Some great wins. More needed.

Given the anger among working people against the way we've been treated by greedy employers and market-addicted government, I've been saying for quite some time that we needed some visible victories to give people confidence to turn that anger into action.

Now we have some.

1) Visteon workers forced Ford to intervene and fund sizeable redundancy payments. While it's sad that they didn't secure their jobs, overturning one of the world's most powerful corporations is not mean feat. Starting your fight when you've already lost your job and you're told your employer is bust is far from the easiest campaign to win. But by occupying their workplaces and threatening to picket Ford plants they did win.

2) Bristol refuse workers won a pay rise after deciding to escalate their action to all-out strike.

3) Workers at Linamar in Swansea won the reinstatement of their convenor, Rob Williams, after a great vote for all-out strike action.

4) Construction workers at Lindsey Oil Refinery and dozens of other sites defied anti-union laws, got the sacked strikers reinstated, overturned the original redundancies and secured agreement for no victimisations.

When the general picture is still one of job losses and cuts in pay and conditions being pushed through without resistance, these four victories show an alternative.

The lesson is clear. If you don't fight, you will lose - your employer will take whatever concessions you give and come back for more. If you do fight, you can win.

The trade union movement is never good enough at celebrating our successes. We have to shout these wins from the rooftops. We have to make sure that no boss can arrogantly believe they can mistreat their workforce without someone piping up "Why don't we do what Lindsey did?".

I've been to two interesting conferences in recent weeks. Firstly the "Right To Work" conference, and secondly the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) conference. Both had a flavour of this new idea - "winning". Let's hope it catches on!

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Reinstate Rob Williams

All trade unionists should be supporting the campaign for the reinstatement of Rob Williams, the UNITE convenor at Linamar (formerly Ford, then Visteon) in South Wales.

Linamar sacked Rob in the most disgraceful circumstances - blatant victimisation of a well known figure in the trade union movement. Usually in these circumstances, employers try to hide their intention to slash terms and conditions for the workforce once they have beheaded the union. This time it's out in the open.

Rob played an important part in raising solidarity for his former colleagues at Visteon, and is also vice-chair of the National Shop Stewards Network.

For more information, see http://www.unitedleft.org/2009/05/rob-williams-sacked-step-up-struggle.html or on Facebook or call Rob on 07816134690.

Continue to phone protests to:
Head of Swansea Linamar Brian Wade 01792 656339
Personnel Manager 01792 656238

Messages of protest to linda.hasenfratz@linamar.com
Messages of support to Rob Williams: robbo@redwills.freeserve.co.uk

Unite members in the Swansea Plant are balloting for strike action to force management to reinstate Rob. They are appealing to the trade union movement to contribute to their hardship fund. Make cheques payable to "TGWU branch 4/1" – c/o 31, Waun Wen Terrace, Swansea SA1 1DX or pay into Unity Trust Bank - sort code 086001 account number 20055051.

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National Shop Stewards Network conference

I took part in the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) conference yesterday, which I felt was another useful step in getting union activists together to exchange news and ideas, build links and promote solidarity. I helped run a workshop on organising in the workplace, which had a particular emphasis on young workers.

The anger and gradually increasing confidence over inflation and pay was very apparent, as was the enthusiasm for united action across different unions.

It was also clear that employers in public and private sector alike are trying to victimise good union reps - shooting the messenger rather than dealing with the issues. It is vital that there is a robust response to victimisation because that is the only way to stop it. Though the law bans victimisation for union activity, employers are not obliged to implement tribunal orders for reinstatement, and can merely pay compensation instead. It is a disgrace that this legal position continues after so many years of a supposedly Labour government. There's also a second reason why a robust response is important. Whether or not we are successful in stopping the victimisation, we can prevent it leaving union organisation in tatters. The purpose of victimisation is to smash the union - strong resistance (as in the case of Karen Reissmann) can leave the union strong even though she still isn't reinstated yet.

The frustration with New Labour and lack of an effective political voice for working people was also a recurring theme.

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A busy few weeks in Manchester

There’s lots going on in Manchester in the next few weeks, with the big strikes on 24^th April at the centre of it.

Tue 8 April: Public Service Not Private Profit public meeting

Debate the future of public services with speakers: Janice Godrich (PCS National President), Dai Hudd (Prospect General Secretary) and Avis Gilmore (NUT Regional Secretary).

6:30-8:30pm, Tuesday 8^th April, Mechanics Institute, Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD

Mon 14 April: “Reinstate Karen Reissmann” Public Meeting & Free “Thank You” Social

Timed to coincide with UNISON Health Conference in Manchester, the meeting will be addressed by Karen Reissmann, Graham Pink (whistleblower from 17 years ago) and Alan Hartman (Manchester User Network).

7:15pm, Monday 14^th April at the Radisson Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester (the old Free Trade Hall building).

More info, including leaflets from www.reinstate-karen.org.

Tue 15 April: Fair Pay For Teachers

Pay rally with Bill Greenshields (NUTE Vice-President), Linda Newman (UCU President), Bernadette Gallacher (UNISON NEC), Dave Owens (PCS DWP Group Exec).

7:30pm, Tuesday 15^th April, Mechanics Institute, Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD.

Sat 19 April: National Shop Stewards Network north-west conference

OFFU Manchester is supporting this conference, which will be an opportunity to bring together activists from across the movement to debate and build solidarity.

11am-3pm on Saturday 19^th April at the Mechanics Institute, Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD.

More info, including leaflets, from www.shopstewards.net.

