REAL LIVES Political fund ballot
The importa PoliTicAl
Unite reps are fighting for you every day on key issues – many of which couldn’t be run without a political fund. We meet some of our many Unite heroes
POLICE PRIVATISATION Police staff sell-off shame
Unite’s recent campaign to stop the increasing privatisation of the West Midlands police force has led local members to see the vital importance of Unite’s political fund.
As well as suggested jobs cuts, around 2,500, on top of the 1,000 already lost, West Midlands police had planned to sell-off core police functions to G4S and other private companies.
Unite rep Caren Evans said, “We were campaigning against selling off the force in the West Midlands, and we won. This was something every police force participated in and if we hadn’t won, privatisation could have happened in every force in the country.
“We involved our national officer, Peter Allensonwho arranged for us to meet Labour MPs and members of the home office select committee, including Keith Vaz and Steve McCabe, from Selly Oak.
“This proved really important as Labour MPs were able to ask questions for us following our meeting. We also managed to link up with the Labour candidate in the recent local police and crime commissioner elections, Bob Jones. Bob said he would stop privatisation of the force, and he did it on the day he was elected.
“None of this would have been possible without funding from the political fund.”
16 uniteWORKS January/February 2013
AGRICULTURAL WAGES BOARD Farmworkers’ pay justice
The campaign against the abolition of the agricultural wages board (AWB) has been going on for some time. Its loss would mean farmworkers losing their pay grading system, affect terms and conditions and even impact on the tied housing where many live.
Steve Leniec (pictured), an agricultural worker has been one of the campaign leaders to keep the AWB. He believes Unite’s political fund has been vital in supporting this vital fight. “It means we have a voice in Parliament, and in the constituencies. It also means access to the Labour group, who has been very supportive and ensured there’s been a debate on the Bill which includes the abolition of the AWB, in Parliament.
“It’s not just Westminster were this has worked but also in the Welsh Assembly. The AWB is officially the England and Wales Wages Board, and at the moment the Welsh Assembly is refusing to agree to its abolition because the impact it will have on Welsh farmworkers.”
Steve says the political work Unite has been doing around the AWB has been vital to the profile the campaign has achieved.
“If we didn’t have the fund we would have lost a lot of input on policy. We don’t get everything we want, but we do have a voice and influence and the political fund means we, as workers, can lobby and be heard.
John Harris/
www.reportdigital.co.uk
Mark Thomas
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