Unite: Len McCluskey or Jerry Hicks?
Posted on Thursday 29 July, 2010
Filed Under Trade Unions
I AM not a member of Unite and have no factional alignment to any of the candidates in the impending general secretary contest. So much for the disclaimer.
But I can’t help noticing that of the two contenders for the leftwing vote, onetime Liverpool docker Len McCluskey seems well ahead of his rival Jerry Hicks. Indeed, even sections of the far left are opting for the Labourite over the former Trot.
According to reports, McCluskey’s leftwing rhetoric button seems permanently lodged in the ‘on’ position. He’s using phrases like ‘class war’ and ‘capitalist crisis’ on the stump, he’s promising greater democracy in a union that could certainly do with a dose of it, and he is even talking about taking the Labour Party back from the Blairites and Brownites.
Good stuff. The question is, just how much of that package will he deliver if he gets the job?
Hicks, a member of George Galloway’s Respect party and before that the SWP, undeniably has a credible record as a rank and file militant at Rolls Royce in Bristol, an employer that sacked him in 2005.
I must admit to having formed an unfavourable impression of the man after watching an extraordinary performance in which he addressed a meeting of around 200 people as if it was a mass rally, including the bodily gestures appropriate to a far larger gathering.
It is odd, too, that even prominent Respect-affiliated bloggers have conspicuously been bigging up McCluskey in preference to their own colleague.
Obviously I am in no position to endorse either man, and my doing so would have an impact of precisely zero, anyway. But to this outsider, McCluskey looks by far the more serious choice.
As ever, the comments box is open for all relevant opinions.
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32 Responses to “Unite: Len McCluskey or Jerry Hicks?”
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the comments box is open for all relevant opinions
Dave
I think you mis-spelled ‘sectarian bunfights’ again!
I heard Jerry Hicks last night and agree his style can be a bit old-fashioned and maybe more suited to outdoors (wonder where he learned it?) when you have to grab a crowd’s attention. On the other hand he seemed more genuine than some I’ve heard, and what he had to say was interesting and went down well with the meeting. He also seems friendly enough off-platform, not one of those who weigh up whether you are somebody “important” before they deign to talk to you. I also gathered he listens – talking about victimisation he did not harp on about his own case, but mentioned what had happened to the person sitting next to me, a Unite member on the buses, whom I doubt he’d met before that evening.
Unlike some SWP and Respect people, Jerry Hicks did not seem sectarian towards Labour people. He rightly reminded us of Labour’s record, but was appreciative of the efforts of John McDonnell, his co-speaker.
I also like the fact that he is not part of the union machine, and would mark an upheaval in our union culture, as well as hopefully proving hard to tame.
I know nothing against Bro.McCluskey, and I expect some of my friends are supporting him, as is the official “Broad Left”. But when I clicked on your link and up came the “Socialist Unity” blog, I thought oh no, I know it is not his fault, but such support arouses suspicion in my mind rather than providing a recommendation.
Charlie Pottins, writing about Jerry Hicks, is right to remind us of Commandant Sean McDonnell’s varied enthusiasms.
It seems only the other day that he was praising the “brave volunteers” of the I.R.A.
Here’s something to amuse …
http://ilovemigrants.wordpress.com/i%e2%99%a5home/
If you can spend an hour or so to surf online and check out the very amusing story of the Sudanese ‘lost boys’ resettled in Australia you’ll find that by the time the hundredth was unpacking the first few to arrive were already to excited by the opportunities their new homeland offered that they were trying their hand at a spot of street crime.
O LUCKY COUNTRY!
Trade Union leaders are like predictable poker players – they’re forever raising the stakes with radical rhetoric, but when somebody calls their bluff and asks to see their hand they ain’t got nothing but a busted flush. All the bullshit evaporates and you’re left with nothing but the predictable calls to Labour MPs
I doubt there’s anyone left to fall for it.
All this I am more to the left than you is irrelevant. It does not wash with anyone except the converted few. The job should go to a good administrator with experience that knows the rules and constitution and is capable of expanding the union membership. Preferably a good talker and not a mumbler. The old days of the minority loony left with their own personnal agenda is gone.
McCluskey is not my ideal candidate, but he was the overwhelming choice of the union’s United Left at a democratically-conducted meeting. Interestingly, Hicks walked out of the meeting on thoroughly spurious grounds while the Socialist Party’s propsective candidate Rob Williams remained and when he lost, agreed to endorse McCluskey.
