Latest leaflet   |  Defend the 4 Appeal  |  Letter of protest  |  Defend the 4 Petition

 

Four unison activists, all members of the Socialist Party, have been banned from Office for between three to five years: from left to right,

* GLENN KELLY, UNISON national executive and Branch Secretary Bromley UNISON,

* ONAY KASAB, Branch Secretary Greenwich UNISON,

* SUZANNE MUNA, Branch Secretary UNISON Tenant Services Authority, and

* BRIAN DEBUS, Branch Chair Hackney UNISON

---

5 March 2010

Urgent

Dawn raids on unison offices!

Ban imposed on four unison branch leaders 

Following the mitigation hearings Glenn Kelly (Bromely), Suzanne Muna (Housing Association), Onay Kasab (Greenwich) and Brian Debus (Hackney) have all been banned from holding any office in Unison.

Picture - latest leaflet - click here to open

Early this morning (5th March) UNISON officials turned up at the UNISON offices of the Bromley, Greenwich and the Housing Association having given no notice; we are awaiting an update from Hackney. The officials have attempted to confiscate computer hard drives and other resources, which include important documents on on-going personal cases.

The officials intend to run elections for new branch officers but as has happened in other branches they may well try to run the branches themselves which has led to moribund UNISON branches.

The Four have conducted a determined and high profile campaign which has meant that it has taken nearly 3 years to get them banned from office. The mitigation hearings also concluded that the length of the bans will be reduced by between 1 and 3 years.

However, this morning’s action shows the vicious reality of the UNISON leaderships attacks on socialist activists within the union.

The four are urging supporters to phone or e-mail UNISON Head Office now to protest against the ban and the raids of the branch offices. 

What we need you to do:

1. Let as many unison members as possible know what is happening

2. E-mail letters of protest to:

- UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis: d.prentis@unison.co.uk

- UNISON London Region: greaterlondonregion@unison.co.uk

3. Phone UNISON Head Office to express your disgust on 0845 355 0845 

4. Pass a motion at your next meeting to be sent to Dave Prentis.

5. Funds are urgently needed for leaflets, publicity and legal costs. 

Cheques payable to: 'Stop the Witch-Hunt' and should be sent to: Defend the Four Campaign, PO Box 858, London E11 1YG.

6. Please let us know details of your protests - e-mail us at: info@stopthewitchhunt.org.uk.

---

27 Feb 2010

Unison upholds the ban after political ruling by court

Once again the courts have shown their class prejudice in the Employment Tribunal ruling against the four Socialist Party members fighting the witch-hunt in Unison.

The four have been banned from holding office in Unison for three to five years.

They took their case to an Employment Tribunal, arguing that they are being discriminated against by the Unison leadership on the basis of their "philosophical beliefs" (i.e. being members of the Socialist Party).

But, not satisfied with blocking the British Airways workers’ right to strike, a court has now effectively ruled that socialists and Marxists do not have the right to be protected in law from discrimination and harassment in the workplace or in a trade union.

Judgment

Incredibly the judgment went on to say that the four’s beliefs in the right for housing for all and the right of workers to take unofficial strike action were views that were "repugnant in a democratic society"!

Emboldened by the backing of the Employment Tribunal, the following day the union leadership sent a letter to the four telling them that they have lost their internal appeal and will now face a mitigation hearing on 24 February.

Glenn Kelly (NEC member and branch secretary of Bromley Unison) and Onay Kasab (branch secretary of Greenwich Unison) have been banned for three years. Suzanne Muna (branch secretary of Tenant Services Authority) has been banned for four years and Brian Debus (branch chair of Hackney Unison) for five years.

Stop the witch-hunt!

To fight "savage cuts" we need a fighting and democratic union

The campaign to defend the four calls for a mass response from workers and left trade union leaders to protest against this attack.

Members are incensed that just at a time when they are facing greater attacks, fighting and experienced branch leaders are being removed.

In Greenwich £30 million of cuts are proposed; in Hackney huge cuts are looming.

Yet the national leadership is prepared to wreck these branches to pursue their own political aims.

The members of these branches are determined to fight on and to preserve their ability to defend jobs, conditions and services.

It is more urgent than ever that action is taken to halt the witch-hunt.

All union members need to be aware that this will not stop at the four.

This fight is about democracy in the trade union movement.

General election

After the general election, all the main political parties promise massive, historic cuts in the public sector.

