Unite Rank and File are really shocked to hear that Moe Manir, a hard working Unite rep on London buses has got a disciplinary this Thursday at Abellio and is facing the sack

Moe, with others, has been a major campaigner for the London-wide consultative ballot on safety that took place last Friday 7th February 2020.

There is going to be a protest at 12.30pm this Thursday outside the Twickenham depot where Moe’s disciplinary is being held if anyone able to make it – Stanley Road, Twickenham TW2 5NP

On the day of the General Election tomorrow, myself as an NHS worker and UNITE Workplace Rep will be at work for yet another consultation launch on reorganisation

For me, this is the 9th reorganisation in 9 years

I work for an NHS organisation that came about as a direct consequence of the Tories Health & Social Care Act and a part of the NHS most affected by change since the ConDem coalition in 2010

No top down organisation of the NHS, Cameron said yet we have seen nothing but every year since

Multiple redundancies every time losing mostly the good people with the skills and knowledge

I would prefer to be out campaigning to get the vote out for Labour instead however I need to be there for my members and support them through this pain, this time also at risk myself being in a ringfenced competition which means I will have to apply for my own job

I also have moderate anxiety and depression which make these situations even more difficult for me to cope with even with tons of support available

This is why I am voting Labour on 12th December to put an end to all this misery by Labour getting into government and standing by the Labour manifesto to repeal the terrible Health & Social Care Act once and for all

Unite Rank and File supporters will be gathering in Brighton next week for Unite National Industrial Sector Conferences 2019

There will not be a leaflet from Unite Rank and File

Thanks to all those who volunteered to help with leafleting

We will still however be meeting up

On Monday 18th November, we will be in the Fiddler’s Elbow post conference

On Tuesday 19th November, we will be meeting in The Bright Helm from 6.30pm onwards for discussion and food before moving on to the Fiddler’s Elbow

Come and join us there

UNITE National Industrial Sector Conferences 2019 are fast approaching starting Monday 18th November 2019 in Brighton

If you are going to be in Brighton in any capacity, please do get in contact

I will be there as a delegate along with a few others from Unite Rank and File

We are hoping to meet up in the evening of Tuesday 19th November

It will be an opportunity for UNITE Rank and File supporters to meet each other and do some planning for the socialist revolution, so if you are interested, please do come along and meet us

Some of us will be here later that night
https://www.fiddlerselbow.pub/

Please also email us if you would like to contribute to or have ideas for our latest leaflet and / or if you are able to help us in Brighton with leafleting

In solidarity!

Nicola Redwood
Co-Chair
Unite Rank and File Committee

The term of office of the current Executive Council comes to an end on 30th April 2020, it is therefore necessary to hold an election to elect the new council to hold office from 1st May 2020 to 30th April 2023.

The timetable for the election was agreed as follows:

Invite branches to submit candidates contact details/statements w/c 21st October 2019

Deadline for receipt of candidate details/statements 12 noon Monday 18th November 2019

Despatch of Nomination Forms w/c 16th December 2019

Christmas – office closure 24th December 2019 – 1st January 2020

Eligibility to vote cut-off date 31st December 2019

Nominations Period Thursday 2nd January – Friday 7th February 2020

Deadline for Receipt of Nominations 12 noon Wednesday 12th February 2020

Deadline for Acceptance and Receipt of Election Address 12 noon Wednesday 19th February 2020

Voting Period 30th March to 28th April.

Voting Papers Despatched 30th March to 1st April 2020

Easter – office closure 10th April – 13th April 2020

Deadline for Voting papers to be returned to the Independent Scrutineer 12 noon Tuesday 28th April

Verification of count 29th and 30th April.

New EC takes office 1st May 2020

New EC Meets 1st to 5th June 2020

* Tue 31 March – Thur 2 April; Unite equalities conferences in Bournemouth

* Sun 28 June – Fri 3 July; Unite policy conference in Liverpool

NHS Biomedical Scientists at Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust vote to go on strike

http://unitelive.org/pathologists-vote-to-strike-over-shifts-system/

In accordance with Rule 12.2 and 12.7 motions are invited from all branches and committees entitled to submit them i.e. Regional Committees, Regional Industrial Sector Committees, Area Activist Committees, Regional Equalities Committees, National Industrial Sector Committees and National Equalities Committees. In accordance with Rule 12.7.1 the National Retired Members Committee and Regional Retired Members Co-ordinating Committees may submit one motion each to Policy Conference on matters solely pertaining to members in retirement.

Who can submit a motion?
Branch Secretaries and Fulltime Officials with responsibility for committees entitled to submit motions are requested to bring this communication to the notice of their respective branch or committee as early as possible; in order to afford them an opportunity to submit a motion for inclusion in the agenda of the Conference. (Retired Member and Community branches may not submit motions to this conference)
What a motion should look like
It is not necessary to re-affirm existing union policy for it to remain in place. Once agreed policy is only altered by motions which explicitly seek to do so. To assist your members when determining your motion, you will find a record of the policies agreed at previous Policy Conferences on the Unite Website.

