welfare Welfare State Bundles of 25 £6 (unions)/ £4 (pensioners) Individual subs £5/£3. Union and LP affiliations £25, pensioners & unemployed £10 Write to WSN, c/o Southwark TUSU, 42 Braganza St London SE17 Speakers include: • TONY BENN MP • ALAN SIMPJOHN LISTER (London Health Emergency)
Fred Leplat UNISON, Islington A branch Welfare State Network Working Conference Benefits for Youth and Students O Workshops and disUniversity of London Malet St London SON MP • JILL MOUNTFORD (Welfare State Network) • SARAH WELLINGS (NUS) • KEVIN SEXTON (NUS) • Credentials/details ring 071-639-5068 UNISON has a new left.
Launched on December 3 in Leeds the first conference of the Campaign for Fighting and Democratic Unison (CFDU) was attended by 100 delegates and 30 observers from 60 branches. Five NEC members were also present.
Its friendly and cooperative spirit indicates that there is a large degree of agreement on the threats ahead and upon the response necessary.
The union is still only merged at national and regional level. Very few branches have merged. Members do not understand why.
Division
The continued division is allowing employers to push ahead with their attacks. The CFDU will argue for joint campaigns of branches and joint work in disputes in order to hasten the merger.
Behind the back of the NEC and Regional Committees "Senior Management Teams" are making all the decisions to reduce the deficit. A third of UNISON's staff are losing their jobs. Most of those who are leaving are administrative staff - those who directly support the work of ex-NALGO branches:
Combined with the attack on facility time by employers and the centralisation of the control of resources of UNISON, the union bureaucracy is tightening its grip on branches and eroding union democracy by every means.
Nevertheless the left is in a good position to make a challenge and get a wide audience for its ideas. The elections to the National Local Government Service Group Executive showed that where the left stood it could be successful.
Now the CFDU has united everyone to the left of the Morning Star. The exception is the SWP, who do not support the CFDU and continue to organise in the union through "Fightback", a front which it controls.
The Tories are deeply unpopular.
This gives us an excellent basis on which to rebuild the confidence of public sector workers to take action against these attacks. The CFDU must argue for UNISON to organise a fightback now.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No.75. 7 January 1995, Page 5
Newspaper defending the
SATURDAY February 18