Star date: 6th July 2015

VICTORY FOR UNISON AGAINST SALFORD LABOUR COUNCIL

"Attacks on trade unionists are part of a growing trend towards shutting down dissent" Maxine Peake

Salford Council has backed down in its attack on staff trade union, Salford City UNISON, after trying to stop democratically elected officer, Ameen Hadi, from representing his members.

Back in May, the city's Labour Council was universally condemned for its actions but has since quietly retracted and has now issued a joint turgid statement with UNISON, basically caving in before the dispute escalated.

Full details here...

In May, just as the Salford Labour Party was masquerading as some sort of alternative to the vicious anti trade union laws the Tory Party was proposing in its General Election manifesto, the city's Labour Council tried to stop Ameen Hadi, UNISON's democratically elected branch treasurer, from representing his members.

Ameen, who had been present at an anti-cuts rally outside the Civic Centre, during his own time, and had been informing members about future cuts, was dragged before Council bosses and told that his union facility time was being removed in what appeared to be a blatant case of victimisation.

At the time, the Council's action led to a furious response from unions...

"Salford UNISON has long had an agreement with Salford Council that our members – not our employer – decide who will act as full time officers" stated the Salford UNISON branch "UNISON has seen no evidence that justifies this attempt to over-rule our right to a democratic union branch."

Stephanie Thomas, Regional Manager at UNISON North West, added: "UNISON views this move as an ill-timed and unwarranted interference in the right of an independent trade union to freely organise. At a time when we are facing unremitting austerity from Westminster, which badly affects areas like Salford, differences of personality or view should not become an obstacle between those who seek and campaign for a more equitable and fair society."

A lobby of the Salford Labour Group of councillors was called with trade unionists from all over Greater Manchester ready to condemn councillors but at the last minute it was postponed, for "a period of meaningful discussion", allowing Ameen to resume his duties (see previous Salford Star articles – click here and click here)

Now those `meaningful discussions' are over and Ameen is officially back in his job, representing his members in the face of ongoing Council cuts. And the Council cave-in has been disguised in a turgid statement agreed by both the City Council and UNISON, obtained by the Salford Star...

"Following serious concerns expressed by the City Council to UNISON over aspects of the operation of the local Facilities Agreement detailed and intense discussions have taken place with representatives of both parties.

"Both parties and their representatives have worked hard and in good faith to find a mutually acceptable outcome. Very clear expectations have been set down about the required standards of conduct and working practices of City Council employees granted facility time; of the reasonable expectations each party has of the other within the locally agreed collective framework; and of how that locally agreed collective approach and framework needs to be understood, respected and followed by all representatives of all parties.

"There will be a clear separation between wider trade union 'branch activity', which is the prerogative of the trade unions under the relevant legislation, and representation of and on behalf of City Council employees which is a matter of joint agreement or arrangement within the remit and scope of the locally agreed collective framework.

"These matters will be specified as part of the locally agreed collective framework, including clear definition as appropriate and necessary to be set out within a separate Code of Conduct applicable to City Council employees in their trade union representative capacities...Existing trade union secondments remain unchanged in accordance with the current Facilities Agreement..."

Behind the word snore-fest is a major victory for Salford City UNISON – and another disgraceful episode in Salford Labour Council's recent history is over. Except the rumour now is that the Council is going to cut facility time for unions en masse, rather than victimise one individual. This has been a Salford Conservative Party proposal for years.

Watch this space...