John's Labour blog

trade unions and transforming public services

2009-11-22T18:10:00.004Z

This was the afternoon session on Day 2 of the UNISON Leadership school. The theme was on public service reform and how we should be responding to the challenge and securing the future. The speakers were Hilary Wainwright Research Director, New Politics Programme and Kenny Bell Deputy Regional Convenor Northern Region.
We discussed how UNISON Newcastle City branch successfully fought off an attempt to privatise Council services by their “Our City is Not for Sale” campaign. I saw Kenny and his branch give a presentation on this to UNISON conference earlier this year. We now made an attempt to explore the issues more closely and in depth.

Hilary has even helped write a book on the subject “Public Service Reform...But not as we know it”. The sub title of the book is “How Democracy can transform public services”. I briefly met her at a Labour Party Red Pepper fringe this year where she spoke about the topic. I did take notes but this is yet another post I have never quite got around to blogging. The book itself is staring at me from the book shelf with a pile of worthy others similarly unread. I will post a review as soon as I can.

The campaign itself could be seen as a model for other branches to follow when faced with the threat of outsourcing of public services especially in commissioning and procurement. The campaign itself had three strands - Industrial, Political and Public. The branch organised itself from top to bottom. There were regular meetings and consultation with all members and stewards. Everyone knew what was happening, what they needed to do and what was being done and why. The core principals were no compulsory redundancies and no outsourcing. Hilary argued that democratically provided public services are inherently better than those provided by the private sector. Industrial democracy is also key to providing quality public services.

The key leadership principal that I picked up (Kenny made it clear that he thought it was all done collectively but I think he is being modest) that public servants are also consumers of public services. We all want high quality and efficient services. We are not luddites and realise that you cannot argue forever for the status quo. However we believe in public services being provided by publicly accountable organisations. Newcastle City branch by campaigning, lobbying, involving the public, researching and taking well organised industrial action - they were able to defeat the proposed outsourcing.

Afterwards we broke into work groups to discuss how far we can use this Newcastle model in our branches and regions. Then we did more Group project work and in the evening there was a film on the Enron fraud.

Human rights lawsuits against companies

2009-11-22T16:10:00.003Z

This looks interesting. Circulated by TUC.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is pleased to invite you to an event featuring leading human rights lawyers: Martyn Day (UK) & Paul Hoffman (US). Both have brought landmark lawsuits against companies. They will be speaking on the same stage for the first time, and fielding questions from the audience.
Martyn and Paul will share:
• highlights of past cases;
• inside view of current cases;
• comments on what more should be done to hold companies accountable under law; and
• what they would say to companies wishing to avoid such lawsuits.
This event is not only for lawyers – it is equally for those from NGOs, business, government, media, investment firms, academia, etc – for anyone with an interest in human rights.
Martyn Day has brought human rights lawsuits against a number of companies...

Please RSVP to Joe Westby: westby@business-humanrights.org; phone +44 20 7636-7774. Please forward this invitation to others who may wish to attend – they should contact Joe Westby to reserve a space.

Time: Thursday 3 December 2009
6:00pm Arrival
6:15-7:45pm Presentations – Questions & answers
Followed by reception (light refreshments -- Friends House does not allow alcohol on the premises)

Place: Friends House (Large Hall), 173-177 Euston Road (opposite Euston Station), London NW1 2BJ
Nearest underground stations are Euston and Euston Square. King’s Cross underground and St Pancras International Terminus are a 10-minute walk.

Iranian Unions call for support for jailed Sugar Cane Activists

2009-11-21T21:42:00.006Z

Being a trade union activist in modern day Britain can be pretty tough at times.

But when you compare what is happening to trade unionists in countries such as Iran, where they are routinely jailed and flogged, by a state that also openly murders opponents, then frankly we have to step back a little and think about how we can support and show solidarity with those who face a noose around their neck rather than a final written warning.

It doesn’t help that people who should know better are paid apologists for the Iranian religious dictatorship and their wanton killing of demonstrators and the public executions of children.

Check out Kargaran and do as much as we can for trade unionists in Iran as we do for those in peril in other countries.

Sometimes you have to say "this is just crap and you know it”.

