Sir Keir Starmer has accused one of Labour’s biggest trade union backers of “threatening” him, amid suggestions that it could pull its party funding.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said that she was considering withdrawing the union’s funding of Labour because of a dispute between a Labour-run council and bin collectors.
About 75 refuse workers in Coventry began a two-month strike over pay at the start of February.
Graham said: “Let me be very clear: the remaining financial support of the Labour Party is now under review. Your behaviour and mistreatment of our members will not be accepted. It’s time to act like Labour, be the party for the workers.”
Addressing striking workers, Graham, who succeeded Len McCluskey in August last year, said that “until this strike is settled . . . there will be no Labour politician in the Midlands or party office who will get one single penny from my members”. She added: “No longer will my union be treated like dirt by those who have their hands in our wallets at election time.”
In an interview with the BBC, Starmer hit back: “I’m not going to have the Labour Party I lead threatened by anybody, and that’s the long and the short of it. The merits of individual disputes I’ll debate all day, uphill and down dale, but I’m not going to be challenged. We’re not going to be influenced by those who say we’ll only provide money if you do ‘X’. No.”
It came after a Labour spokesman said: “These sort of threats won’t work in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.”
Despite a deteriorating relationship between Labour and Unite since Starmer succeeded Jeremy Corbyn in 2020, the union remains a significant funder. It still pays more than £1 million in affiliation fees and has donated more than £20 million since 2016.
The striking workers say that despite holding HGV licences, they are paid at a level below comparable pay for HGV drivers in the area. Coventry council disputes this, saying that the hourly wage of between £11.50 and £14.38 an hour is “one of the highest paying in the West Midlands”.
Sharon Graham’s far from the person she claimed she was during the leadership election. Coyne should’ve won it and then Unite wouldn’t have been such a bickering child in Labour’s side.
Sharon Graham:
>Let me be very clear – the remaining financial support of Labour Party is now under review. Your behaviour and mistreatment of our members will not be accepted. It’s time to act like labour, be the party for workers.
About time someone held the neolibs to account. Coventry council have been hiring in agency workers a premium rate instead of giving a marginal cost-of-living payrise to the striking council employed workers.
When Keir Starmer’s labour were asked why they didn’t hold Coventry council to account, their response was: “Labour is under New Management”.
Unite: “We will hold you accountable if you stop acting in favour of the workers”
Starmer: StOp ThReAtEnInG uS, jUsT gIvE uS tHe MoNeY
Well yes. They are threatening the party. They aren’t making any secret of that. It’s kind of what unions do. “Do things our way or we’ll make life difficult for you by withholding labour or money”
*accuses Unite leader Sharon Graham of threatening Labour Party*
​
Correct, she threatened Labour, and I hope they also threaten Newham Council and many other Councils, you don’t get to be “Labour party” crying about low wages, high taxes, High cost of living, and among so many other shit, and then THINK you can get away with crapping all over your own council workers.
​
If Labour isn’t for the working class, it shouldn’t be supported by the working class money.
6 comments
Sir Keir Starmer has accused one of Labour’s biggest trade union backers of “threatening” him, amid suggestions that it could pull its party funding.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said that she was considering withdrawing the union’s funding of Labour because of a dispute between a Labour-run council and bin collectors.
About 75 refuse workers in Coventry began a two-month strike over pay at the start of February.
Graham said: “Let me be very clear: the remaining financial support of the Labour Party is now under review. Your behaviour and mistreatment of our members will not be accepted. It’s time to act like Labour, be the party for the workers.”
Addressing striking workers, Graham, who succeeded Len McCluskey in August last year, said that “until this strike is settled . . . there will be no Labour politician in the Midlands or party office who will get one single penny from my members”. She added: “No longer will my union be treated like dirt by those who have their hands in our wallets at election time.”
In an interview with the BBC, Starmer hit back: “I’m not going to have the Labour Party I lead threatened by anybody, and that’s the long and the short of it. The merits of individual disputes I’ll debate all day, uphill and down dale, but I’m not going to be challenged. We’re not going to be influenced by those who say we’ll only provide money if you do ‘X’. No.”
It came after a Labour spokesman said: “These sort of threats won’t work in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.”
Despite a deteriorating relationship between Labour and Unite since Starmer succeeded Jeremy Corbyn in 2020, the union remains a significant funder. It still pays more than £1 million in affiliation fees and has donated more than £20 million since 2016.
The striking workers say that despite holding HGV licences, they are paid at a level below comparable pay for HGV drivers in the area. Coventry council disputes this, saying that the hourly wage of between £11.50 and £14.38 an hour is “one of the highest paying in the West Midlands”.
Sharon Graham’s far from the person she claimed she was during the leadership election. Coyne should’ve won it and then Unite wouldn’t have been such a bickering child in Labour’s side.
Sharon Graham:
>Let me be very clear – the remaining financial support of Labour Party is now under review. Your behaviour and mistreatment of our members will not be accepted. It’s time to act like labour, be the party for workers.
About time someone held the neolibs to account. Coventry council have been hiring in agency workers a premium rate instead of giving a marginal cost-of-living payrise to the striking council employed workers.
When Keir Starmer’s labour were asked why they didn’t hold Coventry council to account, their response was: “Labour is under New Management”.
Unite: “We will hold you accountable if you stop acting in favour of the workers”
Starmer: StOp ThReAtEnInG uS, jUsT gIvE uS tHe MoNeY
Well yes. They are threatening the party. They aren’t making any secret of that. It’s kind of what unions do. “Do things our way or we’ll make life difficult for you by withholding labour or money”
*accuses Unite leader Sharon Graham of threatening Labour Party*
​
Correct, she threatened Labour, and I hope they also threaten Newham Council and many other Councils, you don’t get to be “Labour party” crying about low wages, high taxes, High cost of living, and among so many other shit, and then THINK you can get away with crapping all over your own council workers.
​
If Labour isn’t for the working class, it shouldn’t be supported by the working class money.