Two Tribes Go To War

The Politics Home web site carried an interesting piece the other day about a turf war that has broken out between between the GMB and Unite trade unions over security for the 2016 Labour Party conference in Liverpool.  

Unite is close to the present Labour leadership and is a big supporter of Jeremy Corbyn while the GMB is backing his rival Owen Smith, but the two unions have fallen out over the award of a contract to a security firm (Showsec) which refuses to recognise the GMB.  

The GMB general secretary Tim Roache sent a furious email to his counterpart at Unite, Len McCluskey, accusing him of undermining the GMB's efforts to sign a recognition agreement with Showsec.     

Time Roache doesn't pull his punches in his email to McCluskey, a copy of the email was leaked to Politics Home: 

"I have to say, Len, that I find this turn of events incredibly unhelpful. We know from a long history of dealing with Showsec that they are very unlikely to sign a recognition agreement.

“When those negotiations break down next week we will be no closer at all to finding a resolution.

“The GMB will not allow a Labour party conference to take place with a security company that refuses to recognise GMB.

“As you know, we are the dominant union in the security sector, and we will not tolerate any attempt by other unions to find a solution by dreaming up an inferior recognition agreement."

Apparently the GMB plans to picket the conference if the Labour Party and Unite stitch up some sweetheart deal with Showsec.

Sounds like fun.

https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/labour-party/news/78295/excl-gmb-and-unite-go-war-over-labour-party


EXCL GMB and Unite go to war over Labour party conference security row

By Kevin Schofield - Politics Home

A furious row has erupted between two of Britain’s biggest unions over a dispute which could see next month’s Labour party conference cancelled, PoliticsHome can reveal.

Security outside the Labour coneference in Bournemouth in 2007

Credit: PA Images 

Tim Roache, general secretary of the GMB, has accused Unite boss Len McCluskey of trying to interfere in a bust-up between his union and Showsec, the firm lined up to carry out security at the event.

The GMB warned last week that the four-day conference, which is due to be held in Liverpool, would be “scuppered” unless Labour finds another company to handle the contract.

It followed Showsec’s refusal to sign an agreement recognising the GMB’s right to represent its workforce.

PoliticsHome has also learned that the GMB will picket the conference if it still goes ahead.