Trade unionists protesting outside Salford Civic Centre this morning called on Labour Party councillors and Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn to intervene in Salford Council's current attack on their facility time.
Salford Council's three trade unions GMB, Unite and UNISON have elected officers who deal with day to day issues among their members working for the Council and other organisations that have former Council workers, like City West Housing, Salix Homes and Aspire. Under new conditions, which the Council is imposing `by April 4th', officers wouldn't be able to do this, while their seconded hours will also be cut, meaning the loss of one full time post at Salford UNISON and half a post at the GMB.
The attack is similar to that contained in the Tory Government's Trade Union Bill, which both Labour councillors and Jeremy Corbyn have opposed. With Corbyn due to visit Labour Party members at the Civic Centre tomorrow afternoon, Karen Lewis, regional organiser of GMB, had a message both for him and Labour councillors...
"You can't say one thing and do something else" she said "You've got to talk the talk and walk the walk. I'd like Jeremy to come to our mass meeting on Thursday night if he's worth his salt. These are the times when he's needed. He shouldn't just be floating around visiting different workplaces or being seen in the right places, he should be doing the right thing for the people. They voted him in; he should be there when they are calling him."
Salford City UNISON branch secretary, Steven North echoed the sentiments...
"We sent everything out to Labour councillors yesterday and what we're looking for is their help to resolve this" he said "At the moment the only communication we've had is from council officers so we don't know where they stand on this. They've got an opportunity to intervene. They've spoken out against the Trade Union Bill and attacks on facility time by the Salford Conservative group, and this is their opportunity to show that they are committed to the unions.
"We've said all along that we're willing to help find alternatives whereby other organisations in the city that do benefit from the trade unions being involved actually start paying some money into the trade unions pot" he added "We're willing to work with them on that but we can't do it with a saw hanging over our head; with the threat of imposition that is only going to impact on a lot of the most vulnerable lowest paid workers in Salford...people working in private social care who we support every day but technically we won't be able to if this comes in. We can't operate under those circumstances but we want a constructive relationship and are willing to keep talking."
The demo outside the Civic Centre was mounted before the last Salford Council meeting overseen by Salford Labour Mayor Ian Stewart, and it must have been acutely embarrassing as the trade union attack will be seen as his last major act.
Inside the meeting, Stewart praised fellow Labour councillors for their `achievements' over the last four years, which included the Mayor's Employment Charter...
"We go out and support workers, getting a lot of things that are in the Mayor's Employment Charter" Steven North said "The trade unions are the ones going out and getting those things implemented."
Maybe Jeremy Corbyn can kick some sense into the right wing veering Labour Council and Labour Mayor candidate, Paul Dennett, who claims to be a Corbyn supporter...
There is to be a mass meeting for members of Salford UNISON, Unite and GMB at 5pm on Thursday 17th March, Swinton British Legion
For more details see previous Salford Star article click here
Update: 10pm 16th March: Tonight the House of Lords defeated the Government three times over the Trade Union Bill, one of which was over central government-imposed caps on trade union facility time.
Photos by Steven Speed
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