SIGN THE PETITION to Reinstate Max, Jawad & Steve

Dear Supporters, Now, even more than ever, we need to increase the pressure on management to reinstate Max, Jawad & Steve and defend Social Justice Research.  Below is a link to our e-petition. Please sign and pass on the  link as widely as possible: Reinstate Max, Jawad & Steve and defend Social Justice Research petition.   ESCALATION OF LMU MANAGEMENT ACTION: SUSPENSION OF PROF STEVE JEFFERYS In case you have not already heard, the situation has deteriorated, with the university management escalating the situation by choosing to also suspend Prof. Steve Jefferys, Head of the Working Lives Research Institute and Director of the Faculty Advanced Institute for Research. We regard this action to be not only an attack on union activism (as if that wasn't bad enough) but also an attack on academic freedom. We also believe that this escalation to be hugely damaging to London Met's reputation. NEW EMAIL TEMPLATE In light of this development we have a new email template on the UNISON website. If you have not yet sent an email to the Vice Chancellor and HR then please do. If you have already sent the previous email then please send another email with the new template.   STOP THE WITH HUNT BLOG We now have a Stop the Witch Hunt blog where you will find information about the campaign, what you can do to help and the campaign updates. PUBLIC MEETING: TUESDAY MARCH 5, ISLINGTON We are organising a public meeting to discuss our campaign and galvanise support. Watch out for updates about time, location and speakers.    FINAL REMINDER Finally, please take a few seconds to sign the petition.   In solidarity

FIFTEEN branch nominations for NEC

*NOTE - THIS POST IS BEING UPDATED AS LATE NOMINATIONS ARE STILL COMING IN*

I've been just a little a bit distracted lately... but I can't completely forget the NEC election.

So far I've been nominated by the following Branches (*two were ruled out of order):

1) Institute of Education (IOE)
2) London Met Uni
3) London Souht Bank University (LSBU)
4) Loughborough Uni
5) Manchester Metro Uni (MMU)
6) Middlesex Uni
7) Queen Mary's and Westfield College*
7) School of Oriental & Asian Studies (SOAS)
8) Senate House
9) Southampton District (Southampton Solent Uni)
10) Uni of Brighton
11) Uni of Bristol
12) Uni of Sussex
13) Uni of Bedfordshire
14) Uni of East London (UEL)
15) Uni of Westminster

*I was also nominated by Whittington Hospital Branch - thanks but as it's not a HE branch it was ruled out of order. As was Queen Mary's but I'm not sure why.

Nice one folks. In 2010 I was elected with nine branch nominations (though having said that, in 2011, I received 19)...

Reinstate Jawad and Max (and Steve too now!)

To challenge management not just manage their challenges

Thanks to the President, Chair, and to the General Secretary for allowing me to address the NEC. It's unusual to talk about  your own case but this isn't really about me and I won't go into great detail here. Two weeks ago I was suspended, along with my colleague Jawad Botmeh, our emails shut down and computers removed from our desks, in what is widely recognised as an attack on our union. It's an attack on our right to organise. It's an attack on our right to elect the reps that we choose. It's not about me or Jawad, about our politics or his Palestinian heritage. It's about our right to challenge management rather than just manage their challenges. So thanks for the support of the NEC because you all know that this is an attack on every one of you, and every rep in our union. The members have been brilliant; the reps have been absolutely solid; we had 150 at a rally on Monday lunch to support out campaign. Without this support, this could be my last NEC and who would want to stand for election to the NEC for the vacancy that would leave? Who will want to stand up for our members if we allow this attack to happen? So thanks for allowing me to address this NEC and for your ongoing support. Cheers, Max Watson, NEC, Feb 20th 2013

Defending Jawad and me at the NEC!

This morning I'm preparing to talk at the NEC about our branch campaign to 'Defend Jawad and Max'.

If we lose this campaign, I suppose it could be my last NEC meeting, so I better get this one right!

Statement in support of Jawad Botmeh

I am sorry I cannot be here in person to tell you how proud I am that our UNISON Branch has decided to launch a campaign today in defence of both Jawad and myself. I have been advised not to be seen to breach any terms of my suspension and to stay away from the premises.  On Thursday last week a 'Kangaroo court' summonsed me to a hearing that lasted 30 minutes. I had no time to prepare and I had no indication what it was concerning. I was denied the right to a full time official to accompany me and in fact Harry Lister was physically barred from entering the room.  I was asked about "my role in the appointment of Jawad". I am proud to have worked with Jawad for five years at the Working Lives Research Institute. I was impressed and honoured by the fact that my colleagues, like me, looked beyond his prison sentence and instead on his ability to do the job.  We gave Jawad an opportunity to move on from his past, to work, to have dignity in his life and we have never looked back.  He is now a friend and a comrade. He has never swerved in his support for the union which he joined right away and which supported his campaign against his miscarriage of justice.  As the Chair of UNISON, I have been involved in fight against job cuts, outsourcing, and the UKBA and in return, in the last four years I have faced constant attacks from management which have recently built up into a crescendo of slanderous statements against me.  Finally, they decided to suspend me last week.  This is not about me or Jawad, in the end. It is about our right, as workers, to organise in the workplace and to elect our own reps. It's about justice and solidarity for those who put their head above the parapet. It's about every one of us standing should to shoulder in defence of our jobs and in defence of our right to organise.  Never stop fighting. No matter what they do to Jawad today, this is just the beginning.  Solidarity forever and ever! Max Watson, Chair London Met UNISON and NEC