Campaign news

The membership of Unite should support Len McCluskey

16th February 2017

By John Wiseman

The Leadership of Unite, the UK’s biggest trade union, is a vital issue for the trade union and labour movement. The membership of Unite should support Len McCluskey in his campaign for re-election as General Secretary.

He has shown determination, leadership and vision in creating a powerful union - one which cares about its members and fights back on their behalf. As an activist, I have always been supported through the union structures under his leadership.

He has built Unite’s organising and industrial capacity through a strong structure of lay reps and shop stewards. He has also built a union fully committed to supporting Unite members in dispute. Unite has not repudiated any industrial action taken by its members under his leadership. He has set out a vision for the future of Unite by developing an industrial strategy for the union and creating one voice in the construction sector through a merger with UCATT.

Len has supported his members in every sector of Unite, from low paid workers at Sports Direct, to campaigning to save the UK Steel industry, to secure investment and decent jobs in the car industry and manufacturing. He has continued to defend workers in our public services.

He has been instrumental in Unite creating a strategy to handle Brexit to defend Unite members’ jobs and has proposed workable policies to deal with free movement. In addition he has developed Unite’s international links with unions in Europe and North America to fight back against powerful global corporations and he has campaigned against bad trade deals such as TTIP and CETA.

Len McCluskey has been a firm supporter of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, following the decision of Unite’s executive and their conference to back Jeremy, especially when the Labour leader was under attack from MPs and the media. Importantly, he has been open and honest about Unite’s relationship with the Labour Party and its leadership.

This election is about the future of the trade union and labour movement. Len McCluskey has earned the respect of the movement and therefore as Unite members, we must fully endorse him.

The National Executive Committee of the Labour Representation Committee has voted overwhelmingly to endorse Len McCluskey

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