Electric support for London anti-cuts challenge


Paula Mitchell

At their Blackfriars protest last week several electricians put their names to the appeal for anti-cuts, trade unionist candidates in the Greater London Assembly elections next year.

They are nearly all members of Unite, which provides the Labour Party with a quarter of its union funding. But the workers I spoke to had had enough of Labour pledging to continue with Tory cuts, and with the last Labour government’s failure to repeal the trade union laws. “It’s about time” was a common refrain.

“We, the undersigned, support the call for trade unionist and socialist candidates to stand in the Greater London Assembly elections in 2012, committed to opposing all cuts, privatisation and PFI.”

Unite signatories include, in a personal capacity: M Bunyan; E Daniels; S Russell; A Morre; R Charman; P O’Rourke; P Parankerat; E Parris; Andy Gordon; Kevin Fergusson; Howard Hailey; Arti Dillon assistant branch secretary Unite le1111; Suzanne Muna vice-chair Unite housing workers branch

Other new signatories this week include, in a personal capacity: Hugo Pierre Camden Unison CSF co-convenor; John Dolan vice-chair Haringey Unison LG; Fidel McClean PCS DWP local office rep in Peckham and regional young members officer

Anti-cuts council elections initiative, led by public sector trade unionists, agreed in Scotland: see www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk