Advocacy in Darlington

The Supreme Leader - that’s her on the right

On the boat

Some of the Group on the Harbour

 

 

The Wednesday Speaking up in Darlington group is made up of people with learning disabilities and as part of their ongoing world ‘occasional’ Tour, this week they decided to go to the delightful North Yorkshire village of Whitby.

 

Not for them the easy ‘fix’ of coach travel (which we could not afford in any event) – no we were going to go by Bus.

 

Preparation entailed finding Bus Timetable and mapping out the timetables for the buses.

 

We all met up under the Clock Tower in the Town Centre – found the bus for Middlesbrough and got on.

 

Unfortunately one member was dropped off in the wrong place by the taxi from home and when I eventually located her we ran for the bus.

 

As we watched it pull off despite the protests of my Colleagues who could see us for him to stop, the invariable cry of the cruel and incompetent, ‘its more than my jobs worth’ came out.

 

Plan B - I could see how crestfallen she was so we hot footed it up to the Train Station only for the newly appointed ‘fascist’ barreiristas to refuse to let us through to get on the train because we had not pre-purchased tickets.

 

To my complaint that we would miss the Train the invariable cry of the cruel and incompetent, ‘its more than my jobs worth’ came out. Developing theme here.

 

So Plan C, went outside and hailed a taxi.

 

After a frantic drive, we reached Middlesbrough and caught up with everyone else.

 

Caught breath.

 

Settled everyone on the bus and relaxed into the more than pleasant journey.

 

Everyone brightened up when we reached Whitby – walked along the sea front enjoyed the air and everyone was up for some Whitby fish and chips.  I sat outside with Ben the dog and encountered my usual luck of meeting up with the visiting character who insisted on telling me about his/her ASBO which he/she was unfairly given for allegedly harassing a single mother on his/her estate.

 

Two ladies on the next table expressed sympathy when the person went in for his/her mushy peas that it was usually them that this type of person sat down next to!

 

Anyway managed to stay sympathetic whilst the troops finished lunch.

 

After lunch we split up so people could do their own thing - some went shopping and some of us went to go for a Boat ride around the harbour – excellent value at £2 per head and Ben the Ship dog went for free.

 

The harbour and the trip was beautiful and one of our female members, a great singer and piano player (by ear) took great delight in singing along to the sea shanties played as a backdrop to the recorded commentary and they basked in the sun.

 

Great joy and merriment when said project leader and partner were soaked by the waves splashing over the side – even more laughter when Katy was splashed and she complained she had ‘already had a bath this morning’.

 

It was wonderful.

 

We just enjoyed the rest of the day exploring and shopping – then went for the bus home.

 

We all returned to Darlington happier and contented and some of us had even learned a lot from the day – never ever underestimate people.

              Are these Unison Reps in their true “colours”?

 

 

I have been sent the following information which I publish in good faith because frankly, it sounds true.

 

“The long running political witch hunt of well known activist Yunus Bakhsh has sunk to new and shocking depths. Union members across the north east of England are outraged at what they describe as an attempt to smear a dedicated trade union activist who is fighting his victimisation by his employer.

 

That this smear campaign is being conducted by the union he served for over 25 years is beyond belief.

 

In what is being seen as a desperate attempt by a number of increasingly discredited officials at

UNISON Northern Region, a letter was circulated last week from Gill Hale, (Regional Secretary) and Clare Williams, (Convenor) to all UNISON branches.

 

Like all smears the letter falls apart under scrutiny.

 

It suggests that “Supporters of Yunus Bakhsh have made untrue and unfounded allegations against UNISON”.

 

It fails to say what these allegations are or why they are untrue.

 

It refers to “a lengthy and extensive disciplinary procedure” but fails to say that Yunus played no part in that procedure because he was too ill to attend the first meeting and his solicitor has issued UNISON with a writ for Race Discrimination.

 

The letter also refers to the evidence that Yunus provided to UNISON officials which showed that BNP supporters had been involved in both his sacking by his employer and his expulsion from UNISON.

 

The full text of this evidence will now be made available on-line for all UNISON members to see.

