I blogged a little while ago about the disappointing official statistics which show the current decline in trade union membership. For some years I have been perplexed that the official leadership of the movement isn’t more alert to our plight. Perhaps it would be clearer if it were looked at from…Read more…

Much online comment has arisen from remarks made by the Labour Leader concerning the impact of migration on wages. I am not really interested in a debate about whether “Jeremy Corbyn is right” about this or that issue – that simply makes politics about individuals (in a way with which no…Read more…

Regular readers of this blog over the years (Sid and Doris Blogger) will know that – as a former members of the National Executive of UNISON (and long standing Branch Secretary) I was never backward in coming forward with criticisms of my trade union when I felt it right to express these.
It is…Read more…

I haven’t been ignoring the trade union movement since giving up my various positions within UNISON – but I must admit to having failed, over the past six weeks to comment upon important official statistics about the state of our union movement.
It’s not good news comrades.
Around 6.2 million…Read more…

I wouldn’t want readers of this blog in the bowels of Congress House to think that I shall completely ignore the Greater London Region of UNISON now that I am simply a member, rather than holding any office.
Indeed, I was about to send greetings of solidarity in connection with the strike action by…Read more…

Here is a link to the list of Tory held marginal seats which Labour needs to win in order to form a majority Government.
In Sussex the three Tory held target seats are Hastings and Rye, Crawley and East Worthing and Shoreham.
Of course we also need to…Read more…

I see that some of my fellow complainants in the recent case at the Certification Officer concerning the last General Secretary election in UNISON havelodged an appeal with the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT).
I haven’t.
I don’t want to comment on the legal merits of an appeal. I’m not a lawyer…Read more…

Regular readers of this blog will be aware that, after a quarter century on release to my trade union as a full time lay official, and following fourteen years’ service in the purgatory that is the National Executive Council (NEC) of UNISON, I have returned to work.
I am therefore trying to study…Read more…

Now that I am no longer a UNISON representative I think I should turn my talent for writing controversial blog posts which may upset people to the sphere of my Labour Party activity. As regular readers will know, everything I say here is only my own pe…Read more…

Within the next hour I shall cease to hold my last UNISON position as I am replaced on our NEC by the excellent Sean Fox.
It’s been a wonderful, exhilarating, irritating, exhausting and fascinating quarter century as a Branch Secretary and – for fourteen years – a member of the National…Read more…

I was saddened to see an inarticulate rant in Friday’s “London Calling” (the generally tedious and anodyne Regional news sheet at UNISON National Delegate Conference).
The rant, written by one of the stooges of those who brought our trade union into such disrepute by their misconduct…Read more…

I cannot say that I have always enjoyed sitting on the top table at the past fourteen UNISON Conferences.
I haven’t always agreed with what my NEC colleagues have got up to. Our trade union has not always been united.
However, I cannot imagine a better way to spend my final day on this platform…Read more…

In my fourteen years on the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) I think I have spoken from the platform on no more occasions than the four on which I spoke, from the floor, in the two days of my last Local Government Conference as a branch delegate…Read more…

I mentioned a little while ago this morning’s meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) (the second to last such meeting in my fourteen years on this august body). Towards the end of the meeting we descended into pantomime as an NEC member spoke by means of asking questions which he clearly…Read more…

I have just sat through my last ever Rules debate at UNISON National Delegate Conference. UNISON Conference has passed three non-controversial Rule amendments.
I have to say that we used to have rather more interesting Rules debates within our Conference (indeed we use to have more actual “debates”…Read more…

My only contribution this morning at my penultimate meeting of UNISON’s National Executive Council (NEC) was to ask an innocent little question about whether or not the idea of an NEC policy of “support with qualifications” on Conference motions may have had its day.
This led to a lengthy debate…Read more…

I have just spoken for the final time on behalf of Lambeth UNISON supporting Barnet branch in their opposition to privatisation at UNISON Local Government Conference.
Seven years ago Barnet branch Secretary John Burgess and I wrote for the Guardian warning about both Tory Barnet’s…Read more…

Regular readers of this blog (Sid and Doris Conference-Anorak) may have anticipated a plethora of self-indulgent posting in the week of my twenty-sixth (and last) annual Conference. I would not want to disappoint regular readers.
Today I popped up twic…Read more…

I fear I shall miss the London Region pre-meeting for my final UNISON Local Government Conference this evening as I head off for drinks with comrades from Brighton Pavilion Constituency Labour Party.

I shall, however, be at Conference in the morning (…Read more…

Today I went to the Great White Elephant of the Euston Road for my last full meeting of UNISON’s National Executive Council (NEC).
This was a good meeting, at which our General Secretary confirmed UNISON’s unequivocal support for Labour’s Leader, Jeremy Corbyn. I was so pleased to hear UNISON…Read more…