Press Release -  Grangemouth - ‘Botched from the very beginning and ending in surrender’.

Jerry Hicks 

24 October 2013

When faced with yet another outrageous bullying exploitative boss, this time at Grangemouth in Scotland, Unite’s top leadership displays its abject failure. But where did Ineos get their confidence? And in a Union where all its officials are appointed, who would dare to speak out?

The members of Unite have been superb, doing all that was asked of them, acting like lions, while they have been let down by the Unions top leadership acting like donkeys.  

Unite’s failure stems from not having the correct industrial and political strategy. This led to the prospective parliamentary candidate selection debacle at Falkirk. Where despite Labour being given members’ [£millions] money hand over fist  and unconditionally. The man Unite gave £10,000s to become Labour leader, Ed Miliband, treated them with complete and utter contempt.

This led Ineos to believe it could attack the Unite convener at Grangemouth.  Which  led to the Grangemouth ‘dispute’, which led to the biggest most powerful union in the country sending the worst of all signals to all employers and the Con Dem government alike -  threaten us [Unite] and we will cave in.

Unite should have an avowed intention to campaign for and to demand public ownership of utilities, transport, health, education and all energy supplies.

Unite should end immediately its disastrous ‘reclaim Labour’ and with it the infantile, unfunny comic capers of infiltration through recruiting members to the  Labour party.

Unite should have only one relationship with Labour - “You follow our policies then you get our support”, and that goes for any party on the left.

With these things, members will be clear what their union stands for. Employers, Con Dems and Labour will know what to expect.

In my view then, the chances of winning disputes will increase as will the numbers of people wanting to join a principled, fighting, effective union - Where survival doesn’t have to mean surrender.