Wrong Priorities
According to The Sunday Times the Unite trade union is going to huge efforts to advise members of the right to vote in the forthcoming Labour leadership contest, if they sign up as affiliated members.
Now I'm not convinced that this is much of a priority for ordinary union members, but just imagine if the trade unions had put this much effort into advising their members about their rights to equal pay - and about the huge pay gap between traditional male and female council jobs.
Is it just me, or do other people think that Britain's union bosses (the Bubs) have got their priorities all wrong?
Thousands signed up by Unite to vote for Labour leader
By James Lyons - The Sunday Times
Len McCluskey is said to favour Andy Burnham for party leader (Jim Clarke)
UNITE, Britain’s biggest union, is signing up as many as 1,000 members a day to the Labour party to give them a vote in the leadership contest, an insider has revealed.
Jennie Formby, the political director of Unite, disclosed the figure at a meeting of Labour’s ruling national executive committee last week, a source who was present said.
Formby, who has a child by Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite, also questioned the need for safeguards on the “opt-in” recruitment process, which MPs have warned could be open to manipulation or abuse.
Members of unions affiliated to the party were automatically entitled to a say in leadership contests and have a third of the votes, under Labour’s old electoral college system. Unions must now ask members to affiliate individually under reforms introduced by Ed Miliband when he was party leader, but there is no fee and no limit on numbers.
Labour’s regular membership stands at about 240,000 after a post-election bounce. However, there are more than 4m trade unionists who could be become affiliates before the cut-off date in August.
UNITE, Britain’s biggest union, is signing up as many as 1,000 members a day to the Labour party to give them a vote in the leadership contest, an insider has revealed.
Jennie Formby, the political director of Unite, disclosed the figure at a meeting of Labour’s ruling national executive committee last week, a source who was present said.
Formby, who has a child by Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite, also questioned the need for safeguards on the “opt-in” recruitment process, which MPs have warned could be open to manipulation or abuse.
Members of unions affiliated to the party were automatically entitled to a say in leadership contests and have a third of the votes, under Labour’s old electoral college system. Unions must now ask members to affiliate individually under reforms introduced by Ed Miliband when he was party leader, but there is no fee and no limit on numbers.
Labour’s regular membership stands at about 240,000 after a post-election bounce. However, there are more than 4m trade unionists who could be become affiliates before the cut-off date in August.
Unite is using a call centre to contact members and ask if they want to join Labour (Stephen Simpson/REX Shutterstock) Unite is using a call centre to contact its members and ask if they want to join. Labour has asked for recordings of the calls so it can verify those who do join.
Formby revealed that between 500 and 1,000 affiliate members are being recruited from Unite’s ranks every day, the source said. “Jennie thinks there are too many tapes to hand over, it is too much and it is not really worth it. It was like: there is a lot of data, do you really need it all?” the source added.
Unite has emphasised that it is providing the recordings. “With our members’ agreement, conversations concerning affiliation to the Labour party will be shared with the party to assist them with the verification process,” a spokesman said.
“The Labour party has been assured that these conversations are carried out strictly in accordance with best practice and fully respecting of data protection laws.”
Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary who is seen as McCluskey’s favoured candidate in the leadership race, announced on Friday that he would not accept union help in his attempt to beat Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall to the top job.
He went on to say, however, that this decision would put him in a stronger position to defend the unions’ links with Labour.
Formby revealed that between 500 and 1,000 affiliate members are being recruited from Unite’s ranks every day, the source said. “Jennie thinks there are too many tapes to hand over, it is too much and it is not really worth it. It was like: there is a lot of data, do you really need it all?” the source added.
Unite has emphasised that it is providing the recordings. “With our members’ agreement, conversations concerning affiliation to the Labour party will be shared with the party to assist them with the verification process,” a spokesman said.
“The Labour party has been assured that these conversations are carried out strictly in accordance with best practice and fully respecting of data protection laws.”
Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary who is seen as McCluskey’s favoured candidate in the leadership race, announced on Friday that he would not accept union help in his attempt to beat Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall to the top job.
He went on to say, however, that this decision would put him in a stronger position to defend the unions’ links with Labour.
