No. 1

Amending our constitution: ensuring democratic accountability 

ADD: 

The Recall Process is as follows:
 

1. All elected Officials are subject to recall at any time for misconduct, negligence, or otherwise.
    
2. To trigger a recall ballot, at least 3% of members with 6-month continuous membership a. in a sector must petition to recall their EC member; b. in at least 2 sectors (with ‘other workers’ viewed as a sector) must petition to recall the GS.
    
3. Petitions should be submitted to an pre-appointed, publicised staff member.
    
4. If a recall ballot is triggered, voting must commence within 7 days and last 7 days. The ballot question is: ‘Should [insert name] be recalled from the position of [insert post], with possible answers of ‘Yes’ / ‘No’ only, accompanied by one statement in support and in defence.
    
5. All members are eligible to vote in recall of GS; all sector-members in recall of an EC member. The Official remains in post until the ballot is concluded. An Official is recalled by a simple majority.
    
6. Membership must be informed of the result within 24 hours.
    
7. Save for the above, no party may communicate to members about the ballot.
   
8. Where recalled, the Official is removed immediately. An election lasting 7 days for that post commences within 7 days, with nominations received and published 48 and 24 hours prior. Newly elected member(s) assume their post immediately.
   
9. If recall is unsuccessful, petitions against that Official may not be made again for 6 months.
   
   
   1. Joseph Latimer 2. Adas Jakautis . 3. Helen Baron 4. Nina Meyer 5. Cormac Devlin 6. Aliya Yule 7. Emeka Okeke 8. Francesco Lombardo 9. Declan Owens 10. Sarah Dorman 11. Tess Herrmann 12. George Collecott 13. Farheen Ahmed 14. Abayomi Shittu

No. 2 

On patriarchy:

– Patriarchy is at odds with workers’ liberation. We reject any criticism of anti-patriarchal practice that claims it weakens ‘class solidarity’. Class liberation is only possible when accompanied by liberation from patriarchy.  

– Patriarchy does not operate independently. While opposition to patriarchy forms the basis of this caucus, we recognise that oppression is often also based on class, race, ability and other relations/identities. Capitalism requires all of these forms of oppression to function. 

– We recognise that the under-valuation of several of the industries UVW members work in – cleaning, sex work, child care, elderly care, charities etc  – stems from oppressed people being over-represented in these forms of work.  

– The oppressed liberate ourselves; we do not wait for permission nor seek to plead for our dignity. In the proud history of the radical workers’ movement, we will take power and dignity for ourselves and each other.

– Fighting internally, against patriarchy within the union, strengthens the fight externally against bosses, capital and the state. Simultaneously, the fight externally strengthens us internally.  

– To these ends, we intend to establish a group of UVW members and staff to fight against patriarchal oppression, in and beyond United Voices of the World. We organise independently for the accordance between our aims and UVW’s. 

– Anyone who is oppressed by patriarchy, and is therefore able to combat it rather than benefit from it, is welcome: women, non-binary people, trans- people and LGBT+ people, all of whom are harmed by patriarchal violence.

1. Ruby Breward 2. Nina Meyer  3. Irma Eljas  4. Mary Karooma-Brooker 5. Declan Owens  6. Abby Preston 7. Lili Owen Rowlands 8. Claire Croggon ​​​​​​​ 9. Shayla Sue Schlossenberg  ​​​​​​​10. Suzanne Martin  ​​​​​​​11. Farheen Ahmed