amicus AEEU Election Special

AEEU executive ratifies election
The right wing executive of AEEU have finally conceded Derek Simpson's election as head of the union in a deliberately low key announcement. In accordance with accepted practice they have also nominated Simpson to replace One Job Jackson on the Trade Union Council with effect from September. They have published a very partial report about the 8 Sir Ken employees who rigged the election (7 of whom have kept their jobs despite being found guilty), which attempts to imply that both sides were at it. More soon.
Union officials confirm..
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 15th August 2002

Lyons' leaked legal advice
There have been strong rumours that the right wing rump of the AEEU executive are planning to annul the election and call another one without Jackson (as predicted on this website). This may be aimed at getting Bob Shannon elected. The MSF side of amicus have taken the extraordinary step of obtaining legal advice to prevent it. Read Lyons' leaked letter to Jackson here.
Read the fudgey statement on the official AEEU web site
Meanwhile Simpson meets Blair for private talks - The Guardian
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 30th July 2002

Jackson concedes
Good riddance. Below we list his achievements for the labour movement:

Meanwhile every silver lining has its cloud: "Lyons may stay 'till 2007" - The Financial Times
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 21st July 2002

NATO involvement in the AEEU election
LabourNet has published a remarkable memo detailing interference by a NATO think-tank in the PCS and AEEU elections. You can (and should) read it here.
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 31st July 2002

Lyons demands Jackson must go
"In the interests of Amicus and the wider union movement, it is better that Sir Ken accepts the decision of the members and leaves the field with dignity" said Roger Lyons, unpopular head of amicus MSF section. Lyons was speaking exclusively to The Independent in a clear snub to his hated paper The Guardian, who famously exposed Lyons' 25p bun expense claim.

Even some of Sir Ken's own supporters joined Downing Street sources in calling for him to step down. NEW We hear that MSF head office have telephoned round their full timers to 'remind' them that MSF supported Derek Simpson all along. Also MSF section will partner Derek in any legal action. Meanwhile Sir Ken's returning officer has confirmed that, incredibly, his own paid supporters' election rigging antics are the basis of his refusing to go.

It seems clear Jackson will go this weekend, ending his sad career of selling out union members in the same selfish style in which he has pursued it. The longer he hangs on the less likely he is to get his Lordship, and the more likely it is evidence will be exposed of the organised corruption that has been going on in AEEU under his leadership, not least by this website.

News Links:
"Co-leader says Sir Ken Jackson should resign" Tomorrow's Independent
"Sir Ken offers to go" Tomorrow's Guardian
"Union leader considers whether to go quietly" Financial Times
Let amicus AEEU know your view (Clicking that has the same effect as filling in a query form on the official AEEU website)
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 19th July 2002

Two Jobs Jackson shows his true face
At first Sir Jackson refused have an election until Derek Simpson obtained a QC's opinion that he had to. Now, in a supreme show of arrogance, he refuses to abide by the democratic decision of his members. Bizarrely he is claiming his chances were hurt by his own paid supporters' blatant election rigging. Proof surely that the corrupt AEEU union must be brought back from autocratic to democratic control.

Even Blair has disowned his pet trade union leader, saying 'it is up to the members of the union to decide their leader'.
We understand that several right wing AEEU Executive members are kicking themselves that they did not stand against Sir Ken, "they were squabbling over the deck chairs and did not realise they were on the Titanic" according to one union official. They now want Jackson to stand down AND call a re-election so they can have a second chance at the £101,515 a year job.

News Links:
Interview with Derek Simpson BBC Video Clip
NEW Interview with Derek Simpson Breakfast with Frost Interview
"How a battle for the soul of Amicus became a story of union animus" "Amicus – Latin for friend – could hardly apply to a union that operates as a one-party state and has been destabilised by a ballot-rigging scandal and rocked by some of the most bizarre electoral shenanigans in the history of the labour movement." - The Independent
"Union 'unable' to endorse new boss" BBC News
"Chaos as union rejects election result" - The Guardian
"Union in chaos over leadership vote" - The Independent
"a defining moment in the history of the Labour movement" - FT
Let amicus AEEU know your view(Clicking that has the same effect as filling in a query form on the official AEEU website)
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 19th July 2002

DEREK SIMPSON WINS AMICUS -AEEU!

Derek Simpson, new general secretary of amicus
In an amazing, hoped-for but unexpected triumph, the Left candidate Derek Simpson HAS beaten Sir Ken Jackson to become general secretary of amicus AEEU section. After three re-counts, sources at Electoral Reform Services Ltd say Derek has won the last two by around 400 votes. Apparently 1,000 votes had been misallocated to Jackson by the balloting company. A fourth re-count has been set for Thursday. It is rumoured that John Hendy QC is going to court tomorrow on behalf of Derek to get an injunction to prevent ballot papers being destroyed by Electoral Reform Services Ltd.

Two Jobs Jackson's campaign and his uninspiring career will be remembered for the vote rigging that went on in his support and for which senior AEEU officials were caught in the act and await discipline. These stories strangely didn't reach the tabloid press, who knows how few votes Sir Ken would have got if they had.

Electoral Reform Services Ltd's last notable association with amicus was over the communication of election results to the union; amicus MSF somehow managed to suspend the winning left candidate Dr Sue Michie from her post two days before Electoral Reform Services officially declared she had won.

