United Left

Coventry’s FuturePublic Rally

2010-06-14T14:40:00.003+01:00

Saturday 19th JuneMethodist Central Hall, Warwick Row, CoventryAll trade unions, community groups, youth organisations, churches, and temples are invited to this important event to discuss how we are going to tackle proposals to devastate public services that we all rely on.This rally was first planned to give support to youth workers in the Coventry who have been taking action since November

Labour Party leadership election

2010-06-06T12:58:00.001+01:00

United Left, the Socialist rank and file movement in Unite The Union, is delighted that today Thursday 3rd June delegates at UNITE the Union's very first Policy Conference in Manchester, voted overhwelmingly to support an emergency motion calling on all UNITE MPs to use their nominations for Labour Party Leader to ensure that all candidates achieve sufficient nominations to get onto the ballot

UNITED LEFT SUPPORTS BA CABIN CREW!

2010-05-25T19:15:00.004+01:00

United Left, the socialist rank and file movement in UNITE The Union, fully supports our UNITE BA Cabin Crew members in their just struggle for a negotiated settlement of their dispute. United Left fully recognises the difficulties our members face in their struggle:a tough and uncompromising employer who wishes to impose a settlement without negotiationan employer who is hostile to the elected

BA Injunction – our right to strike!

2010-05-20T07:30:00.000+01:00

Britain has the toughest anti-union laws in the Europe thanks to 30 years of Tory and New Labour Governments. But the right to strike in a genuine trade dispute between the union and the employer has not been seriously under question – until now. On Monday 17th May Justice McCombe granted British Airways an injunction to stop a strike by 11,000 UNITE Cabin Crew supported by 81% in a legal

It's time to deliver

2010-05-04T06:38:00.006+01:00

Len McCluskey, the United Left candidate, formally launched his campaign to become Unite's first directly elected General Secretary addressing the crowds at the annual May Day Rally in Liverpool - paying honour in a special tribute to trade unionists in struggle across the globe as well as at home here in the UK and Ireland.You will soon be asked to choose the first General Secretary of our great

GENERAL ELECTION 2010: Make Palestine the Issue

2010-04-11T20:02:00.000+01:00

LOBBY YOUR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATESThe issue of justice for the Palestinians has never been more urgent. 1.5 million Palestinians living in Gaza are now into their fourth year of living under a horrific and brutal siege. And Israel is continuing its illegal settlement building programme throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, further entrenching its illegal occupation.It is vital that MPs in

Unite Policy Conference

2010-03-17T06:23:00.002Z

The first Unite Policy Conference is taking place from May 31 to June 4 this summer.Following a proposal from United Left supporters on the Executive Council of the union, all branches, and all constitutional committees, are allowed to submit a motion to the Conference.The United Left has drawn up a series of model motions that branches might want to consider when submitting their motion. The

BA Strike

2010-03-16T05:28:00.000Z

Lord Adonis' one-sided intervention in the British Airways dispute has outraged trade unionists across UNITE and throughout the trade union movement, says Martin Mayer Chair of United Left. “Calling UNITE's decision to strike 'totally unjustified' is not only an insult to thousands of decent hard-working cabin crew who have been treated appallingly by a bullying management, it also puts New

United Left - One Year Old!

2010-03-16T05:26:00.001Z

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

Bosses' assault on democracy

2010-01-10T11:28:00.002Z

Workers at First London should have been on strike on Tuesday. They weren't, because the planned walkout was banned by the courts.Members may be tempted to blame their union when strikes are ruled "illegal" by a judge.But hang on. What if the law is outrageous and the government, the employers and the courts are all lined against workers going on strike?No other country in Europe has such

United Left Supporters - National Meeting

2009-11-22T20:59:00.002Z

The next national supporters meeting of the United left is being held on Saturday, December 5 at 12 noon. The venue is the University of London Union (Room 3E), Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY. The nearesr tube stations are Euston, Euston Square, and Goodge Street - all within a ten minute walk.The main item on the Agenda is the election for General Secretary of Unite which will be taking place

Labour Party Conference

2009-11-09T22:30:00.001Z

By Len McCluskey We have a fight on our hands. In fact, we have two. The conference season makes it clear that the left faces twin challenges. First of all, to ensure that Labour is re-elected at next year’s general election and the Tories sent crashing to a well-merited fourth defeat. Second, there is a need to push Labour to finally make a complete break with its neo-liberal

