Berny Parkes - Election Address National Labour Link Election

Berny Parkes - Election Address 

National Labour Link Election

JC4PM 

For the many, not the few 

I am, and always have been, an unashamed, unapologetic supporter of Jeremy Corbyn and Labour's Manifesto 'For the many, not the few'.

Whilst not outright victory, the result of the General Election was historic. Never again can Jeremy Corbyn be called a vote loser. Never again can a left wing manifesto be called 'fantasy land politics'.

Celebrate, then organise!

It is my firm belief that one of the objectives of the National Labour Link Committee should be to play a pivotal role in ensuring that MPs, the NEC and the internal structures of the Labour Party do not undermine the Labour Leadership ever again.

We need unity now, probably, more than ever before.

Whilst I am proud that our National Labour Link Committee and the South West Region supported our Labour Leader, my decision to stand in this election is due to my disappointment that our South West representative on the National Labour Link Committee did not support the nomination of Jeremy Corbyn in the second leadership contest.

We have made great strides during the General Election and we should celebrate the advances that we have made on the back of an anti-austerity, pro-public services manifesto. However, the battle has only just begun - there is a world still to win!

BALLOT PAPERS BEING SENT OUT FROM 9th AUGUST

NEC Election Results

UNISON NEC Election Results

I apologise for not publishing the NEC results but due to the General Election time moved on pretty quickly.

Despite losing my own personal battle the victories for the UNISONaction Broad Left candidates were the best yet.

My own hero of the elections was my 'running mate' Michelle Goodman who stormed to victory in the South West Female Seat. It is the first time that a left candidate has won a seat in a contested election in the South West.

In all we won 29 candidates; the 'establishment Stronger in Unison' won 32 seats and there are 7 independents.

Personally, I'm already moving on to the National Labour Link Elections where I will be standing as the UNISONaction Labour Left / Corbynista candidate for the South West Seat! The ballot papers are being sent out to all Unison Labour Link / APF members on 9th September

The full list of victorious NEC UNISONaction candidates is: 

REGIONAL SEATS:

Eastern
Pauline Smith (Reserved Seat)

Greater London
Sonya Howard and Helen Davies (Female Seats)
Sean Fox (Male Seat)

North West
Tony Wilson (General Seat)
Karen Reissmann and Evelyn Doyle (Female Seats)
Steve North (Male Seat)
Luisete Batista (Reserved Seat)

Scotland
Jim McFarlane (Male Seat)

South East
Jacqui Berry and Diana Leach (Female Seats)
Dan Sartin (Male Seat)

South West
Michelle Goodman (Female Seat)

West Midlands
Rose Brown (Female Seat)

Yorkshire and Humberside
Greta Holmes (Female Seat)
Vicky Perrin (Reserved Seat)

SERVICE GROUP SEATS

Community
Janet Bryan (Female)

Healthcare
Claire Dixon (Female Seat)

Higher Education
Sandy Nicoll (General Seat)
Katherine Owen (Female Seat)

Local Government
Paul Holmes (General Seat)
Jane Doolan and Andrea Egan (Female Seats)
Paul Gilroy (Male Seat)

Water, Environment & Transport
John Jones (General Seat)

NATIONAL SEATS

Black Members’
April Ashley (Female Seat)
Hugo Pierre (Male Seat)

Disabled Members’
Pam Howard (Female Seat)

Proud that my football club has joined Liverpool by banning the Sun. I have supported boycotts of the Sun since Wapping and then the tradegy of Hillsborough. No working man or woman should buy this newspaper. Boycott the Sun for everything they stand for.

http://bbc.in/2pCG5Z7

If you have not received your ballot paper then phone 0800 0857 857 NOW!

