news release * news release * news release
AMICUS
STANDS FOR MALICE
The
National Executive Council (NEC) of the Manufacturing, Science and Finance
(MSF) section of Amicus, the newly formed trade union, has wasted no time in
coming out in its true colours. At its first meeting after the launch of the
new union, on 26 January, the NEC awarded a six-year ban from office to Susan
Michie, former President of the London Regional Council of the union.
Ms.
Michie, along with other colleagues, has been pursued by the NEC for over two
years since a major political row broke out over relations with the Labour
Party at the time the Party was trying to choose its candidate for London
mayor. The row led to the suspensions of a total of six officers of the London
Regional Council, followed by lengthy NEC investigations into the
circumstances. This has now resulted in the six-year ban for Ms. Michie,
backdated to the date of her original suspension. This will have the effect of
preventing her from taking up her NEC seat for the entire period of office. She
won the seat in an election held shortly after her original suspension.
The
techniques employed by the NEC are familiar from other cases within the union.
Political disputes are turned into disciplinary issues and the NEC acts as
judge, jury and executioner in its own case. One panel of NEC members produces
false allegations against the victim, often involving spurious claims of
financial
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misconduct.
Another panel then pronounces the victim guilty without troubling to produce
any proof of the allegations and recommends a punishment. This is then endorsed
by the full NEC prior to permitting the victim to present a defence. This was
the treatment afforded to Susan Michie.
She
commented, "The MSF leadership is bringing the Labour Movement into
disrepute. Petty corruption is pervasive within the union, led by the General
Secretary, Roger Lyons, but is routinely covered up by the NEC, often with huge
expenditure of members' money. On the other hand, honest activists trying to
defend members' interests are falsely charged with financial misconduct, and
routinely fitted up and removed from office."
Amicus,
the name of the new union, is supposed to indicate friend and supporter. The
truth of the matter is that the people who run the union are driven primarily
by self-serving malice towards anyone who stands up to them.
-
ENDS -
Notes for editors:
1.
The London Region Defence Campaign (LRDC) has been set up by MSF members to
resist attacks on our democratic rights by the MSF hierarchy. Please contact
Hugh MacGrillen hughmacgrillen@netscapeonline.co.uk
if you would like more information on
the background to this affair.
2.
Amicus has been formed by a merger between MSF and the Amalgamated Engineering
and Electrical Union (AEEU) and came into existence on 1 January 2002. The
sections of the union will run in parallel for a few years before final
amalgamation is achieved.
3.
Susan Michie is contactable susan.michie@kcl.ac.uk
.