The largest of Britain's unions, Unite is meeting for its Policy Conference in Liverpool this week. Len McCluskey the unions General Secretary, ended his keynote speech by making reference to the late Tony Benn stating:
In that spirit, colleagues, let me encourage you
Win for our members
Win a Labour government for Britain
McCluskey and Unites commitment to Labour is spelled out for all to see.
And yet he continues to be feted by the dullards of the Socialist Party (better known in the past as the Militant Tendency) who tried to get Unite to literally takeover the PCS union which they currently "control" as part of an alliance of other far-left malcontents.
As we now know McCluskey spoke of this as a done deal at a Executive Council meeting and wanted the so-called merger in place by January 2015.
Except the Socialist Party failed to deliver, losing their motion at conference to one that set preconditions which Unite has made clear it will not accept.
Why does McCluskey want more of these loons in his union?
The Socialist Party want to stand candidates against Labour at the next general election, which their bulletin to the Liverpool bash made quite clear:
Our members need an alternative to the "business as usual" policies of Labour.
They laughably claim they have an alternative to Labour in the form of the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition (TUSC) who they boast polled 68,000 votes during the recent local elections (though ignore the even worse results their NO2EU candidates got in the European elections).
The Labour party polled millions, both in local and European elections gaining seats and influence in the run up to next years poll. Still a long way to go, but remains the only party that can beat the coalition.
Further the SP "comrades" make quite clear that they understand the reticence of (activists) in PCS not wanting to be in a Labour affiliated union?
How does that help Unite members, their families and their aspirations? It certainly hasn't made the PCS union any stronger.
Under the Socialist Party leadership PCS has become weaker and more isolated that it, or any of the predecessor unions ever have been.
Yet they claim to be the alternative.
Despite any criticisms one might have of McCluskey who is himself a Marxist of sorts, he has kept the Unite union in the mainstream. Why? Because its the only show in town.
A merger with PCS will only bring with it an army of wreckers, to afraid to even tell their own membership the result of the recent strike ballot.
In his speech McCluskey mentions the low level of participation in the internal life of Unite and blames the secret postal ballot. On this he is wrong.
There is a general malaise amongst trade union members in the current climate and being preached at by armies of left-wing political activists doesn't help. Unite has plenty of its own "wreckers" around the Socialist Party and others like the SWP.
These are the people who have brought PCS into disrepute.
Mainstream Unite activists and members who surely make the majority, should be warned that the entry of PCS will bring them only grief, undermining the work towards a Labour Government.
The Socialist Party are turning out to be the Tories best friends.
Beware. Be very aware.
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