Photo: LAURENCE SPARHAM (IFL political objectives?
of Commons.' The National Communications Engineering Group (formerly the Post Office Engineering Union) will be holding its ballot whether its last two weeks Above is a sample of the kind campaign the union is running to get a yes vote.
decided on a 'low profile' Calludel! based strategy of 'if we don't let the press know we're having our ballot they won't have got round to campaigning for people to vote No' So low is the prone unal orancnes were not told the week before Haster that ther had less than two months to campaign in.
And of course it was pie in the sky to think the press wouldn't notice. The vote no campaign is wel under way in the pages of the Sun and the Mail.
Many must have wondered the allegations of ballot rigg ing in the TGWU, which nave for nearly a year, have onIv iust surfaced now. at thi beginning of many unions' campaigns on the Political Fund.
The NCU campaign to Our Voice Parliament Is a piece of avoiding the issue. The literature put out to the membership contains not a single reference the Labour Party - to dent that the ballot is to do with Labour Party affiliation' Instead, we are toid, "The ballot is simply on whether we have political objectives. Who we afmulate to is a separate dec ision for annual confer'QUESTION: WHAT in precise terms are our Answer: Our main political objective is to have a Voice in Parliament — representation in the House Formally speaking this is true. But as well as being seel extremely dishonest by the memberportunity so plain one portunity explain the UCIWECI and the Labour Party, and to generally raise the ques politics in a fairl apolitical union.
answer difficult which *The tie Party is that we secure future the Girobank.' the activists couldn't answer is no because 'the (neither Conser. vatives!)'.
FOR A VOICE IN PARLIAMENT Tories because they don't want us Since the question is being raised, many people are thinking about the link between the would campaign have built The ballot is a missed opportunity to get the membership more actively involved in the union and the Labour Party Apparently we have seen cleariy that having VOCA I parnamen lesel.
much more effective than Call Daleill 'various forms' outside it Our sponsored MPs are doing a grand job, 'often behind the scenes' where of course, the membershir can't go and so needn't get involved.
Instead of educating the membership unal in dustrial action is going to essenta defend ourselves against job loss. the NEC tries to persuade LIS parliament we will be able that with a voice avoid action. Rather than campaign on the real importance of the link between the Labour party and thes try ante blackmail us that without a yes VULC we will be left primarily with the choice of industrial action'. Bridget Elton London City NCU (personal capacity)
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on this.
AND YOU THINK I SHOULD VOTE 'YES In the past few years the Union has sought to