Members protest at Unison witch-hunt

Anger at the expulsion from Unison of the branch secretary Tony Staunton surfaced at the annual general meeting of the Plymouth branch.

The branch secretary and backbone of the Plymouth branch was expelled purely and simply, members felt, for denouncing the union's illogical and damaging link with the Labour Party. Members spoke contemptuously of the manner in which investigators pounced - while Tony was in London, campaigning against cuts in the health service.

This is at a time when Plymouth city council is going on the offensive against its workforce, allegedly sacking people for trivial offences and making open threats that it intends ripping up hard-won terms and conditions.

One member at the annual general meeting questioned the undemocratic nature of the Labour Link. Another member called for those who engineered Tony Staunton's expulsion, to be rooted out of the union.

Plymouth branch is not taking this lying down. A motion calling for Tony Staunton's re-admission to Unison was unanimously passed. This will go to the South West region in May and to the annual delegate conference in June.

Rob Rooney, Plymouth Unison member