nick venedi

Saturday 6 March 2010

What is the right balance.

As I stated in response to one of the comments I received last night I am not fully aware of the detail of why elected officers in Bromley have been physically removed from Unison offices. If that is true then that could be seen as an over reaction.

I have spoken before about the need to keep the balance between activists exercising their democratic right to have 'different' ideas and the importance of adhering to national rules and procedures that have, after all, been decided democratically by conference which has, as far as I am concerned supreme authority.

I am all for allowing 1000 flowers to bloom but then understand the need to have those flowers grow in the right place, at the right time. On a personal level I know fellow Branch Secretary Glen Kelly and I wouldn't think he could have done anything so drastic to merit this action but I don't have the precise detail. This action, however, proves what I have been saying and fearing before that the national union will not tolerate what they see as deviations and there should be no question as to how Linda Perks, regional Secretary is determined to deal with 'concerns' I am still saying this is an over reaction....

6 comments:

  1. Is the rumour true.. ??

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  2. Nick

    A comrade referred me to your blog commenting on my case.

    Rather than conjecture from others i thought i'd comment directly.

    After being subjected to a 33 month disciplinary process I have now been banned from holding office for two years for my role in the production of a leaflet distributed at the conference in 2007.

    On Friday 13 regional officers made raids on Greenwich,TSA and Bromley branches without any justifiable explanation.

    Every member of the Bromley, Greenwich, Hackney and TSA branches were written to on friday telling them we were banned and another letter sent to all of my members on saturday canceling a properly called AGM due to be held this Wednesday.

    Both Bromley and Greenwich branches have also been placed under regional administration with full time officals being placed in the branches.

    Put aside the injustice of the disciplinary for the moment, such excessive and brutal action poses the question How can they defend action taken against the branch.

    Allegedly it is ME not the branch that is guilty and has been banned. So why put the branch into regional administration?

    The AGM on Wednesday would have been able to elect a new branch secretary so why was it cancelled?

    Given that I had written to the region two weeks ago saying if the ban were imposed i had agreed a smooth hand as required under rule and would not obstruct it, Why then given that there is a fully functioning branch committee (none of whom were subject to investigation let alone action) is there the need to take over the branch and to insert a regional officer as branch secretary?

    The only genuine conclusion that can be drawn is that this is part of a conscious attempt to forcibly remove any perceived threat and decent from within the union in particular from socialists.

    It is clear that the region/union want to try and ensure that it has full political control over all of its branches and will grab any opportunity to do so.

    I wonder given all the attacks we are about to face, if the same speed of response and resources found to attack activists and branches will be given to the members in their fight to stop the attacks on their jobs wages and services.

    Nick Now is not the time to sit on the fence at such injustice, if unison is to be able to be up to the challenge we face it must vigorously oppose such stalinist methods which belong in the dustbin of history.

    Glenn Kelly

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  3. Dear Glenn

    Thanks for your comment. I am not known for my seating habints on the fence. My position was made clear on this before in a previous entry on the same subject on 3 occassions. I think the punishment is too harsh and a letter waring you would have been enough.
    Cheers
    Nick

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  4. I have to say I despair of these shameful raids - it is an incredible over reaction by the regional machine.
    To dedicate so much concentrated effort to undermine the remaining branch officials and branch democracy is bizarre and wasteful - a truly vitriolic approach that is not in the best interests of the wider union and frankly such action brings the union into disrepute. Definitely an approach reminiscent of the Sweeney -possibly more Todd than Police! kat

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  5. Hi Nick
    "brutal action"... What stuff and nonsense. The truth of the matter. http://grayee.blogspot.com/2010/03/unison-public-statement-on-employment.html
    and

    http://grayee.blogspot.com/2010/03/bromley-lg-greenwich-lg-tenant-services.html

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