Hicks may have a good record from years ago at Rolls Royce, but his role more recently has not been good. One consideration alone should disqualify him in the eyes of socialists in Unite: his support for retired members having full rights within the union – including (presumably) the right to serve on Sector (industrial) committees. This makes a mockery of elementary trade unionism. It is also self-serving opportunism on Hicks’ part, as retired members have a big vote – especially on the ex-Amicus side of Unite.
Will Len Gollip, CPGB, be re-elected as the Secretary-General of the Amalgamated Arsewipers’ Union?
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE FOR THE STUNNING RESILUT !
Heres an Ealing comedy …
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1298691/Vicar-guilty-conducting-360-sham-marriages-illegal-African-immigrants.html
… bent vicar [gay too] and dodgy marriages – perfect for the late Sid James, but Rowan Atkinson or Borat-Cohen would do as well
Jim Denham said,
“One consideration alone should disqualify him in the eyes of socialists in Unite: his support for retired members having full rights within the union………..This makes a mockery of elementary trade unionism”
Why?
To represent workers in an industry you should work in that industry. Elementary. Far more basic and important than whether or not officials are elected. Its what trade unionism is all about. This principle seems to be fairly well understood in the ex-T&G wing of Unite but not, it would seem in the ex-Amicus wing, whether “left” or “right.”.
Jim Denham. Absolutey right. I am ex T&G. I paid a reduced rate for a while to keep in touch. What right do I have to stick my nose into a dispute by working people. Giving a bit of advise if asked is OK but that is the end of it.
McCluskey has been playing left only because of Gerry Hicks’ campaign. If he gets elected he will do exactly what Simpson did to the Gazette, say thank you very much to his “United Left” supporters and give them the boot.
Why should anyone be bound by a United Left meeting? It is an absolutely undemocratic organisation run by a bunch of retired stalinists and their hangers on.
On the ground tens of thousands of leaflets are going to rank and file members to support Gerry Hicks. We need to turn that support into a genuine rank and file network that can change the union. A completely different perspective than the machine broad left.
Jim Denham and Peter Taaffe two right wing peas in a pod!
Answer the point about retired members, Stuart!
One further point: Stuart King denounces the United Left (inaccurately) as an “organisation run by a bunch of retired stalinists”, yet he supports the candidate (Hicks) who would hand the whole of Unite over to retired members (many of whom would be stalinists)… Get a grip, Stuart: your “PR” outfit has decided to support Hicks come what may. But when asked for reasons, you’re fucked, aren’t you? And you claerly don’t give a damn about letting in Bayliss. In fact, you’re just completely irresponsible people with no concern for the interests of the working class.
If there really are tens of thousands of leaflets going in to support Gerry Hicks as Stuart claims, then it’s a bit of a waste of time. There is no Gerry standing in the election.
Stuart, if you are so enthusiastic about supporting a candidate, you should at least get his name right.
This is off-topic but will interest some here; it was found on LIBERAL CONSPIRACY, a site haunted by the doubleplusgoodthinkful …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2004/feb/24/race.eu
… an oldie, too.
The art of war…
……
Good to see the high quality of discussion on the left continues on the blogs.
Historically both the NGA and GPMU had retired members and unemployed members organised, with voting rights in the union. It came from the desire to prevent wage undercutting. if someone is retired and wants to keep membership of a union that seems a good idea to me and if you pay your subs you should have a vote (it is always going to be a very small number). Their exact role in the union should be decided by the rank and file, you might well have restrictions on what they could stand for. I assume Jim Denham is not against unemployed members of UNITE participating in the union?
But really this supposed major problem with Jerry’s campaign is just clutching at straws to justify Denham’s support of the apparatus man McCluskey.
No Staurt: it’s a matter of principle when it comes to industrial committees: if you don’t understand that, then you don’t understand what trade unionism is. For the record, unions are there to organise workers *in the workplace* and give them a voice in politics.
It’s come to something when that has to be spelt out to someone who is a leading member of a “Trotskyist” organisation.
A further point: the fact that what trade unionism is has to be explained to a leading member of a supposedly “Totskyist” group, isn’t just a commentary upon the ignorance of that individual: it’s a commentary upon how oganisations like “Workers Power” and its (slightly) less irrational offshoot “Permanent Revolution” have lost touch with the basics of working class politics, in their enthusiasm for “anti-imperialism.”
Stuart: the AWL is running a series of educationals on “Class Politics and Trade Unionism” for our young and inexperienced comrades: I’m sure we could fit you in.
