‘Infighting’ Labour not standing up for low-paid workers, says Unison


Just so there’s no doubt: He means you, Maria Eagle!

He also means you, Simon Danczuk, even though you’re not in the shadow cabinet! It goes for you, Tristram Hunt – and you Mike Gapes. You, Chris Leslie, and you Caroline Flint.

And you, Graham Jones.

UPDATE November 14: And now you, John Woodcock and Ian Austin.

You have all spoken out of turn. Now shape up – or ship out.

Labour must “get its act together” so it can defend low-paid workers who are facing the most concerted attack on their living standards in a generation, the head of the UK’s biggest public service union has said.

Dave Prentis, the general secretary of Unison, said it was unacceptable that while tens of thousands of teaching assistants, carers and support workers were worrying about how they were going to “put food on the table” because of the government’s austerity programme, members of the shadow cabinet were indulging in infighting.

“Right now, our members – many of them low-paid women – are lying awake at night, wondering whether they will have a job in a few months or fretting about how they are going to feed their children once the tax credit cuts hit,” he said. “Meanwhile, we have a Labour party which does not seem to be focused on standing up for them. Labour cannot afford to degenerate into infighting.”

The warning follows a series of statements and briefings by the party’s MPs, which critics say have been intended to undermine the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn. In the latest case, Maria Eagle, speaking on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show, backed the head of the armed forces when he voiced opposition to the Labour leader’s position on Trident nuclear weapons.

Source: ‘Infighting’ Labour not standing up for low-paid workers, says Unison | Society | The Guardian

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4 thoughts on “‘Infighting’ Labour not standing up for low-paid workers, says Unison

  1. Jeffery Davies

    The hills are alive with the blair babies but jc sjould say its time to them to cross the floor

  2. roybeiley

    Unison is a powerful aTrade Union in terms that it represents a great swathe of the people who provide a range of local services which everybody in the country, rich or poor, rely on. They are generally low paid and therefore have real concerns about this Govt’s assault on the benefits system. They are the “working people” that the Muppet Cameron is always referring to but who continually makes their lives harder in the name of “cutting the deficit” through austerity measures. Meanwhile those who are either well paid or overpaid, smirk at the unfortunates on low incomes thinking that they are immune the consequences.They should be worried, very worried, if Dave Prentiss rallies Unison members to take action.

  3. gfranklinpercival

    Jeffery Davies, surely he could as leader simply withdraw the whip and leave them to flounder?

    That said, sectionalism is of no use when it comes to socialism. I don’t think unison the union’s contribution to the needs of the no paid has been enormous.

  4. paulrutherford8

    They just can’t understand it was a democratic deciszion by the members which they ought to abide by… or leave as is rightly stated above.

    I keep wondering how many Corbyn supporers would follow him should *he* ever decide to form a new party?

    Do the blairite kiddies actually, honestly represent their own constituents? I’m getting more than a little fed up with them.

Comments are closed.