Report of UNITED LEFT first AGM held in Birmingham 13th March 2010
UNITE activists and shop stewards gathered in Birmingham Council House on Saturday 13th March for UNITED LEFT's first AGM – marking the first birthday of Britain and Ireland's largest trade union broad left organisation. It is a year ago that TGWU's Broad Left and AMICUS' Unity Gazette merged to form UNITED LEFT, which UL Chair Martin Mayer said had already made its mark in UNITE. In his opening remarks to the AGM, Martin Mayer said UNITED LEFT's strong majority on UNITE's Executive Council had been crucial in ensuring lay member democracy and accountability in UNITE's new constitutional committees, launched at the end of last year. Martin Mayer also pointed out it was a UNITED LEFT dominated Executive which had decided on £30 a day strike pay from day one of a dispute, and had outvoted attempts to prevent branches from submitting motions to UNITE's first policy conference. UNITED LEFT within months of its inception had held a hustings meeting and democratically elected Len McCluskey as its candidate for UNITE's first single General Secretary. He also pointed out that UNITED LEFT has shown its true socialist and progressive vision with an impressive array of draft motions for UNITE's first policy conference to beheld in Manchester 31stMay- 3rd June 2010.
Guest speaker Carolyn Jones from Institute of Employment Rights lambasted UK's anti-union laws and poured scorn on New Labour for keeping them in place. Now Europe through the recent ECJ decisions was further restricting trade unions' fundamental right to strike. There was no doubt UNITE was at the forefront of the struggle for Britain's working class, she said, and was in the front line in the recent court battles over injunctions such as British Airways and First Bus disputes. No matter what happens, workers will always find a way to fight back, said Carolyn, and she congratulated UNITED LEFT for its commitment to fighting back trade unionism which was permeating UNITE The Union at all levels.
There was discussion about UNITED LEFT's communications with a very active e-group, extensive email lists of supporters, and plans for a much improved website to be launched in the very near future. Debates took place over motions for UNITE's first policy conference which will be subject to a special UL meeting once all motions and amendments are in. A thoughtful debate also took place over the future of UNITE's new Executive Council from 2011, to be decided at a special Rules Conference on 4th June. All agreed that each of UNITE's 24 industrial sectors and 10 regions must be entitled to one or more seat on the new Executive because lay member democracy and accountability is key, and equalities must be properly represented throughout. A small but significant change was unanimously agreed to UNITED LEFT's founding statement, substituting the word “socialist” for “progressive left” throughout. “This small change”, said Martin Mayer, “asserts UNITED LEFT's big new confidence in left politics following the collapse of the free market economy and the discrediting of neo-liberalism”.
There was unanimous support for UNITE's British Airways Cabin Crew membership which had just announced strike action in their bitter row with BA's aggressive millionaire boss Willie Walsh. A solidarity message from Gatwick Shop Stewards Committee to BA UNITE members was read out, and it was unanimously agreed to send a message of support from the AGM but also to publicise the dispute and develop solidarity throughout UNITE across the trade union movement in this hugely important dispute.
The meeting concluded with an update on the upcoming General Secretary election. Graham Stevenson, a leading member of Len McCluskey's team, outlined plans for a well-organised election campaign to be launched shortly, including final touches to Len's manifesto, a new website, targeted leafleting and a structure of contacts reaching down to rank and file activists throughout UNITE's workplaces. “For UNITE members” said Graham “ the General Secretary election may well prove more important than the General Election itself, as it will determine the character and politics of UNITE for years to come”. For a fighting back lay member union, he urged all present to get active in the campaign and “Vote for Len!”
[Len McCluskey is UNITED LEFT's candidate for General Secretary and is standing as a UNITY Candidate. He is appealing to both ex-TGWU and ex-AMICUS membership on a platform of open and tolerant lay member democracy in which fear plays no part, and is clearly frontrunner to win the election scheduled for later this year.]
Martin Mayer
UNITED LEFT Chair
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