Vote for a fighting, democratic union

The Service Group elections are underway - ballot papers are out this week. See here for more details on the UNISON website. There is now a page on this blog for the left candidates in HE, where there will be contested elections:

Standing Together: for a fighting, democratic Union

• Eastern General: Mark Dee Smith X
• Greater London Female: Molly Cooper X
• Greater London General: Sandy Nicoll X
• South East General: Ivan Bonsell X
• West Midlands General: Matt Raine X

The Con-Dem Coalition’s austerity measures are a declaration of war against working people and the public services they rely on. They have raised fees to £9,000, scrapped the EMA and are attempting to privatise the NHS. Public sector workers, including those in Higher Education, are facing a pay freeze, pension cuts and job losses. And all of this is to pay for the bailout of the bankers and an economic
crisis we did nothing to create.

We need a real fightback to stop these attacks and cuts - that is why Higher Education needs a fighting leadership. Millions of us struck on November 30 against pension changes, only to be let down by our leadership. We need a new leadership that will take forward our fights on pensions, jobs, pay and services.

We need a leadership that will stop the government, not negotiate the cuts with them.

Together with others standing for a fighting, democratic union, we stand for:

• Resistance to all cuts and privatisation
• United industrial action to defend pensions and a coordinated fight against Tory pay cuts
• Opposition to all attempts to divide us – like attacks on multiculturalism
• Only funding and supporting politicians who will join us in the fight against cuts
• Ending the waste of members’ money on witch-hunting of left wing activists

Download the Greater London Leaflet (front) PDF
Download the Greater London leaflet (back) PDF

For the full list of left candidates standing in UNISON's Service Group elections, go to the UNISON United Left website here.
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If you want to help campaign for these candidates, get in touch by email: salaam_max@yahoo.co.uk

When the Heads of Agreement vote went through, I said to those who agreed this was the best we could get after our magnificent action in November:

"On your Heads (of agreement) be it..."

It's become even more clear over the last few months that we need a new leadership of our union fit for purpose to stand up to the current government. These elections are a crucial opportunity for us to change the nature of our union to a fighting, democratic union. Get involved.

This is (obviously) written in a personal capacity. Remember - election procedures prohibit the use of any UNISON facilities for campaigning for particular candidates in elections.