Has Blair scuppered the super union?

[matewan6]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1822229,00.html

Hard to tell whats going on from this - but it looks like the tensions between the old Stalinist AEEU culture of AMICUS and the GMb are too mcuh for the TGWU to bridge.

Its also possible that the massive influence of american unions within the TGWU at the moment - and the amount of money the union has borowed from them to finance its campaigning has caused worries within AMICUS.

What is widely known is the lengths to which senior Labour Party figures and the TUC were seeking to drive a wedge between AMICUS and GMB/TGWU during the conference season. Perhaps this was the Blair game plan?

I was always skeptical about the value of forcing together three more or less moribund, centralised and corrupt beaurocrasies prior to tackling these problems head on.

And this concern should override the dewy eyed dreamers on the left who just see this stitch up as a step to the one big union dream - and refuse to see that Simpson has got no clothes on. (What a delightful image)

 

[shandy]

And this concern should override the dewy eyed dreamers on the left who just see this stitch up as a step to the one big union dream - and refuse to see that Simpson has got no clothes on. (What a delightful image)

Simpson's just another cunt who's got quickly used to the feel of the leather armrest in his chauffeur-driven jag.

Simpson in action

 

[Soul On Ice]

From what I know the GMB''s fiances are really screwed. They've had to sell off loads of assests in the past 18 months. I reckon a close examination of the accounts by the other two unions have made them back off. Whatever you think about the rights and wrongs of merging, it will be a ball ache and there's no way you're gonna want to do it if you are gonna inherit a big fiancial black hole.

My (slightly provocative) prediction - no merger, GMB to fold in next 3 years and members carved up between the big 3 other unions.

 

[matewan6]

You may be right but the story about the GMB finances is old news - ever since we got rid of the corruption of Curran and Edmonds. I was at GMB Congress as a delegate and the figures showed GMB operating in the black for the second year running. I think these figures get published each year by the Government somewhere and so can be checked out.

it suits some in AMICUS, TGWU and the Tory Party to keep peddling the story about the GMB ship sinking but the sale of assetts paid off the string of dodgy loans, dodgier land deals and legal costs of defending corrupt senior officials that John Edmonds and Kevin Curran ran up.

So i would put your point andother way - having gone through the pain of weeding out corruption in a way that TGWU and AMICUS have never even contemplated, GMB membes are not up for burying ourselevs in someone else's cesspit: especially as these unions have gone out of their way to get Curran a safe home and a made up job.

 

[Soul On Ice]

You may be right but the story about the GMB finances is old news - ever since we got rid of the corruption of Curran and Edmonds. I was at GMB Congress as a delegate and the figures showed GMB operating in the black for the second year running. I think these figures get published each year by the Government somewhere and so can be checked out.

it suits some in AMICUS, TGWU and the Tory Party to keep peddling the story about the GMB ship sinking but the sale of assetts paid off the string of dodgy loans, dodgier land deals and legal costs of defending corrupt senior officials that John Edmonds and Kevin Curran ran up.

So i would put your point andother way - having gone through the pain of weeding out corruption in a way that TGWU and AMICUS have never even contemplated, GMB membes are not up for burying ourselevs in someone else's cesspit: especially as these unions have gone out of their way to get Curran a safe home and a made up job.

Your final paragraph is a pretty fair point. Merging 3 large unions with different cultures is a pretty tall order and requires strong leadeship and teh will of the members. Not sure if these requirements are met with these big 3.

 

[rednblack]

i always thought it was a bad idea, it would have always been at the expense of the members, less regional/local offices and officers, lay offs, and cost cutting that always happens

it wont be worth doing until all three unions have decent transparant and democratic structures and cultures