Last year's lobby of Labour conference: boosted by UNISON witch-hunt A strict interpretation of this decision could lead to branches being stopped from circulating solidarity appeals for disputes or circulating resolutions to obtain support from branches at national conference.
But the immediate intention of the NEC's decision is to prevent the modest financial support from branches in the form of affiliations to the CFDU, in the naïve hope that this would kill it off.
•Fortunately, this attack on the union's democracy is being vigorously opposed. Sixteen members of the NEC voted against the conclusions of the report, and supported a resolution which recognised that the right to campaign to support or change policy is actually in the rules. These members of the NEC, while not agreeing with the CFDU, supported our right to exist. This attack has brought together SWP members, UNISON Labour Left (another broad left), and the CFDU in the same room - something unprecedented - to plan a reBranches and regions are now considering initiating a campaign from a conference in March which would hopefully lead to overturning the NEC's decision at UNISON's national delegate conference in June.
This attack on democracy will distract activists from developing a response to the new measures from the Labour government such as Best Value, welfare reform, and funding of public services.
But this situation has been initiated by the union leadership.
It is necessary to defend UNISON's democratic founding principles, that it is a member-led union with autonomous branches and a sovereign national conference.
These principles ensure that the interests of public sector workers are defended by their elected representatives, whether a shop steward or an NEC member, rather unelected officials being able to impose deals. They will not be given up without a bitter fight.