Support locked out MMP workers in Bootle

UNITE members at Mayr-Melnhof Packaging (MMP) in Bootle took selective strike action after the employer tried to make redundancies and not stick to an agreement on redundancy terms.

Disgracefully, MMP responded by locking all the workers out.  Talks with the company restarted after a brief occupation of the plant by workers last Saturday (18th), but the lockout continues.  According to pickets, the company is trying to lead customers and workers at the company's Deeside plant that the workers are striking rather than locked out.  This has come in for some mockery from pickets:

I managed to get over to Bootle to show support today, and found an impressive picket and spirits high.  A picketline stew last week is giving way to a hog-roast this week.

The closure of the plant is already having an impact on MMP customers, including Kelloggs cereals where apparently production of Cornflakes and other cereals has stopped.

MMP is trying to undermine the impact of the lockout by taking advantage of a "banked hours" scheme at the Deeside plant to increase production there.  Though the Deeside plant is not affected by the current redundancies, they are covered by the redundancy terms that MMP is breaking, so there is talk of Deeside workers being balloted for action.

Three other UNITE Executive Council members were there to show their support.  Len McCluskey addressed a rally late in the morning (locked gate clearly showing!):

Len pledged the union's full support and explained that work had begin on planning a "leverage" campaign, including targeting the supply chain.

Please do everything you can to support the MMP workers:

• Visit the picketline at MMP, Dunnings Bridge Road, Bootle, L30 6TR
• Send a message of support (contact details at the bottom of this press release)
• Invite workers to visit your workplace or meeting to give an update and raise support
• Send them money.  Contact me or the contact details above for the details.

For those of you in Greater Manchester, they intend to send a delegation to the Unite the Resistance launch meeting on Wednesday.

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General Secretary's Report from December 2011 UNITE EC meeting

The report is now available and I will forward it to UNITE members on request.

NB: According to my notes Composite 21 remitted from the 2010 Policy Conference (Fighting Back Union) was AGREED rather than NOTED as the report suggests.  I have asked for this to be corrected.

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Election for the new LGBT seat on the UNITE Executive Council

Voting is due to take place from 30 January to 22 February 2012 in an election for the new Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) seat on the UNITE Executive Council.  All members (other than retired members) are entitled to vote in the election.

I haven't seen a list of all the candidates who were successful in securing enough nominations to stand, but the candidate backed by the United Left, Harry McAnulty did and his leaflet is here.

The UNITE web site has some very sparse information about the election here.

Alongside the new LGBT seat there is also a new seat for Disability, but I understand only one candidate secured the necessary nominations and therefore no election will take place.

These two seats are important to end the anomaly where two major areas of UNITE's Equalities structures, which have their own regional and national committees, had no EC member accountable to them.

It is OK to distribute leaflets at work or put posters on union noticeboards, but you mustn't use any union resources (including membership information) to support a particular candidate, or directly contact members at home unless they have themselves signed up to receive such communications.

We should all try to encourage members to participate in the election - the composition of the Executive Council (EC) makes a real difference to the direction and effectiveness of the union.

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