2009-11-20T22:41:00.010Z

Plain speaking Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health & Safety Executive tells it as it is. This was in response to a question from a trade union safety rep at today’s joint SERTUC/HSE safety conference “The Healthy Workplace”.

The rep asked what he should do when he gets fobbed off by managers with silly arguments and excuses. Ms Hackett thought that the excuses sounded like a “rich trapeze of rubbish” then suggested using the C**P argument.

I don’t remember reading this negotiating advice in any HSE pamphlets or even during my TUC safety courses? As branch health & safety officer I hesitate to recommend this to UNISON safety reps but I suppose since this advice is from the Chair of the H-S-E! So who am I to differ? (this is a Joke, repeat Joke)

The conference was very good. The emphasis was on preventing work related ill health and promoting well being rather than traditional safety issues. Dealing with health issues is usually more complex than safety.

The day kicked off with a speech by the SERTUC regional Secretary Megan Dobney. Megan pointed that even in a recession you do not cut health & safety. Also the widespread disappointment that there was no mention in recent Queen’s speech about asbestos and plural plaques.

Next was Judith (2nd from left) who talked about the new HSE strategy and 3 key issues. 1. The importance of enforcement action to achieve justice. 2. All HSE leaflets are now available for free on the internet and 3. Safety campaigning - especially on asbestos. There are 2 million suffering from work related ill health. Apart from the suffering and emotional pain the business case for dealing with this is compelling. Prevention is better than dealing with it afterwards. Health more important than safety. Need to raise our game on health.

Ed Sweeney the Chair of ACAS was the next main speaker (on right). A healthy workplace has good communication and consultation; equality and dignity; good relations with trade union reps and their organisations. It is useless having excellent procedures and policies if they are not implemented. Or Managers not trained or supported on how to properly implement. He stressed the importance of good line management and importance of employee engagement. The role of the rep is an advocacy, influencing, supporting, training and development role in providing good working places for people in the UK (and the rest).

In the Q&A my former TUC Occupational H&S course (1999-2000) colleague Phil Hood asked about the risk to existing safety regulations if the Tories are elected. A Tory think tank is proposing that if a company carries out an “independent” inspection then HSE inspectors will be barred from inspecting them. Ms Hackitt said that companies complain that the HSE doesn’t carry out enough inspections! She pointed out that she came from a chemical engineering and business background and believes the role of safety reps is vital and it would be fundamentally wrong to prevent enforcement.

My question to her was about what the HSE can do about the rogue consultants who just sell businesses (especially SME) unsuitable off the shelf; one size fits all safety policies which are not consulted upon with workers never mind safety reps? Judith agreed that she had been astonished when she took up her present post that there is no legal regulation of those who call themselves safety advisors. She thought it was not a HSE responsibility but agreed that companies are spending thousands and being ripped off. She thought that the IOSH and the other safety professional organisations need to sort things out and there needs to be a way to discipline such rogue consultants. She pointed out that she had a degree in engineering but was not deemed competent in her field until she had proven herself at work.

The blacklisted and disgracefully victimised construction safety rep Dave Smith (my former TUC tutor) asked Judith why when he was sacked from job after job, because of his blacklisting and safety rep duties, he would contact the HSE for advice only to be told that this was an industrial relations matter, not a safety matter and they were unable to help. Judith confirmed that blacklisting because you were a safety rep was indeed a matter for the HSE. She apologised if wrong advice had been given in the past. She pointed out the (unspecified) action that the HSE had taken against the North Sea offshore energy rigs companies who had “deemed” certain union safety reps NRB (not required back).

Which raised more questions than answers but I feel that most of us (IMO) felt that Ms Hackitt would have a very sharp (and unprintable?) opinion of companies or organisations who in the future victimise or blacklist safety reps.

This was the morning session. I will hopefully soon post on the afternoon which was also really useful. But I’m just a little behind on a number of posts at the mo.

Another one bites the dust: Jane Loftus, President of the CWU defies and resigns from SWP

2009-11-19T23:59:00.004Z

Socialist disunity reports here "As I understand it, Jane Loftus, President of the CWU, and the SWP’s most highly placed trade union militant has resigned from the organisation, according to my source:

Announced at Brent postal workers’ support group last night that, asked to choose between keeping her union position or making a self-criticism of her recent vote for the “interim agreement”, Jane Loftus has decided to leave the SWP.

