Save Our Royal Mail

Check out website here to help save Royal Mail from privatisation. This is one of the campaigns that Newham TULO will be supporting.  Spread the word #SaveOurRoyalMail @SaveOurRM and sign petition https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/vince-cable-save-our-royal-mail/sponsors/new

Unions 21 Technology Seminar 2013

This post is a little late but the seminar was excellent. Held in the headquarters of the CWU, the room was packed with national union officers and lay activists.

Simon Sapper from the CWU kicked off by posing the question what do unions want to achieve online? Is it a organising or servicing tool or is it both?

Paul Hilder (Global VP Change.org & 38 Degrees co-founder and Director) John Coventry spoke passionately about the idea that "anyone can do it" by e-petitions and online campaigning. They gave examples of the individuals who have taken on loan sharks, Amazon tax avoidance and even BBC Newsnight bullying.

I asked a question to them over something which has long been a niggle of mine. "I am a great fan of new social media, but what is the end game of on line campaigning and how will it translate into greater union membership and changing politics since at the end of the day you will have to rely on traditional Party politics to bring about change"? Paul gave a good answer that on line campaigning could justify itself by attracting people to start a journey that they otherwise would not be attracted by. I'm still not 100% sure.

Gregor Poynton (Blue State Digital) gave a slick presentation (of course) on how unions can do better with online campaigns. A ladder of engagement starting off with getting members to spend 15 minutes a day online supporting causes rather than being expected to commit to hours and hours of boring committees and meetings.

Ed Mustill (Labourstart) plugged their new guide on online campaigning (which I bought off him for £3) and compared (rightly in my view) online support for trade unions fights with being on a freezing cold picket line and a passerby comes up out of the blue with hot coffee and biscuits.

Gavin Hayes (Policy Review TV) gave a convincing pitch on why we should consider not spending say £40k on venue and transport costs for 100 people to attend a national meeting and instead £3-4k on setting up an on-line TV video facility.  This could attract a much, much wider participation for potentially peanuts. Makes perfect sense to me.

TUC (Social Media Guru) John Woods (see picture with Unions 21 Chair Sue Ferns) gave a typically lively and informative punt on Unions and Blogging. I loved his analysis that all media works best when it’s from the horse’s mouth. But you can take the horse to Word Press but you can't make the horse blog! (but they can make them appear in Tesco burgers! someone behind me said).

Simon Parry (infobo - right of picture) spoke on which unions perform best online, and the power of the search engine. He had looked at on-line joining union websites and found some sites did not offer full online joining, only accepted Internet Explorer browsers and had poor security. The UNISON website however scored highly. 65% of new members in my branch now join on-line.

Solicitor Binder Bansel (Pattinson Brewer) spoke last about Data Privacy and staying within the law online (I had to declare an interest in this matter)

So Great seminar. Thanks to Dan Whittle, Unions 21 and CWU for organising it.

(you can check out on my twitter feed on the seminar https://twitter.com/grayee for 24 Jan)

Union busting & disgusting Virgin Media

The odious and disgusting Virgin Media empire has indulged in yet more bullying of its employees by ripping up agreements and derecognising the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

Virgin boss Richard Branson has personally fronted videos in the US attacking workers who want fairness at work.

Trade Union recognition is a basic human right and any decent employer should welcome unions with open arms.

Virgin Media is a monopoly utility in many parts of the Country and is obviously not to be trusted with this power. I hope (and expect) the next Labour Government to break up this serfdom.

Virgin must despise ordinary working people, so I hope the 6 million or so trade union members (and the millions more in non TUC affiliated unions) in this country will remember this when they decide what broadband media they have in their home. Or where they save, travel, bank or holiday.

Hat tip TUC Unionreps e-newsletter. 

Lab12: TULO reception (and the move to the right)

While waiting for Ed Miliband to come and speak to the packed out fringe organised by TULO (trade union liaison organisation). General Secretary of the CWU, Billy Hayes, made a request for the Labour Movement present to move to the right (and stop blocking the doorway to people trying to get in)

Harriet Harman spoke first about the need to get the Tories out and how the unions can help especially in areas such as East of England where we are still strong but the Labour Party are weak. She also made it clear that she wanted Labour MPs to be as representative and diverse as our voters.

Which was a theme taken up by Billy and GMB General Secretary, Paul Kenny. Who both made it clear that there must be more working class and trade unionists MPs. Paul said "People who know what its like to be shouted at by their bosses".

Ed talked about taking the fight to the Tories, need for self discipline, build more homes and make Banks serve the public, not the other way round.

Highlight was a rousing passionate speech by Laura Pidcock (see picture - sorry about quality) who reminded us that if MPs don't understand, talk, look or sound like working class people then they will not vote for them.