Trades Unionists reject Covid cuts & pay freeze!

TRADE Unionists in Greater Manchester are calling on Metro Mayor Andy Burnham and the leaders of all ten Greater Manchester local authorities to unite together with them and the city region's MPs in demanding a Government U-turn on the relaxation of the covid lockdown, planned £500 million cuts to Greater Manchester local Government coffers for 2021-22, and the mooted pay freeze for public sector workers, ahead of Wednesday's spending review by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

They are additionally calling on trades unionists and other Greater Manchester residents to e-mail Andy Burnham, their local councillors, MPs, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister, to put as much pressure as they possibly can on the Government to make an about turn on these proposed policies, which the Greater Manchester Assoc. of Trade Union Council President Stephen Hall says: '.... will result in a much higher death toll from covid 19 than it might otherwise do; lead to increased mental stress and anguish as a result of needless additional job losses, and much reduced incomes for most people, not to mention potential financial ruin, homelessness and countless other social problems which will cost us all considerably more in the long run, than the supposed financial savings from the Government's currently proposed course of action and staggering costs already borne by the public purse.

'The safety of the people is always the first consideration of any Government, so the economic cost of that principle should always be a secondary issue no matter how much it might amount to financially. However, had the Government been prepared, and acted more decisively at the beginning of the covid outbreak then much of the so far huge cost of the measures implemented by the Government would not have been incurred and we would not now be discussing the additional costs still to be borne by the Government as a result of a clearly failed on-off-on national lockdown with various tiers of restrictions in between, and a 'leaves-a-lot-to be desired' national test, track and trace system, all of which despite the advent of a vaccine, could still go on for many more months. No instead what we would have more likely been talking about is Christmas and New Year celebrations without restrictions and all of us being financially better off than we currently are.

'We believe the Government should abandon its present course, which will only prolong the covid crisis and instead immediately adopt a Zero Covid strategy as done by such countries as Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and China. Their success speaks for itself. A key element of it has been the protection of the livelihoods of EVERYONE adversely affected by lockdown. As a result, the overall economic impact of Covid in those countries has been considerably less than in Britain. Their Governments have also spent substantially less than the British Government has, and still has to spend as a result of not acting decisively earlier and not financially looking after everyone throughout, and by not bringing the virus under control as in those countries. Further, in this country however generous it has been claimed the Government's package of financial support has been, we have additionally seen many thousands of jobs lost, many thousands of household incomes slashed by 20% or more, many thousands of families now in huge rent arrears and facing potential eviction and almost four million people provided with little or no support at all. This latter national figure equates with around 200,000 people in Greater Manchester.

'Concerning the Government's proposed cuts to Greater Manchester local council coffers of around £500 million for 2021-22, Mr. Hall said: 'Our Metro Mayor and Council leaders, should make it clear to the Government that any proposed cuts at this time are simply unacceptable and will only pour more misery into Greater Manchester households at time when we should be investing in long term 'more-than-pay-for-themselves' projects such as building thousands of new hi-spec zero carbon council house and other social housing, insulating people's homes, and expanding local renewable energy generation, etc., all of which will help to create thousands of new jobs as others are being lost due to covid, and which will additionally allow us to intensify our fight against the even bigger threat to us all than covid, which is the threat of irreversible catastrophic climate change. This additional spending would not be wasteful expenditure burdening future generations, but on the contrary, in helping to tackle the huge housing shortage, climate change and alleviating the widespread financial pressures presently on millions of households nationally caused by the covid pandemic, possibly represent the best investment we could presently make in the interests of our children and future generations. We could also re-train people to equip them to do the increasing number of new jobs that need creating, in addition to training and employing more social care workers, mental health professionals, teachers, and nurses, etc., etc., to better look after everyone's social, health and mental wellbeing.

'What the Government are proposing won't help us to achieve anything positive at all, and will ultimately just suck money and spending power out of the Greater Manchester economy at the same time as impoverishing many thousands of households. What they are proposing is also a completely false economy, which will lead to greater financial and social costs be borne by the public purse at a later date. Local trades union councils across the city region stand ready to fight alongside residents, workers, and service users, to oppose any such cuts in Greater Manchester and to work with all those who support the fight for a turnaround in Government policy.'