Don’t people know that the SWP demand that all their activists follow the party line rather that the interests of their trade union members? See here "Party decisions are binding on all, especially the CC and comrades playing leading roles in the struggle” (unions, united front’s etc).

How on earth can anyone be an independent trade union leader and a member of the SWP?

hat-tip Col Roi.

Anti-Bullying Week

2009-11-19T23:33:00.003Z

This is a little late but just to point out that this week (16th to 20th November) is the UK Anti-Bullying Week. It’s not just about kids at school but bullying at work is a huge problem and unchecked can destroy peoples lives. IMO effective trade union representation is the best way to deal with bullying at work but far, far too many workers think they can rely upon employment law to protect them. People sometimes get the impression from reading the tabloid trash that you gets loads of money if your manager forgets to say hello to you in the morning! In practice this is simply not true and the overwhelming majority of serious bullying and harassment tribunal cases fail. Even if you win - often the awards are incredibly low.

Check out the ACAS site here and worksmart website to find out which union you should join (obviously it goes without saying that you should choose UNISON if you work in public services).

TUC World Aids Day Seminar

2009-11-19T22:48:00.003Z

1 December 2009 9.30–12.30 followed by buffet lunch
Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1

“I want to live my rights in the workplace”

This seminar will highlight and celebrate the role of trade unions in defending the interests and rights of affected colleagues and their communities and explore ways of further enhancing their achievements.
The event will bring together key players involved in workplace action, policy making and campaigning and focus on best practice in the workplace and
the challenges lying ahead.

Programme
09:30 Registration, coffee and tea
10:00 Lord Bill Morris Chair’s opening remarks
Kay Carberry, TUC Assistant General Secretary, welcome address
Mike Foster MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
International Development*
Dr Syed Asif Altaf, HIV-AIDS Co-ordinator, International Transport Federation
Zuzanna Gorska Global Co-ordinator on HIV-AIDS, International Trade Union Confederation
Daniel Owasu Boatey HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator, Ghana TUC
11.00 Questions from the floor
11:30 Panel discussion: Andy Harvey Education and training consultant;
Eleanor Briggs Assistant Director, Policy and Campaigns, National AIDS Trust;
Nick Sigler Head of International Relations, Unison;
Simon Dubbins Head of International Relations, Unite
12:25 Chair’s closing remarks
12.30 Seminar ends, followed by hot buffet lunch

Please confirm your attendance to Tanya Warlock on 020 7467 1357 or
email: twarlockAT@tucDOTorgDOTuk If you have any particular access needs please
inform Tanya by 16 November. *to be confirmed

Hat-tip SERTUC

Fighters and Believers - Queens Speech PPB

2009-11-18T19:04:00.009Z

I've just seen this live on ITV1. It's an excellent Party Political Broadcast. I saw the original version at this year's Labour Party conference. I must admit that I prefer that one. The music in the original version here is more haunting and soulful. There is also a greater emphasis on Party history as well. I suppose the audience and the message is different. By co-incidence I was listening to a Radio 4 documentary today about the European space agency and they had the same background music.

The speech itself and the debate afterwards was I think was very successful. I was pleased about the commitments on equality for agency workers, the End Child poverty commitment, the Equality Bill, Financial Services Bill (nothing mind on shareholders governance) and the Personal Care at Home Bill.

BTW - check out the GMB report on the Privileged background of Conservative Candidates here

Tory candidates standing in the General Election are still wholly unrepresentative of the UK workforce new study from the GMB general union shows. The vast majority - 96% of candidates are still from the top three occupational groups according to an analysis of the 537 candidates and existing MP selected to stand. Of the selected candidates no less than 63 are drawn from the banking and finance industries.

Less than 1% are from the six lower occupational groups employing 56% of the UK workforce.

Tories still dominated by unrepresentative toffs it seems? Hat-tip thingy unionreps.

...and this report in The Times about the private medical clinic suspended from their contract by the London NHS after two deaths. Hat-tip Col. Roi.

