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| Chris Baugh (left) and Janice Godrich |
Chris has been in the forefront of the fight to defend the members in the teeth of vicious attacks by a government who are determined to destroy the PCS as a great fighting example to the whole trade union movement.
In a rational world, he would have been a shoo-in for the nomination. Not so.
Chris’s opponents are nominating lay officer PCS president Janice Godrich whose stewardship, in that capacity, has also been exemplary.
Chris’s record speaks for itself, so I listened carefully to those campaigning for his removal.
The case against Chris includes:
He doesn’t get along with the general secretary, so much so that, although PCS procedure, like all unions, rules that when the GS is indisposed, his duties shall be assumed by the AGS. When the GS was desperately ill this did not happen. Instead the procedure was ignored in favour of the GS’s choice.
I can think of one or two past general secretaries in the PCS and other unions where friction between the GS and his deputy would have been in the members’ interests and not to their detriment.
He briefed against the proposed merger between Unite and PCS. This charge is based on tittle tattle, and his body language. Apparently, according to a Janice supporter, he was seen smiling when the proposed merger was scotched. In addition, Len McCluskey has stated unequivocally that there is no truth in this assertion.
Apart from loud assertions that he was ‘not the man for the job’ the case against Chris was entirely unconvincing. Although thrown into the mix was that one or two Socialist Party members had referred in an uncomradely manner to Mark’s illness. This is obviously to be deplored, but I’d like to know who they were.
The case for nominating Janice was that she has carried out her President’s duties in an exemplary fashion. Quite so. But the caveat is that she gets on well with the GS.
It appears that the overriding consideration is that the two top officers of the union should be best buddies. It could also be argued that Janice’s excellent stewardship of the president’s position is a good case for her continuing in that capacity.
At a time when the unity of the movement is paramount to fight the crazed Tory government, it defies logic that a campaign is under way to remove an outstanding officer like Chris from a leading position on the most spurious grounds.
This opinion has been penned entirely off my own bat without discussion with Chris or his colleagues.
Tony Mulhearn
ARMS Mersey
An interesting perspective, Tony. As someone who has no vote in this election, I've watched what is going on with a sense of detachment.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it strikes me that while 'Unity' is the watchword of the Left, quite a few on the Left think it applies only to others, not to themselves and their own actions.
Reading your post Tony I would tend to agree with your comments. As Chris been in the post for 14 years and has worked well I cannot see why he should be dismissed from this post and replace by a lay official, however much she has been exceallnt in her elected psoition.
ReplyDelete