There will be some passionate debates this week at our two conferences, Policy and Rules.
United Left/ Members First supporters will be intervening in many, always looking at issues from the viewpoint of defending our lay member democracy and ensuring our members are allowed to participate fully in union structures.
We have already flagged up two of the key issues at the Rules conference;
- Rule 6 which seeks to ensure elected reps and branch officers can fully participate in our lay member structures.
- Rule 22 which gives our members a political voice and an opportunity to influence the Labour Party, especially when it is in government. Disaffiliating or goading the Labour Party to expel us just 10 months before the election of a Labour government would be an enormous act of self-harm. All these attempts need to be opposed and voted down.
Some of the proposed amendments to Rule 6 seek to give a stronger voice to our young members in work, and to reflect the industrial reality facing many of them, such as Amendment 10 from Ireland Young Members Committee which should be supported.
There are two amendments (15) 7.11 & (39) 14.2.4, which seek to address the relationship between EC members and their respective national committees. Are EC delegates to NISCs ex-officio or can they sit as delegates or even as Chair of the committees? The movers clearly feel there needs to be clarity in our Rule Book.
Under Rule 7, Amendment 13, clause 7.6 there is an attempt to radically change Sector conferences from the present process whereby each of our 19 sectors holds its own sector conference to one whereby there will only be three conferences; Manufacturing, Services and Transport. It took a long time to hone these sector conferences to be fit for purpose, to end these and go to a trade group conference will be a retrograde unhelpful and undemocratic step and should be opposed.
Amendment 14 from NEYH Women’s Committee seeks to address equalities issues on our committees in a positive way and should be supported.
Other amendments seek to increase the numbers of delegates to Policy conference, some quite dramatically.
If you like what we say – why not join us?
Contact United Left/Members First at nationalunitedleft@gmail.comIf
