Elect A Socialist Fighter

A call from the backers of Patrick Mulholland for him to be elected as General Secretary of NIPSA.


Elect a Socialist Fighter for NIPSA General Secretary!

 

NIPSA is the largest trade union in Northern Ireland, representing 46,000 workers across the public sector. From tomorrow, ballot papers will be circulated to members for them to elect the union's new General Secretary.


Socialist Party member Patrick Mulholland is standing as the Broad Left candidate for the position. If a socialist fighter like Patrick is elected as NIPSA General Secretary, it could make a real difference to the struggle against austerity and sectarianism in the coming years.

While his opponent and all previous General Secretaries have come from the union's full-time officialdom, Patrick is a public sector worker who understands the issues facing rank-and-file NIPSA members because he faces them as well. Patrick will remain connected to members' conditions by remaining on his current salary and donating the rest of his income to workers' and trade union causes.

 Please talk to any NIPSA members you know and ask them to consider voting for Patrick.
 
Five reasons to elect Patrick as NIPSA General Secretary:

 
1) Patrick will live on his current salary wage and donate the rest to workers' and trade union causes. He will only take the same expenses as NIPSA members, not the higher official's rate.

2) Patrick is opposed to one-day, tokenistic strike action. He is committed to building a REAL anti-cuts movement and developing a REAL strategy to defend jobs and services.

3) Patrick is opposed to trade unions forming political alliance with Assembly parties that are based on sectarian division. NIPSA's politics should be anti-sectarian and about defending jobs and public services.

4) Patrick is committed to campaigning for job creation, rebuilding public services, defending the welfare state and NIPSA's democratic, socialist alternative to austerity.

 5) As President, Patrick has been a strong voice for public servants in the media. As General Secretary, he will be even more effective on your behalf.


 Read an article from The Socialist on Patrick's challenge.
 



For further info, visit patrickmulholland.org

Facebook: Patrick Mulholland for NIPSA General Secretary

Twitter: pm

6 comments:

  1. Supporters of Alison Millar........ I wish to put on record my debt of gratitude to NIPSA Members, NIPSA Representatives, NIPSA Officials and NIPSA Staff. Throughout my time as NIPSA Deputy General Secretary, in the 35 plus years I have served NIPSA and throughout my many years of activism in the wider trade union movement, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work on behalf of the NIPSA Membership. I have never regarded it as anything other, nor have I ever taken my role as a representative, a union official or a trade union activist for granted.

    NIPSA membership has gone from strength to strength in that time and the overwhelming majority of members have supported NIPSA through every eventuality and through difficult times.

    It is also important to state that NIPSA Representatives and Branches from across the union work tirelessly in defence of member's interests and that should not go unrecognised.

    Likewise NIPSA Officials and NIPSA Staff work extremely hard and they do so to defend the interests of NIPSA members first and foremost.

    NIPSA members face real issues each and every day in the workplace. NIPSA representatives do their utmost to defend and protect those members. NIPSA Officials and staff go above and beyond their role to serve on behalf of the NIPSA membership.
    If we are to remain a strong vibrant fighting trade union, we must recognise the efforts of all. It is incumbent upon us to be a democratic trade union that recognises the efforts of each and every part of the NIPSA family.

    Attacks on public sector jobs and services are set to intensify and deepen and no one can deny that NIPSA Members, Representatives and Staff face difficult times ahead. If we are to face these challenges down, it is vital we are an inclusive, united union that recognises the efforts of ALL and put the interests of the NIPSA membership above all else. Anything else serves as a distraction and keeps us from the real arguments to be won and the real battles to be had.

    As in the past, I am confident we can make meaningful workplace gains for NIPSA Members if we stand united and stand together as one union.
    As the ballot opens, I am respectfully asking that NIPSA members vote for a General Secretary that will unite NIPSA and ensure that we remain the strong, independent and democratic union that we have always been. I am standing as a General Secretary for all NIPSA members and I aim to do exactly that.

    Alison Millar

    NIPSA Deputy General Secretary

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  2. Alison,

    this should be afforded equal standing to the piece above. If you agree we will run it as a piece in its own right

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  3. Whoever wins this contest, i hope will call on NIPSA workers in doal offices to desist from the disgraceful practice of sanctioning benefits claimants, an underhanded way of withdrawing money from vulnerable individuals and families which is incompatible with basic Trade Union or Socialist values.

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  4. Ciarán,

    Asking whoever wins to tell dole workers to stop scantioning peoples benefits wouldn't work on too many levels. Most are working class people who are struggling as much as anyone else. Wouldn't be be better if NIPSA told the "dole workers", social workers..whoever to inform the vunerable how to help themselves to the 13 billion that wasn't claimed in benefits...

    "Benefits worth more than £13billion are going unclaimed every year, including almost half of jobless people missing out on the dole.

    The vast amount in unpaid income support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, housing benefit and pension credit is more than the entire sum George Osborne is trying to cut from the welfare budget.

    Charities said it was ‘shameful’ that pensioners were missing out on £3billion in help meant for the ‘poorest and most vulnerable’."


    The government is under pressure over its plans to slash spending by cutting tax credits paid to people in work.

    But official figures show the benefits bill would be even higher if people received money they were entitled to.

    New figures released in a parliamentary answer show how up to £13.23billion went unclaimed in 2013-14.

    Employment minister Priti Patel laid out the full extent of benefits which were not paid out over the course of the year.

    Up to 45 per cent of the unemployed who could receive Jobseeker's Allowance – equivalent to 820,000 people – did not receive it, worth up to £2.62 billion.

    Up to 650,000 people entitled to income support or Employment and Support Allowance, up to 23 per cent of the total.

    The value of unpaid cases is estimated at between £2.43 billion and £3.25 billion.

    Up to 1.4million people missed out on Pension Credit worth up to £3.26billion, which Ms Patel said meant between 36 per cent and 39 per cent were not getting money they were entitled to.

    Caroline Abrahams, charity director for Age UK, said: "It is shameful that around £3billion in Pension Credit is still failing to reach many of the poorest and most vulnerable older people.

    ‘With 1.6 million older people now living in poverty, we need a concerted effort to help the most vulnerable. Better access to good quality information and advice, and increased take-up of pensioner benefits would be a good start.

    ‘A national strategy with firm targets and workable solutions is also long overdue.

    ‘We want to see pensioner poverty halved by 2020. Ensuring that the poorest pensioners receive all the help they’re entitled to would help to reach this goal and make a huge difference to many lives.’

    Up to 1.3million people, equivalent to 21 per cent of those eligible, missed out on housing benefit worth up to £4.1billion,

    ***The Department for Work and Pensions insisted that frontline staff discuss the support that is available with claimants and work closely with charities and other organisations to keep people informed of their entitlements.***


    I reckon front line staff are as much in the dark as anyone else...

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  5. Thank you Anthony ,yes certainly run it as a piece , Regards Friends of Alison Millar .

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