Left-wing union coup may rob Labour of donations

[Stormproof]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 823346.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Left-wing union coup may rob Labour of donations
Jonathan Oliver Political Editor

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LABOUR faces a new cash crisis amid warnings that Britain’s biggest trade union is poised to end party donations worth more than £3m a year.

Westminster insiders believe that Unite, which has almost 2m members, is about to be taken over by left-wing insurgents who will sever the historic financial link with the Labour party.

The claim comes a week before the annual TUC conference where union members are expected to criticise the performance of the Labour government.

The union, whose donations account for more than 15% of the total money given to Labour, will next year elect a new general secretary to replace the joint leaders Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson.

The man emerging as the frontrunner to succeed them is Jerry Hicks, a former union convenor who has pledged to follow the examples of the RMT rail union and the Fire Brigade Unions, which have ended donations to Labour.

“I absolutely say only support those who support our policies,” said Hicks.

His running mate, Rob Williams, a member of the Socialist party, went further. “The link with Labour is an absolute millstone round the neck of the union” he said. “It’s got us nowhere.”

Union insiders believe that the candidates’ anti-Labour message is gaining support among moderate union members. “There is an anti-Establishment mood building,” said one official.

A Populus poll for the Conservatives conducted early this year found that 49% of Unite members opposed donations to Labour.

Unite is not the only big union to be considering an end to Labour donations. The CWU postal workers union, which was fiercely critical of the government’s abortive plan to part-privatise the Royal Mail, may sever its links.

About 80% of Labour’s donations come from trade unions and dependence on union barons could increase still further if the party loses the next election. Labour is burdened with around £25m of debt and any cut in union payments could easily drive the party into bankruptcy.

Unite is a powerful force within the Labour party. It financially backs dozens of individual MPs. Its political secretary, Charlie Whelan, Brown’s former spin doctor, is so influential that he has been dubbed the “real” Labour general secretary.

The union’s deputy general secretary, Jack Dromey, is the husband of Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman.

[Lounge Lizard]

Hopefully the tide has turned.

[mailsort6]

If this Jerry Hicks does get elected can he please have a word with the line managers who should be out with us on strike. They have done nothing to try and save our postal system they think that their jobs are safe when these mail centres, delivery offices, etc start merging or closing will they still have a job?

[pickaname]

Is the same thing on the CWU agenda at conference this year?

When will the CWU finally sever ties with Labour?

[BELIAL]

So if the fat cat media billionaires don't approve of the likely outcome of a democratic union election , they label the result a "coup" and the ELECTED officials "insurgents" ;curious use of language, says quite a lot

[BELIAL]

The implications for RM management of Rob Williams getting a large mandate will be profound . There will be zero tolerance of any blacklegging ,some could find themselves without any union support just when it looks like they may need it most(no place for 60-75% of current managers under the Dutch model)

[Big Daz]

The drop off mail willy nilly here there and everywhere and get it picked up and deivered by PT housewifes etc dutch model is basically history Im told!!!

[BELIAL]

The(they"sic) drop off mail willy nilly here there and everywhere and get it picked up and deivered by PT housewifes etc dutch model is basically history Im told!!!

Yep it is failing in Holland,but that will not stop the freeloaders introducing it here.Fortunes to be made until failure becomes undeniable,think of it as a ram raid.
Take a look at the super efficient TNT operation in the Netherlands- POP = 16.5 million, postal employees 65,000 + : UK pop =63 million, postal employees 180,000 max ,should be 260,000 going by the Dutch model.
PS. being generous cos failed to factor in that there are only four cities in holland and excluding Taiwan and adjusting the figures for water covered areas ,Holland is the most densely populated country on earth,and heads up all you delivery pack mules, there's not many steps in Utrecht

[Night Tonic]

All irrelevant although the I suppose the only hope of redemption for the union is withdrawing funding or dishing out leaflets saying "we want to protect services". Such a pity it was left to the last minute and Labour are on the way out to be replaced with the all-privatising Conservative party. Don't look so good now does it. Stand up, be counted, and long forgotten.

[Big Daz]

I was refering to the UK doing things the Dutch way,,

Should have been clearer