News articles:
"Fourth recount in union leadership ballot" (4:45pm Tuesday)
"Future of Blair's union ally in doubt" (Wednesday's Guardian)
"Union vote may oust Tony Blair’s supporter Jackson" (The Scotsman, Wednesday) "Union leader on the brink as grassroots vent their anger" (Wednesday's Financial Times)
NEW "Left Winger claims victory" (BBC Wednesday)
"Jackson loses amicus contest" (epolitix.com, Wednesday)

LATEST: two separate sources have now confirmed that Millbank (Labour Party HQ) have accepted that Simpson beat Blair's pet trade Union leader in three re-counts. One source said that a pile of 1,000 ballot papers was found with the top one for Jackson and all the rest for Simpson, raising serious questions for ERS Ltd to answer tomorrow, not least why they didn't declare the result after the re-counts on Tuesday. Should 400 extra votes for Jackson be 'discovered' tomorrow, ERS's reputation with the union movement, a major customer base, will be truly in pieces.

Link to the AEEUNITY News page
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 17th July 2002

Minutes of the last MSF AEEU joint meeting
LYONSweb has obtained MSF John Gardner's minutes of the latest MSF-AEEU unamicable joint meeting at Millbank Tower. Gardner puts it mildly: "Once again a gathering of two unlike minded people". Apparently no one has told the MSF delegates that it is a take-over, not a merger. Sir Ken "went on to question in a negative manner the 3% pay offer to officers and staff and the £325K cost of harmonising our salaries".

[an unamicable meeting]
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 15th May 2002

Pot calls kettle black (Lyons to investigate Jackson)
Remarkable stories are appearing in the Guardian and Independent today. They suggest that Roger Lyons, joint general secretary of Amicus wants to investigate allegations that Sir Ken Jackson's paid officials had been caught voting in more than one branch. Sir Ken is the other joint general secretary of the inappropriately named Amicus. There is also a leaked letter from Sir Ken to Lyons. Underlying all this are serious problems with the recent merger between AEEU and MSF. Links to all the newspaper stories at www.twojobsjackson.com, click on 'News'.

Lyons is certainly no stranger to election rigging allegations see Election Rigging scandal hits MSF

[twojobsjackson.com]
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 24th April 2002

Lyons slates Jackson (Amicus turns to Inimicus)
Roger Lyons, General Secretary of amicus-MSF union, has chucked his toys out of the amicus pram and called off joint meetings with amicus-AEEU. In two remarkably child-like letters leaked to www.rogerlyons.com and published here, Lyons complains that the busy Sir Ken Jackson (aka Two Jobs Jackson), general secretary of amicus-AEEU, turned up an hour and forty five minutes late for a joint meeting, then left after only fifteen minutes. [Well he does have that nuclear waste to look after]

In another extraordinary eruption, expenses-loving Lyons accuses Jackson of leaking confidential financial documents to Lyons' Guardian nemesis, journalist David Hencke, exposer of Lyon's famous 25p bun expense claim. Lyons finishes petulantly by proclaiming that all joint meetings are "suspended until the Joint Executive has a full opportunity to discuss this matter".

[Read the full story]
[Tomorrow's Guardian Diary]
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 11th April 2002

Union leading pensions attack has own 'black hole'
Based on leaked minutes of the MSF's Finance and General Purposes committee, this Guardian article reveals more incompetence and/or hypocrisy from amicus-MSF's leadership.
[Guardian article]
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 6th April 2002

New website launched: www.twojobsjackson.com
In time for the forthcoming election in Amicus/AEEU, a new web site has been launched: www.twojobsjackson.com. The election is between Derek Simpson in the left corner and Sir Ken Jackson in the far right (well right of Blair is pretty right nowadays). The web site name arises from Sir Ken (salary £145,000 a year) simultaneously being General of Secretary of Amicus and Chair of of the nuclear waste body NIREX. The site will carry information about both candidates throughout the election period.
[Visit TJJ]
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 3rd March 2002

Dirty tricks expected as Jackson submits to the law
Sir Ken Jackson, AEEU Gen Sec has finally abandoned his attempts to stay on without election, in breach of the law. Derek Simpson, the left challenger to the self styled 'honest' bastard and Sun columnist Sir Ken, had to launch a legal challenge to stop Jackson staying on beyond his 5 years.

The resulting election is expected to be dirty. In the recent rail union election, not only did the Murdoch papers rally against the left candidateBob Crow, so did the TUC! In an extraodinary memo, leaked to www.rogerlyons.com, the TUC spend four pages smearing Crow! The TUC also wrote Crow's opponent's election address! Roger Lyons will shortly take his turn as the President of this impartial body so it can only get worse...
[Full Story]

Jackson faces legal challenge
And loses we hear. Read this Guardian article.
Updated: Financial Times Article 1st Feb 2002
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 1st February 2002

Boyfriend
We announce today the name of the new merged union, the product of the AEEU and MSF. It is to be called 'Amicus', the Latin for male friend (female friend = 'Amica'). The name was chosen because it comes top in alphabetic union listings and matches well with plans to market American Express cards to members (that last bit is not serious). Check these brief articles: The Observer and the Independent on Sunday . Take the "million members" and the "Super" quotes with a pinch of salt.
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 30th September 2001

Merger signed
The Instrument of Amalgamation for the merger with the AEEU has now been signed. There was an "agreement" at the TUC that Lyons would stay on until 31/12/2004, just long enough for him to take his turn as TUC President. A Deputy GS would take up office for MSF in September 2003 when Lyons gets the TUC Presidency, and the AEEU would elect a new GS.
PS Coming soon to www.rogerlyons.com , in tribute to Lyons' retirement from work if not yet office: Young Lyons: The tough Liverpool Years.
Updated by www.rogerlyons.com on 17th September 2001

Previous stories
Censored!, More threats to www.rogerlyons.com, NEC expenses, the stooge website www.leoniecooper.com, Election rigging scandal, Budget cut threat to Health sector, Shorts Belfast etc... [previous stories]
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 10-Mar-2001

Back to main page
All the latest news [main page]
Posted by www.rogerlyons.com on 10-Mar-2001