You are:

More than just a talking shop!

24 June 2008

The National Shop Stewards Network could be a platform for rank and file unionists to begin the fight back for union rights says Mark Chisman, chair of the national young members' committee

The National Shop Stewards’ Network (NSSN) is for any rank and file trade unionist interested in justice in the workplace, workers rights, solidarity, equality and trade union freedom.

I attended the North East regional NSSN conference which took place in Newcastle on Saturday 19 April 2008.

Opening the conference the chair, a representative from the Network HQ in London, said the network was formed by the RMT following a motion at their conference. She explained that NSSN is a network for all union activists regardless of their union position.

Importance of getting organised

A former shop steward from the now closed Swan Hunters Shipyard in North Tyneside spoke about the importance of union reps getting organised and sharing ideas. He said the National Shop Stewards Network was an excellent way to do this.

Following the opening speeches, there were three workshops on:
o How should we organise workers in the present & future?
o How should unions represent themselves politically in the future?
o Why is union membership weak in comparison to the 60s and 70s?

I attended the workshop on why trade union membership has declined since the 60s and 70s.The group felt there could be a number of reasons for the decline in membership including:

• the defeat of the miners’ strike
• Thatcherism
• The election of Tony Blair and his anti-union stance
• The fall of the Berlin wall and the 1989 revolutions against the eastern European Stalinist dictatorships

Taking the network forward

It was a very interesting discussion and the group agreed that a future meeting should take place and a leaflet produced explaining how Thatcher built support and weakened unions in the process.

The leaflet would also make the connection between the anti working class/anti trade union stance of the Thatcher era and how New Labour is continuing with these policies today.

DWP group organiser Fran Heathcote reported back from the workshop on organising workers’. She said her group agreed unanimously that affiliation to the Labour party did not help trade unions further their objectives.

She said that since 2002 PCS had developed its organising strategy and improved its democratic structures. As a result membership and activity among PCS members had increased. Fran said she would recommend the strategy to other unions.

The workshop on how trade unions should represent themselves politically felt that unions would be best represented by a new political party. They thought that it would be too early for the NSSN to set one up but that we should support individual trade unionists standing for election - such as the FBU members standing in Liverpool.

Supporting other public sector workers

The meeting agreed to organise a rally in Newcastle to support the National Union of Teachers (NUT), University and College Lecturers union (UCU) and PCS action due to take place on 24 April 2008 on pay.

Finally Karen Reissmann of Unison Manchester mental health branch spoke about her fight against dismissal from her job because of her honest comments about the NHS.

Karen was sacked because she spoke to the press about waiting lists for mental health patients being sectioned, about her being victimised for being a trade union activist and for protesting her innocence!

She urged people to write to their MP to encourage them to attend a lobby of parliament on 7 May 2008 urging that she is reinstated.

Although some of the discussions were dominated by members of political factions, there was certainly enough enthusiasm and interesting debates to encourage me that the NSSN might amount to something more than just a talking shop.

It might in fact be the platform we need for rank and file unionists to begin the fight back for union rights and equality for all.
 

(Mark will be attending the second National Shop Stewards Conference in London on Saturday 28th June 2008.  For further information see the Shop Stewards Network Website )

Social Bookmarking

How to use social bookmarking