Hundred of thousands will lose their jobs or be forced to take pay cuts, while services will go to the wall, unless a determined fight is launched by the trade unions.

But the national leadership of Unison is unwilling or unable to fight, more determined to preserve its link with the big business Labour government than defend its members.

Instead, they turn on socialists and activists who are prepared to fight.

Unison Black Members reject the witch-hunt

The four were accused of attacking "the integrity of the members of the Standing Orders Committee" for questioning the removal of key motions from the 2007 Unison conference agenda.

Disgracefully, they were also charged with giving "racist offence to members" because they used a leaflet with a cartoon of the three wise monkeys, despite the investigation accepting there was no racist intent.

To find four members who have always opposed and campaigned against racism of being racist themselves is outrageous. From the outset, the union leadership has been prepared to misuse the issue of racism.

"Unless Mr Kasab and his colleagues are punished, black Unison members can have no confidence in the union fighting racism." These were the words of the Unison national officer who acted as the prosecution in the union’s case.

Yet, in the first week of the attacks, a black Unison member told us, "They are not going to use the colour of my skin for their own purposes." It has been revealed that there are over 260 BNP members in the union and there has been no action taken.

At the 2010 annual national black members’ conference, Onay Kasab was the delegate from Greenwich. He spoke about his role in leading strike action in 1988 to drive a fascist out of the union, and the role of Greenwich Unison in the campaign to close the BNP headquarters in Welling.

He received several ovations during the three minutes he was allowed to speak. Delegate after delegate approached Kas after his speech, to congratulate him and to condemn the witch-hunt.

Political attack

For two and a half years the four have been through tortuous investigation and hearings, wasting tens of thousands of pounds of Unison members’ money. Five were originally investigated but only those who are Socialist Party members faced disciplinary hearings and bans from office, clearly revealing that this is an attack on Socialist Party members.

One Unison member wrote: "The actions of the union are undemocratic, threatening both personal and civil liberty. In a child’s playground environment, the union would be identified as a bully."

A former regional organiser for the union appeared as a witness for the four. He stated that he attended a two-day course where union officers Linda Perks and Chris Remington confirmed that "dealing with the problem of Trotskyite activists was indeed part of the course and what was expected of us".

Chris Remington was quoted as saying that the "Trots" had to be "castigated". The priority of every union should be to defend its members from job losses, reduced hours and worse conditions.

However the Unison bureaucracy is instead narrowly focused on silencing any opposition to the Unison leadership, especially socialists with a track record of fighting for their members.

 

How you can help the campaign

* Send protests to: Dave Prentis, Unison HQ, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ or e-mail: d.prentis@unison.co.uk Send copies to:

Defend the Four Campaign, PO Box 858, London E11 1YG or e-mail: info@stopthewitchhunt.org.uk

* Come on the lobby outside the fours mitigation hearing on 24th February; venue to be announced;

* Please send donations so that Defend the Four can produce more leaflets, book rooms for meetings and keep in touch with supporters.

Cheques payable to: Stop the witch-hunt. Send to: Defend the Four Campaign, PO Box 858, London, E11 1YG.

* If you would like to receive e-mail updates on the campaign please send your e-mail address to: info@ stopthewitchhunt.org.uk

 

Nominate Roger Bannister for UNISON General Secretary

Whoever wins the general election, members of Unison, like all other public service workers, are in for a hard time.

All three capitalist parties have declared their intention to make the working class pay for the financial crisis through attacks on jobs, pay, pensions and public services.

Roger Bannister, with over 33 years of trade union experience and activity, is standing for general secretary of Unison. If elected he will lead Unison members, along with other public sector workers to fight against these attacks.

Roger Bannister’s record

Result in 2005

Dave Prentis 184,769 (76%).

Roger Bannister 41,406 (17%).

Jon Rogers (United Left) candidate 18,306 (7.48%).

Turnout 16.6% (membership entitled to vote 1,476,488).

Result in 2000

Roger Bannister (CFDU candidate) 71,021 (31.65%).

Dave Prentis 125,584 (55.9%).

Malkiat Bilku (a London hospital striker) 27,785 (12.3%).

Turnout 16.5%.

Find out more at www.rogerbannister-unison.blogspot.com

 

 

---

 

WEDNESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER

LANDMARK RULING THAT UNLAWFUL TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST A PERSON BECAUSE OF THEIR PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEFS.

