The Sun has been out in force at every Health Conference I've been to. Harrogate was no different. It was my first visit to Harrogate and it's always good to be back in Yorkshire.
The weather was the same as last year, but the climate of the conference couldn't have been more different. Last years conference came days after the three year deal came forward, a deal with some real benefits, having smashed the 2% pay cap and was one of the highest in the public sector, but all the same a deal that was well behind what our members deserved. Conference took the difficult decision to ballot our members on the deal, and our members accepted.
A year later world economies have collapsed and unemployment is ravaging lives, and it was clear that our pay this year is protected thanks to the deal, and as RPI goes negative and the Tories are calling for the deal to be unpicked, it was good to hear Alan Johnson tell the conference that the Government wouldn't bow to those demands and they would honour the deal.
The key debate of Conference was on whether UNISON looks to leave the PRB (NHS Pay Review Body) process. There are worthy principles in the debate, but my intervention focused on asking delegates to look past the passionate speakers and the rhetoric and to look to what is best for our members back in our branches, and that with what has happened in the economy any Government will be looking to hold back public spending, and then the prospect of a Tory Government bring about the prospect of dramatic cuts.
I was glad that the conference clearly voted to stick with the PRB process.
A key announcement was from Dave Prentis, announcing UNISON's new partnership with the nursing times, allowing significant discounts for our members as well as supporting each other with dedicated online space. This will really benefit UNISON's nursing membership (students, auxiliary and registered) and will really help us recruit even more within those groups.
On a personal note I was really proud of my own Branch Secretary who in moving our Branch's motion on the nursing workforce made her first conference speech and did a brilliant job.
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12 comments:
Lets hope our sisters and brothers will see past the rhetoric of the United Left and see them for the unrepentatnt wrecekers and sexists they are!
http://grayee.blogspot.com/2009/04/outrageous-sexism-by-united-left-choice.html
Nice to chat with you at Health Conference James. Glad I agreed with you on most things, though not on Comp F and hope to see you in Brighton.
Pietro, the vast majority at least of the United Left (and everyone I personally know in the UL) are decent trade-unionists who are not wreckers and sexists. UNISON is confident enough to have disagreements between delegates on how we as a union can best reach our goals.
The Composite F debate was in the finest traditions of our movement. Fiery, passionate debate without any personal criticism of individual motives or accusations of hidden agendas. It was a credit to all involved and to the huge number of delegates who wanted to speak but didn't get a chance. Although Comp F lost, I was glad that we had the debate.
I was one of those who argued to ditch the Pay Review Body. Isn't it better to rely on our own strength and the huge membership of UNISON to put pressure on the government, including the threat of industrial action, rather than hand pay bargaining over to a quango?
The Pay Review Body is appointed indirectly by the government. It is made up of people drawn from industry, with no knowledge of the NHS. Is it then surprising that it reneged on the promise to reopen negotiations for the 3 year pay deal?
Having said that, the debate was conducted well and we lost the card vote, but I still can't see a good argument for sticking with the PRB. It goes against the basic principles of trade unionism, i.e. that we mount the maximum possible fightback on behalf of our members against the government.
Whether this is a Tory or a Labour government is immaterial - they are both responsible for cuts and privatisation.
But those of us who seek to put members at the heart of UNISON know that members don't care about free collective bargaining and how the union fights for their pay.
They want their union to act in their interests to ensure they get the best pay increase.
The PRB process is in the long term (and certainly in the short term) the best way of acheiving that.
James, yes of course you're right that members have a goal (of a decent wage) and generally leave it up to the union on how to achieve it. But you have to admit that there are genuine reasons why someone would think that our goals are best achieved outside the PRB. Supporters of Composite F still seek to put members at the heart of UNISON, I know that I do.
We had a good debate and voted to stick with the PRB by a clear 3:2 margin so that's UNISON policy now whatever I think. I wouldn't support a similar motion coming up at next Health Conference.
Is this the same United Left
who regularly slag off any left inclined person who is not in their sect (SWP/Socialist party)and in their papers our General secretary
It was the united Left who opposed the three year pay deal, even after our members voted for it (backing the unite joke of a strike - no more than 200 across the UK) A stike by our members would have been equally as poor and they know that
If we had followed the united lefts line we would have been hundreds of pounds worse off this year and next year
yet not once have they said we got it wrong
Calling national demo's that get less than 10,000 people and no national press coverage...just so you can sell a paper
The United left told everyone that they needed branch donations to fund a legal case that was vital we won (against Victimisation of a unison nurse rep) then saying she got a good deal and not repaying the money !!!!!!!
Thats the problems with sects in telephone boxes
never saying we got it wrong
Is this the same United Left who's Greenwich Branch secretary has spent thousands of pounds of unison members money putting pictures of himself and his girl friend on buses
most people just get their girlfiend a card
what about the United Left candidate who has been found guilty of electoral fraud in a Court of Law
another acceptable candidate for high office ???
James,
It's a shame you allow slanderous anonymous comments on your blog - I have comment moderation in order to prevent the publication of such comments (and have done so frequently in the past to prevent personal attacks on people with whom I have disagreements, but disagreements about policy not about personalities).
Excuse me, Mr.Rogers, but can you tell me exactly which of the comments made above is actually slanderous and not a matter of fact?
James - I think you can take it by Mr.Rogers' silence on this matter that he recants from his accusations of slander, and accepts that the comments made here are accurate. Except he doesn't have the courage to actually say so.
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