DO YOU WANT TO BURY THATCHERISM?

Comrades, to mark the occasion of Thatcher's burial, NIPSA Broad Left has organised a get together next Wednesday 17th at 5pm in the Ramada Encore, Talbot Street. We are delighted to say we will have a special guest, Barry McClatchie, a veteran of the 84 miners dispute, who will say a few words and raise a glass. All welcome. Spread the word.

PCS Choose March 20th for First Strike

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), NIPSA's sister Union in Great Britain have announced that their Industrial Action in defence of members pay, jobs and pensions will begin on March 20th - Budget Day.

PCS General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, said: "Civil and public servants are working harder than ever to provide the services we all rely on but, instead of rewarding them, the government is imposing cuts to their pay, raiding their pensions and trying to rip up their basic working conditions. There is an alternative to cutting the living standards of hard-working public servants and our campaign is designed to make the case loud and clear."

NIPSA Broad Left Secure 20 of 25 General Council Seats

NIPSA Broad Left candidates secured 20 out of 25 General Council seats in the recent election. Broad Left candidates took the top 18 positions in terms of votes received, with former NIPSA President’s Carmel Gates and Billy Lynn topping the poll with current Vice-President Lucia Collins and President Padraig Mulholland coming in third and fourth  respectively. Honorary Treasurer Damien Maguire was re-elected and NIPSA Youth Vice-Chair Tiarnán Millar was elected on his first occasion running. The result means that NIPSA can re-ignite the Defence Public Services, fighting against the cuts and protecting public servants.

The turnout for the election increased from around 9% to 13% showing that there is still quite some way to go, but one of our core messages is to make NIPSA a democratic fighting Union and this massive shift to the left shows NIPSA members want a General Council prepared to fight the attacks on Public Services and build an anti-sectarian, anti-cuts campaign.

The full results are available below:

Carmel GATES	2558	ELECTED	Broad Left
Billy LYNN	2520	ELECTED	Broad Left
Lucia COLLINS	2373	ELECTED	Broad Left
Padraig MULHOLLAND	2262	ELECTED	Broad Left
Tanya KILLEN	2161	ELECTED	Broad Left
Patrick LAWLOR	2043	ELECTED	Broad Left
Brian BOOTH	2026	ELECTED	Broad Left
Maria MORGAN	2026	ELECTED	Broad Left
Eileen WEBSTER	2005	ELECTED	Broad Left
Kevin LAWRENSON	1941	ELECTED	Broad Left
Susan McDONALD	1911	ELECTED	Broad Left
John TOAL	1906	ELECTED	Broad Left
Ruaidhrí Ó SANDAIR	1902	ELECTED	Broad Left
Ciara DOHERTY	1893	ELECTED	Broad Left
Diane WADDELL	1887	ELECTED	Broad Left
Helena McSHERRY	1872	ELECTED	Broad Left
Jane SCOTT	1868	ELECTED	Broad Left
Janette MURDOCK	1858	ELECTED	Broad Left
Brian MOORE	1855	ELECTED	Unity
Michael McKEOWN	1847	ELECTED	Unity
Damien MAGUIRE	1838	ELECTED	Broad Left
Heather McKINSTRY	1826	ELECTED	Unity
Tiernan MILLAR	1817	ELECTED	Broad Left
Pat BAKER	1763	ELECTED	Unity
Sharon HUGHES	1755	ELECTED	Unity
Denise CRILLY	1737		Unity
Sam MORTON	1733		Unity
Ryan WILSON	1730		Unity
Mairead ROONEY	1729		Unity
Michael ROBINSON	1713		Unity
Marty McKEE	1706		Broad Left
Harry CLARKE	1688		Unity
Brian SMYTH	1683		Unity
John McCAFFREY	1676		Unity
Ryan McNULTY	1656		Broad Left
Gillian KIRK-LYNESS	1632		Unity
Michael HERRON	1628		Unity
Philomena DOBBS	1614		Unity
Janette McNULTY	1604		Unity
Gavin McCANN	1591		Broad Left
Alanagh REA	1572		Broad Left
Valentine RUSSELL	1565		Unity
Bill DORNAN	1497		Unity
Joanne VEIGHEY	1489		Unity
Ryan WILSON	1473		Unity
Mike HAMILTON	1453		Unity
Steven HARVEY	1384		Unity
Eamon FARRELL	1180		Unity
Joe McGUIGAN	1092		Ind
Alan KENNEDY	1090		Ind
Pauline O’NEILL	1066		Ind
Janette McDAID	940		Ind
Roger DOHERTY	683		Ind
Conor HAUGHEY	599		Ind
Patrick O’BRIEN	486		Ind

Vote Broad Left

Election Addresses (Part 2)

Alanagh Rea (Belfast City Council)

Works in Belfast City Council Community Services Unit.  Branch Rep, Equality Officer, Chair of NIPSA’s Equality Committee, Member of Public Officers’ Executive Committee and Local Government Panel.  NIPSA activist working on issues that matter to NIPSA members, our families and our communities – jobs, pay, pensions, welfare and quality public services.

Dianne Waddell (Department for Employment and Learning) EO2

I have been an active Trade Union representative for 20 years and am also a member of Newry Trade Union Council.  All my working life I have actively campaigned, not only for employment issues, but also broader social issues, and have encouraged the role of women in NIPSA.

Candidates Election Addresses - Part 1

Maria Morgan (Department for Social Development) EO2

As past President and current General Council member I continue to campaign to defend against attacks on workers and cuts to services and the Welfare State. Members need a strong voice and a campaigning union to protect jobs and services. Support all Broad Left candidates.

Pat Lawlor (Belfast HSC Trust) Staff Nurse

As a Staff Nurse and a member of the Socialist Party, I believe that only a sustained campaign of industrial action and the development of a new political party representing all working class communities, can defeat the Assembly Executive's public cuts that are yet to come.

Tiarnán Millar (Department for Employment and Learning) EO2

I am a member of the Socialist Party and Vice-Chair of NIPSA Youth. NIPSA needs a strong youth voice now and in the future. If elected to General Council I will be a voice for young members and all workers. 

Newry Trades Union Council AGM

The Annual General Meeting of Newry and District Trades Union Council will be held at 7.30 pm on Tuesday, 15 January 2013 in the Ballybot House, Cornmarket, Newry.

Speakers will include NIPSA Broad Left candidate Maria Morgan who will speak about the impact of so-called Welfare Reform proposals. Maria has been one of the key figures in both NIPSA's and NIC-ICTU's opposition to the cuts, with particular regards to Welfare Reform.

NIPSA branches in the Newry and Mourne Council areas should make a special effort to attend this meeting and it is essential, in this period of austerity and attacks on working class people that trades councils receive the full support of all trade unions.

SUPPORT ALL BROAD LEFT CANDIDATES

 

Barr, Leonard  Booth, Brian  Collins, Lucia Doherty, Ciara  Gates, Carmel

Killen, Tanya  Lawlor Pat  Lawrenson, Kevin  Lynn, Billy  Maguire, Damien

McCann, Gavin  McDonald, Susan  McKee, Marty  McNulty, Ryan  McSherry, Helena

Millar, Tiarnan  Morgan, Maria Mulholland, Pádraig  Murdock, Janette  O’Sandair, Ruaidhri

Rea, Alanagh  Scott, Jane Toal, John  Waddell, Diane  Webster, Eileen