AEEU UNITY
Gazette
FOR
A DEMOCRATIC UNION CONTROLLED BY THE MEMBERS
December 2001
JACKSON
APPOINTED AS CHAIRMAN OF NIREX
Why would a company like Nirex, engaged in the
thorny world of nuclear waste want to have someone like Sir Ken Jackson as
their Chairman? Presumably Nirex would not be averse to having a Chairman who
had 'political clout' and who had friends in high places. It could prove
advantageous especially given the nature of the business involved and the
sensitive nature of things connected with nuclear waste. It may help to smooth
the way somewhat against the inevitable protest groups that will challenge
whatever plans Nirex have for the restructuring and development of their
process.
Sir Ken Jackson fits the bill very
well indeed, the point has been made and it is repeated in the press comments below, that Sir
Ken is Tony Blair's favourite Trade Union leader. This status is earned by the
fact that Sir Ken ensures that the AEEU is always supporting any line that Tony
Blair wants. The London Mayor, privatisation of the London Underground,
restoration of the Pensions link to earnings and latterly the support for
Public Finance Initiatives in the Public Sector are examples of issues that
curry favour in high places. The fact that almost invariably Sir Ken's actions,
and thus the AEEU's actions are made without consulting the members and are
generally out with the position of the other major unions, just adds more value
on him.
So it could be construed that Sir
Ken's contacts may serve him well in other fields of endeavour. No wonder then
that it is pointed out that Sir Ken will continue his work with the AEEU,
naturally, wouldn't want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
Alternatively Nirex could want Sir Ken because of his expertise and deep
involvement in the Nuclear Industry or for his vast business experience and
financial acumen. Or simply that Sir Ken brings a reassuring and warm
atmosphere and can give the transparency to Nirex that he has brought to the
AEEU.
Take note that press comments only
came from the 'broadsheets' rather than the 'tabloids' which are more often
read by working people including, naturally, AEEU members. Now on some issues
Sir Ken Jackson gets full page spreads. The issue of the London Underground saw
Sir Ken slagging off the other rail unions for 'holding the travelling public'
to ransom. In fact the other rail unions were balloting their members about
opposition to privatisation of the Underground but of course balloting members
appears to be a low priority in Sir Ken's armoury, hence he was given a full
page spread in the London Evening Standard. Will there be a full-page spread
letting readers know about Sir Ken Jackson's appointment as Chairman of Nirex?
We think not since it might provoke unwanted questions from his members as to
what is going on. Someone who they are told is so vital to our cause that he
has to work on beyond the age of 65, and that it is so
important to keep a steady hand on our
tiller but yet he can drift off to be Chairman of a major company at the same
time!!
So where, with their interests
subjugated to the attempts to build a political power base, does all this leave
the members of the AEEU? That, as they say is an even better question.
As the Financial
Times reports it
Sir Ken Jackson, general secretary of
the AEEU electrical and engineering union, has become chairman of Nirex, the UK
nuclear waste body, in a move seen as improving transparency in the industry.
Sir Ken replaces David Bonser, an executive director of British Nuclear Fuels,
who has been chairman for the past four years. Sources said his appointment on
Thursday afternoon was likely to be a prelude to wholesale reforms in Nirex
that would transfer its ownership from the atomic industry to an independent
body. "You can see the way policy is moving. The ownership and
independence of Nirex is becoming a real issue and we need a safe pair of
hands to guide us through the next few years," [Editor's note
"Where have we heard that one before] said one official. Nirex is 75 per
cent owned by BNFL, 15 per cent by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and 11 per
cent by British Energy, the privatised nuclear power producer.
Environmentalists argue this presents a conflict of interests because
commercial companies are likely to push for the cheapest, rather than the
safest, storage options. Ministers in September launched a five-year
consultation on dealing with Britain's nuclear waste stockpile, which is set to
grow from 10,000 tonnes to at least 500,000 tonnes over the next century. Plans
for an underground waste repository near Sellafield in Cumbria were widely
criticised by the public and scrapped by the Conservative government just
before the general election in 1997. Michael Meacher, environment minister,
said another underground repository is the most likely solution but that the
consultation process should be more transparent this time to win over public
opinion. Sir Ken, regarded as a moderniser and Tony Blair's favourite union
chief, is expected to take a more hands-on role than Mr Bonser in helping to
gain support for long-term storage but will continue his work with the AEEU.
The Nirex reforms would run in parallel to proposals by the government last
week to create a new state-owned authority to oversee billions of pounds of
historic nuclear liabilities owned by BNFL and the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
More open consultations on nuclear waste helped Finland gain approval for a
repository and earlier this week a Swedish municipality approved investigations
for a repository in the Forsmark area.
Any guesses as to the salary Sir Ken
will receive (hint: starting bids around the £45,000 mark), and bear in mind
that this is the man who is leading our Trade Union!!
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