TUC week.  The Unions are squaring up to Gordon Brown over potential spending cuts which would impact on jobs, particularly in the public sector.  Again, strikes have been threatened.  A ‘Winter of Discontent’ looms.  So, as we settle back to enjoy the fireworks of the TUC Conference Week, who are the main people to look out for in the Union Movement and who are likely to strike this winter?

AFA: Association of Flight Attendants        General Secretary: Saad Bhatkar 

With all the strife building in the Airline Industry as profits tumble, airlines go out of business and the major airlines like BA struggle, Saad will be a busy man.  Likely to bring his Union of Cabin Crew on strike?  Tough in the prevailing conditions in his industry.  A small voice.

ASLEF:Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen    General Secretary: Keith Norman  Membership: m 17,438 f 595 total 18,033

If there is a public sector pay freeze, Norman looks after fire crews and railways railways (drivers, operational supervisors and staff), hence is likely to be a visible man.  Chances of striking are strong.

ATL: Association of Teachers and Lecturers   General Secretary: Dr Mary Bousted    Membership:  m 32,840 f 87,694 total 120,534

The ATL looks after teachers, headteachers, lecturers and teaching support staff in nursery, primary, secondary schools, sixth form and further education colleges staff.  Whilst not as militant as the NASUWT, they will certainly be vocal in a Public Sector pay freeze, so look forward to seeing Mary on screen.  Not the most active on direct action of the teaching Unions.

BALPA: British Air Line Pilots Association  General Secretary: Jim McAuslan   Membership: m 9,191 f 443 total 9,634

Jim represents airline pilots, winchmen and flight engineers (commercial).  Whilst maybe not the most militant Union, the troubles facing Pilots are real, with the likes of BA looking to reduce the number of pilots and flights they have to protect their business in this recession.  Presents issues for Jim.  A small Union but pilots striking obviously grounds planes as their skill is irreplaceable.

Connect telecommunications)   General Secretary :Adrian Askew    Membership :m 15,479 f 3,837 total 19,316

Adrian represents telecommunications, information technology and related industries staff.  His challenge, with his small Union, is how to protect workers in companies like BT.  Small voice in the Dinosaur park.

CWU:(Communication Workers Union)  General Secretary: Billy Hayes   Membership: Membership m 189,133 f 47,546 total 236,679

Pictured here with Billy Hayes on his megaphone, is his Deputy, the very outspoken Dave Ward.  Billy and Dave represent the Royal Mail Group, British Telecom and other telephone companies, Cable TV, Accenture HR Services, the Alliance and Leicester and other related industries.  The chances are very high ie odds on certainly that Billy & Dave will get their workers out on strike over the winter.  Most likely favourites will be the Postal Workers.  Hayes has emerged over the year as a major player and his role in a potential leadership change will be crucial. If Labour face a future winter of discontent it will be Hayes and his colleagues who will have created it.

FBU:  Fire Brigades Union    General Secretary: Matt Wrack  

Matt speaking under a Socialist Workers banner….how unusual.  Fire Brigade workers are known for striking if their pay is frozen.  Given the importance of the fire brigade to society, they have a powerful position to command newspaper headlines, especially if deaths occur because of no fire crews.  Expect to see Matt on your TV screens this Winter if Firemen get a pay freeze.

 GMB    General Secretary: Paul Kenny   Membership: m 326,037 f 264,088 total 590,125

Paul represents Britain’s General Union and has members in public services – primarily NHS, local government, care education; also engineering, construction, shipbuilding, energy, catering, security, civil air transport, aerospace, defence, clothing, textiles, retail, hotel, chemicals, utilities, offshore, food production and distribution.  Kenny is a clever operator who used the private equity industry as an effective stick with which to beat a Labour government he felt was too cosy to the city.   A powerful dinosaur in the jungle and one who could push for any leadership changes in the Labour Party.  Again, one to watch this winter!

NASUWT: National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers  General Secretary: Chris Keates  Membership: m 75,601 f 189,601 total 265,202

Chris is well known for being a softer face of Trade Unionism, preferring to be close to Ministers as being in bed with them gets more results than standing outside the bedroom.  But teachers are becoming more and more frustrated.  teaching is in the headlines again, new Government criticisms, 1.2.1 tutors pending to come into the classroom, moves away from targets, frustration with SATS, league tables…and a public sector pay freeze would certainly be the straw that breaks the camels back.  Expect teachers to be striking this winter if pay frozen.

NUT: National Union of Teachers   General Secretary: Christine Blower (acting)    Membership: m 67,708 f 214,881 total 282,589

As per the NASUWT, pressure will be on to strike for the NUT if there is a public sector pay freeze.  So what of Christine?  A militant? “I see myself as someone who militates on behalf of teachers. There have been times when I felt that the voice of the classroom teacher wasn’t in the minds of our union leaders.”  Socialist? “I think there’s a lot to be said for socialism. It doesn’t mean I see myself as a part of any of those organisations that have ’socialist’ in the title.” Feminist? There’s no hesitation. “Absolutely. There is less need for women to be strident, but there is absolutely a need for women to continue the fight for equal pay.” She also points out that 70% of teachers are women, but their union leaders are overwhelmingly male.

