The official consultation period for the Collins report on Labour-union links closes on 24 December.
Then Collins, commissioned by Labour leader Ed Miliband, is due to produce proposals to go to a Labour special conference in spring 2014.
The whole thing starts from a speech by Ed Miliband in July when said that individual trade unionists in affiliated unions should “opt in” to paying political levies to Labour.
Since 1946 the system has been rather than individuals can “opt out”. It was “opt in” only between 1927 and 1946 under a law passed by a Tory government.
Labour right-wingers want “opt-in” so as to reduce trade unions’ voting weight in the Labour Party. Miliband has not signalled that he wants to go that way, at least not in the short term.
The Executive of the Unite union is meeting on 9-13 December. Its attitude may be decisive.
“Defend The Link” is campaigning to keep the current level of union representation and against rule changes imposed on the unions from outside.