Anyone who knows me or has seen my blog or Facebook know that I believe strongly that there has to be a change in Unison's leadership. I ask you to consider the problems we face as a union, as a workforce, as a country. Austerity is no longer a policy but a way of life. The cuts are too numerous to list but the effect of them on our members and on in our communities is calamitous. I believe that as trade unionists we have to be central to the challenge to the government but time & time again we have fallen short. Not because we are weak, not because we are unwilling but because our leadership, which I believe to be a hybrid of comfortable full-timers & ineffective NEC members, do not want to fight. We have accepted a pay cap without so much as a whimper. Even when our members have called for rejection of pay offers we retreat. With real leadership we can use the true strength of our membership to challenge cuts, to challenge pay caps, to give our membership & our communities a fighting chance. So, if you haven't voted yet VOTE, if you haven't got a ballot paper whether its mislaid, thrown away or not arrived then phone 0800 0857 857 and vote for a change, vote for a leadership willing to make that change happen. Follow the link & Vote for your UNISONaction candidates & Vote for me! 

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7313665312264701063#allpages

Vote UNISONaction

I have...

Vote UNISONaction - Standing Up for Members

UNISON NEC BALLOT PAPERS ARE BEING SENT OUT NOW!

PERSUADE YOUR FRIENDS TO VOTE FOR YOUR UNISONaction BROAD LEFT CANDIDATES

VOTE BERNY PARKES - SOUTH WEST MALE SEAT

VOTE MICHELLE GOODMAN - SOUTH WEST FEMALE SEAT

Follow link for all UNISONaction Broad Left candidates:

http://berny4nec.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/nec-ballot-papers-are-out-soon-vote.html

The postcards have landed!

The postcards have landed! 

If you can distribute any to your colleagues & friends in South West Unison please contact myself or Michelle and we will be extremely grateful ✊ 

NEC BALLOT PAPERS ARE OUT SOON

VOTE UNISONaction - STANDING UP FOR MEMBERS 

Your UNISONaction NEC Candidates

SERVICE	GROUP GENERAL	SEATS   FEMALE	MALE	RESERVED
COMMUNITY	Kieran Grogan	Janet Bryan
HEALTH	Neil McAllister	Jordan Riviera   Claire Dixon	Roger Hutt
HIGHER EDUCATION	Sandy Nichol	Kath Owen
LOCAL GOVERNMENT	Paul Holmes,	Jane Doolan   Andrea Egan	Paul Gilroy
POLICE& JUSTICE	Declan Clune
WATER, ENVIRONMENT& TRANSPORT	John Jones
NATIONAL	SEATS
BLACK MEMBERS		Sonia Stewart   April Ashley	Hugo Pierre
YOUNG MEMBERS	Josie Runswick
DISABLED	Roger Lewis	Pam Howard

REGIONAL SEATS
EASTERN			Jonathan Dunning	Polly Smith
EAST MIDLANDS			Gary Padgett
GREATER LONDON		Sonya Howard Helen Davies	Sean Fox
NORTH WEST	Tony Wilson	Evelyn Doyle Karen Reissmann	Steven North.	LuisetaBatista
SCOTLAND	Duncan Smith	Brenda Aitchinson	Jim McFarlane.
SOUTH EAST		Jacqui Berry Diana Leach	Dan Sartin
SOUTH WEST		Michelle Goodman	Berny Parkes
WALES		Mia Hosling	Mark Evans
WEST MIDLANDS		Rose Brown	Dave Auger	Shazziah Rock
YORKS& HUMBERSIDE		Greta Holmes Sarah Littlewood	Adrian Kennett	Vicky Perrin

​​​ 

My Election Address

VOTE BERNY PARKES 

UNISONaction – STANDING TOGETHER FOR OUR MEMBERS

3 is the magic number!

In the last election, I lost out by just three votes (2581-2578) so I’m back rejuvenated and inspired to give it another go!

I’m originally from Liverpool and moved to Dorset 21 years ago.  I’ve been in childcare social work for 27 years, before this I spent 10 years as a Policeman.  I’m married & we have 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren.

I’ve been active in our union since 1989 and served as Branch Chair for the past 10 years. I have vast experience representing members through grievances and disciplinary proceedings; negotiating for my branch with employers including serving on numerous committees; and also working within UNISON’s internal structures.

UNISON against the cuts

As providers of services we’re well aware of the terrible impact that the relentless cuts have on our colleagues, communities, the women who make up over 75% of our membership and the low paid. 

UNISON has to be at the forefront of the defence of ordinary working people against the immoral austerity agenda imposed by the Tory Government and our employers.

