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Yes, Len McClusky is on the way out. But he's done damage to Labour's electoral chances already.
I'm not proposing an alternative to unions - I'm saying that unions are counterproductive to Labour's chances of getting into power and I want a model for collective action which doesn't damage our chances. If the unions decide not to damage our chances maybe they're the way forward. But at the moment, they're a liability.
If you don't think unions have done bad things I suspect I'm on a hiding to nothing listing out the problems, but just sticking to Len McCluskey for a moment:
- spunked potentially over a million quid of his members money in legal fees protecting Sqawakbox when they libelled Anna Turley
- funelling contracts to dodgy mates
- 'borrowing' £400k of members money to buy his flat
- telling jewish Labour ex MPs to 'count your gold'
- Unite were also instrumental in blocking Starmer's 'remain' brexit policy and instead forced a 'people's vote' policy instead - a pointless fig leaf that annoys me to this day
I could go on but probably best not to.
- spunked potentially over a million quid of his members money in legal fees protecting Sqawakbox when they libelled Anna Turley
ReekBlefs-
If you don't think unions have done bad things
I think they are imperfect, and complex like any other comparably sized organ of representative political power and that affords individuals opportunities to exploit the positions they find themselves in.
It's a particularly difficult issue to remedy within trade unionism (for whatever reason), and you really don't need to tell me why Crooked Len is a bad apple. But would be interested to hear if you have gripes with any other TU besides Unite, which to be honest all seems tied quite closely to crap LM has said, done or overseen as general secretary, rather than the org itself.
I find it a bit short sighted to rationalise that because there are some rotten offices therefore TUs should cease to exist, and frankly shows a complete detachment from the political reality of the Labour party, or the absolutely essential role they perform for their members and the labour market more broadly.
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Unite have reduced ties with the LP already.
How do you organise effectively without Unions?
What sort of things?