GFTU BGCM Minutes 2017

Our National Chairman, Mike Rolfe, stood down from his position as a prison

officer, he resigned, to stand in the election, because he believes that in the

area that he is he has got a chance of overturning a 12,000 majority. He

sacrificed his future within the service, his future within the POA because he

believes politically he has to do that and I admire him for that commitment and

stance. It is a brave stance. Yes, he may be able to apply to come back into

the Prison Service, but that will be on new terms and conditions, terms and

conditions, by the way, the Tories reduced by £8,000.

That is the type of thing, the zero hours contracts, the abuse of overtime,

premium payments and everything else that we know happens to workers, but

the reality is, colleagues, I do not know Jeremy Corbyn as a person. I see him

being attacked by the BBC, no matter how it is and where it is portrayed. If he

says something they pick up on the snapshot so that they can turn round and

say, “I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing”. It is absolutely appalling

the way that individuals are being treated. I have always voted Labour

throughout my working life. My parents were brought up on a council estate in

pits. I supported my friends and family during the strikes of the miners,

because I believed it was right and proper. The Tory Government destroyed

the country and Tony Blair, I was not a great Tony Blair fan, I will be the first to

admit that, tried to rebuild the country. We did not get what we needed, but I

will tell you now. It is a very simple choice. If we as the trade union movement,

and that is every single POA member, every member of every union do not

start to work to change people’s minds, whether you like an individual or not, it

is about the party, it is about the views and it is about the future and we have to

get out there, colleagues, you individually, the PCA, the PFA. People said that

Leicester City in 2016 could not win the Premiership. They were 5,000 to one.

Six weeks to go they were still 12 to one, because people believed the bubble

would burst. Let me say this, the bubble can burst, but let’s hope it is the Tory

bubble that bursts and Leicester proved that the victories can always come to

those who fight to the end and that is what we need to do as trade unionists,

that is fight to the end to bring the Labour Party back into power in June. Thank

you. (Applause)

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