
Motion 105: Workers Uniting: Carried
Motion 106: BAEM Workers Internationally: Carried
Motion 107: Palestine: Carried
Motion 108: G4S/Palestine: Carried
Motion 109: Support for Syria: Carried
Motion 110: Anti-war in the Middle East: Carried
Motion 111: Solidarity with the Kurdish population and all progressive forces fighting repression in Turkey: Carried
Composite 25 (Motion 113 + As): Latin America: Carried
Motion 112: Columbia: Carried
Motion 114: Bullying, Harassment and Wellbeing at Work: Carried
Motion 115: Shift Working and its impact on our members: Carried
Composite 26 (Motions 117 & 112): Stress: Carried
Motion 118: Fibromyalgia Awareness in Unite and workplaces: Carried
Motion 120: Campaign and ban the use of Helium Balloons and Chinese Lanterns: Lost
Composite 13 (Motions 57 & 58): Ireland - economics and politics: Carried
Motion 121: Electronic Cigarettes: Remitted
Composite 27 (Motions 123 + As, 124, 125, 126): Mental Health: Carried
Motion 127: Food Standards / Hygiene Issues: Carried

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Murderous b%#?&$£s

I'm used to getting angry at how New Labour ministers suck up to the CBI and company bosses who are busy throwing our members out of work, breaking safety law or attacking union organisation. But Kim Howells performance in sucking up to General Montoya takes the biscuit.

General Montoya is the Commander of Colombian National Army, who even the US Department of State says is involved with the militia groups who murder our brothers and sisters in the Columbian trade unions. Getting bullied or sacked for standing up for your rights in the UK is scary enough. But in Columbia more than 550 trade unionists have been assassinated since 2002 - with government backing.

Meanwhile our government continues giving military aid to the Columbian government, and Kim Howells poses for photos with General Montoya and has now even made false comments linking a solidarity organisation to terrorism - putting the lives of trade unionists at further risk.

I'm delighted that UNITE has called on Kim Howells to withdraw his comments or be sacked.

We should draw the wider lesson too. With our government signed up to the "war on terror" it's easy for people to be labeled "terrorist" just because they challenge US policy, wear the wrong clothes or pray in the wrong way. Repressive legislation and racism are both inextricably linked to our government's attachment to an aggressive US foreign policy. To defend our rights and freedoms, and those of working people around the world, UNITE needs to take a clear position against the war. Both Amicus & TGWU sections have policy against the war, but while TGWU is affiliated to the Stop the War Coalition, Amicus is not yet.

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