Socialist Party members in Unite
The rules and policy conferences of Unite the Union, to be held in Brighton from 9 to 14 July, will be the last scheduled ones this side of the general election.
The conferences take place at a critical time for Unite and the rest of the trade union movement. We are in the midst of the biggest strike wave in years, as workers fight back against the Tory cost-of-living squeeze. Sunak’s vicious new anti-union attack could be law within weeks. Unite has been to the fore in this upturn in struggle.
However, general secretary Sharon Graham’s ‘transformation agenda’ in Unite is under threat from those who will see the conference floor as an opportunity to challenge the militant trajectory of the union. This must be opposed.
Transformation agenda
Since Sharon was elected almost two years ago, there is no doubt that Unite has been prominent in fighting back against the attacks of employers, and for pay increases at or above the rate of inflation – using the Retail Price Index (RPI) as a guide, which more accurately tracks the cost of living of working-class people.
So, as she has reported to regional reps meetings in recent weeks, Unite has been involved in over 800 disputes, involving 250,000 members, of which 81% have been successful, winning £350 million extra in their pockets.
Unite has been involved in strikes such as the Coventry refuse workers, taking on a Labour-run council directly, and suspending councillors who were members of Unite who acted like bosses. Hundreds of other local disputes, involving workers in many different industries, have taken place.
Where it has members, Unite has been involved in national disputes, including the NHS, where members have rejected the pay offer and are still in dispute; and local government, where members will be balloted shortly over pay.
Under Sharon’s ‘transformation agenda’, industrial policy is focused around the organisation of combines in industries or companies. This has initiated direct contact with the thousands of reps on the union’s books. It has allowed the development of militant struggles and could be able to more accurately reflect industrial reality. Conference should support this approach, and the union must continue to play a key role in the current strike wave against the cost-of-living squeeze.
Minimum service levels
But conference must also commit Unite to fight the attack on trade union rights which the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill represents. Conference should support the motion from LE1228 Waltham Forest council branch, which would commit Unite to fight for the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to organise a mass campaign against the anti-trade union laws, including meetings, local protests and a weekend national demo, for which unions would mobilise to maximise attendance.
If any union is taken to court, or worker threatened with dismissal, we should call for an immediate meeting of the TUC General Council to organise mass coordinated action including, if necessary, a 24-hour general strike. Our union should also demand that Labour should not only promise to repeal the legislation after winning the general election, but also to reverse fines and other action taken under the Act, and that every elected Labour authority should publicly commit now that they will not issue work notices.
There are also a number of resolutions on climate change. Unite has a big membership in the energy industry. Conference has to support resolutions which support a transition that guarantees jobs on the same or better conditions than now, with no loss of pay for workers in the industry, as we should with the defence industry, another sector where Unite has a large number of members. An amendment from LE1228 to motion 51 says “The most effective way to do this is through public ownership and a socialist plan of production,” and should be supported.
Political strategy
An important issue, at both conferences, will be Unite’s political strategy, and particularly its affiliation to the Labour Party. At the London and Eastern reps meeting, Sharon Graham said that Unite had “got nothing” for 13 years of affiliation. Sharon meets regularly with Labour leader Keir Starmer. She says she puts over what Unite members want to see in Labour’s manifesto. She has opposed profiteering and supported nationalisation of key industries, but nationalisation does not feature in Labour’s policies now.
While Sharon has been active in promoting workers fighting for pay rises, Starmer has banned Labour MPs from visiting picket lines. The only sop to trade unions in Labour’s policy statements is a pledge to repeal the minimum service level legislation. Labour is now presenting itself as a safe ‘Second Eleven’ for big business interests.
So what should Unite and other unions do? Continue to prop up a pro-capitalist party, or back those candidates who actually support Unite policy? None of the amendments on the rules conference agenda actually call for disaffiliation from the Labour Party, but Socialist Party members believe the best amendment is from LE1228, which opens up the political fund to allow our union to choose who we wish to support.
At the first meeting of the new EC, Socialist Party member Suz Muna raised, without objection, that, as well as councillors, Labour parliamentary candidates would be asked to pledge support for Unite policies, including calling for Labour councils to refuse to implement Tory cuts and instead pass no-cuts needs budgets.
But why not ask workers’ candidates of other parties, and none, especially Jeremy Corbyn, whether they support Unite’s aims and objectives? Surely it would be better for Unite’s political fund to support those candidates who would promote Unite’s programme? As the rules stand, should Corbyn stand independently of Labour, Unite could give no support to him.
There is also an amendment tabled from LE1111 housing workers branch to policy conference that calls on Unite to organise a referendum of Unite members on whether the union should support election candidates who support the union’s policies, regardless of which party they belong to. Supporting this amendment would enable members to give their opinion on our union’s political strategy.
A new left needed
But which forces in the union can take the union forward on the industrial and political fronts?
The formerly dominant United Left group in the union is now the biggest defender of Labour affiliation, while sniping behind the scenes at the general secretary’s industrial policy. Standing under the misnamed ‘Members First’ title, representing the committee reps and full-time officers rather than the hundreds of thousands taking strike action, they have taken the positions on the Executive Council (EC) while elections to the EC are still taking place (see ‘Unite Executive – which way forward?’ at socialistparty.org.uk).
A new left, fighting organisation is needed. Steps towards this will be taken at this important conference for Unite’s future.
Socialist Party public meeting
- Wednesday 12 July, immediately after conference ends (5.30pm)
- Tudor Room, The Old Ship Hotel, Brighton Seafront.
- Speakers include Hannah Sell, Socialist Party General Secretary and Suzanne Muna, Unite EC
