CWU General Secretary Election: Peter Morris

CWU General Secretary Election
Peter Morris

Winston Churchill once said that it is sometimes better to be irresponsible and right than to be responsible and wrong.

Some have said that as a mere National Executive member and BT Clerical Officer, I am irresponsible in seeking to lead our Union into the new millennium, and too young in attempting to break up the full time officials' private party that this election was threatening to become.

Well, at 36, I may be regarded as young, but as a member of the Union's National Executive Councils since 1989, I am certainly not inexperienced. Indeed, I have a great deal of practical knowledge about the inner workings of both the Union and our main employers.

More importantly, I believe that a bold and determined approach, a tough but realistic stance in negotiations, and a willingness to "say what I mean, and mean what I say", are what the job really requires. I believe I possess these attributes.

Tough and Responsible

In our key areas of industrial activity, I will promote a tough and responsible agenda:

In BT, we need to recognise that our current approach falls well short of our members' aspirations.

Agreements reached in good faith at national level are too often undermined by bullying and incompetent local managers: CSIP is an obvious example which springs to mind.

The continual pressure to meet unrealistic targets, which is leading to increasingly high levels of stress related sick absence, merely reinforces the sense of fear which prevails throughout the Company. Agency staff and contractors are used in excessive numbers to disguise understaffing.

In short, life is far from rosy in the BT garden. A new, pro-active approach is desperately required.

In Royal Mail, the 'Way Forward' discussions go nowhere, and the age old problems of low pay, long hours and management intimidation remain.

The industrial power of the Postal Constituency is truly enviable. Yet we fail to channel that power to tangible ends i.e. to the promotion of a high wage, high quality way of life in Royal Mail: This has simply got to change.

Privatisation of Royal Mail Parcelforce or Counters must be resisted. The Post Office must remain in the public sector.

For our Alliance and Leicester members, I see the promotion of genuine job security as the priority issue.

An End to Indifference

In the Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities fields, I promise to replace indifference with a new and invigorating approach.

Under my leadership, additional resources will be allocated to ensure that all members can work in a safe and healthy environment. Lip service to Health and Safety will no longer be acceptable.

Equal Opportunities for our women, black, gay and disabled members will be vigorously pursued. I will appoint a distinct Equal opportunities Officer, and provide the financial resources necessary to ensure that all employers are forced to put equality issues at the top of their agenda.

An End to Negligence

If the Union's approach on Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities has not been good enough, then our attitude to recruiting workers in new areas has been downright negligent.

For years, we have heard lots of talk about recruiting the estimated 30- 40,000 non-unionised workers in the Communications industry, but very little else.

It is not just a problem for our Telecommunications members. Liberalisation of postal services and commercial freedom for Royal Mail will inevitably lead to competition and thus new operators, in the postal arena. Parcelforce already faces severe competition.

We must aim to organise all workers in our industry, not just for their own benefit, but also to ensure that the wages and conditions of existing members are not undermined.

I will commit real and increasing funding to recruitment and organisation.

Right and Left

The categories of "right" and "left" have lost all serious meaning. Yet in our Union, political labelling continues to wield an unhealthy influence.

I am standing on an independent platform and I will work with anyone who believes, like me, that the curtain needs to come down on political sectarianism in our Union.

This is not an academic point. Current Union policies place us on the outer fringes of the Labour Movement.

For my part, I stand for a modern trade unionism. I believe that reforms such as limitations on mass picketing and the requirement for pre strike ballots should be maintained.

Upholding the individual rights of you, the members, will always be my prime objective.

My electoral opponents have either failed in their pursuit of such a policy, or are happy to take support from those who would return the Trade Union movement to the political Dark Ages. The rot must be stopped.

Right and Wrong

I therefore reject the labels of "right" and "left", but I know the difference between right and wrong.

As a married man with 3 children, living on a basic wage, I know that the protection and promotion of members' working conditions must always come first.

Personal ambitions, junketing, or just plain incompetence are unacceptable at all levels of the CWU, and particularly at the top.

Unity in our ranks is essential. Officers, National Executive, Branches and members need to speak with one voice, if we are to have any impact in the wider world.

I will nearer shirk from saying what is right for our Union. To do anything less would be morally wrong.

Unlike Churchill, I do not offer you blood, toil, tears and sweat, but I do promise a new start.

We have much to be proud of, but we can achieve so much more. it was this belief, above all others, which propelled me into this election campaign.

With your support we can go the extra mile together, and elect a General Secretary of vision and dedication, and who has no other ambition than to serve you faithfully.

Give me the chance, and I will deliver "action not words", and the birth of a new CWU. It is the least you deserve.

Peter Morris