'In relation to the mooted pay freeze for public sector workers other than NHS staff, who may get a paltry pay rise to help them pay to park at work, as a reward for their efforts over the last 9 months" Mr. Hall said: "It is simply outrageous to suggest that many 'key workers' such as care home staff, teachers, bin men, and school cleaners, many of whom are in receipt of in-work benefits because they are so poorly paid should see their pay frozen at any time let alone under the present circumstances. If anything we should be rewarding them all with a hefty pay rise. What the Government needs to remember, and private businesses and self-employed people need to bear in mind is that without ordinary people having money to spend they can't afford to buy the products and services they sell and the more disposable income workers' have the more money they can spend in the local economy all of which has a local economic 'multiplier' effect. Opposing pay rises for public sector workers also does not help to achieve anything for private sector workers who if they think they are currently hard done by should join a union and fight to improve their own situation. Across Greater Manchester the trades council movement stands ready to support them.'

PRESS STATEMENT ENDS

23-11-2020

Issued by Stephen Hall, President, GMATUC

Stefan Cholewka, Secretary, GMATUC

STATEMENT on Bolton student residence fire

STATEMENT  by GREATER MANCHESTER

TRADE UNION COUNCIL EXECUTIVE  

– Saturday 23^rd November, 2019

THE meeting of the Greater Manchester Association of TUCs [GMATUC] Executive (Saturday 23^rd November, 2019), was the first opportunity after the Bolton student residence fire to support the FBU statement (16^th November) and the Bolton TUC statement condemning the ‘complete failure’ of the UK fire safety system and relieved that no one was killed.

The fire at The Cube student residence was a disaster that should never have happened.

Along with Bolton TUC there are two points we want to make:

First, there is the question of flammable cladding and the unacceptable delay in enforcing the removal of all flammable cladding in all buildings, following the Grenfell tragedy.

The second point we want to make [the public aware of our] concerns of cuts to the Greater Manchester fire services. The fantastic response of fire fighters to the conflagration at The Cube would have been less effective if the proposed cuts across Greater Manchester had taken place. All cuts to fire services must be shelved.

Stefan Cholewka the GMATUC secretary said: “GM Mayor Andy Burnham on TV said that the building was red flagged previously as it did not conform fully to fire safety regulations even though it was not classified as a high rise. However, he still proposes to go ahead with additional Greater Manchester fire service cuts… Thankfully, Greater Manchester fire service had learned lessons from Grenfell and swiftly evaluated the building with the help of a students residents committee. It seems that everyone is learning lessons from the Grenfell tragedy EXEPT Andy Burnham!”.

…We fully support Les Skarratts, FBU North West executive council member, when he said: "Greater Manchester has lost more than 600 fire fighters since 2010 alone and, alarmingly, Andy Burnham is trying to cut another six fire engines, including one in Bolton. 
"We need to stop the senseless cuts to our fire and rescue service before we see another awful incident like this.”

**************************

Appeal Verdict on Stefan Cholewka

Editor:  We publish the decision of the Rochdlae Labour Party Appeal Panel without comment:

Stefan Cholewka: 

Appeal Verdict: The panel has decided to uphold the original LCF decision.  Monday 2^nd October 2017. 

Dear Stefan,

Thank you for attending your appeal hearing this evening. We would like to apologise to the delayed start to your interview.

We understand your concerns regarding your original interview panel. The appeal team is made up of members from outside the borough to make sure you receive a fair hearing. You were offered opportunities by the panel to dispute the points made against you, which they feel you failed to do. They felt that while you expressed many of your activities through the numerous organisations you are involved in, there was not enough about the labour party activity.

They also had strong concerns regarding how you dealt with the original panel decision, especially in regards to the social media post. They feel this shone a negative light on the party and showed a disregard for the process and did not allow it to take its proper course. The panel has decided to uphold the original LCF decision.

Problems of Selection in Rochdale Labour Party?

