UNISON STATEMENT ON KAREN REISSMANN
On Monday November 5th Karen Reissmann, CPN and UNISON branch chair was sacked on 4 counts. Firstly that, when she was interviewed in December 2006 criticising the transfer of NHS work to the voluntary sector, she brought the Trust into disrepute. Secondly, for telling people that she was suspended and what for. Thirdly, for protesting her innocence. Fourthly, for allowing the press to print information, some misleading about her case. The fifth charge of misusing time was dropped. All the charges were gross misconduct and all sackable offences.
UNISON believes this is an absolute disgrace. Union reps must have the right to campaign against cuts and victimisation of our trade union reps. The Human Rights Act brought in by the Labour government allows for freedom of expression. Karen works in the NHS, in 2007, in Britain not Burma – she must have the right to speak out without fear of persecution. If she remains sacked it will make all NHS staff and all trade union reps feel much more cautious about saying anything.
UNISON is determined to fight for Karen’s reinstatement. 150 members of her branch who work in community mental health teams and crisis resolution teams will start an indefinite strike from Thursday 8th November as part of that fight. There will be picket lines from 8am to 11am at North Manchester General Hospital, MRI Hathersage Rd, and Chorlton House. On Thursday strikers will then meet at 12noon to organise their next activities and march to the strategic Health Authority at Piccadilly.
In 2 weeks we will have a branch wide one-day strike.
We also hope to have a solidarity rally on Wednesday 14th November in Manchester in the early evening, details to follow.
We also plan a Saturday demonstration in Manchester, probably 24th Nov.
We expect to be able to pay very substantial hardship pay to all strikers and will be sending delegations of strikers around the country to speak to other trade unionists and raise money. Already we have had significant promises of money from a number of branches eg Pennine have promised £2000 a month.
If you want to make a donation please send to “Manchester Community and Menatl Health branch UNISON” c/o union office, Chorlton House, 70
Manchester Rd, Manchester M21 9UN. If you want a speaker at your next union meeting please contact us on unison@zen.co.uk or 07972 120 451.
i’ll certainly be raising in my union branch Bolton NUT tonight, in the North Manchester Respect public meeting and with MPs. So far only McDonnell and Galloway- the latter indirectly- have got back to me but I am sure that others are trying to raise the profile of this case.
Comment by Jason — 6 November, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
This is a disgrace and should be a rallying cry to all in the labour movement. This is a real witch hunt and requires a fight back from all serious socialists and trade unionists, but suprise suprise some armchair comrades would rather gossip about the SWP than discuss defending a good socialist who has been sacked in a blatently political move by her management.
Comment by Martin — 6 November, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
This is outrageous. Karen has been sacked for speaking up for her union members and people with mental health problems in Manchester against the privatisation of public services. As a member of Voluntary Sector Unison I work with charities that have taken over public services reducing pay and conditions for workers.
There is rally this saturday in support of Freemantle care staff(i tried to copy details but couldn’t) details can be found www.unison.org.uk/file/B3574.pdf.pdf (i hope).
The debate about respect will become reduntant if we can’t as socialists defend workers and are too busy looking into our navels which i am the debate on respect has become.
Comment by singing trotsky — 6 November, 2007 @ 9:34 pm
some armchair comrades would rather gossip about the SWP
Please don’t bring that discussion onto this thread.
Comment by Phil — 6 November, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
and who are “some armchair comrades” - it is a broad brush generalisation so wide as to be meaningful
And for all martin knows the people commenting here - whichever side they are on the Respect debate - may well be collecting money, writing to their MP, raising it through their unions branch, etc, etc.
Please do keep this thread on topic, about practical support for Karen.
Comment by Andy — 6 November, 2007 @ 10:21 pm
Thought you might like to see my comment on this on the Guardian’s Comment is Free site:
http://tinyurl.com/2dk5b6
And is it just me, or is it rather depressing that all these thousands of visitors to Socialist Unity at the moment, this thread has only got five (now six) comments?
If ever there was a case where Socialist Unity is needed, it is this one.
Comment by ally — 7 November, 2007 @ 12:55 pm
I don’t think you should be surprised - the net lends itself better to gossip than to organising. You shouldn’t assume that means that people aren’t doing what they can, in their real lives. It’s a crying shame that we are distracted by the crisis in Respect, but we are, and it’s important.
So, practically, Jason (elsewhere) raises “four overlapping tasks in the days ahead”:
“1. Pressure and demand Unison to sanction whole branch coming out.
2. Raise the profile, riase funds and boost morale by building meetings in every Unison branch and locality, inviting speakers and raising these issues.
3. Begin to rebuild rank and file networks in the unions.
4. Build up the pressure and try to initiate spreading the action in sympathy action- if only symbolic walkouts to start with and building up from there.”
I’m assuming - I hope correctly - that everyone here is working on (2) already to the extent that they can. What else should we be doing in the days ahead?
Comment by KrisS — 8 November, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
Good point KrisS. Also use the McDonnell statement:
”
Labour MP John McDonnell is seeking to raise Karen Reissman’s case in Parliament to draw attention to the heavy handed attempt by the Manchester Mental Health Trust to silence Karen from speaking out to expose the implications of cuts in local services for patients.
John said “I believe that many Members of parliament will be shocked at the heavy handed and bullying tactics being used by this health body to silence one of its critics from exposing the effect its cuts in services will mean for patients. That is why I am seeking to raise this issue in Parliament in the hope that the Health Trust will back off from trying to intimidate staff in this way.”
I thin k it’s very important people put a lot of energy into this and make sure that Unison give full support and backing to the strike and that it has a very high profile.
Also remeber to send messages of solidirty to the branch. It help raises morale.
Comment by Jason — 8 November, 2007 @ 4:43 pm