Saturday, 14 November 2009 If they act like this now, would you want them running your union?
by Richard Searle
The first big joint United Left meeting in Unite took place in Manchester on Saturday 5th Sept. This was to choose the left’s candidate to run for General secretary in 2010
Taking place at the Friends Meeting House. This was not the most auspicious start to a meeting that I’ve witnessed.
Instead of welcoming people into the Main Hall, there was a door policy of exclusions. Long standing members of the union going back years were excluded on a range of spurious grounds, like they not attended a specific meeting, or they were late. I then heard of others had been rung before the meeting told to not bother attending at all.
A number of Jerry Hicks supporters were excluded, some long standing members from his former workplace at Rolls Royce
The policy of excluding participants and oh so subtle gerrymandering was organised by supporters of the Len McCluskey [currently assistant general secretary]. I have no knowledge as to whether McCloskey gave his backing and blessing to this kind of behaviour or not.
Jerry Hicks spoke at the start of the meeting. He stated that because of this lack of democracy he was not going to participate any further and endorse that kind of behaviour and he walked out of the main hall taking 30 plus with him, joining those had been excluded from the main meeting
The main meeting then decided that all those excluded could now be admitted. So Jerry and others returned the main hall along with those who had been excluded. But then with just two speeches from the floor it was then decided that those who were excluded, who were now let into the main hall couldn’t vote anyway. This led to the second walk out by Jerry and supporters. It was just another form of exclusion that had been erected
Jerry and supporters then went into a side room in the Friends Meeting House. What I saw and heard was one of the best TU meetings I have been to for a long time.
Unite Reps and Stewards in Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing from the across the country debated, discussed the problems in the Union, the possibility of a new Tory government and what they would entail and whether Jerry should still run for Unite General Secretary, a decision on which is yet to be reached.
Later in the afternoon, in the main hall, Len McCloskey won 3 to 1 against Socialist Party candidate, Rob Williams. I don’t have the exact figures but I’m sure someone will post them later.
It would appear to all intents and purposes that this meeting was soley for the rubber stamping of McCloskey’s nomination.
My point is simply this. If sections of the so called Left are prepared to utilises these kinds of methods just to secure a nomination, what kind practices would they be prepared to engage in if they ever got elected.
If they consider new participants as a threat and not an asset, how are they ever going to recruit to, and rebuild the union’s fighting potential.
If you’re going to decide who the ‘candidate’ is going to be before anyone else turns up to the meeting, why would you want to go to that meeting in the first place.
A quick look at how the other sections in the Left in Unison have been treated should serve as a warning.
My own opinion is that, the one man who secured over 47,000 votes on shoestring budget, from standing start, should throw his hat into the ring, and that discussion needs to start now
Thursday, 13 August 2009 