"Lollypop Lady" Louise to run against BNP Barnbrook

2009-11-17T23:05:00.007Z

UNISON London NEC member (and local School Crossing Officer) Louise Couling, is to stand against the fascist BNP Councillor and London Assembly member, Richard Barnbrook in next year’s local council elections in Barking and Dagenham East London.

At this morning’s London UNISON regional committee it was announced that Louise the no nonsense east end grandmother and committed anti-fascist will be one of 3 Labour Party candidates in the Goresbrook Ward who are standing against Barnbrook and his fellow (IMO) Hitler worshiping cultists. Louise describes herself as an ordinary working class trade unionist who fiercely represents her predominately low paid women members. She is also a super proud true Brit who hates fascism.

At the meeting Louise called for support from all parts of UNISON in the upcoming battle in all those communities who are facing the scourge of fascism. I’ll post details soon on how you can help Louise, the local Labour Party or the non partisan anti-fascist “Hope Not Hate”.

Despite some members of the committee not being, let us just say "over fond" of Labour the overwhelming majority were really pleased and wholly supportive that a leading London UNISON female activist was directly taking on the fascists.

It was a shame but also somewhat amusing that while we were trying to be positive and inclusive the East Sussex member of the committee who should have known better, decided to launch an ultra left sectarian and divisive rant about New Labour being the real cause of BNP in East London. To which I heard one person quip none too seriously under their breath “this is the first time I’ve ever heard the Barking and Dagenham Party described as “New Labour”.

Picture of our Louise (hint, hint - the one in the bright yellow with our General Secretary Dave Prentis).

Housing Matters 16 November 2009

2009-11-16T23:18:00.003Z

I am sure that many folk have been left bereft at the lack of Housing Matters posts during the last few weeks but apologies I have been a bit busy. A pity since there has been some interesting housing stuff going on recently.

Why did the most highly paid Housing Association boss ever - John Belcher - leave Anchor Trust?
Inside Housing speculates here on the reasons why the £391,000 per year CEO left in the same year that the Trust posted a £35 million loss. I’m intrigued that there are rumours that the going rate for an early bath CEO is a year’s pay upfront (no Schedule One problem with that it appears while with more junior staff earning far, far less it is often a different story). Is it anything to do with the anti-trade union decision by Anchor to de-recognise Unite as its trade union last year? I see that the relatively new Chair of the Anchor Board is Aman Dalvi the Head of Regeneration and Planning at Tower Hamlets Council. Maybe it was something to do with Hyde HA CEO David Eastgate at this year's Labour Party conference comment here about excessive CEO pay? There are “several highly paid outliers” but “don’t tar us all with the same bush”.

Chickens live better than Children
Roof Magazine here reports on the campaign by Shelter to update the 1935 definition of overcrowding. Suggesting that MP’s have more concern about the living conditions for factory chickens than children living in overcrowded homes. Applying these standards and actually explaining them to residents is at best completely embarrassing to any housing officer never mind the resulting personal misery of overcrowding for our tenants. Unfortunately Shelter have joined forces with London arch Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson who thinks that the fairer taxation that would be needed if you were actually serious about ending overcrowding is comparable to Stalinist mass murder. Hmmm.

Housing Associations to float on Stock Market
I have no doubt that this story will go up and down in line with the likely expectations of a Tory Government next year.

A Million Voices for a Million Homes
On Wednesday at the House of Commons there was the launch of UNISON/Apse report into the rebirth of Council Housing. This is part of the UNISON Million Voices Campaign.

FED attacks rents cuts
The National Housing Federation not unsurprisingly attacks the decision by the Government for them to cut rents in line with the latest deflation figures. This is a serious issue for many Housing associations but I am still trying to remember exactly what was the attitude of the FED to the abnormal inflation figure of 5% last September?

What would the founders of the Housing Association movement think of such a headline? Just a thought.

(picture taken in a West Ham Newham Homes estate during a summer evening while fighting the good fight)

Stop talking, start doing!

2009-11-16T13:38:00.004Z

The key message given by Bob Oram NEC member North West at last week's leadership school in respect of organising was "Stop talking, start doing! Everyone now says we are an organising union, yet what does that mean? If we were not about organising in the first place then what are we about?” ...

Check out UNISONactive take on the recent leadership course here.

