Socialist Party members in Unite
“I bring you the solidarity from 450 picket lines,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham in the plenaries to the recent industrial sector, retired members, and Unite Community conferences. 80% of those disputes have been won, and Unite now has a strike fund of £50 million to back up future disputes, including Unite members involved in national action.
Labour
Both from Sharon Graham, and in questions from delegates, there was criticism of the union’s relationship with the Labour Party. In the Coventry bins dispute, she said that she treated the council as a bad employer. She will support Labour in the election, but there was no point in them being in office if they don’t do what they are supposed to do, i.e support the working class. The rich, she said, already have a party – the Tories.
In a session with manufacturing delegates, Labour shadow minister Ed Miliband dodged a question on why Labour MPs were being dissuaded from attending picket lines. He said he had sympathy with workers facing the cost-of-living squeeze and expressed ‘solidarity’. However, another frontbencher, Anneliese Dodds, has since said “nobody supports strikes”. That leaves little doubt about which side Labour is on.
No longer in the rules regarding action is the phrase ‘within the law’, about which Sharon reminded the government if action was needed in response to legislation limiting the right to strike.
Socialist Party members played an important role in the Unite Community conference, including in the debate on the NHS, which urged Unite not to back Labour candidates who challenge Unite health policy or have links to private sector healthcare.
Pay
In the health industrial sector conference, delegates voted to scrap the Pay Review Body, which health workers feel does not act in their interests. In local authorities, an emergency motion urged Unite to lead the campaign against the “appalling proposed cuts” outlined in Sunak’s ‘mini-budget’, and that if Labour does not support the union’s fightback against austerity, the executive council should be asked to reconsider Unite’s level of support for the party.
Unite has an official position to support no-cuts budgets and a fight for the necessary funding. Unite is obliged by rule to affiliate to Labour, but all other financial support is discretionary.
2023 will see the executive council elections, and both rules and policy conferences in Unite. The industrial and other conferences have set the scene. It is vital candidates are elected next year that will continue and extend the union’s industrial and political trajectory.
