Trots, Trials and Tribulations in Amicus the Union
Amicus has been a great success. So says the General Secretary in his latest editorial in the union magazine. By any sensible reckoning this is beyond dispute. Record breaking recruitment - much higher than any other union, high profile campaigns that challenge government policy, observance of union policy set by conferences, supporting anti fascist campaigning, supporting workers in legal dispute. All great stuff and all unimaginable under Ken Jackson or Roger Lyons.
Derek Simpson has delivered a new kind of trade unionism since 2004: no more sweetheart deals and no more toadying to Downing St. But not everyone in our union appreciates this. There are a few, a small group of ultra left extremists, for whom this new face of trade unionism has fallen short of their dreams.
They are a rag bag of trots and camp followers that hail from the Socialist Workers Party or the shadowy political cult Socialist Appeal. SA used to be called "Militant", the group that nearly tore the labour movement apart in the eighties, but they changed their name to protect the guilty. They have challenged every progressive move our union has made and attempted to foment division at every turn.
Why? Because their philosophy boils down to this: the existing organisations of the workers throughout the world are all that prevent the collapse of capitalism. They believe unions must be destroyed in order to bring about the revolution. They seek to achieve this by taking control of the union and leading it into a fight that cannot be won. They call for a general strike during every dispute, ignoring the fact that the one general strike we've had in Britain was a dismal failure. It all sounds barmy because it is, but they are very sophisticated in their operations and for the most part are able to conceal their real intentions from the world.
One of the great successes of Simpson as GS of Amicus has been to unify the different political groups and sections on the National Executive Council. Right wingers from the AEEU and MSF vote with members of the left group Unity Gazette. Unanimity is constant except for a group of six trots who vote against everything. This group and their supporters have been furious since the start that they were unable use Derek Simpson and Amicus to destroy the union.
Early on they attacked the union, calling for support for an unofficial dispute at Wembley stadium. They urged the NEC to publicly support the dispute knowing that if it did the union's entire funds would have been frozen by a court. They hid their intention to cripple the union with warm words for the members at Wembley. If successful there would have been no union to support the members when they were back at work, no union in fact for any of our members. They failed and limped off to fight another day.
They moved on to secure positions in the influential Unity Gazette group to put pressure on Simpson. Once in power they tried to get the Gazette group to force its members on the Executive to vote against the consensus on the NEC. They did this by bussing in their supporters to the caucus meetings. They weren't successful in this but remained in power and continued their crusade.
Their next target was election of officials, a romantic notion hung over from a bygone era of trade unionism when our internal politics had an influence on world affairs. It was passed by a tiny majority at the rules conference only because Simpson spoke in favour of it. The only snag was the union had a surplus of officials due to the merging of four unions, all with money troubles. So no elections were required.
The trots accused the union leadership of betrayal because elections were not called to replace officers taking voluntary redundancy. VR designed to reduce the union's employment costs. Only an insane person would spend big money to reduce costs only to replace those costs. But they appealed to other members' sense of decency and the campaign had legs for a while. Eventually their scam to bankrupt the union was once more exposed.
By now furious, the trots turned their attention to AGS Les Bayliss "the trot finder general" who had given their number some difficulties in the past. Three members of their gang, Des Heemskerk (editor of the Gazette), Jimmy Warne (Chair of the Gazette group) and Cathie Willis, all full time staff, conspired to accuse Bayliss of financial impropriety.
They stole documents, and spread rumours to destroy him but failed. After an investigation carried out by two Deputy General Secretaries he was exonerated.
Even more furious now, the trots turned their attack on Simpson, organising support for a coup to unseat him from office and replace him with Jimmy Warne. In this campaign they enlisted the help of the even barmier web site geek and serial complainer, David Beaumont. This was their downfall since they passed stolen documents on to him and he dutifully published them with his own anti union spin on them.
At this point they were suspended and then sacked for bringing the union into disrepute. The trots have felt this deeply since their Fifth Column had been removed. The trots have waged a vicious campaign since this point to have them reinstated so they can continue their activities designed to undermine the union from inside.
At the same time they campaigned against the merger with the T&G. This failed so now they have changed tack and are aligning themselves with like minded souls from the T&G preparing to take down the new union if they can.
Heemskerk has recently won his tribunal with the assistance of David Beaumont. The tribunal believed some nonsense about documents not being supplied to Beaumont electronically when it was clear to everyone else they had of course stolen the hard copies as well.
As yet the tribunal has not awarded compensation or suggested Heemskerk be reinstated. Another witness is yet to be heard whose evidence was so damning to Heemskerk that his legal team asked the tribunal not to hear it until after their decision and the tribunal agreed.
It is vital for the continued success of our union that Heemskerk and his mates are kept out. Now is not the time for self indulgence over principles. Heemskerk and the trots are intent on destroying the union and the tribunal was wrong.
All sensible groups and sections determined to see the union succeed in its goals for the members must join together to cut out the cancer of trots from our union.
Check Amicusttt.com for regular updates in the war against the trot extremis