{"id":15480,"date":"2018-07-02T12:48:12","date_gmt":"2018-07-02T11:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=15480"},"modified":"2020-11-12T12:58:40","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T12:58:40","slug":"winning-for-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=15480","title":{"rendered":"Winning for members"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey opened the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s policy conference today (July 2) as he highlighted how Unite was fighting and winning for its members, for social justice and for change.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He said the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s robust resources \u00e2\u20ac\u201d among them a \u00c2\u014135m strike fund \u00e2\u20ac\u201d has enabled Unite to stand up for its members even in the face of new draconian anti-union laws.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat the politicians who drafted those [anti-union] laws designed to give the whip hand to the employers don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand is that the struggle for justice is like a flowing river \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if you block it in one place, it will find a way through in another,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Modern union<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite is an emphatically modern union, McCluskey noted \u00e2\u20ac\u201d one that uses every possible avenue to win for its members. The union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s legal department has secured victories when traditional industrial action alone couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite \u00e2\u20ac\u201d as in the case of the recent Birmingham bins dispute.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFrom air quality on airlines through to holiday pay, from Argos to INEOS our legal team has been on the front line for Unite members,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bFighting and winning.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He highlighted too Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s innovative Work, Voice Pay strategy<\/a> led by Unite executive officer Sharon Graham as well as its \u00e2\u20ac\u015bimaginative and sophisticated\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 leverage strategy that has won ten straight victories for members. Unite is also at the forefront of political lobbying \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Bombardier being one of the more recent examples<\/a> of union campaigning wins.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Still, even as the union embraces innovation, McCluskey said that industrial action will always play a central role in winning for its members.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOver the last two years we have held more than three hundred industrial action ballots, with over 90 per cent resulting in significant successes for our members, often without needing to activate the mandate,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seek confrontation. Most of the time we deal positively with our companies, but we are afraid of no one and will always take on bullying bosses.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TGI Fridays \u00e2\u20ac\u201c unprecedented action<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He pointed to the unprecedented strike action TGI Fridays workers <\/a>are now taking \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the very first strikes in casual dining in history.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bA win at TGI Fridays will fire a shot that will be heard around the whole huge restaurant and hospitality sector,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McCluskey said to rousing cheers as he paid tribute to the striking workers and pledged to stand with them \u00e2\u20ac\u015ball of the way\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He paid tribute too to Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s success in gaining union recognition in Ryanair.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bEven the most entrenched anti-union employer can be brought to see sense and understand that cooperation with unions is better than confrontation,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Turning to the Grenfell Tower disaster, he honoured the 16 Unite members who were trapped in the blaze, three of whom perished. He applauded the work of Unite Community, which has been central in organising and supporting Grenfell residents both long before and after the fire.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Grenfell \u00e2\u20ac\u201c tale of inequality<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bGrenfell also tells us a story of inequality, of corners being cut on public housing for working people in one of the richest boroughs in Europe,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McCluskey said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt tells us a story of the folly of relying on deregulation and competition for something as vital as safety standards and building inspections.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd it tells us a story about austerity, and the cuts to fire service provision in London.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The way Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn met Grenfell residents soon after the fire \u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u015bthe simple and unaffected way he hugged them, he listened, he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t pontificate, he just empathised like the decent and honourable man that he is\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d embodies the values of Unite and underscores its support for a Corbyn-led Labour party, McCluskey argued.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Labour<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pointing to last year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s general election, McCluskey said that when Labour adopts policies that support working people \u00e2\u20ac\u201d such as ending austerity, funding the NHS and abolishing zero hours contracts \u00e2\u20ac\u201d that is when the party \u00e2\u20ac\u015bmoves to the threshold of power\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Still he warned that Labour had work to do to win a future election, to reconnect with people in areas outside of London and large cities who feel disaffected and disenfranchised by a political and economic system that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s effectively abandoned them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

McCluskey also sent a strong warning to the Football Lads Alliance, a group which has been building links with neo-fascist groups in order to spread instability and division across working class communities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe message from this conference is this \u00e2\u20ac\u201d get off our terraces and out of our communities,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Solidarity<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Turning to international solidarity with workers across the globe, McCluskey congratulated the new progressive president of Mexico Andr\u0102\u00a9s Manuel\u00c2\u00a0L\u0102\u0142pez Obrador, who last night won a landslide victory against the Mexican political establishment in an historic election.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To rousing applause, he sent greetings to \u00e2\u20ac\u015bfellow trade unionists in Colombia and to the Palestinian people fighting for their freedom and to those Jewish Socialists in Israel fighting against the most right wing of governments \u00e2\u20ac\u201c what heroes they are.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0098Challenge before us\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now, McCluskey said, all eyes both in Britain and around the world would be on Unite and the movement it is building with Labour and other fellow progressives.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThat is the challenge before us,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bTo deliver on the hopes we have sparked, the expectations we have aroused.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur strength and our unity has helped our movement turn a corner,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bNow we need to build on that strength. Redouble our unity.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf we do, we can open the door to a better Britain for all working people,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McCluskey concluded to a standing ovation. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd we can hold in our hearts the pride and knowledge that we laid the foundation of a more just world for tomorrow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s children.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pic: Mark Thomas<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey opened the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s policy conference today (July 2) as he highlighted how Unite was fighting and winning for its members, for social justice and for change.   He said the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s robust resources \u00e2\u20ac\u201d among them a \u00c2\u014135m strike fund \u00e2\u20ac\u201d has enabled Unite to stand up for its members […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[160,957],"wps_subtitle":"Unite GS Len McCluskey addresses Unite policy conference","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15480"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15480"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26098,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15480\/revisions\/26098"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}