Brothers in Arms
Another interesting article in the weekend papers highlighted the less than fraternal relations inside the country's newest super union - Unite.
Paul Hutcheon, in the Sunday Herald, wrote that Unite - which has two million members - is being dogged by a row between its leading officials. Here's a summary of the article:
"It was supposed to be a new super-union whose name spelled out the importance of solidarity".
"Minutes of meetings held by Unite show that the union’s two joint general secretaries, Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, are at war over the race to succeed them. The pair are in dispute over the organisation of a leadership election thought to be the most crucial union ballot for a generation.
Unite is currently at loggerheads with BA over its members’ terms and conditions. The UK’s largest union, which has poured more than £10 million into Labour coffers, has staged a series of cabin crew strikes in protest at what it regards as aggressive behaviour by BA.
The dispute has lasted for months and resulted in cancelled flights, holidaymakers facing delays and huge losses for the company, while Unite’s members recently rejected a deal described as BA’s “final offer”.
Unite was formed in 2007 through a merger of Amicus and the Transport & General Workers’ Union. The union has two general secretaries: Woodley, who came from the T&G; and Simpson, the former Amicus boss.
Unite’s members will pick between four candidates later this year for a single general secretary who will take office when Simpson and Woodley retire.
Minutes of a Unite executive council meeting on June 3 reveal that the pair had a “difference of opinion” on the rules of the election. Woodley wanted each candidate to be able to send a union mailshot to members, in addition to an election address, while Simpson stated that “no union resources at all” should be used.
The same minute showed the joint general secretaries expressed further “differing points of view”, with Woodley winning the mailshot vote by 35 to 19.
It is understood Woodley’s favoured candidate, Len McCluskey, is not well-known among the Amicus section of Unite and stands to benefit from a union-funded mailshot. Simpson’s choice for the top job, Les Bayliss, is a familiar face to former Amicus members and would benefit less from pre-ballot literature.
The minute of this gathering stated: “Tony Woodley expressed his disappointment that joint general secretary Derek Simpson and members of the executive council had not felt able to attend the meeting.”
The minutes of these meetings appear to confirm that the two Unite heavyweights have a testing relationship. The pair are said to be barely on speaking terms, with one union source saying that Woodley had won a series of battles against his colleague.
Woodley’s use of a subsidised flat in London attracted criticism, while Simpson’s use of micro-blogging website Twitter during talks with BA annoyed his colleagues.
Woodley’s remuneration package stood at £135,330 last year, while Simpson’s salary and benefits ran to £196,497, a figure that included a £24,550 car allowance and £31,552 for housing.
Jerry Hicks, the only candidate in the leadership contest who is not an assistant general secretary of Unite, said: “In the Unite membership there is anger and frustration at the tensions between Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley. It’s like two egos in a pot. As a union, we are not realising our potential.”
Derek Simpson's salary and benefits package is an eye watering amount of money for a union leader - as the joint boss of the country's largest trade union - he's not even general secretary in his own right.
Paul Hutcheon, in the Sunday Herald, wrote that Unite - which has two million members - is being dogged by a row between its leading officials. Here's a summary of the article:
"It was supposed to be a new super-union whose name spelled out the importance of solidarity".
"Minutes of meetings held by Unite show that the union’s two joint general secretaries, Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, are at war over the race to succeed them. The pair are in dispute over the organisation of a leadership election thought to be the most crucial union ballot for a generation.
Unite is currently at loggerheads with BA over its members’ terms and conditions. The UK’s largest union, which has poured more than £10 million into Labour coffers, has staged a series of cabin crew strikes in protest at what it regards as aggressive behaviour by BA.
The dispute has lasted for months and resulted in cancelled flights, holidaymakers facing delays and huge losses for the company, while Unite’s members recently rejected a deal described as BA’s “final offer”.
Unite was formed in 2007 through a merger of Amicus and the Transport & General Workers’ Union. The union has two general secretaries: Woodley, who came from the T&G; and Simpson, the former Amicus boss.
Unite’s members will pick between four candidates later this year for a single general secretary who will take office when Simpson and Woodley retire.
Minutes of a Unite executive council meeting on June 3 reveal that the pair had a “difference of opinion” on the rules of the election. Woodley wanted each candidate to be able to send a union mailshot to members, in addition to an election address, while Simpson stated that “no union resources at all” should be used.
The same minute showed the joint general secretaries expressed further “differing points of view”, with Woodley winning the mailshot vote by 35 to 19.
It is understood Woodley’s favoured candidate, Len McCluskey, is not well-known among the Amicus section of Unite and stands to benefit from a union-funded mailshot. Simpson’s choice for the top job, Les Bayliss, is a familiar face to former Amicus members and would benefit less from pre-ballot literature.
The minute of this gathering stated: “Tony Woodley expressed his disappointment that joint general secretary Derek Simpson and members of the executive council had not felt able to attend the meeting.”
The minutes of these meetings appear to confirm that the two Unite heavyweights have a testing relationship. The pair are said to be barely on speaking terms, with one union source saying that Woodley had won a series of battles against his colleague.
Woodley’s use of a subsidised flat in London attracted criticism, while Simpson’s use of micro-blogging website Twitter during talks with BA annoyed his colleagues.
Woodley’s remuneration package stood at £135,330 last year, while Simpson’s salary and benefits ran to £196,497, a figure that included a £24,550 car allowance and £31,552 for housing.
Jerry Hicks, the only candidate in the leadership contest who is not an assistant general secretary of Unite, said: “In the Unite membership there is anger and frustration at the tensions between Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley. It’s like two egos in a pot. As a union, we are not realising our potential.”
Derek Simpson's salary and benefits package is an eye watering amount of money for a union leader - as the joint boss of the country's largest trade union - he's not even general secretary in his own right.
