Union leader vote shock -Archive

[stephen500]

''Union leader vote shock

THE CANDIDATE supported by New Labour was humiliated in the CWU postal and telecom workers' union election for general secretary. Virtually everyone expected John Keggie, the union's deputy general secretary, to win, and by a wide margin.

Instead Billy Hayes, the candidate who most of the left voted for, won an amazing victory by 36,047 votes to 32,279. Keggie stands for "partnership", for working alongside New Labour and management. He is the man most identified with the controversial "Way Forward" deal in the post that was pushed through last year. The result is a reflection of the revolt in the post. It is a judgement on the Way Forward plans.

But it is also a body blow to Blairites in the CWU and in the labour movement generally. Mark, a CWU member from north west England, says, "Keggie is associated with all the bloody rubbish from New Labour, all the crap in the unions about working with the employer to make more profits. I'm really glad we stuffed him. I hope it means the end of his career."

Billy Hayes's manifesto had some good elements. He spoke at meetings about the need to get rid of anti-union laws, of the battle against pro-market globalisation, and of the importance of the revolt in Seattle in 1999. But this all sounded a bit hollow to some activists who know he has very rarely publicly disagreed with John Keggie, and that he helped push through the Way Forward.

A London CWU member told Socialist Worker, "When the result came out there was cheering on the picket line, 'Keggie's lost!'-great. 'Billy Hayes has won'-not so great. We were laughing that it's a shame you can't have Keggie lose without Hayes winning. Loads of us voted for Billy Hayes because it was the way to slap Keggie across the face."

The Financial Times told its business readership, "There are doubts about the depths of Billy Hayes's commitment to the left." However, it is great to see Keggie defeated. Now it is time to put pressure on Billy Hayes while building rank and file organisation.''
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/archiv ... 175024.htm

[heston]

i never even knew there was an election.what post was this for ? and who were eligible to vote?

[stephen500]

An election after the 'way forward' for general sec, Hayes won after Keggie sold us out!
Me thinks there is a warning there!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

i never even knew there was an election.what post was this for ? and who were eligible to vote?

This is a blast from the past post "Way Forward" about 2002-2003 I think.

[L Tommo]

"HERE IS THE NEW BOSS, SAME AS THE OLD BOSS...."



We wont get fooled again.......