UNISON Leadership School Day 2 AM

2009-11-15T23:52:00.005Z

I’ve posted here; here and here so far on issues relating to last week’s UNISON course in Stoke Rochford. I’ll try and post over the next week or so about what the rest of the course and what ideas and lessons I feel are important to the trade union movement.

I will also “attempt” to assess and think about how I try to organise in my workplace and my branch.

Obviously a public blog isn’t the place for a warts and all analysis but I think that there are some useful lessons that I have learnt which I can share. The usual health warning applies about this being my own subjective interpretation of what was going on. The course was very much a pilot and a learning experience for the union as well. Also it was very intensive and pretty knackering and some of my hastily typed notes may be misleading.

The Monday evening we had a team “Quiz night” on current affairs, politics, history, films and music etc. This was a good team building exercise. A positive feature about the course was that we were constantly split into new and different work groups. Our team did not win – we felt of course we were robbed of victory by very hard marking. It didn’t help that the other teams knew more of the answers.

The Tuesday morning activity was firstly about reflecting on ideas about leadership and applying them to our own work context. Then about applying the leadership theories we had learnt about the previous day to an “organising union” (IMO all activists in unions are leaders whether they like it or not). We were asked to reflect on what approaches to leadership do we see the most and what approach we would like to see develop – in others and around us and how to use this week to help achieve it.

I hold various positions in the union but with regards to my union role with my employer at this stage I concluded that the most common leadership model in our union is transactional. To face the current and future challenges our leaders needs to be more transformational. This has to be subject to collective and shared responsibility at all levels. Personally I need to communicate (talk) more face to face with members and potential members, delegate more, spend more time recruiting members, local contacts and reps while supporting existing reps. Collective action is difficult since we have a very complicated Group structure and members spread over dozens of different workplaces in a very wide geographical area. But we are getting there. All this is hardly rocket science but spending time thinking, discussing and sharing ideas with other experienced colleagues who are outside your own box about such strategic themes is one of the key positive experiences of this course. At the workplace you are constantly fire-fighting and find it difficult to find time to stop and think.

In the morning we were also allocated into project groups and tasked to develop a proposal or resource to help in promoting leadership in UNISON. We had to present our ideas to the rest of the course on the Friday morning during the final session. We also had useful a self assessment leadership questionnaire to fill out.

In the afternoon we had an enlightening presentation on “Trade Unions and transforming public services” which I will post about soon-ish.

(Course picture with our General Secretary Dave Prentis)

The West Ham Pals

2009-11-15T23:29:00.004Z

This is just a great local history blog about the “West Ham Pals”.

One of the reasons why the First World War was so traumatic an event to British society was that so many of the new infantry Battalions formed to fight in the trenches were the so called “Pals Battalions”. Where men could serve with local friends, neighbours or workers.

The West Ham Pals were officially the 13th Battalion of the Essex Regiment.

Unofficially they were West Ham football team supporters who joined up en mass with their mates and whose battle cry (and bayonet charge) was “Up the Irons”.

The Battalion fought in some of the worse battles in the War and suffered in total 37,404 causalities killed, wounded or missing. The impact of all these deaths and casualties in battle on the local community was therefore immense.

Hat-tip thingy Newham Recorder.

SWP Witch hunt II “I was expelled from the Socialist Workers Party today...…”

2009-11-15T22:04:00.007Z

Check out this post from a now former member of the SWP, Alex Snowden, who yesterday was expelled after 17 years membership from the sect because of his support for the John Rees “Left Platform” within the SWP. Two other members of this faction have also been suspended. I helpfully posted previously on this here.

I do wonder of course who was the SWP thug that Alex complains had an “extremely hostile attitude to me and conducted discussion in an unpleasant and personalised manner” and “The situation was made worse in September when the individual most responsible for the personal vilification, and suppression of debate, was appointed full-time district organiser”. I think we should be told.

Of course Alex is as daft a brush to have been in the SWP for so long. He was only 14 when he joined which probably explains things. I will try and link this post to his site and ask comradely whether or not he wants any help in a “SWP Witch hunt defend the Three Campaign”. If so I’m his man...

Alex is of course is relatively very lucky – main picture is of an early SWP disputes committee leader dishing out punishment to those who oppose the CC.

