Members of the GMB working at Cityclean have voted to strike with 94% in favour on a 76% turnout. It is a massive mandate - far bigger than that of any of the 54 councillors on the authority. If the strike goes ahead next month it will bring refuse collection and streetcleaning to a standstill.
Such a massive vote is true testament to the incompetence and duplicity of Brighton and Hove City Council, who now seem intent on provoking the other union at the council, Unison, into the same course of action by pretending to negotiate whilst getting ready to impose further pay cuts on more staff. Although the scale of the pay cuts facing the Cityclean workers has pushed the GMB to the fore, Unison actually has more members potentially affected.
In truth, while it is easy to blame the current Tory administration (and they certainly deserve their share with their dismal performance over the last few months), none of the parties emerge with credit from this fiasco. The issue has dragged on unresolved for 12 years. Now, well-remunerated council bosses want to impose pay cuts on the lowest-paid staff.
WE WON'T STAND FOR IT!
This afternoon, Brighton and Hove Unison issued this statement -
UNISON IN FULL SUPPORT OF GMB COLLEAGUES
The GMB ballot result announced at lunchtime today (29th October 2009), of 94% of members in Brighton and Hove Cityclean in favour of strike action, is welcomed and fully supported by UNISON (Brighton andHove Branch).
The central issue of the Council seeking to impose massive salary cuts of up to £8,000 on these staff is an issue also faced by many UNISON members in the Council. Whilst our members are not concentrated in one workplace, like the Cityclean workforce, overall it is the case that we will have in total many more staff across the Council who are faced with pay cuts of varying amounts. These totals reflect the fact that UNISON has in membership some 60%of the entire Council workforce, 3,800 in all, and those affected arein a whole range of posts including, frontline care services, ICT,Planning and so-called "back-room" services. A large proportion ofthese are relatively low-paid women workers - the very people that Equal Pay legislation was meant to positively benefit.
UNISON cannot be clear what the scale of pay cuts will be, because the Council employer cannot, or will not provide accurate figures to us, despite repeated requests. In addition,the employer has frequently altered its negotiating position, cancelled meetings at short notice and in the last few days managers have told staff in a central part of the Council that they will be "dismissed" if they refuse to sign new, worse pay, contracts.
Today,at the "eleventh hour", the City Council have made a further offer in respect of which UNISON is seeking urgent clarification and further negotiation. However,the core pay cuts still remain, along with a plain threat to ignore the two Trade Unions and go straight to staff with these proposals. This is no way to negotiate or reach agreement. The Single Status Agreement into which these negotiations fall, came into place in 1997 -the Council has prevaricated and delayed for 12 years and now wants to rush new grades into place. UNISON in a letter today has indicated to the City Council at political and senior officer level, that we will not accept an imposition of new contracts. The Branch will proceed to an immediate Strike ballot in such circumstances. Our membership will also support in every possible manner our colleagues in the GMB when they take action - there will be no division between the two Branches who already work very closely at a local level.
Alex Knutsen,UNISON Branch Secretary said
"A situation which should have been resolved through negotiation overthe last 12 years, has now reached a point where confrontation appears to be inevitable. This is very regrettable but even at this time could be recovered. However, if the Council leadership continue along this very dangerous path, UNISON members will vote for strike action to defend their colleagues in their Branch. Members are not militants but committed public sector workers forced to respond to an inept, disorganised and threatening management."
For further information please contact Alex Knutsen on 01273 249076 0r 07961025930
Friday, 30 October 2009
Sunday, 25 October 2009
As the dust settles on Question Time......
So, what to make of Nick Griffin's appearance on QT? Was he exposed as a dyed-in-the-wool Nazi; or a political lightweight? Was he deliberately set up by the liberal establishment for a mauling? What will the voters make of it?
Unquestionably, Griffin took some hits on Holocaust denial, KKK connections and Hitler. But the discussion never really got beyond this. Perhaps this was because the other politicians on the panel had some uncomfortable truths of their own to hide from.