 

Moreover it is the disgusting attempt to claim Yunus had ‘misappropriated’ UNISON funds that has horrified so many.

 

The letter states that “42 charges against the member were upheld.

 

The charges included misappropriation of UNISON monies and resources and breaches of the political fund rules”.

This libelous statement has now been referred to Yunus’s solicitor. It is important, however, that all union members know the truth.

 

Yunus was Branch secretary and health service Group Executive (sGE) member when he was suspended from office in January 2007.

The grounds for his suspension were based on allegations by a tiny number of reps from another UNISON branch.

 

Among these was Kerry Cafferty who later resigned from UNISON when found to have been a member of five far right and racist Facebook groups linked to the BNP.

 

The allegations by Cafferty and the others were that Yunus had harassed them by waging a “campaign of intimidation” against them that included “window breakages and break-ins at their homes”.

 

Oddly, these very serious but wholly malicious claims have never been investigated by UNISON—but nor have they been withdrawn.

Instead UNISON conducted a “trawl” of Yunus’s records going back several years in order to try to find something to pin on him.

 

What is now clear from the evidence that Yunus has presented to the union is that the BNP had prior knowledge of this “trawling” exercise.

 

On January 28th the Stormfront Tyneside BNP message board carried postings concerning reasons for Yunus’s suspension from union office:

“Could it be financial aspects or misuse of branch computers and or printing facilities?”

 

This was six months before UNISON told Yunus these were the allegations he was facing!

 

The charges that were upheld against Yunus…

Yunus was found guilty of disregarding and/or disobeying the Rules of the union by recruiting into membership and representing a member who worked in his NHS Trust!

 

The individual concerned, Michael Pacitti, has now issued his own statement on this ludicrous claim. Yunus saved Michael’s job and, as a result, Michael became a UNISON steward.

 

Yunus was found guilty of failing to treat the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of Wearside Health branch with dignity and respect. Why?

 

Because the two officials, Ann Clay and Michelle Handy, believed Michael should not be represented because they claimed he wasn’t a UNISON member.

 

Michelle Handy did however represent the management witnesses against Michael, but the case against him collapsed with no case to answer.

Yunus was found guilty of “making comments” while visiting a group of members which had the effect of “undermining the senior officers of that branch”.

 

What these comments were, when they were made and to whom has never been established.

 

They appear to be related to Yunus informing some staff that workers doing similar jobs in his hospital had a higher grade and he believed that the union should fight to level up grades for all.

 

In 2006 Yunus took two weeks annual leave to campaign in UNISON’s Health Executive elections.

 

He did this so that he could visit and  speak to UNISON members about what they expect from their elected reps.

 

Yunus won the election by 86 percent of the vote.

 

His opponent Cath Linford didn’t even bother to put out an election address.

Yet the union has found Yunus guilty of failing to treat Cath Linford with dignity and respect because he didn’t seek “under rule” permission to visit the members of her branch!

 

However it was only after that election in 2006 that UNISON introduced such a rule!

 

Yunus was found guilty of breaching a rule which didn’t even exist at the time he was supposed to have broken it.

 

Anybody who knows Yunus knows that his computer skills are “limited”.

 

Yet the union found him guilty of misusing union resources because, they say, they “unearthed” a leaflet from the branch computer from 2004 which they claim he had produced to further his

Election campaign.

The union produced no evidence as to the origin of the leaflet or how they knew Yunus had produced it.

Incredibly he was also found guilty of using a branch computer to write a nomination letter for the 2006 election. This is not even contrary the existing rules.

 

Yunus stood as a Respect candidate in the 2006 local elections. Having trawled through his phone records for the whole of 2006 the union found him guilty of breaching the political fund rules. How?

 

Apparently he made 33 phone calls to a Respect local “election line”. In fact the number was that of a close friend and colleague who was also a local anti fascist co-ordinator!

 

He also apparently breached union rules “in that on an occasion in the period between 27th March and 4^th May” he rang the Respect National election line and made seven phone calls in a year to the SWP national office.

 

Would the same apply if Yunus had rung a Labour MP to seek their support for the NHS?

