An overview from the IWW cleaners campaign of shenanigans by UNISON.
Dear Fellow workers,
Rumours and unofficial statements are being made regarding major gains in our dispute at St Georges - University of London. So far Ocean the cleaning contractor are refusing to talk to our union.
A leafleting session by IWW cleaners promoting tomorrow's protest caused a major stir at the University on Wednesday. Yesterday the Ocean CEO was summoned. Today there are indications of concessions.
However UNISON bureaucrats are now lying that they have made the gains - banning official support for the cleaners demo and telling UNISON activists not to attend (see below). This is a disgrace and these are blatant lies.
UNISON have one cleaner in their union at St Georges - all other cleaners are in the IWW.
UNISON have never campaigned for the London Living Wage, and have actively assisted the management in their efforts to undermine the cleaners resistance to cuts.
The protest on Friday at 4:30 is still taking place. Keep up the pressure - Keep up the Solidarity
We appeal to all UNISON activists and members to join us in solidarity
Chris Ford
Industrial Workers of the World
London Regional Secretary
2nd Floor,
145-157 St John Street,
London, England
United Kingdom, EC1V 4PY
Disgraceful Letter sent to UNISON Activists by UNISON Bureaucrat to Undermine the Cleaners' Struggle and Tar the IWW:
Dear
I admire your passion for fairness for these very low paid workers. I am sure that you intend to be helpful.
However we are dealing with this matter diplomatically.
We have a recognition agreement with the company concerned and we are making progress in negotiations with the medical school. All of which your intervention and the intervention of the IWW have caused us difficulties.
I have to tell you that your support for the IWW, a non TUC anti union organisation is not appropriate and unwelcome. I understand that you have a role with the NEC and I am surprised that you see fit to interfere in another branch in this manner and promote an organisation working against UNISON.
I would ask you not to interfere in our branch affairs. It is my Branch’s intention to raise this matter with the Regional Secretary so as to ensure that you uphold UNISON’s rules and codes of practice in future.
Many Thanks
Jane Pilgrim UNISON (Wandsworth Health Branch Chair)
Reproduced via - http://iww.org.uk/node/724
Comments
Solidarity to all you
Solidarity to all you folks!
But this is a bit confusing.UNISON writes:
Do they have a sweatheart deal unknown to the workers?
Have the workers rejected UNISON in favor of the IWW?
Well, UNISON is the
Well, UNISON is the recognised union and it maintains recognition regardless of membership. In theory, at least, unions have to keep recruiting each new worker who joins the shop. But keep in mind that many unions can be recognised in one shop and across one grade of workers in the UK.
I don't think the notion of sweetheard deals exactly transfers. There are no fixed collective contracts, only recognition agreements and either side can seek to renegotiate elements of existing terms and conditions at any time. In any case, UNISON--at least at the national and regional level--is one of the most pro-Labour, pro-social partnership unions out there.
EDIT: In a unionised workplace, they'll be a line in the contract that will say something about how this contract is 'in keeping with the collective agreements negotiated with any recognised trade union' or something like that. Also, with a sustained low density an employer could seek to end union recognition but this would be basically unheard of in the public sector.
Solidarity to these cleaners in any case, that letter from UNISON is truly fucked up. Solidarity and please keep us updated WCSO.
Best of luck and keep us
Best of luck and keep us updated! No surprise from Unison.
So as I understand it, in the
So as I understand it, in the UK, in a given workplace, workers can individually join any number of applicable unions, but management can choose which one it formally recognizes? And that the IWW Cleaners are not formally recognized, but still take action, which UNISON, as a formally recognized union, is annoyed by?
Sorry, I don't get this:
Sorry, I don't get this: "Well, UNISON is the recognised union and it maintain recognition regardless of membership"
But I don't want to derail the matter. Email me
off list (syndicalistnyc[AT]gmail.com)
SOLIDARITY WITH THE CLEANERS!
S, I did a quick edit that
S, I did a quick edit that might make a bit more sense, see above. Juan let me know if that clears things up at all for you.
I'm still confused (on how
I'm still confused (on how recognition is sought for,applied and maintained....but wan't there a thread on this a while ago somewhere else? If not, let's split this so as not to take away from the situ.
Chilli Sauce wrote: EDIT: In
Chilli Sauce
just to say, this isn't a unheard of, it happens every now and again (I think in the 80s/90s there were a few derecognitions but my knowledge some of them don't really last very long as often it doesn't actually benefit employers, because having a union is actually often beneficial for large employers)
I will start a new thread on how union recognition in the UK works. Edit: now here: http://libcom.org/forums/organise/union-recognition-uk-26052012
UNISON did not win us the
UNISON did not win us the London Living Wage
Thanks for that jonthom,
Thanks for that jonthom, UNISON union bureaucrats are just doing their job: acting like utter cunts and trying to destroy a good thing.
St Georges was the previous
St Georges was the previous playground for Michael Farthing and John Duffy, who are now at Sussex and trying to outsource 10% of campus jobs including cleaners and porters.
Since when has there been IWW
Since when has there been IWW folks at St Georges?