The BNP's support comes from a burning sense of grievance which stems from the notion that "resources" (jobs, housing, public services) are "scarce". The sense of grievance comes from perceptions of how these "scarce resources" are divvied up. In this environment any idea, however incorrect, that certain groups receive any kind of preferential treatment can be exploited. What the Left has to do in this situation is to start by challenging the "scarce resources" myth head on - something which the three supporters of neo-liberalism on the panel were never going to do.
One of the most significant moments on the programme came when someone asked the immigration question. Griffin just looked on smiling as the other three fought over which of their parties best wore the political clothes of the BNP on this issue.
In the absence of a clear political alternative, I suspect that the BNP will conclude that they have done rather well out of the QT experience, notwithstanding Griffin's ineptitude, and notwithstanding that they will have to go through the motions of complaining about how "unfair" it all was.
It's a hard thing to say, but most recession-hit working-class people do not have at the front of their minds what happened in WW2, or what sort of people Griffin mixes with when he visits the US. What they might be interested in is the emerging pattern of BNP councillors' extremely poor performance in office - voting to close services they promised to protect, failing to hold surgeries, failing to attend meetings, not following up casework and - yes - not a little self-enrichment on expenses. What they might also be interested in is an alternative view of society in which the fourth-richest country in the world has no excuse for "scarce resources".
That's the challenge for the Left.
Unquestionably, Griffin took some hits on Holocaust denial, KKK connections and Hitler. But the discussion never really got beyond this. Perhaps this was because the other politicians on the panel had some uncomfortable truths of their own to hide from.
The BNP's support comes from a burning sense of grievance which stems from the notion that "resources" (jobs, housing, public services) are "scarce". The sense of grievance comes from perceptions of how these "scarce resources" are divvied up. In this environment any idea, however incorrect, that certain groups receive any kind of preferential treatment can be exploited. What the Left has to do in this situation is to start by challenging the "scarce resources" myth head on - something which the three supporters of neo-liberalism on the panel were never going to do.
One of the most significant moments on the programme came when someone asked the immigration question. Griffin just looked on smiling as the other three fought over which of their parties best wore the political clothes of the BNP on this issue.
In the absence of a clear political alternative, I suspect that the BNP will conclude that they have done rather well out of the QT experience, notwithstanding Griffin's ineptitude, and notwithstanding that they will have to go through the motions of complaining about how "unfair" it all was.
It's a hard thing to say, but most recession-hit working-class people do not have at the front of their minds what happened in WW2, or what sort of people Griffin mixes with when he visits the US. What they might be interested in is the emerging pattern of BNP councillors' extremely poor performance in office - voting to close services they promised to protect, failing to hold surgeries, failing to attend meetings, not following up casework and - yes - not a little self-enrichment on expenses. What they might also be interested in is an alternative view of society in which the fourth-richest country in the world has no excuse for "scarce resources".
That's the challenge for the Left.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Bring home the troops
The announcement that the discredited election in Afghanistan is now to be re-run strips away the last vestige of justification for this doomed, pointless war. How many more people have to die shoring up a corrupt warlord regime in Afghanistan, and protecting the reputations of politicians at home?
The Stop the War Coalition, CND and the British Muslim Initiative have organised a demonstration in London this Saturday to demand that the troops be brought home. Among the people on the demo and speaking afterwards will be family members of soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The demonstration assembles in Hyde Park at noon and ends in Trafalgar Square. More information here
Local transport details -
Transport: CoachPickup point: 2 pick ups: St Peters Church @ 9am, Gardner Arts Centre, Sussex Uni @ 9.30am
Return time: 5pm
Cost: £10 waged / £5 student or unwaged
Contact: Maggie CliffordTel: 07962 940355
Monday, 19 October 2009
How a murdered young woman became a "sex-change prostitute" in 24 hours
Maybe it's just me, but has anyone else wondered how much tackier The Argus' coverage of the murder of Andrea Waddell can get? The headlines used in the print version really do plumb the depths (the web coverage does seem better for some reason). It was noticeable how the tone of the coverage changed as more details about her personal life became known
Why does she deserve to be defined solely by her line of work and her sexual identity?