Editorial remarks:

THE statement of appeal below was sent to N.V. a few days 
ago by Stefan Cholewka, Secretary GMATUC and Secretary 
of  Rochdale TUC.  Both Mr. Cholewka, and Middleton Councillor Chris Furlong, both who haven't been selected for the 2018 Rochdale MBC elections, were critical of the municipal gravy train established under the leadership of the current Labour Party council boss Richard Farnell earlier this year.  

We could not possible comment as to whether this has anything to do with them failing  to get selected to stand in next year's local elections.  Hence, we have decided to produce Stefan's introduction and appeal statement below without comment.

******

ALONG with Cllr. Chris Furlong from Heywood & Middleton CLP I have been rejected from the panel to stand in the LA elections in 2018.  I have formally appealed the decision to Andy Smith at NW Labour. An appeal panel will be held on Monday 2nd October.

I am posting my Appeal Statement see below
If comrades from Rochdale CLP support my statement / my candidature to be included on the panel please will you agree to sign the statement in order to support my appeal process.

You can email your support to: stefan.cholewka@btinternet.com. 

 Please include which  TUC / CLP ward you are in if applicable.

APPEAL STATEMENT

Stefan Cholewka: written submission for the Appeal that will take place on Monday 2nd October 2017 at 7.45pm
Venue will be: 45 York Street, Heywood, and Lancashire, OL10 4NN

On Sunday 17th September at 12.00 noon at Liz McInnes MP’s office at 45 York Street, Heywood, Lancashire, OL10 4NN I was told to go upstairs and await my panel interview as they were running late.  Three candidates were already in the upper office when I entered.  A further candidate arrived after me.

All four candidates preceded me in very quick succession.  I was the last candidate to be interviewed even though the fourth candidate turned up after I had arrived.  It seemed that I had been deliberately set up to be interviewed last.

Three Labour party members from Tameside council, one being the CLP secretary, interviewed me.  From the get-go I was subjected to hostile questioning that went on for nearly 50 mins.  This was in sharp contrast to the very short time it took to interview all the other candidates.

For every question I answered there were three to four hostile supplementary questions. It seems that being the secretary of GMATUC and local Rochdale TUC secretary can lead to a conflict of interest with LP policy.  I was asked specifically the question in different forms: What if TUC policy and Labour Party policy conflict?

These are extremely disquieting questions to be asked when it is Labour Party policy that all candidates and sitting Labour councillors have to be a member of a registered trade union to be eligible for office.

It seems that being a Co-operative Party member, more specifically: NW Regional Co-operative Party secretary and Rochdale Co-operative Party secretary can also lead to a conflict of interest with Labour Party policy.  I was asked specifically in different forms: What would I do if Co-operative Party policy conflicts with Labour Group policy?

I had already told the interview panel that I had already been included on the Greater Manchester Co-operative Party panel of candidates to be a Labour-Co-operative candidate for 2018.  I had also explained and that I had previously stood in Rochdale in the Spotland & Falinge ward, Balderstone ward and in West Littlleborough in 2016 as a Labour-Co-operative candidate in local government elections.

If there was not a conflict of interest then, why should there be a conflict of interest now? If I had been selected to stand on the panel at least seven times previously why was there no conflict of interest in all these instances?  I would like to know why questions concerning any conflict of interests - because I was a trade unionist and a co-operator - had not been raised in all previous occasions I had been interviewed accept this time?

Finally, being community activists can mean a conflict of interest with Labour Party policy as local residents may have different priorities from the Labour Group.  It seems that being Director Rochdale Community Energy CIC was an issue and that would conflict with Labour Group Policy.  This despite the fact that two serving Rochdale Labour Party councillors are also fellow directors.  Despite that fact that for two years a council environmental officer attended monthly meetings and reported back to the Council to develop joint collaborative projects.

I had already told the interview panel that I had already been included on the Greater Manchester Co-operative Party panel of candidates to be a Labour-Co-operative candidate for 2018.  I had also explained and that I had previously stood in Rochdale in the Spotland & Falinge ward, Balderstone ward and in West Littlleborough in 2016 as a Labour-Co-operative candidate in local government elections.

