Solidarity 114, 28 June 2007

Unison conference: anger management

By a delegate Unison national conference in Brighton, 17-19 June, was dominated by the issue of pay, indeed the proposed 2% pay freeze formed the backdrop to the entire week. And on Friday afternoon an emergency motion was passed that committed the union to pursuing a strategy of linking up with other public sector unions. A lively fringe saw three meetings with hundreds in attendance. John McDonnell was there to promote the Public Services Not Private Profit campaign to which Unison is still not signed up. The United Left meeting on pay and the meeting in support of victimised activists Tony...

Unison "contracts out" solidarity with the Palestinians

On Wednesday 20 June, the conference of the public services union Unison voted about three to one to endorse an "economic, cultural, academic, and sporting boycott of Israel". That we won a quarter of the conference against the boycott, from a standing start - the union's Executive unanimously endorsed the boycott motion, and the Unison United Left backed it too - was an achievement. Still, the boycotters got away with presenting themselves as the people proposing something practical to help the Palestinians - though Helen Jenner, speaking for the union Executive recommendation, stated that...

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