uniteWORKS Comment
GENERAL SECRETARY ELECTION Unite’s executive council has called an election for general secretary which will be run in accordance with rule 15 and 16. Branches and workplaces were invited to make a nomination for this post. The nomination period is now closed.
Len McCluskey General Secretary
April Fool’s Day – it’s no joke
Seven million working people will get bad news this month. From April 1st, onto the mat will drop word of the cuts to their income support.
Such is life in low-wage Britain that millions need housing and other support to get by. Sixty per cent of those who will have their income cut are in work. That means three in every five people. This could be you, your friends or your loved ones. And that’s in addition to the millions who cannot work, for whatever reason, who are too being made to pay for the casino banking crisis by this government.
Such is the hardship these changes will cause, this edition of uniteWORKS is devoted to explaining why they matter to you, your family, your community.
What the Coalition wants us to believe is that some of us are ‘shirkers’ while the others are ‘strivers’. This is a poisonous division – and one we must reject.
The welfare changes, the biggest to the system since the 1960s, will hurt the vulnerable most. Some of the most needy in our society – children, cancer sufferers, people with disabilities – along with those who need our respect and help for the job they do for society – the carers, the foster parents and the army mums – will all be harmed by plans to tax their bedrooms and cut their benefits.
Up and down the country, Unite members are out fighting these attacks. Anti-bedroom tax meetings are attracting hundreds, with anger not seen since the time of the ‘poll tax’ clearly evident. Our community organisers are setting up buddy systems to ensure people are getting help. And our campaign to highlight `Food bank Britain' has exposed how the seventh richest country on the planet now has hundreds of thousands of families living in food poverty.
This government wants to divide. It wants you to look at your neighbour not with fellowship, but with fear. This is against every value our movement holds dear. Our strength is our unity, our community and our humanity.
Our collectivity and compassion freed us to create the Spirit of 45, delivering our welfare state in 1945, building our NHS and banishing the evils of poverty. Sixty-eight years on, we must recapture that spirit.
uniteWORKS Published bi-monthly by Unite the union, 128 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8TN. Phone 0207 611 2500. Editor – Amanda Campbell Magazine enquiries and letters to the editor, by post, phone, or email
uniteworks@unitetheunion.org Distribution enquiries contact your regional office Available in alternative formats from Martha Campbell 020 3371 2049
The nominating branches and workplaces of candidates have been posted on the website. General questions about the election can be addressed to Unite by e-mail to elections.
Voting papers will be despatched to members on week commencing 18 March 2013 and the deadline for return of papers to the independent scrutineer is Friday 12 April 2013. Any member who has not received their voting paper by Wednesday 3 April 2013 should contact the ballot enquiry service on 0800 783 3856 (0818 333 155 from the Irish Republic).
Any member who joined before 31 January 2013 will be eligible to vote in this election. The count of voting papers returned will take place on 13 and 14 April with the declaration being made on 15 April.
In accordance with rule 16 (2) the executive council has appointed Electoral Reform Services (ERS), The Election Centre, 33 Clarendon Road, London N8 0NW (020 8365 8909) as independent scrutineer.
In accordance with Rule 16(3) the executive council has appointed Keith Ewing to act as election commissioner. (Keith Ewing can be contacted via the returning officer below).
In accordance with Rule 16(4) the executive council has appointed Simon Hearn, Electoral Reform Services as returning officer. Any correspondence to the returning officer should be sent to him at the address above or by e-mail to the returning officer.
POLITICAL FUND BALLOT On April 15, Unite members will receive a ballot paper about our political fund, with the ballot closing on May 7. For more information speak to your branch rep or visit
www.unitetheunion.org
CORRECTION In the January/February edition of uniteWORKS there is an error in A perfect combine-ation, the third from last paragraph on page 25. The sentence refers to Sainsbury’s replacing distribution centres, when it should have read M&S. Our sincere apologies go to Sainsbury’s members.
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