If there was not a conflict of interest then, why should there be a conflict of interest now? If I had been selected to stand on the panel at least seven times previously why was there no conflict of interest in all these instances?   I would like to know why questions concerning any conflict of interests - because I was a trade unionist and a co-operator - had not been raised in all previous occasions I had been interviewed accept this time?

Finally, being community activists can mean a conflict of interest with Labour Party policy as local residents may have different priorities from the Labour Group.  It seems that being Director Rochdale Community Energy CIC was an issue and that would conflict with Labour Group Policy.  This despite the fact that two serving Rochdale Labour Party councillors are also fellow directors.  Despite that fact that for two years a council environmental officer attended monthly meetings and reported back to the Council to develop joint collaborative projects.

So being trade unionists, a co-operator and a community activist far from making me an ideal candidate in the eyes of the panel interviewers was somehow perceived as negative attributes that cast suspicion upon myself.

It also seems that standing up to fascists marching in Rochdale is a bad thing as well.  The Tameside CLP secretary told me, immediately I had answered the very first question, that Rochdale MBC councillor's where banned from attending the two anti-fascist counter demos on two consecutive weekends in Rochdale.  So, I was asked why I had broken Labour Group policy, despite not being a councillor subject to the whip or even selected onto the panel at that stage.

They also did not like my campaigning on-line in support of the Palestinian people; specifically they did not like an on-line article I posted on the proposed changes to LP policy on Palestine coming before LP Conference.  I was told that I was attacking Labour Party policy.

Given that the article was discussing proposed changes to existing Labour Party policy and supporting the current policies I was rather puzzled as to why I should be accused of attacking Labour Party policy.

Clearly, these lines of hostile questioning had very little to do with answering the 20 prepared questions that were written down for the panel to ask me.

At the end of the interview process, or should I say inquisition, I asked the panel if they thought that I had actually broken Labour Party policy, and if so which ones, given that they seemed to be very strongly suggesting that I had already done so.  The answer I received was “NO”.

Stefan Cholewka
Secretary GMATUC - Secretary Rochdale TUC
Secretary NW Region Co-operative Party Secretary Rochdale Co-operative Party
Director Rochdale Community Energy CIC

Martin Larkham's Funeral

Dear Brothers & Sisters

The Memorial Service for Martin Larkham will take place at ROCHDALE CEMETARY & CREMATORIUM - 

555  Bury Road Rochdale Lancashire OL11 4DG

on FRIDAY 13th  JANUARY  @ 1.40 pm

Family flowers only.

Donations to Macmillan Cancer Support

Stefan Cholewka:  GMATUC secretary

Family flowers only please, donations, if desired, for Macmillan Cancer Support may be sent c/o The Co-operative Funeralcare at 95 Manchester Road, Rochdale, OL11 4JG; Tel 01706 653622.

The Wake will be held after the funeral at “The Flying Horse”, 37 Packer St, Rochdale OL16 1NJ  http://www.theflyinghorsehotel.co.uk/

 In Solidarity

Stefan Cholewka:

Secretary of the Greater Manchester County Association TUCs.

Trade Unionist Martin Larkham Dies

Dear Brothers & Sisters
I have been contacted by Martin Larkham’s son in the last few minutes. He has informed me that Martin died over the weekend.
As we all know he was suffering from throat cancer and had only been given 12 months to live. 
He was with us for nearly 2 years and continued to attend Rochdale TUC meetings and  GMATUCs as a delegate and vice chair.
His son will contact be with information concerning the funeral arrangements
 Yours
 Stefan Cholewka
GMATUC secretary

