Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for nine years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
About 20 years ago I went on a trade union training course with NALGO (now UNISON) in Largs on the west coast of Scotland. I can't remember too much about the course to be truthful, but I do recall meeting a trade union activist named Glenn Kelly. I think he was a member of Militant back then, but I might be wrong. Anyway its good to see the years, and being an elected member of the union's National Executive, have not mellowed him.
Glenn is facing disciplinary charges along with 3 other UNISON activists which could lead to his expulsion from the union. Nominally the charges involve 'being disrespectful to the union's Standing Orders Committee' and originally they were ludicrously accused of racism for publishing this image on a leaflet critical of the S.O.C....
The crime Glenn Kelly and his comrades have committed is to exercise free speech against a trade union leadership determined to stifle opposition to New Labour policies. This is not the first time this sort of tactic has been used by the UNISON bureaucracy to attack Stewards in their branches. Some years back left-wing activists in the Birmingham Branch of UNISON were persecuted and expelled on disgracefully trumped up charges by the New Labour supporting Leadership of the union for having the temerity to stand up to their employers, and the union organisation in the City has been very much weaker as a consequence.
You can see more on the campaign, including reading a copy of the so-called offensive leaflet, at Stop The Witchhunt and there is some more information on Jon's union blog.
Matthew Stiles said:
May 16, 2008 2:41 PM | permalink
I totally agree Bob. Same thing happened to Tony Staunton at Plymouth UNISON, an SWP member who got expelled by UNISON. It seems that his "crime" was to use a computer that the union branch bought for him for occasional party political use. I don't share the politics of the SWP but so what? He was the branch secretary and he produced all branch minutes, records and correspondence, leaflets and flyers, newsletters etc outside of work time at home at nights and weekends.
Matthew, I could tell you tales about right-wing Branch Secretaries that would make your toes curl, but they never got expelled, although they should have been prosecuted.
May 16, 2008 2:41 PM | permalink
I totally agree Bob. Same thing happened to Tony Staunton at Plymouth UNISON, an SWP member who got expelled by UNISON. It seems that his "crime" was to use a computer that the union branch bought for him for occasional party political use. I don't share the politics of the SWP but so what? He was the branch secretary and he produced all branch minutes, records and correspondence, leaflets and flyers, newsletters etc outside of work time at home at nights and weekends.