The four have been banned from holding office in Unison for three to five years have taken their case to an employment tribunal - arguing that they are being discriminated against by the Unison leadership on the basis of their "philosophical beliefs" (i.e. being members of the Socialist Party).

Their case has now been strengthened following the decision of an Employment Tribunal.

Follow the link below for more information.

http://www.bindmans.com/index.php?id=638

The next dates for the Employment Tribunal are 15th to 18th December.

We need supporters to attend.

London Central Employment Tribunal
Ground Floor
Victory House
30-34 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6

---

Download our new leaflet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

Update 14 September 2009

All London meeting

Wednesday 23 September, 7.30pm

Upper Hall, University of London Union, Malet Street, London, WC1.

Nearest tubes – Euston, Goodge St.

 

Speakers: Janice Godrich (President of PCS),

Brian Debus, Glenn Kelly, Onay

Kasab, Suzanne Muna,

other speakers invited.

 

Latest PDFs:

Leaflet: Defend the Four page 1  (1mb, opens in new window)

Defend the Four page 2   (1mb, opens in new window)

 

Printed below is an article from a recent issue of the Socialist newspaper which reports on the recent Employment Tribunal that the four are taking their case to.

Unison witch-hunt / employment tribunal: The truth is coming out

As we reported in the last issue, four Socialist Party members have been banned from holding office in Unison for three to five years by a Unison disciplinary committee.

This follows the production of a leaflet at the 2007 Unison conference which was said to cause "racist offence" because it displayed the well-known cartoon of the 'three wise monkeys'.

One of the four, Brian Debus, has now been found guilty of misappropriation of branch funds due to his role in arranging the production of the leaflet.

He is already banned for five years and he now awaits the decision of the disciplinary panel about further penalties. Brian continues to receive full support from Unison members in his own Hackney branch and others. He also has much support from trade unionists and other campaigners in the Hackney area.

This report from a Socialist Party member attending the recent Employment Tribunal shows some of the details of the witch-hunt being waged by the Unison leadership.

While as socialists we place our faith in action by the working class, when necessary we will take action in the courts. The four Unison activists being witch-hunted by the union leadership were in court at an employment tribunal for five days from 10 August.

The claim was that the four have been discriminated against on the basis of their philosophical Marxist/Trotskyist beliefs which are manifested through membership of the Socialist Party.

The campaign to defend the four calls for a mass response from workers and left trade union leaders to protest against this attack. The response so far has been fantastic, especially from members of the Unison branches affected. Initial shock has turned to great anger as is clear from the sentiment expressed in the letters sent to Unison.

One Unison member wrote the following: "The actions of the union are undemocratic, threatening both personal and civil liberty. In a child's playground environment, the union would be identified as a bully."

These words turned out to be prophetic as shown in the tribunal. There is a long list of "comparator" evidence. Those who have followed the campaign will be aware that originally it was "defend the five", until the union dropped the charges against Matthew Waterfall, the Hackney Unison branch secretary. Matthew is not a Socialist Party member.

Other comparators have now been provided to the tribunal. These include examples of where the union itself has used the image of the three wise monkeys, a conference delegate who repeatedly referred to black people as "coloureds" and a leaflet that was sanctioned by the union and distributed at the 2007 conference which denied that people of Eastern European origin had any history of facing racial oppression.

In addition to the charge relating to the three wise monkeys cartoon, the four are charged with questioning the integrity of the union's standing orders committee (SOC), which is responsible for deciding what is debated at conference.

The offending line in the text of the leaflet, which relates to motions ruled out of order, states: "Is this because they were controversial?"

The tribunal heard evidence of far sharper challenges that are made to this committee each year at conference. One report from the eastern region women's committee says that the SOC are inconsistent, questions their accountability, says they make rulings based on personal views and do not follow the wishes of women members. None of those responsible for these comparators faced any action, yet four Socialist Party members now face being barred from office.

The union's defence at the tribunal was incredible. One comparator relates to Heather Wakefield, a union full-time official who handed out peanuts and bananas to delegates at an employers' conference, presumably to illustrate that if they "pay peanuts, they will get monkeys", although no one could explain why bananas were being given out.

Heather did not take care to ensure that nobody was caused any offence. Despite a complaint, no action was taken. The union are saying that this cannot be used as a comparator because Heather Wakefield, via the union barrister, has now declared herself as a Marxist! This will be news to the thousands of Unison members in local government who have seen their pay attacked on her watch.

