A packed meeting in the Council Chamber, Birmingham, agreed yesterday to launch the United Left of Unite the Union. Supporters approved a Founding Statement of Aims and Principles by acclamation and went on to agree the election of national officers to help lead the organisation for the next year.
The meeting was opened with an address from Tony Woodley, Joint General Secretary of Unite, who stressed the importance of a left organisation in Britain and Ireland's largest union and how pleased he was to be associated with it.
He was followed by John McDonnell MP, a Unite member, who talked about the political situation following the economic crisis and the opportunities to argue for a socialist alternative to neoliberalism. He set out the demands of the People's Charter to be launched next month by a number of trade unions and left MPs. He talked about the important role of trade unionists in organising a fight back against the attacks of employers. If trade unionists do not pose an alternative, the road is open to the BNP with their racist campaigns centred around the slogan "British Jobs for British Workers".
The United Left has been formed by supporters of Amicus Unity Gazette and the TGWU Broad Left. The meeting agreed the dissolution of both former organisations.
The founding document of the United Left included the following principles, aims and objectives:
- A lay member controlled, democratic union, which is responsive to the needs and aspirations of its membership, operates in a spirit of open debate, tolerance, and fairness, and opposes authoritarian and dictatorial approaches. United Left is committed to equality and opposed to all forms of discrimination on grounds of gender, sexuality, race, disability or religion.
- A fighting union which is structured to help our members win in the workplace, is committed to providing the Union’s resources where necessary to assist in that process, and which supports our members in struggle including through strike action
- A union with a political voice fighting on behalf of working peoples’ interests, and using its strength to influence the political agenda locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. United Left is firmly committed to the achievement of a socialist economic, social and political system, by means of both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary approaches.
- A growing union with an organising agenda, committing resources to expand the membership and strengthen workplace organisation, and striving to rebuild a shop stewards movement, comprised of activists who are politically aware and industrially focused to build union power.
United Left will have regular supporters meetings to decide policy. Between meetings, UL will be run by a National Co-ordinating Committee composed of three delegates from each of the union’s ten regions. At least one delegate from each region must be a woman. UL plans to launch a publication, Left United, in the near future.
An enthusiastic start for what, we expect, will become one of the most important groups in the trade union movement.
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