Is this ethical. The July issue of the members’ magazine had two pages of self-promotion for the assistant general secretary candidates. Voting in the ballot was as follows (in alphabetical order): Paul Holmes 45, 220 (33.76%) General Secretary Election – Southend nominates Paul Holmes. 2021 will see an election for General Secretary of the big cross-sector union Unite. Without you none of this would have been possible. Barnet UNISON branch nominated Paul Holmes for General Secretary because he wants UNISON to change.. UNISON and NEU point out Government Minister is wrong about legal advice on safety; Paul Holmes, NEC member representing members in local government and Secretary of UNISON’s Kirklees Branch, is a prominent Labour left-winger in the union with a strong record of representing workers over decades. The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. Paul Holmes is the candidate endorsed by UNISON's left-wing faction "UNISON Action Broad Left". Eventbrite - Paul Holmes #Paul4NEC presents Time for real change - my plan for UNISON: Meet Paul Holmes - Wednesday, 2 September 2020 - Find event and ticket information. Workers’ Liberty is supporting Paul Holmes. As we approach close of nominations (25 September) in the election for a new general secretary for the big public services union Unison, Paul Holmes’ campaign is picking up momentum. Unison general secretary candidate Paul Holmes. Social networks. At least one branch has been flouting the rules by publicising the NEC and Service Groups’ support for McAnea. News Politics Young people today can't imagine the job security we used to have in the 1970s, says Yorkshire's Unison General Secretary hopeful Paul Holmes It should aim to build a network of activists for change whoever wins the election. We know even in Labour Councils, employers victimise trade unionists through disciplinary processes. Paul Holmes – 102 branches, two regions, one service group Hugo Pierre – 31 branches The nominations process saw a significant rise in branch turnout, with 458 of UNISON's 834 participating branches nominating a candidate compared to just 373 branches casting nominations in … Read online at https://workersliberty.org/node/36188, Submitted by AWL on 30 September, 2020 - 9:06, Right-winger Coyne declares for Unite election. Yet more activists who've given years of their lives to represent members. For a democratic, effective, militant union. Paul is a senior partner in the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, which represents firm clients in a wide variety of employee benefit plan matters and ERISA litigation. not giving someone medicines who was dying from the lack of them, not feeding someone when food was being wasted, denying them water when there was fresh water in abundance). “It has been circulated to Tory council groups across Britain as the Government seeks to shackle Unison in whatever way it … He has supported Dave Prentis’s leadership throughout the last 20 years of failures to oppose cuts, decline in pay and conditions and drastic curtailment of democracy in Unison. Posted on 10th May 2010 // Uncategorised // 5 Comments. Eventbrite - Paul Holmes #Paul4NEC presents Bring the union back to its members: NEC Elections 2021 - Thursday, 28 January 2021 - Find event and ticket information. Paul wants half of UNISON resources directed to local branches and their members.. UNISON election – Paul Holmes is the candidate who can build a left wing. Paul Holmes. UNISON’s Local Government Service Group Executive (SGE) has nominated Paul Holmes for General Secretary. ... McDonnell-backed rival Paul Holmes, who took second place with 34 per cent, has called for Corbyn’s reinstatement. McAnea won with 47.7 per cent of the vote. Paul serves as employee benefits counsel to large and mid-sized companies across many industries, including financial, food/beverage, healthcare, and law. After the strong left vote in the election for Unison general secretary, what next? McAnea, the continuity establishment candidate, has 200 nominations and the support of the National Executive Committee (NEC), won narrowly over Paul Holmes, after a last minute change of voting system, plus Scotland, Wales and a number of English regions. The decision was made at an online hustings and nomination meeting on 15 September. Mr Ruff and Ms Kinder were suspended by Unison. The background of the Covid pandemic, the usual low turnout in these elections (10% in 2015), and the abject failure of the current leadership to challenge the government, mean a dynamic campaign could stir up new activity in the union. How can he be eligible to now be a candidate for Unison General Secretary whilst the branch suspension is still in place? Paul Holmes, veteran branch secretary of Kirklees Unison, branch chairman Nick Ruff and assistant branch secretary Cath Kinder were all suspended last December. Christina McAnea has today been elected as general secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest union. Although he has the support of Corbyn and some left activists, McKenzie is, in practice, not a candidate of the left. Paul Holmes was suspended by Kirklees Unison from