The wit and wisdom of Jim Denham.
Indeed. And my offer to educate Stuart stands.
Leaflet to Save our Buses, London Busworkers Conference 12 August
London Busworkers for Jerry Hicks
Brothers and Sisters’
We are a group of London Busworker who support Jerry Hicks as the only rank-and-file candidate. He has a proud and unbroken record of fighting for the membership. He has sacked when he was Convenor of Rolls Royce in Bristol for fighting for victimised members in 2005.
Jerry says: “What many people forget is that trade unions, just as much as big business and governments, also have their own elites and boss class – and they do not necessarily represent the interests of the average worker. Many Unite members believe that they have been ruled by such an elite for decades – and that the reluctance to walk out and hold occupations is partly responsible for the long-term erosion of our members’ terms and conditions.”
Busworkers are now facing an-all out assault on their wages and terms and conditions originating from the vicious anti-working class Con-Dem Government. The 4,500 East London busworkers are in Limbo, their company up for sale and their futures uncertain. This is just the start. Convenors and shop stewards take their lead from top union leaders, some like the majority of busworkers would fight well enough to defeat this attempt to make us pay for the bosses’ and barkers’ crisis – If given such a lead from a fighter like Jerry Hicks unlike the present crew.
Jerry says:
“We need to instil confidence in members so they have the courage to fight, within the law preferably. But if the circumstances dictate otherwise we should be prepared to confront the anti-union laws. When someone fights back, the union has to put everything behind them to win a victory for the class as a whole. When a group of workers walk out, or better still sit-in and occupy, they need to know that their union will back them—not repudiate them. The other people standing are all senior officials who, in my view, are part of the problem, not the solution. Members deserve a rank and file candidate. There are two objectives: One is to get the union back into the hands and control of the members. The second is to bring together a group of people in the union to be the voice of opposition. This should not be an electoral machine but a fighting group of people.”
Len McCluskey is a ‘left’ union bureaucrat; even his most enthusiastic supporters have to go back 25 years to find the last time he fought for the workers. Len is a career bureaucrat, one of the ‘elites’, his militancy is for election purposes only. The right-winger Les Bayliss (an open and genuine bosses’ man) has no chance of getting elected. We deserve better! Elect a fighter to fight these Tory-Lib-Dem attacks on all of us. Jerry Hicks will take only an average worker’s wage.
For more information and to get involved go to: jerryhicks.wordpress.com or email: jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk
How many bus drivers does Gerry Downing speak for?
i met len McCluskey at one of unites conferences he reminded me of a enployer not a trade unionist at our policy conference len and his followers were given out free gifts to try and attract union activists to his fringe meetings les bayliss was offering the same yet jerry hicks did not at least with jerry hicks what you see is what you get a hard working trade union activist someone you can trust some one to rely on
just had a leaflet from len mcclusky campaign group they are saying len was a docker well he worked in the dockyard but in the office as a draughtsman so much for his working class back ground he is portraid as a working class hero make your own mind up
You’re talking bollocks, paul. Lenny worked in the docks: fact. Given Bayliss’s recent attack upon strikes and the support he’s recieving from the Murdoch press, Hicks should now stand down. But he won’t, because his is an apolitical campaign based upon posturing and egomania. The serious left in Unite says: Vote McCluskey!
Paul, you are almost right, McCluskey did work in the docks as Denham states, but JD is clever in his answer, the question to ask is what as? McCluskey wasn’t a draughtsman because if you think about it they didn’t make ships there unlike some other docks where they did, you only need a draughtsman if you are building and not loading and unloading. He was, as far as I am aware, an office clerk, hence the half story…
Len was employed as a PLANMAN by the PORT OF LIVERPOOL STEVEDORING COMPANY, and then by the MERSEY DOCKS@HARBOUR COMPANY before becoming a Union Official.
THE WARLORD
so then len did not graft as a docker but sat on his backside in some office maybe his campaining team should print the facts and try not to decieve the members do you think its right that thousands of members subsciptions should be spent by len and bayliss in their leader ship attempt when they are allready on high salaries in the union and when oridinary members face the dole and a onslaught by the tories that money should be used for members only
there is only one person to lead our union unite forward and thats jerry hicks its better to fight for peoples jobs than hide behind the sofa sorry len your not up to the mark we need some one who will some one who is not afraid of the tories or the labour party some who will fight for the rights of our members
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