Newham
Special Issue
Sept. 2006

UNISON Chair Michael Gavan Suspended On False Allegations...
Vote YES to strike against union busting

Michael with members lobbying against privatisation

Newham council have moved to try and break the ability of UNISON—the largest union in the council—to resist privatisation, pay cuts and attacks on working conditions. Our branch chair, widely recognised as an honest and hardworking union official, has been suspended on charges that can only be described as trumped up.

The move to suspend and sack Michael comes a few days after Sir Robin Wales named Michael as the person who most stood in the way of plans to reorganise refuse and cleansing services—complete with cuts in pay and the addition of unsocial working hours. To add insult to injury, the council have refused to allow its own Human Resources Staff to investigate and have brought in the former head of the School of Management at Westminster University to “investigate” him.

Michael is said to have organised and attended an “unauthorised” meeting of refuse and cleansing staff to talk about the privatisation. In fact the meeting was called by a meeting of all stewards in two unions—and called off the meeting the day before when the other union felt it necessary to cancel it. To single Michael out, as being responsible for this meeting being called is nothing but victimisation. To sack a union officer for being involved in organising a meeting with members is simply an attempt to smash the union.

“I want to express my support for Newham UNISON. The right to an independent trade union and to representatives who stand up for their members is one of the most basic democratic rights”

Tony Benn

The second charge is even more ludicrous—Michael faces the sack for “not acting in the best interests of the council” in representing some members who have been suspended for more than a year.

Both of these charges show the real nature of the suspension. The council is trying to break UNISON as an independent trade union and wants other union reps to be too afraid to stand up for your rights at work and oppose council plans to privatise. This is why we are determined to face off this attack. If they get away with sacking Michael, whose next?

“The union sticks up for us. When we need them, they are always there. With out Michael Gavan we will have nothing. Its time to stand up for our union, for all of our futures”

Kay, teaching assistant

Protests against Michael’s sacking have come from trade union branches all over the country. The national union backs Michael and is clear that an honest investigation would clear him and return him to his union duties. But the appointment of a management consultant makes clear that the intention is to sack him and remove one of our most effective representatives. The stewards decided by a unanimous vote that we must take strike action to defend your right to be represented by those you elected, and to stop this blatant victimisation. Come to the special rally on 20/09/07