Hicks’ wasted over £1 million of UNITE members money on a pointless election, which Hicks, got forced through (and then lost) by using the bureaucratic High Commissioner and State over lord of trade unions – the Certification Officer.

He took legal action to oppose the rule book and force an election (which the rank and file GEC from both sections had agreed and members from both sections had voted to approve) in the Amicus section of Unite. Lets not forget Hicks self serving desire for an election was only ever valid for a year before the vote for thankfully a single Unite GS in 2010.

The ex -amicus ultra left obsession with the ex -amicus right wing continues to distort their judgement with in Unite and is now trying to poison the United Left which will only damage the United Left candidate for GS Len McCluskey and help the ex amicus right wing candidate, which looks likes it is going to be the dodgy and spiv like Les Balis.

Why didn’t he listen to the views of the then broad left ex-T&G section activists who generally thought it was a total waste of members money and a display in wanton ego in going to the State High Commisioner for Trade Unions?

Don’t forget when thousands of members are losing their jobs and Unite is shedding membership which is resulting in redundancies at Unite what does Hicks do, he pours away over a £1 million which could have been used for training thousands of shop stewards, funding countless strike actions and employing scores of organisers to organise the unorganised.

Hicks then put himself forward as a United Left candidate (recently formed from ex Amicus AUG and ex T&G Broad Left) for next year’s GS elections and accepted an invite to speak at the United Left hustings.

When it became obvious that he and his handful of ultra left followers could not bus in people for the hustings (I even heard someone at a United Left meeting try to justify the bus in of people by saying the right wing did it in Amicus so the left can do it in UNITE …..er No!)and affect the result they resorted to plan B where Hicks does a pre planned infantile stage managed pathetic walk out.

Hicks and his sectarian followers showed utter comtempt for broad left activists and blew any iota of respect.

Why did you bother? I know its is just what ultra left infantile sectarians who love posturing do but do you really think that is what 2 million members want or need in a General Secretary?

Good luck Jerry.

As Leeds binmen throw out a deal which offers them lower pay cuts in exchange for an unworkable level of productivity, Councillor Richard Brett, Leader of Leeds City Council, says: “I simply do not understand why workers have rejected what was an excellent offer.”

What planet does this gentleman live on? Any cut to a mans basic wages impoverishes his family, and to make a man work harder for less demeans and demoralises him. All over this country, for some years now, long before the ‘credit crunch’ the implementation of life changing single status pay cuts has been taking its toll on the lives of the lowest paid council workers who sweep the streets, bury the dead, empty the bins and engage in all those occupations that most of us would find repugnant. This process has been sporadic, localised and has been deliberately denied the oxygen of national publicity which would have forced action at a national level. Cutting mens’ wages in the name of ‘equality’ is morally unacceptable in any ones language, and in this instance is despicable. The unions, who naively signed up to ‘single status’ thinking it might be a good idea, have so far singularly failed to address this rising tide of demoralization and anger, riding it out in most places by burying their sorry heads in the sand. Cowed by legal ‘low lifes’ like Stefan Cross they have repeatedly betrayed their members at the hour of their greatest need. In Leeds it seems that the union has finally decided to make a stand. Make no mistake that thousands of council manual workers who have already had their wages cut, along with many more with the hell of ‘single status’ yet to come, are watching events in Leeds with great interest. What kind of a country do we live in where politicians can vote themselves pay rises, and failed banks get massive bonus payouts of our money yet cannot a afford to pay a street sweeper for a dirty days work? Hang your heads in shame Leeds Council!

To say that UCATT have been succesfull is just not true. The majority of cases of plural plaque are in England UCATT have not changed the law there, Ritchie might be great at challenging Government and employers but he has not suceeded.
Why because he does not have an army end of story, If any one thinks employers are going to listen to moral arguments from trade union leaders then they are living on a different planet. You can attend all the inquiries you want it will not and has not changed anything, the only voice that employers or goverments will listen to is an economic one and building workers need a union to help them effect the economy. Most building workers do not know what a union is never mind who Dooley or Ritchie are. There is not only one answer but to try to dismiss Mick Dooley and his supporters will reduce any effective barganing then you will be in the same position you are in now doing nothing but producing glossy brouchures and inquiry recomendations to be put in the bosses bin. Wake up and start geting building workers on the unions side show some leadership and get Dooley in front.