Thu 24 April: National strikes by NUT, UCU, PCS +

Thursday 24^th April will be a major focus for anger against pay restraint, cuts and privatisation. As well as the national strikes, a number of other groups intend to take action on the same day.

Please do what you can in your own workplace (even if you aren’t on strike), and take people down to show support on the picket lines.

Most big towns and cities are having rallies etc on the day - I hope Manchester will be among them.

Mon 5 May: May Day in Manchester

Assemble 11:30am, bank holiday Monday 5^th May at All Saints, Oxford Road, Manchester. International Workers’ Day march to a rally in St Peter’s Square. The themes are “Healthcare for all”, “Peace”, “Justice for Refugees” and “Trade Union Rights”.

This will be followed by a meeting 2pm-6pm in the Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester (behind Central Library). Provisional programme:

1. 'Workers of the World Unite' with Paul Mason, BBC Newsnight journalist and author of 'Live Working or Die Fighting, how the working class went global'

2. The Flying pickets. Manchester launch of 'The Flying Pickets the 1972 builders' strike and the Shrewsbury trials' with authors Dave Ayre, Reuben Barker, Jim French, Jimmy Graham & Dave Harker

3. Will Kaufman 'Woody Guthrie: Hard Times and Hard Travellin' (see www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/class/humanities/staff/kaufman1.htm)

Shelter Strike

UNITE members at housing charity Shelter have already taken two days strike action against the imposition of worse pay and conditions. The strikes were sufficient to force the employer to talks at ACAS, which resulted in a new offer. The Shelter shop stewards are recommending rejection of the offer, which members are currently being balloted on. They are asking supporters to:

1. Donate to the strike fund. Cheques payable to “Shelter Strike Fund” can be sent to Shelter Shop Stewards, c/o 48 Swindon Close, Gorton, Manchester, M18 8JQ
2. Invite a speaker to your meeting by contacting shelterstewards@googlemail.com
3. Send messages of protest to Adam Sampson, Shelter, 88 Old Street, London, EC1V 9HU or adam_sampson@shelter.org.uk asking for it to forwarded to the Board of Directors
4. Send copies to letters of protest and messages of support to shelterstewards@googlemail.com
5. Contact your MP about the issue and ask them to support Early Day Motion 1016 (http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=35214)

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Building a network of union activists in the north-west

I've posted before about my involvement in various initiatives to encourage more solidarity, networking and activity between union reps and activists across different workplaces and industries.

Today I attended a north west planning meeting of the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN). The main outcome of the meeting was an outline plan for a regional conference, to be held in Manchester on 19th April.

There will be a further planning meeting:
11-1pm, Saturday 23rd February, Casa, Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BQ [map here]

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Getting trade union activists together

In the face of attacks from employers and government, there's a strong desire for unity from working people. This has manifested itself in many ways including support for mergers, the desire for coordinated action against pay restraint and some impressive examples of solidarity as well as local and national efforts to build cooperation between activists in different unions, spawning groups such as Public Service Not Private Profit (PSNPP), Organising For Fighting Unions (OFFU) and the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN).

Partly because our dispute at Fujitsu coincided with the rise of these various groups, I've ended up being involved to some degree in all of them. While the details differ, I think their goals overlap significantly, and they are all reflections of the desire for a more united, coordinated and vigorous response from the trade union movement to the problems faced by working people. They are all worthy of support.

In my neck of the woods, we have an OFFU dayschool in Manchester on Saturday 26th January which looks set to be a very interesting and useful event with a great mix of participants. Then on 2nd February we have an NSSN meeting in Liverpool to plan a north-west NSSN conference.

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Unity, Coordination and Networks

In recent times the desire among working people for unity has been very noticeable.

Maybe this comes from the feeling that we need all the strength we can muster, after the terrible defeats of the 1980s.

Maybe it is due to the fact that any workplace struggle taking place now happens against the backdrop of a general radicalisation - a "common sense" feeling against fat cats bosses, unbridled corporate power and profits being put before people. It's as if the anti-globalisation and anti-war movements have left an imprint on the thinking of us all.

Maybe the way the same gung-ho management styles are being used to make us work longer and harder for less, whether we're in the public or private sector, manufacturing or services - has led to the realisation that we're all facing very similar problems.

Whatever the cause, the effect is marked. During our own dispute at Fujitsu this year, some of our strike days coincided with strikes by PCS civil servants (nationally) and UNISON health workers (locally in Manchester). When we held joint rallies and other activities, everyone felt stronger.

I think it's this desire for unity and coordination that has led to a number of initiatives to bring together union activists on a wide scale, such as "Public Service not Private Profit" (PSnPP), Organising For Fighting Unions (OFFU) and the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN). They each have their differences, but I think they're all worth supporting. The more trade unionists who do this, the greater the chance of them complementing each other to strengthen our movement.

In Manchester we had a PSnPP rally in January, and there have been several OFFU events. These, along with the trades councils and solidarity work around various disputes have helped strengthen the networks of trade unionists locally - to everyone's benefit.

I attended a local OFFU meeting this week, discussing various disputes and campaigns and making plans for future events - the Manchester group is meeting again on the 13th. The NSSN is starting to plan a North-West regional conference
- the planning meeting is:
11am-3pm, Saturday 17th November, The Casa, 29 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BQ

It's unfortunate to say the least (and a sign of how much is going on these days) that this clashes with the Amicus Unity Gazette national supporters meeting, the Labour Representation Committee conference and the Respect conference to name just a few!

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