But the union member's words quoted near the start of this article were really shown as prophetic when Tom Snow, a former regional organiser for the union, appeared as a witness. He stated that he attended a two-day course where union officers Linda Perks and Chris Remington confirmed that "dealing with the problem of Trotskyite activists was indeed part of the course and what was expected of us". Tom quoted Linda as saying it was what Unison general secretary Dave Prentis wanted. Other comments included: "Some branches are off the wall".

Tom produced evidence that the Bromley branch had been removed from his remit because in the words of the union "he failed to deal with Glenn Kelly". Course participants were also told that the union was "unhealthy", in a reference to Socialist Party members.

Most tellingly Chris Remington was quoted as saying that the "trots" had to be "castigated". This is evidence of Unison not only giving a clear line to full-time officials to witch-hunt union activists but it also calls them onto courses designed for this purpose.

As if this needed further confirmation, the union had clearly instructed its barrister to take the line that those who held the views of Socialist Party members had no place in the union. In fact he accused socialists of "infiltrating" the union.

The hearing has now been adjourned and will begin again on 15 December, when the union will begin presenting its evidence. There is no doubt amongst Unison activists that the union has misused the very serious issue of race in order to meet its own political objectives via a witch-hunt. This has clearly been exposed in the tribunal.

It is more urgent than ever that action is taken to halt the witch-hunt. All union members need to be aware that this will not stop at the four, nor is it limited to defending four union activists. It is about democracy in the trade union movement. It is about the leadership preparing for sell-outs by trying to clear out those who will fight for Unison members and show a lead in taking on the employers.

The leadership have no answers of their own. So much so that general secretary Dave Prentis was forced to use the words of Glenn Kelly at conference this year when describing the union's relationship with the Labour Party. The truth is now out. Unison members need to respond loudly that witch-hunts have no place in the union.

How you can help the campaign

• Hundreds of protest letters have been sent but the Defend the Four Campaign requests that more are sent where possible. Send protests to: Dave Prentis, Unison HQ, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ or e-mail: d.prentis@unison.co.uk Send copies to: Defend the Four Campaign, PO Box 858, London E11 1YG or e-mail: info@stopthewitchhunt.org.uk
• Defend the Four public meeting, Wednesday 23 September 7.30 ULU, Malet Street, London (near Euston station). Details to follow.
• Please send donations so that Defend the Four can produce more leaflets, book rooms for meetings and keep in touch with supporters. Cheques payable to: Stop the witch-hunt. Send to: Defend the Four Campaign, PO Box 858, London, E11 1YG.
• If you would like to receive e-mail updates on the campaign please send your e-mail address to: info@ stopthewitchhunt.org.uk. Check out the website: www.stopthewitchhunt.org.uk

 

 

Download the latest leaflet here

DEFEND THE FOUR - LATEST UPDATE July 27th

In the last newsletter we explained that the four had been found 'guilty' and given a ban from office for three years.

However we now know that while Glenn Kelly and Onay Kasab were given a 3 year ban, Brian Debus was given a 5 year ban and Suzanne a 4 year ban from holiding office !

Please see updated report and protest letter.

Copies of protest letters to Dave Prentis are coming in daily - many from trade union and anti-racist activists from abroad.

Thanks for your response so far and please keep them coming in !

---

DEFEND THE FOUR NEWSLETTER 24TH JULY 2009

SENTENCE HAS BEEN PASSED ON THE FOUR -

A BAN FROM OFFICE FOR THREE YEARS !

PROTESTS URGENTLY NEEDED

Please inform other trade unionists about the disgraceful punishment of the four. Protest letters to Dave Prentis are needed. Please see Protest letter for standard letter to sign (or compose your own.) Please see background information for details of the charges.

LOBBY UNISON HQ

A lobby will take place on Thursday 30th July outside the Unison HQ Mabledon Place, London WC1H at 12 noon.

Other protests and meetings will be announced shortly.

Donations to the campaign are also needed.

Please make cheques payable to: 'Stop the Witch-hunt' and post to: Defend the Four Campaign, PO Box 858, London, E11 1YG

SEND YOUR PROTESTS TO:

UNISON HQ

1 Mabledon Place

London WC1H 9AJ

Telephone: 0845 355 0845

e-mail: d.prentis@unison.co.uk

Please Send copies of protest statements to:

Defend the Four Campaign, PO Box 858 London E11 1YG

or email info@stopthewitchhunt.org.uk