[A-List] UK state: trade unions fall into line

["Keaney Michael" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

Crow loses RMT's seat on council

Kevin Maguire
Wednesday September 11, 2002
The Guardian

Militant Bob Crow last night failed to be elected to the TUC general
council, the movement's governing body.

The general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union finished
13th out of 15 standing for the 11 places for unions with under 100,000
members.

The TUC said he was the first leader of the RMT (or its predecessor, the
NUR) not to win election to the council.

A TUC source suggested Mr Crow had "put people's backs up" for attacking
Tony Blair and threatening strikes.

Mick Rix, leftwing general secretary of the train drivers' union Aslef,
dropped from 2nd to 10th. Two other leftwingers, Jeremy Dear of the
National Union of Journalists, and Paul Mackney, of the lecturers' union
Natfhe, were elected in the section.

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General secretaries queue at leader's open door for private chats

Kevin Maguire
Wednesday September 11, 2002
The Guardian

A procession of union general secretaries yesterday held private talks
with Tony Blair in his fifth floor Blackpool hotel suite.

"My door is open to any trade union leader," he said.

There was no shortage of takers as Dave Prentis, Bill Morris, John
Edmonds and Roger Lyons took the opportunity to discuss union and Labour
party business with the prime minister.

Derek Simpson, the new Amicus leader who said he had nothing to say,
changed his mind and said he would go, but no offer was forthcoming from
No 10.

Mr Blair, due to leave Blackpool at 9pm, eating only the first course at
the general council dinner, used his 29 hours at the TUC to meet
prominent union figures.

One of those who held private talks with him said he appeared tired
though in good spirits, urging unions to engage with Labour rather than
turn their backs on the party.

The importance of the TUC to Mr Blair was underlined by the fact that he
spent significantly longer in Blackpool than he did at Camp David
discussing Iraq with George Bush.

Revolts over Iraq, privati sation, pay, pensions and Europe forced Mr
Blair to go to Blackpool on Monday when he had originally intended to
arrive yesterday.

Flying directly from briefing the Queen at Balmoral, Mr Blair arrived at
4pm on Monday and shortly afterwards was briefed by TUC general
secretary John Monks and his deputy, Brendan Barber.

Informed sources said the pair influenced the sections of his speech on
Iraq and Labour-union relations.

With the Labour party in dire financial straits, Mr Blair needs union
support and money more than he may care to admit.

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Blair lashes left as he calls for partnership

PM warns 'self-indulgent' rhetoric will sideline unions

Kevin Maguire
Wednesday September 11, 2002
The Guardian

Tony Blair attacked the "self-indulgent rhetoric" of his most vocal
leftwing union critics yesterday as he insisted the stark choice facing
the TUC was his new Labour government or the return of the Tories.

The prime minister appealed to union activists in Blackpool to
acknowledge his administration's achievements since 1997 and urged them
to work in partnership with the government and employers.

But he made clear he was not prepared to radically change direction
under pressure from the so-called awkward squad of union leaders,
instead appealing for their support and warning they risked losing
influence.

Taking a swipe at his outspoken TUC opponents, Mr Blair said:
"Partnerships don't make headlines. But the vast majority of trade union
leaders and members don't know that it does far more good than a lot of
self-indulgent rhetoric from a few that belong, frankly, in the history
books. Indulgence or influence. It's a very simple choice."

Suggesting he had recently been reading about the history of "our
movement", Mr Blair said conflict between Labour governments and the
unions in 1948, 1969 and 1979 had let the Tories back in.

Next time there was a fundamental rift, he said, the result would "just
be less influence with the same Labour government" as he appeared to
claim he was in a strong enough position to defeat the unions and the
Tories.

Mr Blair offered the unions few, if any, concessions on the programme to
use companies through the private finance initiative and public private
partnerships to improve public services.

Aware the extension of private contractors into health and education as
well as London Underground will be criticised at the TUC today, he said
record increases in public spending had to be allied to change.

"Money is not all the services need," he said. "They need change and
reform, new ways of working, new ways of delivering services, new
partnerships between public, private and voluntary sectors, and between
managers and unions. More choice for the consumer of those services.

"On these issues, I offer a partnership on this basis. No
pre-conceptions, on either side. One test only - what is good for the
service and the user of the service.

"We will listen to you on genuine concerns about workforce conditions. I
ask you to listen to the need for reform.

"Because be in no doubt - if we do not join together and reform our
public services, the result will not be unreformed services. The result
will be public dissatisfaction and eventually a Tory government who will
return to their unfinished business, the break-up of public services. We
both have a responsibility never to allow that to happen."

He gave little indication that a Department of Trade and Industry review
of employment relations is likely to satisfy TUC calls for stronger
individual and collective rights.

Instead, Mr Blair listed reforms already implemented, including the
minimum wage and union recognition procedures, which he said the
Conservatives would never have put into action.

A government-TUC-CBI consultation over pensions was proposed. And on
Europe he said if the chancellor, Gordon Brown's five tests were passed
then Britain should join the new currency, although he gave no
indication whether a referendum would be held next year or after the
next election.

"Be under no doubt, if the economic tests are met, Britain should join
the single currency. For Britain to be marginalised in Europe when soon
the EU will have 25 members stretching from Portugal to Poland and the
largest commercial market in the world, would not just be economically
unwise. It would be a total misunderstanding of the concept of national
interest in the 21st century."

Mark Serwortka, leader of the PCS civil service union, said he believed
the criticism of union leaders referred to him, RMT head Bob Crow and
Aslef general secretary Mick Rix.

John Edmonds, general secretary of the GMB, said: "It was a beautifully
crafted speech, but only time will tell if the prime minister is
genuinely prepared to re-engage with the trade union movement. There
were no indications that he wants to start a new love affair with the
unions, but perhaps there were signs he might be prepared to start a
subtle courtship."

Mr Blair's appeal echoed earlier comments by John Monks, general
secretary, who said: "Because there is much unfinished business, don't
ever fall into the trap of underestimating what has been done."

He added that when unions' relationship with a Labour government had
broken down in the past, "the result has been electoral catastrophe".