- Victory to the bin workers – support the mega-picket on 25 July and call a national Saturday demonstration in Birmingham
- Support the suspension from Unite membership of Angela Rayner and the cutting Birmingham Labour councillors
- Fight for a political voice for workers
The emergency motion to support the striking Birmingham bin workers, suspend from Unite membership Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and discuss the union’s relationship with Labour, passed on the final morning session of Unite the Union’s policy conference, four months to the day that indefinite strike action began.
This was a huge moment for the union itself, but also for the whole trade union movement. Workers are looking for an industrial and political lead as the second year of Starmer’s New Labour Mark 2 government begins.
In our pre-conference article, the Socialist Party said: “The Birmingham bin strike is a lightning rod for the whole debate about Unite’s approach to political representation, as it brings together the industrial and political tasks.”
This was borne out to the letter and more, as on the Wednesday afternoon, rumours started to swirl round conference that the Labour leader of Birmingham City Council was intending to effectively fire and rehire the bin workers – imposing pay cuts of up to £8,000, and making redundant anyone who didn’t agree to it.
Socialist Party members and close allies drafted an emergency motion to support the bin workers, saying that if the council’s threats are implemented, Unite’s relationship with Labour will be reviewed. When Oisin Mulholland, young members’ delegate for London and Eastern region and a member of the Unite Broad Left, along with Socialist Party members, moved a point of order to call for the emergency motion, he was given a standing ovation.
In discussion with leading bin workers, who were in Brighton to address conference, a sentence was added to condemn Starmer’s Labour government for supporting the Tory-appointed commissioners as well as the Labour council.
Other delegates wanted to add that Angela Rayner, and any Birmingham councillors who were Unite members, be immediately suspended from Unite membership, with proceedings initiated to investigate their conduct “with a view to expelling them from the union.”
Oisin Mulholland moved the emergency motion: “A Labour council and a Labour deputy prime minister actively strike-breaking against our members. This motion sends the message that Unite won’t be walked over by any government. If you attack our members, you are not our comrade. The TUC (Trades Union Congress) should call a national demonstration against austerity and hold it in Birmingham. We must build the mega-picket on 25 July.”
Before Socialist Party member Nancy Taaffe could rise to speak in favour, leading ‘United Left’ member Jim Kelly raised a point of order to question if Rayner was a Unite member, which was confirmed by the Chair, and argue that there should be ‘due process’ in moving to expulsions.
Given the brutal character of the stepping-up of attacks on the bin workers, and the support of Starmer and self-styled ‘friend of the unions’ Rayner for the council’s vicious strike-breaking methods, correctly delegates saw this as trying to cover for Labour. Worse still, it has been reported that some were trying to get reference to Labour removed from the emergency motion.
In reply to Jim Kelly, Nancy said: “What more of an investigation do you need? Angela Rayner has been tried in the court of public opinion… Let’s follow process but our first loyalty is to our Birmingham bin workers. We should not let the Birmingham bin workers go down.”
Some delegates will question if it was a coincidence that Jim Kelly’s question about the status of Rayner’s Unite membership was then followed by this being raised by her supporters. But this is an utter red herring.
The significance is what the emergency motion now means for Unite, and what it can and should trigger across the union movement.
This debate, sharpened by the brutal Labour attack on the bin workers on top of Starmer’s cuts and austerity, has drawn out into the open the political basis for the clash taking place in Unite. As the Socialist Party has emphasised, a victory for the misnamed United Left in next year’s Unite general secretary election and in the elections for the union’s Executive Council (nominations for the EC open this October) would represent an industrial and political retreat in Unite, and move the union closer to Starmer and the cutting Labour councils.
In her main speech to conference on Wednesday, Sharon Graham had warned: “If you are a councillor and you want our money, you have to back our members. If you are an MP and you are looking for our support, you must be on our picket lines. And if you are a government that stands by and watches workers being attacked, then no matter what the colour of your rosette, we will push you back.”