Len McCluskey is United Left candidate for General Secretary

2009-09-07T22:13:00.001+01:00

Yesterday 5th September at a well-attended hustings meeting of United Left supporters in Manchester, Len McCluskey was overwhelmingly elected as the United Left candidate for General Secretary of UNITE, Britain and Ireland's largest trade union.Len McCluskey is undoubtedly now in pole position to win the race to become the first single General Secretary of UNITE when Joint General Secretaries

General Secretary Election

2009-08-22T09:30:00.006+01:00

Unite will elect its first sole General Secretary during 2010 who will replace the existing Joint General Secretaries by the end of 2011.The election will set the tone for the next few years for the union - will we be a union that accommodates to the employers or will we be a fighting back union.The United Left are holding hustings to determine which candidate we will be supporting in the

Honduras coup

2009-07-09T14:20:00.000+01:00

United Left totally opposes the military coup against elected President Miguel d’Esocto and sends it support to the peoiple of Hondras at this difficult time. There can be no doubt that the forces of reaction moved to remove President Miguel d'Escoto because of his increasing support and involvement with the progressive association of Latin American countries which have formed ALBA (Venezuela,

National Express

2009-07-09T14:18:00.001+01:00

United Left welcomes the decision to take the GNER rail franchise back into public ownership following National Express defaulting on the contract. United Left supports the rail unions (RMT, ASLEF and TSSA, backed by TUC) campaign to bring rail back under public ownership where it belongs and reverse 15 years of expensive privatisation failure.When Britsh Rail was privatised in 1994, the national

Rob Williams reinstated

2009-06-10T12:20:00.002+01:00

Earlier today, the day before a program of indefinite strike action was due to commence, Linamar bosses have caved in and reinstated Rob Williams.He has been unconditionally reinstated as convener at the former Visteon / Fords car parts factory from tomorrow!There will be a victory rally outside the factory as Rob goes into work tomorrow. Rob thanks everyone for all the messages of support,

United Left on the Lindsey construction workers dispute - “British Jobs for British Workers“?

2009-06-08T20:41:00.002+01:00

The recent unofficial stoppage by the highly unionised skilled construction workers at Lindsey Oil Refinery quickly spread to a nationwide unofficial walk-out by fellow workers on construction sites around the country. It quickly became the subject of media coverage in Britain and throughout Europe, where it was portrayed as simply a racially inspired dispute to keep British jobs for British

Rob Williams dispute at Linamar: management given notice of strike

2009-06-04T17:10:00.003+01:00

Tony Woodley, the Unite general secretary, today gave seven days notice to the Linamar management of strike action from 6 am Thursday 11 June.The notice was given at a conference meeting with Wade, the head of Linamar UK.Woodley made it clear to the management that Unite would be prepared to fully finance a lengthy strike, no matter how long it took, until Rob williams, the elected Unite convenor

March for Jobs

2009-05-09T08:31:00.002+01:00

Every day we hear new reports of redundancies. Over the last week closures and job losses have been announced in vehicle building, steel, aerospace, and finance. The public sector is not immune with NHS "reorganisations" leading to job losses as hospitals close and services are privatised. Tens of thousands of Unite members have lost their jobs this year - with many more facing uncertainty as to

Rob Williams sacked - step up the struggle

2009-05-08T14:01:00.002+01:00

Rob Williams, Unite Convenor of Linamar Swansea, was sacked by the Linamar management last week, and then temporarily re-instated following militant action by the Linamar workforce. Disgracefully, however, Rob today had his sacking confirmed. Negotiations between Linamar management and Tony Woodley took place all day in London , but Linamar did not shift. Meanwhile at the Swansea plant Linamar

Visteon occupations spread

2009-04-03T12:05:00.003+01:00

Visteon workers are now occupying the plant in Enfield as well as the one in Belfast. They are protesting at the closure of the car components company. The anger is directed at Fords who spun off the components manufacturing facilities as a separate company a decade ago as a cost cutting measure.These actions are key in fighting back to defend jobs after a day which saw 1,100 jobs cut at

Support Visteon workers

2009-03-31T20:56:00.005+01:00