On Thursday night a meeting of 90 trade unionists opposing public sector cuts was held near Guildhall. In the meeting, prospective Unite general secretary, Jerry Hicks, told the meeting ‘It’s not our crisis, we didn’t create it and we’re not paying the price.’

Hicks, an unemployed skilled aircraft worker, who turned down a position as a paid union official due to his view that officials should be elected also said ‘Whether it’s Vestas on the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Plymouth, or Bristol – wherever the struggle is that’s where we’ll be.’

I would have more information for you, but I was unable to go to the meeting due to having to do some overtime to get some work completed so I’m relying heavily on The News’ account of the meeting. But it’s nice to hear from a trade unionist potentially in the top job talking about more democracy in the trade unions. Though, whether he would actually effect any change if voted in remains to be seen, power corrupts after all.

The trade union movement has received lots of bad press recently due to top brass at the union pocketing huge amounts in wages from subs and the media is right to criticise them. So has the trade unions grown too hierarchical and corrupt to be of any effect? Unfortunately, yes. The only was forward for them as far as I can see is to build rank and file democratic unions like the IWW and get rid of the parasitic union bosses.

Take a look at their website here:

http://iww.org.uk