Solidarity
is the passion at the heart of our union
Briefings
Team member Jane Aitchison reports on Dave Prentis's speech
earlier this week - it may help delegates with branch reports.
 "You'll
never know how good it feels to be here", said Dave Prentis,
UNISON General Secretary as he received a most heartfelt welcome
from his UNISON colleagues. The feeling was mutual.
Dave congratulated the Labour party on their success in the
General Election. On two pilot hospital PFI schemes, announced
by the Government on Friday, where our members would remain
on NHS pay, conditions, pensions and procedures, Dave said,
" I firmly believe I was able to use our APF link to the
benefit of our own members and that is how it should be. But
I want to make it clear that, despite those pilots, I will still
continue, on behalf of UNISON, to challenge the Government's
firmly held belief that the private sector is somehow its panacea."
He continued " I will continue to contest the notion that
the private sector equates to efficiency and effectiveness.
If the private sector is the answer someone has asked the wrong
question."
"So my challenge to the Government is this if you are truly
modernising, if you are really evidence based and if you are
customer focused just as you say you are get on with the investment,
get on with the reform but stop the creeping privatisation,
scrap the private finance initiative and make your rhetoric
match the reality, which our members experience every day in
their working lives."
Dave welcomed our international guests with "humility and
open arms" and highlighting UNISON's fight against racism
and the need to ensure that asylum seekers are once more welcome
in our country, said " The politics of hate, peddled by
the BNP in Oldham, Burnley, Tameside, Tower Hamlets must be
stopped in its tracks."
Dave concluded, "Like Rodney before me, I am proud of our
public services, proud of our union and what we stand for. And
as I stand before you still finding it hard to come to terms
with the privilege you accorded me when you elected me as your
General Secretary, there is one word which comes into my mind
a very unfashionable word these days that word is solidarity.
It is the passion at the heart of our union. It is the commitment
at the heart of public services."
"If we can lay aside our differences, lay aside defeatism,
have confidence in ourselves, in our values, in our union, we
can rise to the challenges ahead, our union stronger, our public
services better, our nation fairer - that is what we aim for,
that is my commitment to you."
Racism
and fascism debate
Racsim, fascism, hate
crimes and racist assaults are not confined to Oldham where the
BNP received 16% support in the recent General Election.
BNP candidates have
stood in elections in Glasgow but have been smashed by effective
labour and trade union movement organisations. Racist attacks
have taken place in Scotland's major cities.
The government's performance
on asylum seekers through the voucher system and forced dispersal
has been a disgrace.Glasgow's tradition of tolerance has been
tested by recent racist attacks on refugees.
The comprehensive campaign
set out in Emergency Motion 1 has already been taken up in part
by the STUC and should be supported.
Support Emergency 1
Friday
afternoon round-up
Friday afternoon's
business drafetd from the prioritisation exercise gives the Scottish
priorities a more than reasonable chance of being heard.
These included Stamp
out torture (105, Creche facilities for visitors at National Womens
Conference (168), Fuel poverty (99), Emergency motion on Racism
and fascism, Strike pay (130) and Care workers (47).
The list of priorities
includes few hot spots of disagreement. The amendments to Scotland's
motion 99, on Fuel poverty, can be supported.
168 Crèche
Facilities
The demand for Creche
facilities for visitors at National Womens Conference has been
supported by the Scottish Council and the amendment asking for
considereation of an extensin of this provision makes sense. Support
168 and the amendment.
70 Visual Fire Alarms
Edinburgh's amendment
to motion 70 is intended to be constructive in extending the issue
to a range of people who require visual alarms taking into account
issues like noisy or distracting workplace. It also adds support
for local negotiators. Support the motion and Edinburgh's amendment.
124 Palestine
Mr Mohammed Saleh,
Secretary and Executive Committee member, Palestine General Federatin
of Trade Unoins, Palestine was a guest at Scots Nite, where he
had the opportunity to discuss recent developments. Motin 124
condemns the aggressive and violent policies of the Israeli Government
and reaffirms the demand for a solution to the conflict based
on UN resolution 242. Support 124 amended or otherwise.
Strike Pay
Scottish Region presented
proposals for a review of the industrial action fund to Conferences
1994 and 1995. At this time the motions were remitted to allow
an earlys tabilisation of the union's finances.
The NEC has agreed
a revised rate of strike pay of £75. However, the wider
issues such as resuorcing the fund, called for in Glasgow's amendment,
should be supported.
Medical
Secretaries
The proposed emergency
motion on medical secretaries from North Glasgow Hospitals branch
will not be pursued.
Scottish Council Officers
have held iscussions with the branch and the Standing Orders Committee.
It has been agreed
that the request for an industrial action ballot will be referred
to the National Industrial Action Committee immediately and a
report on the campaign for a regrading for medical secretaries
in Scotland will be prepared by the Scottish Secretary.
The branch has agreed
not to pursue the emergency motion.
Best
wishes Alison
Thursday afternoon's
stramash illustrates the importance of effective and efficient
rostrum control in assisting Conference business.
Since UNISON's first
Conference, the task of co-ordinating the rostrum control team,
linking with the floor of Conference and the President in the
chair, has been admirably undertaken by Alison Mitchell from the
Organisation and Development department and previously known to
Local Government delegates as a first class negotiator at national
level.
Alison is leaving in
September and carries the respect and best wishes of the Scottish
Region.
We hear she is coming
up to Scotland for a party!
|