Hat-tip thingy Tynesider

It's The Sun Wot Lost it!

2009-11-14T16:44:00.002Z

Hat-tip thingy the "other" John's blog

“the message for the General Election is clear: Game on”

2009-11-13T21:25:00.007Z

It was great waking up this morning to hear the by-election result in Glasgow North East. Given the national polls and economic difficulties this was a stunning victory for Labour.

The New Labour MP (in the literal sense of the word) Willie Bain described it as a “fantastic victory for Gordon Brown and Labour”. Willie also put the success down to voter’s memories of the “Last Tory recession”.

Which I am certain is very true. We need to keep the faith for 2010. Despite our frustration and disappointments with the Party we know in our heart of hearts that there is no alternative for ordinary working people to Labour. Tonight on the 6pm news I saw Glasgow pensioners at a local community club tucking into a good (and no doubt healthy) meal while describing why they remain loyal to Labour. To them it is still the only Party for working men and woman.

While I suspect that the recent completely vile and despicable behaviour of The Sun “Newspaper” somewhat helped contribute to the Labour victory. I do think that this triumph was in part due to the “it’s the economy stupid” prospective. While there was a mistaken pandering in the past by Labour to neo-liberal Economic arguments which are now clearly the main cause of this current recession (thankfully we did not deregulate as much as the Tories wanted); the Tories are ideologically opposed to the Labour Government measures to save jobs and protect people from the recession while also fundamentally opposing the expansionary financial measures needed to bring us out of the current mess. I think that people are beginning to recognise this. We need to roll this message out nationally.

This morning UNISON colleagues from Scotland I spoke to on our course were not only pleased with the result but also ecstatic that the BNP had lost their deposit. Glasgow North East has a very high number of asylum seekers in the constituency yet voters had rejected the politics of Nazi hate and discrimination.

BTW - There was the usual, dismal and utterly pointless performance by the various Heinz 57 trot lost deposit brigades.

What has UNISON ever done for us?

2009-11-13T12:38:00.005Z

Light hearted sketch exploring how trade unions have shaped our work place. Hat-tip thingy.

UPDATE: this video was a part of a team project on this course

Support the Postal Workers! - London Meeting 16 November

2009-11-12T15:46:00.001Z

11am Remembrance Day: Stoke Rochford Hall

2009-11-11T11:00:00.002Z

Most of the teaching time spent on this UNISON course (see previous post) has been in the Library of Stoke Rochford Hall. During the 2nd world War the Hall was the headquarters of the second Battalion of the Parachute Regiment. On the floor of this Library the maps and plans were laid out for the ill fated “Arnhem” Campaign in 1944.

This morning while out for a run in the surrounding park land I came across a tree planted in remembrance to the Canadian crew of a British Lancaster Bomber “which crashed nearby" killing them all on 28 April (now Workers Memorial Day) 1945. Just days before the end of the 2nd World War in Europe.

The Course agreed this morning to have a few minutes silence at 11am to remember all those who gave their lives for freedom.

A Million Voices for a Million Affordable Homes: New UNISON/APSE Report

2009-11-10T23:55:00.001Z

Due to being at the Stoke Rochford I am going to miss tomorrow evenings UNISON/ASPE launch at the House of Commons of a joint report into the capacity of Councils to begin to build new homes.

Our General Secretary Dave Prentis will be there with Housing Minister John Healey to respond to the report then there will be a Q&A led from Heather Wakefield, Head of Local Government, UNISON, Kelvin Hopkins MP and Judy Mallaber MP.

Other Labour MP’s are expected to attend. As soon as I get a copy of the report I will post on it.

UNISON’s “Million Voices” campaign includes a housing component – a million voices for a million affordable homes (see main picture - double click to read).

(John Healey has recently confirmed that he will be attending a future meeting of UNISON Housing Association branch Labour Link members at the House of Commons: date to be arranged).

UNISON Leadership School: Stoke Rochford 2009

2009-11-10T18:58:00.002Z

This week I am taking part in the UNISON Leadership School course which is taking place in Stoke Rochford, Grantham.

There are about 50 of us participating in the course. Lay activists from all over the union as well as UNISON employed staff (regional and Head office). This is the first such course ever run by UNISON (and I have not heard of any other union in the UK running anything similar). It is being delivered by (enthusiastic) UNISON national learning and organising team with the help of NEC members. I think this is a hugely positive and forward thinking initiative by UNISON..

