Banned! Banning banns.

Let's ban bans that ban bans. Or, when banning bans let's ensure that we've banned any bans banning bans that ban the bans we support, or conversely would like to see banned.

Social services needs assessment.

Spent 2.5 hours with my social worker explaining in excruciatingly painful detail my social care and support needs. Incredibly we had first to go over my last support plan in order to rectify all the errors therein. 
When I spoke of ILF hours the social worker quickly jumped in to tell me that the ILF had ended; and that my entire package was now funded by Lambeth money. Even more speedily I dived in to disabuse her that 'fact'; and that while the ILF was disbanded that Lambeth still received the old ILF funding from the government, and would do so until 2020.
Of course she was blissfully ignorant of this fact; but would most definitely be going back to her office to make her colleagues aware of this. 
My advice to anyone going through a social services needs assessment is to suspend your dignity for the duration of the meeting. I found myself having to explain my personal needs in such intimate detail, that at times I was tempted to say: "Oh fuck off! 
How much do detail do you really need to know as to how my arse is cleaned?" 
Anyway, it's over now. If they mess me around and cut the package they will have a fight on their hands.

How to stop bleed?

A few weeks ago I rubbed an itch on the side of my left nostril only for it to gush forth with a steady flow of blood. A veritable gushing of blood continued as I applied tissue after tissue onto the bloody thing. And still the thing bled.

Eventually after pouring half-a-pint of TCP over it and applying a large dollop of Tea Tree Cream onto the bleeder it ceased. However, since then it has re-opened two or three times, each time a strong flow of blood that took time to stem.

Strangely, while I bleed very freely, a nurse pricked my little finger a couple of days ago and due to rate of bleeding asked whether I had taken aspirin recently, or was I on Warfarin, phlebotomists find it almost impossible to get a drop from me.

Can anyone recommend anything I can use to:

1. Make the blood coagulate quicker, and
2. Mend the skin on my noise to stop it breaking every time it's rubbed

What Price European Peace?

There has been a relative peace in Europe for 70 years. That is the major states in Europe have not committed the continent, or indeed the globe, to bloody warfare. France and Germany are locked into an economic, legislative and social framework that has sealed their friendship.

The UK has not had to take on the role of guarantor to smaller nations. The EU has eradicated menace of larger states militarily preying upon their ‘weaker’ neighbours.

For all its faults, and they are many, the EU as an institution has managed to keep historical enemies from waging wars. Yet Nigel Farage is crowing for the EU to split in order to boost his Little Englander ego. Has he any concept of the dangers inherent in his wrecking exercise?

Farage would relish a Marine Le Pen National Front victory later in the year; and doubtlessly an Angela Merkel defeat in September's Federal elections in Germany would have him crowing as the very core of the EU becomes tenuous.     

NOMINATE SEÀN MCGOVERN FOR UNITE ECFOR DISABLED MEMBERS’ COUNCILOR

FOR FIGHTING BACK AND ACCOUNTABILITY

NOMINATE SEÀN MCGOVERN 

FOR DISABLED MEMBERS’ COUNCILOR ON UNITE’S 

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

BRANCH LE/785

MEMBERSHIP No 14171043

SEÀN MCGOVERN 

Hello, I’m Seàn McGovern a Socialist trade unionist. I’m also a disabled person who has campaigned within the workplace and outside in the community for disability rights for the past 25-years. I’m employed as a Direct Payments Advisor for a Disabled Peoples’ Organization. I am a workplace rep and a branch rep, and the current elected National Disabled Members’ Councilor on Unite’s Executive Council.  

DISABILITY

Disability comes in all shapes, sizes and guises. Disability can be very visible; or it can be invisible, all too often silent, and sadly voiceless. Disability can be me today and you, my sister or brother, tomorrow. Disability is not a life style choice; it isn’t something that people make a conscious decision to adopt.

Yet over the past seven-years disabled people have been at the receiving end of vicious cuts to their benefits and services, as if somehow we have chosen to erect the very barriers that disable us.  These years have been difficult for working people, with a Conservative government driving forward an ideologically motivated programme of cuts to the public sector. These austerity cuts have had a disproportionate impact on disabled people inside and outside the workplace. Further cuts to disability benefits and services are looming, along with the uncertainty of Brexit.

UNITE’S FIGHT BACK

But, we are fighting back and over the past three years I am proud to have represented Unite’s Disabled Members on the EC ensuring Unite continues to fight back against the austerity-led discrimination met by too many of our disabled members.

·      Unite has been a part of the fight-back that has forced the Tory government to continue paying the Independent Living Fund to severely disabled people until 2020. 

·      Unite fought alongside groups such as DPAC exposing ATOS’s criminal mishandling of the WCA.

·      Unite has campaigned with the rail unions against the cuts to guards on trains who ensure our rail network is accessible to disabled people.

·      Unite is leading the way in educating its workplace and equality reps on workplace stress and mental illness and in negotiating reasonable adjustments 

·      I have worked closely with the Access to Work campaign fighting against government’s continual cut backs and capping of Access to Work.

·      Unite has lobbied MPs and ministers to ensure that they reach out to us as disabled people and ensure our voice is heard in parliament. *

The immediate future will throw up challenges, but we as a Union must, and can rise to these. We can support our disabled members by:

·       Battling against unfair redundancies

·       Defending members against draconian sickness/absence policies

·       Assisting members with Access to Work claims

·       Fighting for Reasonable Adjustments against increasingly hostile employers

·       Educating our reps to identify stress in the workplace

·       Supporting members at PIP and WCA assessments and appeals

·       Closing the unemployment gap

·       Making our union accessible to disabled people at all levels of Unite’s decision making processes

·       Promoting the Social Model of Disability.

Please nominate me for the National Disabled Members’ Seat on the Unite EC. If re-elected I will continue the fight back within the trade union and labour movement.

Please Nominate the Equalities Candidates Below:

Woman's Seat- Jane Stewart, Branch NW/9704m, membership number 30269599

LGBT seat – Jenny Douglas, Branch number SC/79/1, membership number 13326312

BAEM seat – Susan Matthews, Branch number LE/163, membership number 15107714

Young members seat – Jack Youd, Branch number NW/389, membership number 20314814

Nomination period opens on 16^th January and ends on 17^th February. 

Vote for General Secretary Len McCluskey

Branch NW/567 Membership # 1121 

McCluskey's record on Corbyn

"Do you want a GS who wants to undermine democracy" McCluskey didn't undermine democracy back in July 2015 when the Executive backed Jeremy Corbyn forLabour Party leader.

"Someone who was forced to back Corbyn as LP leader after initially backing Burnham..." Yes, McCluskey did favour Burnham over Corbyn initially. However, as I've just stated when the Executive voted overwhelmingly for Corbyn McCluskey accepted the democratic mandate.

Whoever McCluskey's original preference for leader was, he has backed Corbyn all the way since the Executive made its stand. Last summer McCluskey attempted to act as honest broker to repair the damage caused by Watson and his wrecking crew.

On the point of strikes, McCluskey has not repudiated a single strike during his tenure of office. As for cosying up to management, can you substantiate this, Arjun?

Attack McCluskey on record, Arjun. Then tell us how Ian intends to lead the trade union movement.