It’s in your hands, comrades

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://leahfraser.wordpress.com/2008/12 ... -comrades/

News from Leah Fraser
Working to be the next MP for Wallasey and Moreton


The trade unions, as we know, are Labour’s biggest donors. The unions get their money from the ‘levy’ paid by trade union members, deducted directly from their wages.

However, there are three examples locally which must surely make local trade union members wonder if they still want some of their wages to go direct to Labour:

1. The public service workers’ union, Unison, for example has given a whopping 871 donations to Labour, worth £14,251,373.72. Of that, £9,500 was given directly to the Labour Party in Wallasey. Unison is in dispute with the Labour Party, locally and nationally, over cuts to the library service.

2. The Communication Workers’ Union, CWU, has given 641 donations to Labour, worth £5,661,334.58, again with some of it going directly to the local Party. The CWU is also in dispute with the Labour Party, this time over Government plans to close the likes of Copperas Hill Sorting Office and they’re not too impressed with Mandelson’s plans to start privatising the Royal Mail either.

3. The TGWU, now part of a super union called UNITE, has given 395 donations, worth £9,128,352.49. The TGWU has also clashed with the Government over the need to tighten up the minimum wage for restaurant and hotel workers and, locally, they were at the forefront of the campaign to try and stop the Government closing wards 6 and 7 at Victoria Central Hospital.

There must come a point for every trade union member when they start to ask whether they want their money to go to the cause of so many of their problems.

Certainly, many of the local trade union members I have spoken with value their union and the strength it provides but they are seriously unhappy at funding Labour without any questions asked. As someone who values our local services, I am happy to work with anyone, including trade unions, to defend the services we all need.

The union leaders can use their influence to change some of the Labour Party’s policies, locally and nationally, without resorting to industrial action. How? Just stop writing the cheques.

[DGP1]

not too impressed with Mandelson’s plans to start privatising the Royal Mail either.

That's an understatement

[Yahoorsur]

A Conservative candidate,asking us to stop funding Blu Labour,well I never all in all I'm reminded of Nye Bevins remark at the founding of the NHS in 48.

No amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party.
Aneurin Bevan, 1948


Dave's cuddly hug a hoodie Tories or Broon's Blu-Labour what a choice

[norbert]

not too impressed with Mandelson’s plans to start privatising the Royal Mail either.

That's an understatement

even RMC's favourite Liverpool pie connoisseur said " All that money for hangwringing " - more like the Democrats in the States and that's being charitable

[dvbuk55]

not too impressed with Mandelson’s plans to start privatising the Royal Mail either.

That's an understatement

even RMC's favourite Liverpool pie connoisseur said " All that money for hangwringing " - more like the Democrats in the States and that's being charitable

A hand wringing pie muncher - now that would be a smiley worth having - but I thought that all that money was for influencing the Labour Party and the decisions made and having access to ministers - well in retrospect we'd probably have been better off having one giant pi*s up.

[DGP1]

not too impressed with Mandelson’s plans to start privatising the Royal Mail either.

That's an understatement

even RMC's favourite Liverpool pie connoisseur said " All that money for hangwringing " - more like the Democrats in the States and that's being charitable

A hand wringing pie muncher - now that would be a smiley worth having - but I thought that all that money was for influencing the Labour Party and the decisions made and having access to ministers - well in retrospect we'd probably have been better off having one giant pi*s up.

That sounds like a great plan £5million session just for the workers