Unite leadership challenger Simon Dubbins – the only candidate to consistently oppose Israel’s genocide, UK warmongering, and the union’s withdrawal as a political force – has secured more than enough branch nominations to stand against incumbent Sharon Graham. Not just enough nominations, but nominations in many of the sectors Graham’s supporters would have considered her core support.

Graham has outraged Unite members and activists with her support for the arms industry and her opposition to anti-genocide protests. Unite’s war on its workforce, apparently to protect Graham’s husband Jack Clarke, has also disgusted many. Clarke was promoted – outside the union’s usual procedures – to a senior role in a newly-created department despite being on a final warning over his conduct and the subject of serious complaints from staff under him, especially women.

Explosively, Unite’s lawyers admitted to Skwawkbox that the union had destroyed evidence that workers had gathered against him. This did not stop further complaints and strike action from workers in his new fiefdom. Almost all the women working under him quit.

Unite could face sea change

Dubbins, meanwhile, has spoken out consistently against Israel’s genocide and against Unite’s disengagement from wider politics to suit Graham’s narrow ‘workplace only’ agenda. Dubbins was suspended as Unite’s international director after refusing to cancel a pro-Palestine fringe event at a Labour conference.

And, despite Graham’s stubborn support for the arms industry and British militarism, Dubbins won big in Unite’s defence sector branches:

Dubbins also won big in the air travel industry, with workers in British Airways, Gatwick and Heathrow backing him:

Construction, too:

No-show

Graham angered branches by refusing to turn up to debate against Dubbins and, at best, sending surrogates to do it for her. This frustrated even close allies like Tony Seaman, secretary of the Middlesbrough Construction branch:

The Graham-dominated executive council vice-chair stood in for Graham at that meeting, whom attendees described as “annihilated” by Dubbins.

Graham has outraged climate activists, after Unite ordered ‘Community’ section members not to participate in a climate action day – and by attacking climate-conscious potential chancellor Ed Miliband for supposedly ‘destroying jobs’.

She also infuriated members of the union’s ‘Community’ section by planning to merge it with the retired members branch if she wins a second term. Graham subsequently u-turned and denied the plan, but the damage was likely done. The Community section’s 20,000 members could well be decisive in an election with traditionally low turnout.

While specific numbers have not yet been announced, insiders say Dubbins smashed far through the threshold for the contest of 174.

Unite: anti-union union boss

The differences between Graham and Dubbins are much wider than their approach to politics. Publicly, Graham has been almost invisible on the issue of Palestine and Israel’s genocide. She has, though, been highly visible advocating for a bigger UK arms industry.

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, she has been accused by disgusted members of blocking activists from supporting the anti-genocide movement on behalf of Unite.

Graham has also held ‘secret’ talks with far-right Reform. Her lack of political engagement and education has seen support for the far-right mushroom in the union.

Despite running a union, Graham has been accused of using appalling, anti-union tactics against workers employed by Unite, leading to repeated strikes. In many cases, these tactics have been seen as Unite’s attempts to protect her husband, Jack Clarke.

Soon after her accession in 2021, Graham created a new Bargaining and Disputes Support Unit (BDSU). Outside of the union’s usual procedures, Clarke was appointed to run it despite being on a final warning for bullying and misogyny. Graham’s faction has staged counter-demonstrations against workers striking against Clarke and attacked their union reps.

Clear red water

Ballots in the Unite contest will be sent out from 14 July, with a deadline of 11 August for the receipt of votes. The battle looks set to take place between two figures who would both claim to be on the left – but the track record of the incumbent tells a very different story. A Dubbins win would result in a very different Unite and one probably much better suited to the needs of a country under siege from vested, authoritarian interests.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

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