jmothecat Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Nice to know that a Blairite suddenly cares what the Unions think. Maybe there's hope for JMO yet. I'm a trade union member. My Union, I'm happy to say, is also backing Smith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmothecat Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Do Unite and Unison not have right-wing members who vote Tory or UKIP, no? I'm sure I remember reading that a third of Unite members planned on voting Tory last year.Ive only ever been a member of Unite and USDAW but I don't remember ever having to be a Labour member or supporter to join. I obviously am one so wouldn't have been an issue but I don't remember it being a pre-requisite for joining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny Danger Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 12 minutes ago, Cream Cheese said: Most of their members are Conservative and UKIP voters. That's because this particular Union allows anybody to join, regardless of where they sit on the political spectrum. You can be hard-right and support Britain First and they would still allow you to join. Not really a union that regular decent working class people would want to be associated with like you claim. Anyone should be able to join the appropriate trade union for them regardless of their politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cream Cheese Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 4 minutes ago, DrewDon said: Do Unite and Unison not have right-wing members who vote Tory or UKIP, no? Perhaps. But they're not supposed to. These Unions have different rules to the GMB. People who sign up to Unite or Unison are not supposed to do so while backing an opposition party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob the tank Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 I was a gmb member for many years and was never balloted on labour party matters, only on election of full time officials, who had already been picked before the vote anyway. As a union they are marvellous for the officials and crap for the workers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Gaines Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Trade unions don't really knock people back because of politics surely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrewDon Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 4 minutes ago, Cream Cheese said: Perhaps. But they're not supposed to. These Unions have different rules to the GMB. People who sign up to Unite or Unison are not supposed to do so while backing an opposition party. Contributions to their political funds cannot be used to support candidates opposing Labour, but members are always free to opt-out of contributing to these. You can do so upon registration. To be appointed to the executive of either Unite or Unison, you have to be a member and supporter of the Labour Party. That is not the same thing as preventing somebody from becoming an ordinary member of a union simply because they do not support Labour. I have never known such a rule or understanding to be present in either - or any - major union. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty dingus Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 43,419 voted out of a membership of 641,000 seems legit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cream Cheese Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 28 minutes ago, DrewDon said: Contributions to their political funds cannot be used to support candidates opposing Labour, but members are always free to opt-out of contributing to these. You can do so upon registration. To be appointed to the executive of either Unite or Unison, you have to be a member and supporter of the Labour Party. That is not the same thing as preventing somebody from becoming an ordinary member of a union simply because they do not support Labour. I have never known such a rule or understanding to be present in either - or any - major union. But surely people who support and vote for the Conservative Party or a far right party are hardly going to join a workers union in order to have a positive influence on that union. The only reason I could see people on the right joining a union is so they can influence it in a negative way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lichtgilphead Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 1 hour ago, Cream Cheese said: Perhaps. But they're not supposed to. These Unions have different rules to the GMB. People who sign up to Unite or Unison are not supposed to do so while backing an opposition party. I'm a member of Unison and have been a rep in the past. I'm also a member of the SNP. SNP & Labour are usually in opposition, yes? My recollection is that members of most political parties (including the Tories & UKIP) can join Unison, but they will block members of parties that overtly promote racist views (BNP, NF & similar) from joining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cream Cheese Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Just now, lichtgilphead said: I'm a member of Unison and have been a rep in the past. I'm also a member of the SNP. SNP & Labour are usually in opposition, yes? My recollection is that members of most political parties (including the Tories & UKIP) can join Unison, but they will block members of parties that overtly promote racist views (BNP, NF & similar) from joining. UKIP don't overtly promote racist views? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lichtgilphead Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 4 minutes ago, Cream Cheese said: UKIP don't overtly promote racist views? They have many racist fruitcakes (to quote ex-PM Cameron), but their official policies aren't overtly racist. They're still all unpleasant c*nts though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRoseKillie Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 The GMB's GS was pretty evasive on 5 Live earlier, when the interviewer was going down the "massive blow for Corbyn" line, and stressing the 60% vote for Smith. Eventually admitted that the figure was 60% of votes cast, and less than 10% of members had bothered their arses to vote. I didn't realise it was that much less than 10%, mind. Less than 7% would have been more accurate - I'm sure Smith takes great solace in that. Shame they haven't got a block vote anymore, eh? Then the PLP would just have to dangle two or three carrots in front of senior Union officials to make this a viable contest. Our Union is used to sub-20% returns on some ballots, due to a number of factors from apathy to obstructive legislation to Employer interference, but 7% on this question? That's fucking pathetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerwickMad Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 43,419 voted out of a membership of 641,000 seems legit. If only they had Len to decide for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorlomin Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 22 hours ago, Granny Danger said: Exactly. It's been over 20 years since I left the Labour Party and was heavily involved in politics So you quit because Labour had become electorally viable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob the tank Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 So you quit because Labour had become electorally viable. Thatcher called Blair her finest creation remember...... they became tories in the 1990's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorlomin Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 1 minute ago, bob the tank said: Thatcher called Blair This is not an answer. Its obfuscation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRoseKillie Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 That is not a quote. It's cherry picking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob the tank Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 This is not an answer. Its obfuscation. My post was neither confusing or ambiguous, simply two truths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorlomin Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Just now, bob the tank said: My post was neither confusing or ambiguous, simply two truths. Quote So you quit because Labour had become electorally viable. When you can answer whether an electorally viable Labour is something you detest rather than finding trolling comments by politicians then you can re-enter the grown up part of the discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.