his role as branch secretary. We are not aware of the details of his suspension, but we have asked Paul to make a statement to clarify the situation, when he can, and for all allegations against Paul and his fellow stewards to be investigated fully and fairly. Paul Holmes, veteran branch secretary of Kirklees Unison, branch chairman Nick Ruff and assistant branch secretary Cath Kinder were all suspended last December. He won the endorsement of the union’s Broad Left, UNISON Action, as their candidate for general secretary. ; Unison nationally is not delivering for members.Branches currently only get 25% of our subs and no say over national and regional resources. Paul Holmes. We are not privy to details of either investigation, and all allegations should be investigated fully and fairly. Find out more. This is the first time a rank and file candidate has got the nomination of the Service Group. Twitter. Christina McAnea has been elected the General Secretary of Unison – the public services union. event on … We know Unison has suspended key activists and shut down branches in a witch-hunt against militants or left-wingers. Paul Holmes’ campaign has been holding virtual meetings based on Regions and Service Groups of the union. If elected, Paul will not accept the £130,000 salary, but take his present salary of £32,000. I find it difficult to vote for Paul at the moment because of his suspension, especially as he has failed to make any statement or explanation. He knows UNISON nationally is not delivering for members. Division costs elections. The remaining left candidate is Paul Holmes. The Alliance for Workers' Liberty is an organisation fighting as part of the labour movement for a socialist alternative to both capitalism and Stalinism, based on common ownership and democracy. This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here. Christina McAnea has won the contest within UNISON to succeed retired Dave Prentis as general secretary of the Labour-affiliated trade union that represents almost 1.3 million members. The nomination period for General Secretary of the big public services union Unison closed on 25 September. Paul Holmes - 45,220 (33.76%) Roger McKenzie – 14,450 (10.79%) Hugo Pierre – 10,382 (7.75%) As there are over 1.3 million members in Unison, this means approximately only 10% of members voted. Paul Holmes has proposed policies to shift the power balance in the union. The Service Group meetings could feed in proposals for demands and industrial strategy in each sector. After listening and questioning the candidates we decided to nominate Issue No. The South East regional council has nominated Paul Holmes as their chosen candidate in the forthcoming UNISON general secretary election. Unison union elects first female leader, in boost for Keir Starmer. Paul’s suspension from the union and by his employer is bound to be raised during the campaign. not giving someone medicines who was dying from the lack of them, not feeding someone when food was being wasted, denying them water when there was fresh water in abundance). Paul Holmes. Unison union elects first female leader, in boost for Keir Starmer. Find out more. UNISON – the biggest union in the public sector in Britain – is having an election for General Secretary in the immediate aftermath of the general election. The decision was made at an online hustings and nomination meeting on 15 September. Paul Holmes is currently suspended from his employer and the union, reportedly for different allegations. • A clear dividing line between elected officials and employed staff. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. Mr Ruff and Ms Kinder were suspended by Unison. “This motion is not a local issue,” he said. What a tragedy. To save file, right click on "Download" link, "Save Link As" and enter the name for this file. We know Unison has suspended key activists and shut down branches in a witch-hunt against militants or left-wingers. If elected, Paul will not accept the £130,000 salary, but take his present salary of £32,000. There is growing noise in the labour movement and more widely around the issue of sick pay... What are the lessons of the Unison General Secretary election? Paul Holmes statement on misuse of UNISON Disciplinary procedures Recently four more activists have been suspended for varying periods (Glenn Kelly, Suzanne Muna, Onay Kasab and Brian Debus). Home; Read online at https://workersliberty.org/node/36111, Submitted by AWL on 16 September, 2020 - 9:13, Right-winger Coyne declares for Unite election. After the strong left vote in the election for Unison general secretary, what next? The remaining left candidate is Paul Holmes. Paul is a member of UNISON’s national executive committee and secretary of Kirklees local Paul is a long-standing member of Unison and is on its NEC. Voting in the ballot was as follows: Paul Holmes 45,220 (33.76%) Christina McAnea 63,900 (47.7%) Roger McKenzie 14,450 (10.79%) Hugo Pierre 10,382 (7.75%). Join Facebook to connect with Paul Holmes and others you may know. UNISON Living. • Unified pay claims across sectors with a minimum wage of £15 per hour, • An anti-austerity campaign