Kim Howells took a bit of a bashing in the Western Mail yesterday. I have to say that I am surprised that it has taken this long for the trade unions in Wales to have turned on Welsh Labour. You would think the hypocrisy of fighting on the frontline with placards whilst sharpening the knifes in Westminster would have led to the end a while ago.
Still it is excellent to see that the unions are no longer tolerating the way New Labour treat them as some sort of election slush fund without giving anything back. There are of course many committed trade unionists in the Labour party but the party itself no longer represents that movement the way it claims to. Kim Howells has long since lost that position. If the party are not careful many more could follow.
Banking on the MoD?
1 hour ago
5 comments:
now if the Unions can stop bank rolling Welsh Labour and providing staff and other resources for election campaigns, maybe welsh democracy might come out from where it's been hiding for so long :)
Kim Howells sucking up to a trade union killer? How the mighty have fallen. He really has taken on the mantle of a true Thatcherite.
GWF,
Quick question, New Labour for all its sins, particularly in regards the unions has at the very least brought in things by being moderate enough to be in government...
What has plaid ever delivered in policy for the unions?
Should any government be beholdent to their bankrollers? The unions play the same role as lord ashcroft, but if the tories merely acted out Ashcroft's whim you would be in outrage
Marcus,
Lord Ashcroft is one person. I would call the Tory party a dictatorship if they acted out his whims. The Trade Union movement is made up of hundreds of thousands of people who are (for the most part) Labour party members. They are the basis and founders of the Labour party. I think there is a stark difference between supporting your principals and working for a lord with money.
Also in this case who is Kim Howells standing up for? I accept that in some cases trade union views are not going to be carried through by the government but surely Kim Howells is not standing up for anyone with any care for human rights?
As for your point about Plaid it is a bit unfair given they have only been in power a short while. But.....off the top of my head it was as a result of plaid entering this coalition that the nurses pay dispute was fully resolved and they received a backdated pay rise. I am sure their trade union would agree that was a policy move to be supported.
SG,
Plaid tried to get rid of the 8 week rule that allowed Craig Smith to sack the Friction Dynamex workers. Labour made all the right noises but when it came to the crunch, just extended legal strikes to 12 weeks.
Plaid backed the campaign for miners compensation when Labour said it was a lost cause. Plaid then also backed the case for VWF when the Blair Govt appealed against the decision to award miners compensation. Plaid also slated Labour for using 'surplus' monies from the two main miner's pension funds to pay them their compensation (not a fact often mentioned by Labour MPs).
Plaid have also forced Labour in the coalition not to have any further PFI in the NHS in Wales.
GWF,
The unions are controlled by their leaders and not their membership. They are a hugely centralised setup, with Labour supporters at their helm. However, this should not put people off being union members as the organisation has the ability to change and has a massive role to play in the future of Welsh democracy.
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