TUC & Labour

[Pogue]

Something occured to me today - I joined the GMB around the time I joined the IWW as a dual card policy for work. Will any of the money I pay for my GMB membership (its about 6 quid a month) go to the Labour Party in the donations they do? GMB is one of the main funders of the Labour party.

If so, is there any way to stop it? If they use the money for that purpose then I'm going to quit, I never thought about it before because I thought GMB dis-affiliated anyway.

[Sam_b]

What has this got to do with the TUC, out of interest? Its a completely separate organisation from the Labour Party.

I am a member of GMB. Although some elements of funding has been reduced, it is still ana affiliate of the Labour Party. But I don't see why that means you would leave the union - it doesn't make sense if you're an anarcho-syndicalist surely? Wouldn't the point be agitating inside the union for disaffiliation? Also the obvious point that you'll have much more bargaining power at the workplace than you would ever have from the IWW.

[h0m0revolutionary]

Get in touch with your union rep and they'll tell you how to go about notifying GMB area branch about how to get it so you're union fees no not go to Labour. it's a simple procedure i did it a while back.. also GMB ;)

[Pogue]

What has this got to do with the TUC, out of interest? Its a completely separate organisation from the Labour Party.

I am a member of GMB. Although some elements of funding has been reduced, it is still ana affiliate of the Labour Party. But I don't see why that means you would leave the union - it doesn't make sense if you're an anarcho-syndicalist surely? Wouldn't the point be agitating inside the union for disaffiliation? Also the obvious point that you'll have much more bargaining power at the workplace than you would ever have from the IWW.

I think you know what this has to do with the TUC.

I wouldn't leave, really, that was more of a shock reaction I did when I was thinking about it.

Don't agree with the IWW thing. Sure, at the moment. Times change :-)

Homo, does that mean unless I do that, some of the money I've been paying will and does go to the Labour Party? Because I don't remember an opt out option when I joined on the form.

[K.Bullstreet]

Don't most unions have a clause you can sign or whatever saying you don't want your subs going into the Labour Party? Or is this just sheer fantasy and my inexperience in union organisation is showing? :rolleyes:.

[Pogue]

Don't most unions have a clause you can sign or whatever saying you don't want your subs going into the Labour Party? Or is this just sheer fantasy and my inexperience in union organisation is showing? :rolleyes:.

The issue I have is I don't remember being given the option to opt out when I joined up, i.e. I don't think there was a clause. If it was, I signed up to a 'political fund' which all unions have which goes towards things like anti-fascist stuff, social issues etc which made no specific mention of Labour. I don't think GMB differentiate between a political fund and a Labour fund, whereas Unison do, but I didn't think about this when I signed up because I was under the belief that GMB disaffiliated form the TUC, which they didn't.