Another world is possible

I’m pleased that the Labour Party, under their new leadership, has reversed its policy on austerity and is leading the fight in Parliament with other opposition parties against the vicious Tory cuts.

Unison needs to develop a strident political strategy to offer a future based on defending our people rather than being victims of the greed & avarice of financial institutions.

The fight back starts here

The NHS is in absolute crisis, social care is being dismantled and destroyed, education is under constant attack, our pay’s cut, jobs slashed, terms and conditions are crumbling. Our members, justifiably, are angry.

Yet our leadership lack the imagination and will to galvanise this anger, content with ignoring our grassroots democracy, relying upon the misguided inaction of paid full time officials – this must be reversed.

UNISONaction

I’m proud that retiring NEC member Suzy Franklin has endorsed my candidature, and that of Michelle Goodman, and we’re committed with all the UNISONaction candidates to return our union to the control of the membership.  

Our Pledge 

If elected I’ll fight to: 

•​Develop a national action plan that effectively fights all cuts & defends jobs; 

•​Oppose privatisation in all its forms; 

•​Call a coordinated campaign that unites our Branches,Service Groups, Sister  Unions, communities & political allies;

•​Argue against Branches being left alone in struggle;

•​Demand an end to unelected full time officials calling the shots and interfering in  the democracy of our union. 

4 More Votes!

If I succeed in securing the extra votes required I promise that I will keep you in touch with news & developments from the NEC, ensuring your views are taken to the heart of UNISON’s decision-making structure.

For more information on my campaign I can be found on berny4nec.blogspot.co.uk & on Facebook page - Berny Parkes 4 UNISON NEC South West Male Seat.

Confirmed Candidate for NEC elections

I have been officially confirmed as a candidate for the South West Male Seat after receiving double the amount of nominations I received in 2015. Michelle Goodman has been confirmed for the South West Female Seat. I will publish a full list of the confirmed UNISONaction Broad Left NEC candidates soon. To assist in my campaign or if would like to kept informed of UNISONaction Broad Left please email me on berny4nec@gmail.com

UNISONaction

UNISONaction Broad Left - What We Stand For

Over 400 conference delegates attended the launch of the group at National UNISON Conference in June 2016.

The meeting was convened to discuss the lack of effective leadership throughout UNISON at National level in most union structures. 
UNISON is meant to be a lay led union but currently the majority of the NEC, most service group national committees and the national Labour Link Committee are dominated by the internal aims of some national officers rather than led to the needs of UNISON members.

This lack of effective leadership is one of the central factors behind the inability of the union to seriously challenge the continued destruction of our public services, the cut in our real earnings of over 25 % in the last 8 years and the escalating attacks on our pensions.

These issues are absolutely central to our members.

Yet even where members voted for action on pay and pensions that action was undermined by prevarication, delay and the overwhelming desire of officers, supported by the majority of the national leadership of our union, to end the disputes at the earliest opportunity rather than seek real improvements for lay members.

That lack of real leadership has cost our members dear.

Activists who seek to challenge this position are increasingly threatened with individual disciplinary action to silence them and warn off others.

Our UNISON democracy is circumvented in some ways and grossly abused in other instances.

UNISONaction Broad Left believes this situation cannot continue and the union needs to change.

To do that means electing an alternative leadership throughout our structures.

UNISONaction Broad Left is composed of a wide range of activists of different views on some issues but who are working together to bring about positive change in our union to benefit our members.

Wherever possible UNISONaction Broad Left will seek to get agreed candidates to stand for all national lay posts in future with the aim of electing a new national lay leadership to bring about the changes needed.

We would welcome UNISON activists to join us and we have contact groups in every area which you can be involved in.

All personal contact details will be confidential and kept securely and clearly no UNISON resources will be used in our activity

A national UNISONaction Broad Left site is being developed to update activists and assist in work to replace the majority of our national leadership.

If UNISON is to even try and fight to represent our members interests there is no option but to change our national leadership who year after year have failed our members.

Please consider joining us and playing your part in building a more democratic stronger union and ensure we achieve a national leadership capable of delivering that.