We have also drawn up the enclosed guidelines to assist your branch or committee when writing your motion. When considering a motion, you should also note the following:

• Each branch or committee may submit 1 motion only;
• Motions should be on general items of policy only;
• Motions must be limited to one subject only;
• Motions to amend the rules are not permissible;
• Motions which are specific to the business of a particular industrial sector will not be placed on the agenda but may be referred to the relevant National Industrial Sector Committee.

1)    Aims

The Unite Rank and File National Committee (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”) aims to:

1. Build solidarity;
2. Encourage resistance and make our union do more to encourage it;
3. Put activists in touch with each other, share information and ideas;
4. Champion independent workers’ organisation and challenge the toxic “in partnership with management” culture so widespread in Unite;
5. Support the development of rank and file networks and campaigning initiatives throughout our union;
6. Campaign to reform and reinvigorate Unite’s democratic structures to promote a bottom-up culture where members participate, challenge discrimination and are in control;
7. Campaign to change Unite policies in the interests of the working class;

2)    Organisation

1. Supporters of Unite Rank and File who are members of Unite (or its successors) and not employed by a union are eligible to be members of the Committee
2. The Committee may define minimum levels of financial contribution for Supporters
3. Officers, other members of the Committee, and an Auditor will be elected by Supporters of Unite Rank and File or, where there are vacancies, may be co-opted by the Committee
4. The term of office for Committee members is until the next annual meeting of Unite Rank and File Supporters, which will normally be held in the last quarter of the year
5. Meetings may take place in person or by electronic means
6. A record of all meetings must be kept
7. Decisions will be taken by a simple majority vote, and may be at a meeting or otherwise
8. At least once a year, normally at the first meeting of the year, the Committee will approve the audited accounts for the previous year
9. Meetings will take place when:
   1. Called by one of the Co-Chairs, or
   2. Agreed by a meeting of Committee members, or
   3. Agreed by a majority of the Officers
10. Cheque signatories will be the Treasurer, the Co-Chairs, and such other Committee members as the Committee decides
11. All expenditure shall require two signatures, neither of which may be the payee, a member of their immediate family or someone with the same address
12. Receipts for all expenditure should be provided to the Treasurer where practicable
13. The Auditor may not be a member of the Committee

3)    Roles

1. The Officers will include two Co-Chairs (at least one female), an Editor, Assistant Editors, Treasurer, a Solidarity Coordinator and such other positions as the Committee may decide.
2. The duties of the Co-Chairs shall be to arrange and notify Committee members of meetings; to chair meetings; to secure agreement of the Committee to the agenda for discussion at each meeting; to secure a full and frank discussion of all matters of contention and an expeditious conduct of uncontentious business.
3. The Editor and Assistant Editors are responsible for public communication including a web site, social media, email newsletters and leaflets, subject to guidelines approved by the Committee. Where the Editorial team consider a decision contentious, they may decide to refer it to the Officers or to the Committee.
4. Coordinators covering regions, sectors, equality strands, retired and community members, will, in their parts of Unite, encourage people to become Unite Rank and File Supporters, feed in reports and requests for solidarity, build solidarity, campaign etc. and encourage local networking. Unless the Committee decides otherwise, the Coordinators are not Officers. There will be up to two Coordinators for each area, providing that if there is more than one then at least one must not be male.
5. The Solidarity Coordinator will gather information about disputes and campaigns and action that can be taken to support them. They will provide this information to the editorial team for dissemination, and work with Coordinators to organise solidarity.
6. The Committee may delegate decisions to the Officers. In such cases the decisions must be reported to the whole Committee no later than its next meeting.
7. Decisions to spend money may be taken by the Committee or, if less than £100 in a month, by the Officers.
8. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive and bank all monies due to the Committee; to pay all liabilities incurred by the Committee; to reimburse the Officers and Committee members any expenses they properly incur in carrying out the approved duties assigned to them; to report on the group’s financial position; to prepare an annual income and expenditure account and balance sheet, which shall be presented to the first Committee meeting in each calendar year. The Treasurer shall submit the annual income and expenditure account and balance sheet, together with all relevant paperwork (e.g. the cash book, bank statements and all receipts and copies of invoices), to the Auditor at least one month before the membership meeting at which the annual financial report will be presented.
9. Audited accounts will be made available within a reasonable time to any Supporter, after redaction of any names that may be required for data protection reasons. All Committee members will be asked to agree to their names being unredacted.
10. The duties of the Auditor shall be to conduct annually an audit of the financial records maintained by the Treasurer and to certify whether the income and expenditure account and balance sheet prepared by the Treasurer are a true and correct record of the financial transactions and a true and correct statement of the financial position of the group.
11. The Committee may agree to allow an Officer to delegate part of their duties where appropriate.
12. Where roles are shared, only one of the people sharing a role can vote on any decision.

4)    Dissolution

The Committee shall be dissolved by a resolution of a special Committee meeting called for this purpose.  Not less than fourteen days’ notice shall be given by a Co-Chair to all Committee members of a meeting at which a motion to dissolve the Committee shall be considered.  The notice of the meeting shall contain the terms of the motion to dissolve the group.

5)    Changes to rules

These rules may be amended by a resolution of a special Committee meeting called for this purpose.  Not less than fourteen days’ notice shall be given by a Co-Chair to all Committee members of a meeting at which one or more motions to amend the rules shall be considered. The notice of the meeting shall contain the terms of the motions to amend the rules of the Committee.