Yunus was also found guilty of “campaigning against the Rule I investigation of Yunus Bakhsh”.

 

In the Orwellian world of some UNISON officials fighting to prove your innocence is an indication of guilt!

 

What about ‘misappropriation of monies’ …

The totally misleading claim that Yunus “Misappropriated union monies” needs rebutting.

Perhaps the UNISON bureaucrats have mixed Yunus up with the MPs UNISON spends so much money on!

 

(Deputy Convenor Kenny Bell recently shared a platform with tax dodging

Hazel Blears) …

 

·        Yunus had been an elected member of UNISON Executives for nearly ten years.

·        He was known for being frugal with his expenses, choosing to stay with his branch delegates at conferences instead of the more expensive hotels that many of the senior officials use.

·        He had his expenses paid back into his branch.

·        He was a very dedicated and active branch secretary working seven days a week for his members.

·        The national auditor told him he was seriously under claiming compared with most NEC members. To suggest he has effectively stolen union money is a disgrace.

·        He spent most of his time as a branch secretary on the road visiting, representing and recruiting  members.

 

What are the allegations?

 

The union claims that on two occasions in 2005 he claimed expenses from national and from his branch. They also claim he over claimed on his mileage.

 

What makes these allegations so sick is that the union knew that Yunus could not even access the information to disprove these allegations.

 

At an interview in August 2007 Yunus was accused of claiming 30 miles of travel for going between Newcastle General and St Nicks Hospital. He pointed out the claim form indicates he made the journey numerous times.

 

Yunus said he could demonstrate he probably did more than 30 miles but his records were in his union branch office and that he could not access them because he had been victimised and suspended by his employer from the site!

 

On the two national claims Yunus pointed out he would happily answer any allegations on the condition he could access his records.

He did point out that the accounts had already been audited at least twice and  that, as he had attended over a hundred national meetings, it seemed strange that he had never been known to “double claim” before. The lengths to which the union has gone to try to smear Yunus as a thief can be gauged by the fact that he was also accused of “Misappropriation of a UNISON laptop computer”.

 

However even the union couldn’t uphold this nonsense because it was Yunus who had reported the lap top stolen and had a crime number to prove it!

Who is telling the truth?

Michelle Handy provided the union with a signed statement in which she claims:

“I do not know if it is anything to do with Yunus but I had my window smashed at home, one window but no sign of anyone breaking in … I also came home on another occasion to find the garage door wide open when I knew I had locked it up but nothing appeared stolen, at the time I was also receiving harassing phone calls on my union mobile phone …

 

“I called the police and they were involved in the garage door and window incidents … I think several other people were also getting late night/early morning phone calls and unusual occurrences.

“It all seemed to occur after the complaints were made against Yunus and he was suspended by the Trust, then the union started to investigate him as well.’

 

This statement is a complete fabrication. Yunus’s solicitor contacted the Police who had no record of any  such incidents. His solicitor had to write to Ms Handy threatening her with legal action for defamation. Such is the nature of those who have been used to drive Yunus out of his job and his union.”

 

I find this stuff compelling because of what I know of how these people operate. I am also aware of the genuine distress this is causing this individual who is being marginalized and who’s career is being destroyed by this situation. I know the feeling. It ain’t pleasant.

 

Support him to fight back and if you know anything about this situation which can help please contact me.

 

 

Breaking News! - Alan Milburn to stand down

Danger Men Cooking!!

 

Following Katy’s success last week with her dressed Salad, Chris and Gary have made Spaghetti Bolognese from scratch this week with a freshly prepared side salad; Garlic bread and fresh yoghurt with strawberries, with shavings of chocolate.

 

Under my watchful eye, the lads prepared their onions, bacon then browned the mince; added stock, courgettes, carrot and celery, herbs and garlic and set off to simmer. Very good (although the chopped carrots looked more ‘industrial’ than Cordon bleu)!

 

A week of contrasts on a lovely Friday afternoon.

 

All we need now is the rest of the troops to eat the Food!

 

Who says people with learning disabilities can’t do things for themselves?