PCS: Public and Commercial Services Union   General Secretary: Mark Serwotka 

Mark oversees government departments and agencies, public bodies, private sector information technology and other service companies, all making up the PCS.  Given the cuts needed in the Civil Service and public sector bodies & quangos, Mark will certainly be a regular this winter on Sky News and Newsnight!  Along with Bob Crow, Serwotka is one of the most extreme left union leaders in the country. He supports George Galloway’s Respect party!

POA: Prison Officers’ Association  General Secretary: Brian Caton    Membership: m 26,631 f 9,541 total 36,172

Brian represents:  persons employed in any penal or secure establishment or special hospital as a prison officer, a nursing grade, a non-industrial stores grade and NHS secure forensic staff.    Given…….Prison overcrowding, deteriorating conditions for inmates…..a dangerous profession.  A pay freeze may tip Prison workers into striking.

Prospect      General Secretary: Paul Noon   Membership: m 79,764 f 22,938 total 102,702  

Prospect looks after: engineering, scientific, managerial & professional staff in agriculture, defence, electricity supply, energy, environment, health & safety, heritage, industry, law & order, shipbuilding, transport employees.   Smaller union, wont be as visible in the winter of discontent.

RMT: National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers  General Secretary :Bob Crow  Membership: m 66,862 f 9,044 total 75,906

Bob is well known to this blog.  He represents railways and shipping, underground, road transport.  The chances of his union striking?……bets are off.  Racing certainty.  London Underground have been flat out the block striking this summer and nothing will stop Bob Crowosauras from striking over the winter.  Crow is worshipped by his adoring members, especially when he calls them out on strike. His power to bring London to a halt (usually every other year) is testament to his power with his members.  But, at least one thing we can appreciate.  He is threatning to create his own Political Party and put candidates up against Labour MP’s!  That will split the vote in some areas nicely!

UNISON     General Secretary:Dave Prentis   Membership: m 403,200 f 940,800 total 1,343,000 

Unison represents local government, health care, the water, gas and electricity industries, further and higher education, schools, transport, voluntary sector, housing associations, police support staff.  Unison are a powerful beast in the Union jungle.  Dave threatened Gordon last year with:  “You raise them up, Gordon, or they will bring you down!”     “Our members are worried about how they are going to pay the mortgage or the rent, the gas or electricity, and how they are going to feed their children,” he says. “They have had enough. I cannot ignore that.”   ”Wealthy people are allowed to do whatever they want, out of fear that they will leave the country, so the brunt of the economic turbulence will be borne by working-class people. We have to let the Government know that what it is doing is wrong.”    FYI Dave is reportedly on £89,000 pa!  Increasingly outspoken…..Look forward to seeing Dave Prentis on your screens this winter.

UNITE   General Secretary:  Joint Gen Secs Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson   Membership: m 1,506,057 f 446,453 total 1,952,510

Unite is the general union, created in 2007 from the merger of the TGWU and Amicus.  Represented include: manufacturing, engineering, energy, construction, IT, defence aerospace, motor industry, civil aviation, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, steel and metals, shipbuilding, scientists, technologists, professional and managerial staff, electronics and telecommunications, tobacco, food and drink, textiles, ceramics, paper, printing, professional staff in universities, commercial sales, the voluntary sector, banking and financial services, and the National Health Service, administrative, clerical, technical and supervisory; agriculture; building, construction and civil engineering; chemical, oil and rubber manufacture; civil air transport; docks and waterways; food, drink and tobacco; general workers; passenger services; power and engineering; public services; road transport commercial; textiles; vehicle building and automotive.

Who is Derek Simpson?  He is the former leader of Amicus and arguable the stronger leader of this dual leader approach within the massive Unite trade union. An archetypal devil-may-care old style Dinosaur union leader, Simpson has it within his power to create real industrial problems for Gordon Brown. Remember last year when he publicly waved away David Miliband just before the TUC Conference…this was Derek flexing his Union’s muscles.

Woodley is less a media man and public speaker than Derek and this makes him less known.  He still seems to live in the shadow of his predecessor as leader of the TGWU, Bill Morris.

TUC    General Secretary:  Brendan Barber

We must not forget the TUC, it’s their Conference week.  The TUC holds all the Unions together.   Not so long ago the holder of the post of TUC General Secretary would have been more powerful than a Labour Prime Minister.  Barber continues to preside over falling union membership and his influence has been slowly taken by individual union general secretaries.  He is a strong advocate of the “new unionism”, advocating a partnership approach towards companies and the government and a drive to organise new members.  His challenge though is that a new generation of union leaders is coming into office, who are less concerned about relations with the government and more concerned about grassroots organising.  He also believes strongly in the role of Europe as a way of enforcing greater rights in the workplace – and ultimately closer integration through membership of the euro.

So these are the people to watch out for over the coming weeks and months…..misery beckons!

Thatcher stood up to Scargill’s Miners…. will DC inherit a Broken Britain after Brown’s ‘Winter of Discontent’?