for decent jobs and pay, proper training and affordable homes for all, • Fight racism, sexism, and all discrimination, • A green agenda for Unison, including an audit of the use of company cars by the union and the promotion of green travel, • A racism audit of Unison, taking inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement, and so the allegations at the heart of the Labour Leaks scandal can be dealt with, • A leadership school with real investment so we can bring on a new generation of leaders, • Selling Unison’s two “prestige” office buildings in central London and re-investing the proceeds into branches and organising, and a new more functional HQ in the Midlands with good transport links, • 50% of members’ subscriptions income going to the branches, • A fully-funded, massive plan of action, driven by the branches, to improve collective bargaining rights in the community/private sectors. #UNISON Election 2020: Vote for Paul Holmes! There is growing noise in the labour movement and more widely around the issue of sick pay... What are the lessons of the Unison General Secretary election? Nominations for … He won the endorsement of the union’s Broad Left, UNISON Action, as their candidate for general secretary. Paul Holmes is the candidate endorsed by UNISON's left-wing faction "UNISON Action Broad Left". I joined NALGO in 1961 and have held most positions at branch level up until my retirement. As you may know already, Dave Prentis is retiring as UNISON general secretary at the end of the year, and an election is currently underway. But Kirklees Unison branch secretary Paul Holmes said yesterday that the Tories were attacking the unions. 2717. https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/unison-elects-first-woman-leader Paul’s campaign has the best programme, far to the left of the bureaucracy candidates. A united left candidature should certainly not be pre-conditioned on McKenzie’s cooperation. Christina McAnea has today (Monday) been elected as the new general secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest union. This will replace the current system where our members in these sectors are often hard to service by branches who themselves are under pressure with not enough resources. She has a similar number of nominations to the outgoing General Secretary Dave Prentis at his last election in 2015, when he received 49% of the vote as the incumbent. Search for: Recent Posts. For a democratic, effective, militant union. We’ve nominated Paul Holmes for general secretary because: Paul has the best record of leadership and fighting for members; Paul is the members’ candidate, from the shop floor; Paul will take the job on his current wage of £32,000, declining the £100,000 available; Paul will massively increase funding to Read More » UNISON – the biggest union in the public sector in Britain – is having an election for General Secretary in the immediate aftermath of the general election. Four candidates qualified to enter the ballot (28 October to 27 November): two rank-and-file candidates, Paul Holmes and Hugo Pierre, and two assistant general secretaries, Roger McKenzie and Christina McAnea. She beat fellow officials Paul Holmes, Roger McKenzie and Hugo Pierre in the leadership race, which began in October. Christina McAnea has today been elected as general secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest union. Accordingly my vote will have to be cast elsewhere! A single left candidate would have won the Unison election. Our members receive our essential cover and support, have access to exclusive benefits and can take advantage of many training opportunities. The Socialist Party’s Hugo Pierre has announced the support of thirteen branches and may not make it to the threshold. Unison general secretary election shows left can win NEC ... Paul Holmes 45,220 (33.76%) Roger McKenzie 14,450 (10.79%) Hugo Pierre 10,382 (7.75%) This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 11 January 2021 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist. Paul secured the support of Unison's largest local government branch, Birmingham Local Government; its largest region, the North West; and the largest service group, Local Government, which represents 750,000 members. Voting was as follows: Paul Holmes 45,220 (33.76%) Christina McAnea 63,900 (47.7%) Roger McKenzie 14,450 (10.79%) Hugo Pierre 10,382 (7.75%). Paul Holmes is currently suspended from his employer and the union, reportedly for different allegations. Unison general secretary election shows left can win NEC ... Paul Holmes 45,220 (33.76%) Roger McKenzie 14,450 (10.79%) Hugo Pierre 10,382 (7.75%) This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 11 January 2021 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist. The Unison national website has publicised an invitation to retired members (who make up an eighth of Unison’s membership) to hear from only one of the candidates, McAnea, at their online conference in October. Paul Holmes – 102 branches, two regions, one service group Hugo Pierre – 31 branches The nominations process saw a significant rise in branch turnout, with 458 of