Danczuk's Frolics with the 4th International

WHEN Simon Danczuk launched his book 'Smile for the Camera' (co-authored by Matthew Baker)  at Danczuk's Deli in April 2014, one of the people he quickly praised was Stefan Cholewka.  He said that he had known of Cyril's shortcomings for a quite a while through talking 'to Stefan'.  When the matter of the book by Simon and Matthew Baker was later discussed after I brought it up at a meeting of the Greater Manchester County Association of TUCs (GMCA TUCs) in 2014, the Secretary of the GMCA TUCs Stefan quickly praised the book saying that he had read it, and that it showed that  Cyril Smith had been 'cottaging', that is picking up young boys in Gent's urinals.  Neither Stefan or Simon Danczuk at these events gave any credit to the editors of the Rochdale Alternative Paper (RAP), David Bartlett or John Walker who originally outed Cyril in May 1979; or the Westminster Blogger, Paul Waugh of the Politics Home Website who supplied information for Mr. Danczuk to make his speech to the House of Commons on the 13th, November 2012; or Northern Voices, which with John Walker made contact with two of the victims at Cambridge House - Edward Shorrock in Nelson, Lancashire, and Barry Fitton now in Amsterdam:  Danczuk though did acknowledge John Walker and David Bartlett in the book.

Yesterday, there was an article on Rochdale Online commenting on a paid column from Simon Danczuk in the Daily Mail complained of Mr. Danczuk 'Doing the Tories dirty work for them, undermining the Labour leader' and pointed to what seems to be the hypocrisy of Mr. Danczuk:                                                                        
'Danczuk rants about the 'hard left', conveniently forgetting a member of his campaign team in the 2010 general election was Stefan Chowleka, a Trotskyist "hard left" Labour member.'  
In what appeared to be an editorial the writer continues:
'Danczuks smear tactics are very familiar to those who have disagreed with him in Rochdale, his "modus operandi" is to ruthlessly assassinate their characters.  Not for nothing is he known locally as "Slyman" Danczuk.'
The case of Stefan Cholewka is interesting in a post on the Rochdale Alternative Website [RAW]  (not to be confused with the Rochdale Alternative Paper [RAP] that ceased Publication in the early 1980s) on the 26th, October 2009, someone called 'Stiff One Cholewka' wrote:  'If they're his friends I'm a Danczukite.'
Mr. Cholewka is listed on Wikipedia as being part of what George Orwell may have called a 'smelly little orthodoxy', which seeks to penetrate and influence the Labour Party from within, Wikipedia says:
'Today, this grouping is led by Stefan Cholewka [29], a Labour Party member in Rochdale. The British Section of the International Liaison Committee for a Workers' International[30] [31] is a small group which occasionally publishes Workers' Unity and The Link.'
No doubt this group is so small and ineffectual that it has never warranted exclusion from the party, yet all this is in the public domain and Simon Danczuk must know about the kind of company he is keeping in the Rochdale Labour Party.
When Stefan, editor of The Link, proudly proclaimed on RAW: 'I'm a Danczukite' in October 2009, the Rochdale Labour Party was about to experience a purge of the membership as a consequence of a complaint from Simon Danczuk.  The outline to the case is given below, and Northern Voices understands that Mr. Stefan Cholewka was a witness against the defendants, and Anna Hutchingson, Regional Director of the Labour Party based in Warrington, was prosecuting the case. 
On the 22nd, October 2015, ROCHDALE ONLINE reported:'It is over six years since Rochdale Labour Party suspended two and expelled five of its members. In the light of the recent actions, comments and newspaper articles by Rochdale's MP Simon Danczuk, we feel that it is the appropriate time to speak out on events then and now.
'In September 2009 seven members of Rochdale Labour Party (RLP) were brought before the Labour Party National Constitutional Committee (NCC) to be disciplined for breaking party rules. The seven longstanding active members were asked to attend a hearing at the Broadfield Hotel.
'The main charge against all but one member was that they wrote a letter to the Rochdale Observer asking for the Party to investigate a domestic incident in Spain between Simon Danczuk and his then girlfriend Karen Burke. The matter was exposed in two angry emails sent by Karen Burke's brother, Steven.
'The North West Region of the Labour Party presented the case even though Simon Danczuk was the subject of the incident, which members asked to be properly investigated. At the time Simon Danczuk was on the ruling body of the North West Regional Labour Party.
'The investigation was reported on by Rochdale Online, who had access to the emails and other information from the hearing.'
http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/29680/labour-discipline-panel-decides-there-is-a-case-to-answer
A national newspaper (Mail on Sunday) has since published details of the holiday incident.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3157459/Disturbing-questions-Simon-Danczuk-crusades-against-abuse.html