Local Council Politics

[ARC86]

Nope i stick by my view that if you dont pay your dues you dont get the benefits, of which there are many for being a UNITE member.. just ask a delegate if he will represent someone not paying their subscription

[ARC86]

Alternatively you can go it alone and bring in your own representation

[mk1]

just ask a delegate if he will represent someone not paying their subscription

I know it happens. It happens a lot but  it is a personal choice and it reflects the attitude of the person making the decision. You refuse to do it because you are only interested in your own 'tribe'.

[Hartlepudlion]

Well arc86 you should therefore represent every CT payer in Hartlepool as we subscribe to various unions whether we want to or not. We don't even have the option to opt out. See cabs response to Fred's question last months meeting.

[ARC86]

Hartlepudlion that is why Unions have area representatives.. if you pay subs get in touch with them if your workplace rep wont help you out.. i represent my branch only.. i was chatting with my area rep today as it happens in Middlesbrough and he stated pretty much what i have just said.. if im not mistaken HBC employees are represented by Unison.. they may all be a part of the TUC and take co ordinated action through that route but that is where it ends im afraid

Back to MRA im with everybody else on here and Wilcox should face the consequences of her actions as ive said umpteen times

[ARC86]

Yes you are right enough said.. whether they (which they wont) remove the leaders of the council or not.. it will be another Labour person who takes over and then the vicious circle starts all over again.. if PHF and the other parties wish to make inroads, i suggest they start making some policies and credible answers to everything that they oppose

[fred c]

Yes you are right enough said.. whether they (which they wont) remove the leaders of the council or not.. it will be another Labour person who takes over and then the vicious circle starts all over again.. if PHF and the other parties wish to make inroads, i suggest they start making some policies and credible answers to everything that they oppose

I would have thought Truth, Honesty, Integrity, Openess, Transparency & Accountability would suffice.... Qualities by the way, that "All Councillors" are supposed to have.

However, it isn`t a case of other parties doing something about the things that are going on in Hartlepool......... It`s about The Labour Party doing something about "The Mob".

No one doubts that there are decent labour councillors involved in the present set up, but those same councillors don`t have the Gonads to challenge "The Dear Leader & His Consort".... We all know that...... Including you.

[ARC86]

Fred have you ever thought none of the present Labour councillors want to be leader of the council?

[Hartlepudlion]

 if PHF and the other parties wish to make inroads, i suggest they start making some policies and credible answers to everything that they oppose

First statement from arc86 that I can agree with.

[ARC86]

Well its true hartlepudlion for the first 3 years at national level Labour just opposed everything the coalition brought in.. now were closing in on the election policies are slowly starting to appear.. but ive heard nothing from PHF except opposing the travellers site at Hart without proposing an alternative.. get some meat on the bones and you may start going places

[not4me]

I've just watched Ed Milliband on the Andrew Marr programme where he refused to give a straight answer to just about every question Marr asked him.

[craig finton]

With UNISON being one of the biggest donors to the Labour Party, can someone explain to me why any Labour councillor should be allowed to vote on the issue of continuing the practice of paying full time union officials out of taxpayers money? They each have a straight forward pecuniary interest in allowing the practice to continue and therefore should not be allowed a vote on the issue - that's the way it is on all other issues so why is the issue of union funding different? 

[ARC86]

Because they are elected to make such decisions.. anybody wishing to become a labour councillor must be a member of a trade union.. as for a declaration of interest i refer to what i have wrote above and it soon becomes obvious that all councillors have an interest in union matters

the council has 4000 employees and quite rightly those workers need representation.. what i would say is i do not think a full time official should be paid by the taxpayer, so yes i agree with you

[steveL]

Does any potential Labour Councillor have to be a member of a Trade Union? I'm not sure if that's true and if it is then all current councillors certainly don't declare it. I'm not really bothered if they are or not but I would say the hefty donation UNISON makes to the Labour Party must qualify as a pecuniary interest. That being the case, as Craig says, the rules should therefore prohibit the labour group from voting on whether or not full time officials should be funded from taxpayer's money.

This has the feel of an 'elephant in the room' situaton that some people may prefer not to think about. 

[steveL]

"Because they are elected to make such decisions"

What sort of an answer is that? Simply being elected does not entitle councillors to vote on matters in which they have a direct financial interest. If you don't understand that then perhaps we have a partial explanation as to why the Peer Group found it necessary to comment on councillors 'acting out of self-interest', why such matters are currently the subject of a Public Enquiry and why the Fraud Squad are making visits to Manor Residents.