I did not know Andrea Waddell but it is clear that many people who did feel her loss very keenly - not least her family.
The least our local paper can do is show some respect and ditch the prurient sensationalism.
Why does she deserve to be defined solely by her line of work and her sexual identity?
I did not know Andrea Waddell but it is clear that many people who did feel her loss very keenly - not least her family.
The least our local paper can do is show some respect and ditch the prurient sensationalism.
Meeting on Afghanistan this Thursday
AFGHANISTAN: 8 YEARS AFTER THE INVASION
Have there been any benefits for the Afghan people - and for women in particular? How has the military intervention affected regional and global security? Should we argue for ‘troops out now’?
A talk and discussion with Gabriel Carlyle Peace News journalist and anti-war activist
Thursday October 22nd 2009 7.30pm – 9.00pm Brighthelm, North Road BN1 1YD meeting will start promptly at 7.30pm
Everyone welcome
WatchingtheWarmakers.org.uk
Have there been any benefits for the Afghan people - and for women in particular? How has the military intervention affected regional and global security? Should we argue for ‘troops out now’?
A talk and discussion with Gabriel Carlyle Peace News journalist and anti-war activist
Thursday October 22nd 2009 7.30pm – 9.00pm Brighthelm, North Road BN1 1YD meeting will start promptly at 7.30pm
Everyone welcome
WatchingtheWarmakers.org.uk
Friday, 16 October 2009
Gated communities in the centre of Brighton? No thanks!
A very good letter in The Argus this week alerted me to the fact that there is a proposal to close the Ship Street Gardens twitten from 9pm to 8am, because of crime and anti-social behaviour.No-one would deny that such things are a problem but is "gating" a footpath through the old town actually going to solve the problem or merely move it?
We cannot gate every street in central Brighton!
More to the point, by what right does anyone close off an area in the centre of town? Whilst I realise that it doesn't necessarily float everyone's boat, for me a walk through the passageways is part of the charm of "old Brighton". As the writer of the letter points out, if they get away with this, how long will it be before Black Lion Lane follows? Then the whole "cut" through that part of the Lanes is blocked up for half the day.
It is quite a surprise to further discover that it is the local Green councillors who are motivating this.
Don't let them get away with this theft of city space!
Send objections before October 18 by email to simon.bannister@brighton-hove.gov.uk or write to the Director of Environment, Public Safety/Environment Improvements, Bartholomew House, Batholomew Square, Brighton BN1 1JP (ref: Simon Bannister).
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Brighton Tories jump the shark
The pressures of running the Council seem to be getting to the Brighton and Hove Tories.
In an extraordinary outburst, Cllr Ayas Fallon Khan has denounced the Greens' Ben Duncan as a "communist". More absurdly Cllr Linda Hyde thinks recycling targets are "communism"!
For Cllr Fallon Khan, hitherto regarded as a comparatively intelligent politician, it's a serious credibility blow.
Looks like the Tories have decided their only hope of stopping a Green win in Pavilion is to indulge in some unsophisticated red-baiting. So expect another 6 months of this nonsense.
In an extraordinary outburst, Cllr Ayas Fallon Khan has denounced the Greens' Ben Duncan as a "communist". More absurdly Cllr Linda Hyde thinks recycling targets are "communism"!
For Cllr Fallon Khan, hitherto regarded as a comparatively intelligent politician, it's a serious credibility blow.
Looks like the Tories have decided their only hope of stopping a Green win in Pavilion is to indulge in some unsophisticated red-baiting. So expect another 6 months of this nonsense.
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