The Ballot for withdrawing funding from Labour.

[Big Daz]

Anybody heard anything yet about the ballot for withdrawing funding from Labour at the next General Election?

The last day of March is next Tuesday so as Mandy and his chums are pressing ahead with a partial sell off we should be pressing ahead with our ballot.

The terms of the motion at conference last year were very clear,and I for one expect them to be implemented!

No more of this its not the right time to break away from Labour talk, the powers that be simply can not keep trotting out that same old tired line.


We are either with Labour or were breaking away (subject to membership approval) from Labour, the time of having a foot in each door is over.

Its time the collective mind of the CWU decided which door it wants to go through!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The terms of Emergency Motion, E6which was supported by the National Executive Council and subsequently carried at Annual Conference 2008, is as follows:


"Conference condemns the recent submissions by Postcomm and Royal Mail to the Hooper review received at CWU Headquarters on 23rd May calling for the privatisation of Royal Mail.

Conference further notes that within Royal Mail's submission to the Hooper Review it states that Royal Mail may have to alter the Pension Scheme again within 3 years.

Conference reaffirms its total opposition to privatisation in any form. This includes outright privatisation, joint ventures, splitting the business and allowing private companies to take over parts of it or infusions of private capital. We demand that the Government rules out privatisation as a possible outcome of the Review. Conference regards the issue of ownership as outside the terms of reference given to Hooper's team.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to launch an immediate unprecedented campaign amongst the public, politicians, business, media and CWU members to maintain Royal Mail as a 100% publicly owned company.

Conference further instructs the NEC to lobby the Government in order to achieve our vision of a wholly publicly owned Royal Mail - continuing to provide an end to end postal service in the interests of the public - with clearly defined social obligations that can operate in a commercial market with a level playing field, and where the cost of maintaining the USO is met by all.

Conference also instructs the NEC to apply pressure on the Government to force them to face up to their responsibility as shareholder in order to protect and maintain the final salary pension scheme in line with other public sector workers.

Conference also instructs the NEC to lobby the Government to protect the Post Office Counter Network, including call for a judicial review.

Conference further agrees that if the Government fails to agree to the full terms of this motion by March 2009 then the CWU membership will be balloted on whether they believe the Union should fund the Labour Party at the next General Election.

The NEC is instructed accordingly."

History of Affiliation

Branches may wish to note the following:

In the aftermath of TUC General Strike held in 1926, the then Conservative Government took action against Civil Servants. In 1927 it introduced the Trades Dispute Act. This was placed before Parliament by Winston Churchill MP at the time Stanley Baldwin was Prime Minister. The Act made it illegal for Civil Service Unions to affiliate to the TUC and the Labour Party. In 1945 - 1951 the Labour Government repealed the legislation. As a result of the legislation the Union of Post Office Workers re-affiliated to the Labour Party in 1947. The Post Office Engineering Union re-affiliated in 1963 and the National Communications Union (Clerical Section) re-affiliated in 1991.

A bit late on that timetable already - I wonder if we will be getting a communication sometime soon.

[brothermagrew]

Probably by Email like the House of Lords!

[Big Daz]

TBT

It could be argued that we are not in April yet but hopefully that dosent mean that the NEC/powers that be at HQ have not discussed this yet.

I will try and and get a letter to HQ done to find out exactly where we are on the ballot issue, it would be nice to have some info by the end of the day Tuesday.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

TBT

It could be argued that we are not in April yet but hopefully that dosent mean that the NEC/powers that be at HQ have not discussed this yet.

I will try and and get a letter to HQ done to find out exactly where we are on the ballot issue, it would be nice to have some info by the end of the day Tuesday.

Cheers Big Daz - will be most grateful for any information you can glean.

[Martin Walsh]

A further motion was passed at the NEC suspending funds to MEPs who dont support Early Day motion . Moreover E6 was discussed at the NEC this week and at the PEC. The debate is whether we would lose some of the labour mps support if we lauch the ballot now or not. Is it to our adcvantage or not.

As someone who moved the motion E6 at General Conference , I first and foremost want to stop the Government bill and if balloting at this point on the whether we fund the labour party at the next election harms our campaign then i think we should wait.

In any case the ballot is on whether we fund the labour party at the next election, the march deadline was put their on the basis we believed that the Hooper report would have been Law by then.It is highly unlikely that labour will call an election in April , May, June , July or August so we have a bit of time.

Be in no doubt the Branch`s who moved E6 want it carried out in line with the wording of the motion the question is when is the best time ?

[Big Daz]

Isnt it about time CWU HQ sent out a communcation to the members and branches telling us what is going on, its been 10 days since the deadline and not one word!



Why?

If there is a perfectley good reason then please let the branches and members know!

[Martin Walsh]

The second reading of the bill in the house of commons will probalby take place a couple of weeks after the euro elections in the second or third week of june. We have to ensure we keep as many of the back bench mps who signed the early day motion on side. Could we really do that at the same time as balloting our members on the funding ? I doubt it . E6 was designed to put pressure on MPs to back away from privitisation and its a question of tactics on the timing front.

I understand Billy will be putting an ltb out explaining why the ballot has yet to take place. Remember the words of E6 talks about not funding labour at the next election and it is unlikely that that they will either consider an election until October at the earliest and by then we would have either defeated the bill or we will have been balloted on the funds per say.

In any case I think funding to the labour party is going to be heavily debated at this years annual conference.

[Big Daz]

I understand Billy will be putting an ltb out explaining why the ballot has yet to take place.


Thats all I want, info in a timely manner as plain and simple as that.

[Big Daz]

The CLP's in my patch get a £20 affilation cheque and thats it, my branch dosent do donations. Both our Labour MP's are government ministers of which one is standing down at the next GE and all other MP's are Conservatives and their seats are perfectley safe.


Some CLP's are just useless but if we dont affilate then HQ will get arsey with us when it comes to giving us our rebate.

[BELIAL]

So our democratic conference passes a motion and our career politicians ignore it .So whatever I vote on in the movement I fund from my wages can be ignored if it suits the suits whose wages I pay? f**k that for a game of soldiers Bye bye piss takers

[Big Daz]

Given what Dingo has said about hooper being published later than expected then why didnt HQ go to the branches and ask for a extension from 31st March lasting through to Conference in June?

[dvbuk55]

When they talked of Spanish Practices - here we have a prime example of manãna

There is always an excuse for delay and procrastination - whereas what we should be doing is what we said we would do - ballot! There are two reasons for this, the manner in which the ballot is worded and showing that in future we will do what we say we will do and not be fobbed off with feeble excuses.

[Big Daz]

Good point Dvbuk

The ballot is about withdrawing funding from Labour at the next GE, it does not say we can not give any money or support to Labour from now untill the next general election.

There is no reason conference cant agree a policy of supporting individuals rather than organasations, thus allowing us to support certain Labour MP's such as Geraldine the former CWU rep from post office counters.

It is undemocratic to delay without seeking the approval of branches!!!!!!

[baldrick]

I think the reason is that the NEC is the supreme decision making body between conferences,
not individual branches. And how would having the Branches decide work in practice? Would
it be up to the Branch Secretary, the Branch Officers, the Branch Committee, or the Branch
membership - if the latter would it be by show of hands or secret ballot? If by ballot we might
as well have the original ballot.