UNISON's 834 participating branches nominating a candidate compared to just 373 branches casting nominations in … Paul Holmes is the only candidate in the UNISON General Secretary election whose candidacy has emerged from a project to build the democratic rank and file organisation which the union so badly needs (and which, if it already existed, could have hoped to avert the perennial problem of … The two unelected Assistant General Secretaries, Roger McKenzie and Christina McAnea, have both got the required nominations. He has also been nominated by the Local Government Service Group, the largest service group in the Union. Paul is a long-standing member of Unison and is on its NEC. Grassroots-left challenger for the leadership of the giant Unison union, Paul Holmes, was robbed of the chance to win the nomination of the union’s national executive committee (NEC) by a mid-meeting change to the voting rules, according to a former NEC member. Several activists have been suspended from Kirklees branch and as yet they have not received the charges from Unison. Bertolt Brecht, the German dramatist and poet, famously expounded that there were many ways to kill someone, but only some were illegal (i.e. The three contenders were Paul Holmes, Karen Reissmann and Hugo Pierre. As the campaign has gone on, Paul Holmes has picked up increasing support from across the union. Her nearest competitor was Paul Holmes with 33.8 per … The programme produced by the Holmes campaign in August will need to be developed as part of the campaign. Paul Holmes invites you to join him and John McDonnell MP for a public meeting to introduce colleagues standing in the UNISON NEC elections. As the campaign has gone on, Paul Holmes has picked up increasing support from across the union. 3 5 Download. She replaces Dave Prentis, who is retiring after 20 years as general secretary. General secretary candidate Paul Holmes sets out his radical plans for UNISON and his vision for a truly member-led trade union. The prospective list of candidates for election as General Secretary are: Paul Holmes, Christina McAnea, Roger McKenzie, Hugo Pierre and Peter Sharma. Unison general secretary election shows left can win NEC ... Paul Holmes 45,220 (33.76%) Roger McKenzie 14,450 (10.79%) Hugo Pierre 10,382 (7.75%) Donate to the Socialist Party Finance appeal. The campaign needs to centre on issues immediately relevant to members, including a 15% rise in NHS pay and a national strategy of insourcing. News Politics Young people today can't imagine the job security we used to have in the 1970s, says Yorkshire's Unison General Secretary hopeful Paul Holmes Elections from General Holmes Message Paul Personal Secretary UNISON First of all, I would like to thank everybody who supported me in this general secretary election campaign . 232 talking about this. 2021 will see an election for General Secretary of the big cross-sector union Unite. We know Unison has suspended key activists and shut down branches in a witch-hunt against militants or left-wingers. Bertolt Brecht, the German dramatist and poet, famously expounded that there were many ways to kill someone, but only some were illegal (i.e. Facebook. The Alliance for Workers' Liberty is an organisation fighting as part of the labour movement for a socialist alternative to both capitalism and Stalinism, based on common ownership and democracy. Paul Holmes is currently suspended from his employer and the union, reportedly for different allegations. Grassroots-left challenger for the leadership of the giant Unison union, Paul Holmes, was robbed of the chance to win the nomination of the union’s national executive committee (NEC) by a mid-meeting change to the voting rules, according to a former NEC member. She will be the first woman to lead the UK’s largest union. Download our latest Newsletter. Published Tue 11 Aug 2020. Download Tweet Media . Published Tue 12 Jan 2021. Paul secured the support of Unison's largest local government branch, Birmingham Local Government; its largest region, the North West; and the largest service group, Local Government, which represents 750,000 members. Also like Dave Prentis in 2015, McAnea’s campaign seems hell-bent on maximum use of bureaucratic advantage and regular breaches of election rules. Hugo Pierre of the Socialist Party has put out a call for the “left candidates”, including McKenzie, to meet, stating that he will withdraw if they can unite behind a common platform. Holmes was employed by Kirklees Council, however, during the campaign he was suspended from his role and investigated for reasons deemed “serious and confidential” by the council. Glasgow-born McAnea, who was assistant general secretary responsible for collective bargaining and negotiation until now, has become the first female leader of the union in its history. Our nomination for General Secretary At Branch Committee Meeting last month, we agreed to nominate Paul Holmes for the upcoming General Secretary elections because: ... Paul is popular across UNISON and can win! UNISON election – Paul Holmes is the candidate who can build a left wing. Mr Holmes was suspended by Kirklees Council, his employer.