It is therefore essential that the Unite Broad Left (UBL), that brings together some of the most militant left reps and members in Unite, is really built now and developed further, with a left independent programme that sets out the tasks in the union.
This conference saw the essential role of Socialist Party members, lifting the sights of delegates by putting forward clear socialist working-class demands and strategy. This included a significant new layer of delegates, many younger members, where our programme chimed with their lived reality.
The conference has also shown the potential for the UBL to establish itself as a powerful left. Both the Socialist Party and UBL had successful fringe meetings.
This was particularly important in the EC statement on Palestine and the assault on Gaza, which strengthens the union’s position. It called out the genocidal policies of the Israeli government’s war machine, while engaging with workers in the defence sector, including the demand long put forward by the Socialist Party that workers in the industries supplying the Israeli war regime will be defended by Unite. The United Left, who have seen Gaza as a weak flank to attack Sharon Graham, supported the EC statement. But true to type, in their speeches the UL failed to mention that Britain’s outrageous backing of the Israeli regime has occurred under a Labour government!
But the importance of the developments at Unite conference goes far beyond the union itself. As workers’ anger and frustration with Starmer increase, it would be a big mistake to draw the conclusion that unions need to turn away from politics. The events of the last week particularly show that the everyday struggle of workers is absolutely entwined with the need for a political programme and organisation.
Many workers are reeling from the growth of Reform, which has identified the political vacuum that has opened up in the working class by Starmer’s pro-bosses, anti-worker policies. Reform is dishonestly portraying itself as ‘on the side of workers’, but Farage’s right-wing populism is based on divide and rule that only helps the employers.
The announcement by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana of the launch of a new left party, just before Unite conference, is a welcome development and was seen as such by many delegates. It opens up a debate about the need for a political alternative to the four pro-capitalist parties: New Labour, Tories, Lib Dems and Reform.
The Socialist Party will engage with this and set out what we believe is needed – a new workers’ party, centred on the trade unions, with a clear socialist programme. But critical to this is that the unions aren’t bystanders in such a debate but front and central.
In her post–conference interview with Sky News, Sharon was asked if Angela Rayner and Labour were friends of workers. She said in reply: “Action speaks louder than words. It’s all very well for people to label themselves as left, but for me, it means what do you do when workers are in struggle, and they need you? Labour is abandoning workers.” She then went further in responding to a question about Unite’s relationship with Labour: “Absolutely, there is a possibility of disaffiliation.”
Many members will now want a debate within the union about Unite’s political strategy, with nothing off the table. In every union, especially those affiliated to Labour, this is now a live discussion.
Unite Conference took place in a heatwave weather-wise, but the events at Brighton will have been seen as a political earthquake. Militant union activists must argue that both in Unite and across the union movement, we need to build solidarity with the Birmingham bin strike, including building for a mass turnout on the 25th July Mega Picket, as well as discussing the vital role that unions must play in the establishment of a new political party for the working class.
Emergency motion – Solidarity to the Birmingham bin workers, condemn Labour
This conference condemns Birmingham Labour Council for their threat to effectively fire and rehire, on pain of redundancy, the Unite Birmingham bin workers, fighting heroically £8,000 wage cuts
We also condemn the Labour Government for their support to the council and the commissioners, originally appointed by the Tories and maintained by Labour
This conference pledges our continued and full support to our bin worker members, to fight for their victory
If this brutal threat – by a Labour council on the watch of a Labour Government, becomes reality, Unite should discuss our relationship with Labour.
We need to see real action in order to support our Birmingham Bin Workers. Conference we are asking Unite to demand the immediate removal of the commissioners, and Angela Rayner to lead on negotiations on behalf of Birmingham City Council.
In addition, Conference calls on the union to:
- Immediately suspend the membership of Angela Rayner and all Birmingham councillors who are Unite members for bringing the union into disrepute.
- Initiate proceeding to investigate their behaviour with a view to permanently expelling them from the union.
Presenter: Oisin Mulholland – L&E Young Members
Seconder: Arsalan Ghani – L&E Regional Committee
