Vote Jerry Hicks for UNITE General Secretary

Len McCluskey has called a snap election for the top job in Unite, even though he has over two years left to run in the post. This is outrageous and undemocratic, says Jeremy Dewar
The controversial decision was okayed by the national executive in mid-December and is being rushed through in the shortest time possible, giving hardly anyone else time to put himself or herself forward. But that is the intention – McCluskey and his supporters want a shoo-in.
However, he may not get his own way; Jerry Hicks, the rank and file candidate who came second last time round in 2010, has thrown his hat into the ring. He needs 50 branch nominations between 1 January and 15 February to force a ballot, a tall order but achievable.
After all, Jerry received over 50,000 votes three years ago and, though victimised and effectively blacklisted, is still well known and highly regarded for his work as a convenor at the Rolls Royce plant in Filton, near Bristol.
Even more importantly, Jerry used his vote to help found a national rank and file grouping in Unite, Grass Roots Left. Though still small, the GRL is committed to fighting for rank and file control of the union, the election of all officers and for all strikes to be run by the members in dispute, not unaccountable bureaucrats and lawyers.
In contrast to this, the faction that supports McCluskey, United Left, is in reality a ginger group for supposedly left wing officials. UL supported the sell-out of the British Airways dispute in 2011 and have now expelled SWP members from its ranks for daring to oppose this unnecessary snap election.
The real reason for the election – and McCluskey has admitted this – is to avoid a clash with the general election in May 2015.
Clash with Labour
Why is this important? Because the Labour leadership do not want working class militants debating politics and what a real workers’ government should do while the union-funded party is attempting to “triangulate” – that is, shift its policies to the right in order to attract middle class voters by distancing itself from the unions.
For all his guff about “kicking the cuckoos out of the Labour nest”, McCluskey is actually feathering Ed Miliband’s nest.
Jerry, on the other hand, proposes Unite only backs those Labour candidates who support union policy. He also supports the election of all officials, a programme of public works and the creation of a million “green” jobs. Unlike McCluskey, who is on a six-figure salary, Hicks will only take the average workers’ wage if elected.
We urge all Unite activists to rally to Jerry’s cause and motivate his nomination at their branch and chapel meetings. With thousands of car workers facing redundancy, the NHS being privatised and cut to shreds, and construction workers being blacklisted for basic union activity, we need a real fighting General Secretary in Unite.
Nominate Jerry Hicks for General Secretary!
Join Grass roots Left!
Read Workers Power’s action programme for Unite below.
For Jerry’s Nomination you will need the following details:
Name: Mr J R Hicks: Membership number 31247909
Branch: Bristol Area Community Branch SW/ 001500

An action programme for Unite

Democracy

1. Decisions made at branch meetings and sectoral/national conferences, made up of elected delegates from workplaces, must be sovereign
2. All executives and officials to be elected by the members they serve, preferably after hustings at workplace meetings
3. All officials and executive members to be accountable to and immediately recallable by the members they serve
4. All officials to receive the average pay of a skilled worker
5. All disputes to be controlled by the members in dispute: what their demands should be, what is said in negotiations, when to strike and when not to, how long to strike for, etc.
6. For branches and sectors to be structured along industrial/service lines, as decided by members themselves

No cuts – no privatisation – no austerity

1. For a general strike to stop all the cuts and break the government – not just for one day but until we win
2. For coordinated strikes with as many other unions as possible
3. For direct action, strikes and occupations against all closures, cuts and privatisation
4. Defend the welfare state with solidarity up to and including strike action
5. Unionise the unemployed and unorganised sectors – expand the Community branches and give them the resources to bring thousands of workers into Unite
6. Build councils of action in every city, town and metropolitan borough to support all struggles, coordinate the resistance and fight for a general strike
7. For a united anticuts movement, where students, public service users, benefits claimants, pensioners and all workers can democratically meet and organise resistance to the cuts
8. Demand the repeal of the anti-union laws – UK and EU –and prepare to defy them where they are used to prevent our right to take trade union action
9. Fight for a workers’ government, based on democratic councils of action, to repeal and reverse all cuts and privatisation, take over the banks and use their assets to implement a programme of public works with the first jobs offered to blacklisted construction workers, including one million ‘Green’ jobs

Reorganise the labour movement

1. For industrial/service unions, uniting all workers in a given sector on a democratic basis
2. Against bureaucratic mergers into ever larger and more remote general unions – no merger with PCS or NUT
3. Revitalise workplace organisation, all branches and trades councils
4. Fight all manifestations of racism, sexism, ableism and homophobia – support the right for asylum seekers and migrant workers to live in the UK
5. Unite should only fund candidates and constituency parties who support union policies
6. The union should open up a debate on either continued affiliation to the national Labour party or the formation of a new workers’ party

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