So far there has been a mixture of presentations followed by discussions in small working groups. Our first speaker yesterday was Helen Black the Regional Secretary for East Midlands. She explained the economic and political context; national trade union trends and what lies in the future. One quotation she referred to was “The quality of leadership, more than any other single factor determines the success or failure of an organisation” Fiedler and Charmers.

Since then we have been grappling with different explanations and methods of leadership. Transformational, transactional, intuitive or shared/collective. The course is also being accredited by Ruskin College (to level 3 and 4).

Stoke Rochford itself is an old manor house owned by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and used as a education and training centre. It is set in a stunningly beautiful countryside location.

On Thursday Ed Miliband MP is also coming to speak to us. If I get the time I’ll try and post further updates.

Construction Safety Conference & AGM

2009-11-09T17:37:00.002Z

SERTUC Question Time - 24 November 2009

2009-11-09T07:19:00.004Z

In these modern progressive times where we are moving towards globalisation do unions still serve a purpose? What specific purpose do they serve?

PANEL DISCUSSION (AUDIENCE Q&A):

• Trevor Sterling (Chair – Thompsons Solicitors)
• Fraser James (Actor)
• Glenroy Watson (RMT)
• Karen Jennings (National Secretary for Health, UNISON)
• Linda Perks (Regional Secretary Greater London, UNISON & SERTUC Executive Committee)
• Rosemary Laryea (Presenter, Colourful Radio)
• Sam Gurney (Policy Officer, International Department, TUC)

(click on picture to bring up further details)

Hayes & Harlington - WW1 Roll of Honour

2009-11-08T22:25:00.002Z

remember

Silvertown Remembrance March & Service: Abide with me

2009-11-08T20:49:00.006Z

Today there were 4 Remembrance Services in Newham. This year I went to the Royal British Legion (North Woolwich & Silvertown Branch) Service. There was a march from the Legion club in Constance Street E16 starting off promptly at 10.30am.

At the head of the possession was a Pipe and Drums band and bringing up the rear a London Fire Brigade engine. As well Royal Legion veterans, supporters and ordinary members of the public there were serving soldiers from the Rifles, a Royal Marine and representatives from all the emergency services.

Councillor Amarjit Singh was there in his role as Chair of the Council. I walked with local Royal Docks ward Councillors Patrick Murphy, Stephen Brayshaw and Anthony McAlmont. I estimated that there were about 150 people in the procession. We marched to the St Marks War Memorial in Factory Road. This is in the grounds of what is now the Brick Lane Musical Hall.

There was an outdoor service and luckily the weather held out for us. The first hymn was one of my favourites (even though I clearly did not know all the words) “Abide with me”. Then we had prayers and the "Last Post” before the two minute silence at 11am. After Reveille there were poems read out followed by the laying of wreaths. The final hymn was “O God in Ages Past” then the National Anthem and a blessing. Next was was coffee and cakes (treacle tart!) inside the Musical Hall (which I have not been to before – but must return to see the show).

I enjoyed the sight of elderly veterans shaking hands and talking to the present day soldiers and marines. Over coffee I was speaking to one man who could remember as a local child listening to Doodlebugs (German V1 rockets) flying overhead then their engines cutting out and the rocket falling down and exploding. Outside I was asked to take a photograph of a family in front of the memorial. Their great-grandfather was one of the servicemen named on it.

Despite the weather the attendance this year was apparently much larger than in previous years which I think is for fairly obvious reasons. After a little while we formed up again and marched to the footbridge where we “fell out” and were invited to come back to the Legion Clubhouse.

On my way home I stopped off at the local Fire station and took a photo of the plaque remembering the firemen and their families who were killed in the nearby Silvertown explosion in 1917. An unsafe wartime factory producing TNT high explosives blew up and flattened the local area killing 73 and injured over 400.

My usual favourite memory of today was during the two minute silence when in this solemn and very serious time we all paid our respects in our different ways all you could hear was the lovely sounds of a little innocent baby happily cooing and babbling away in the arms of a no doubt slightly embarrassed Mum.