Karen Reissmann speaks
The following excellent video of Karen Reissmann speaking at this week’s Respect public meeting in Manchester is very useful for explaining the background of the case.
This is a vital battle for the movement because Karen has been sacked for basic trade unionism, and defending the National Health Service, and for speaking out to the media explaining the impact of NHS cuts and privatisation. If management prevail in victimising Karen, then this would be a terrible blow that undermines the whole ability of the movement to defend itself, and to defend the NHS.
The following picture is of the 9th September Manchester demonstration in support of Karen.
Where are the Respect banner(s), or placards? I hope there were some, just that they were not visible in the photo.
Could someone there on the demo give more information about size, content etc and how the campaign is going, particularly
in the unions.
Comment by anticapitalista — 9 November, 2007 @ 9:45 am
Are you sure NHS mental health services are being “cut”? I’m sure there is probably just a pooling of resources which though is unpopular, is just a more efficient way of running services in this difficult year of transition.
Comment by Dave — 9 November, 2007 @ 10:13 am
Michael Gavan (Chair of Newham LG Unison) is facing disciplinary hearing which is being reconvened on the 19th November. Unison members took strike action of the 31st Oct (day before his disciplinary - 1st Nov).
http://www.unison.org.uk/london/pages_view.asp?did=5850
Anticapitalista: If you want to know what’s happening re Karen Reissman have a look at http://www.reinstate-karen.org/1.html. Also something like 150 members are on continuous strike action to get Karen re-instated.
Comment by Louise — 9 November, 2007 @ 10:20 am
Louise,
thanks for the links.
Comment by anticapitalista — 9 November, 2007 @ 10:25 am
Dave #2
Yes mental health services are being cut - as is much of community nursing. The Government is pushing a line of targetted care rather than universal. Which means new mothers wil ot get a Health Visitor unless the child is deemed “at risk”. It is an attack on the fundamental premise of universal health care in the NHS.
What do you mean by “this difficult year of transition”. The transition by Brown is to an increasingly privatised NHS - evidenced by Ashcroft buying into the Priory Group - see http://gillgeorge.wordpress.com/2007/11/03/dont-trust-the-tories-with-the-nhs/
I hope you are not falling for New Labour’s lies about the NHS.
Comment by PW — 9 November, 2007 @ 10:34 am
“just a more efficient way of running services in this difficult year of transition.”
*shudders*
Comment by point — 9 November, 2007 @ 11:20 am
What do you mean by “this difficult year of transition”.
I mean after years of spending increases this year is the first year the NHS is having to tighten the books and develop new more effective ways of delivery services as spending goes through a tight patch. It’s a long overdue change that will secure the future of the NHS.
I’m broadly in favour of extra private investment in the NHS; it’s a policy that has seen huge progress in recent years on waiting lists and put England way ahead of Scotland and Wales who have pursued old Labour policies. Indeed, in England because of the vast improvements in the NHS the private sector has started to shrink for the first time in a generation.
New Labour has done an excellent job.
Comment by Dave — 9 November, 2007 @ 11:49 am
that sounds like mike clark.
Comment by mikeclarkwatch — 9 November, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
Who is ‘Mike Clark’?
Comment by Dave — 9 November, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
No idea Dave, nor why we should be watching him
:o)
Comment by Andy — 9 November, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
I can only assume it is Mike Clark of the Care Services Improvement Partnership. This is a Government backed initiative. It seeks to provide a “progressive” veneer to Government’s cuts and privatisation. Specifically it supports Commissioning which is the Governments mechanism of privatising health service provision (similar to “best value” in local government).
Comment by PW — 9 November, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
Mike Clark is the notorious new labour troll who plagues Lenin’s Tomb with his ultra-Blairite rhetoric and general weirdness.
It is not his real name.
He has set up “watch” blogs so he can attack Lenin’s Tomb and Medialens.
He posts on Harry’s Place a lot.
He is both slightly unhinged, and an absolute, completely uncritical supporter of everything Blair has done.
Comment by mikeclarkwatch — 9 November, 2007 @ 3:56 pm
#7 ““this difficult year of transition”.
It is indeed difficult to explain to the family of a person who’s died because he can’t get into a hospital bed, why this has happened, or why PFI beds cost twice as much or why posts are being cut and over 500 people in Manchester have lost their key worker and difficult to explain why a trust apparently needing to make millinos more cuts should spend something like a £100 000 sacking a nurse who has just been promoted!
This is indeed a very important strike, links need to be made with Newisham dispute and Glasgow strikes and the whole of the left- SWP, other Respect, SP and other groups should put all their members into creating a cascade of support, solidarity, reviving of rank and file networks and arguing for full Unison backing for the right tactics to win this strike.
Comment by Jason — 9 November, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
From the picket:
”
Group: Members
Posts: 702
Joined: Mar. 2006 Posted: Nov. 09 2007,11:55
——————————————————————————–
Karen Reissmann came down to speak at the MRI picket today. She is optimistic, as are the nurses out on strike:
- Karen had a wad of 17 pages of cut-and-paste emails of support and that’s only half of them!
- Karen has spoken to a journalist at Manchester Evening News who said that Karen Reissmann’s example has inspired other general nurses to speak out against poor public service provision they have experienced.
- The cheif executive Sheila Foley has had to cancel her planned holiday and there is a very strong feeling that the board of governers will be pushed to vote no confidence in her.
- John McDonnell is looking to put forward an early day motion fighting Karen’s case.
- Tomorrow there is going to be a stall on market street from 12pm to 2pm publicising Karen’s case and collecting for the strike.”
Comment by Will — 9 November, 2007 @ 7:13 pm
The idea that closing mental health wards is either increasing efficiency or a “transition” to anything at all is, frankly, deranged. In Leicester, our mental health service is in complete meltdown - wards closed in the name of moving care closer to home (echoes of ‘care in the community’), while the half-way house services which used to facilitate people’s safe and stable return to the community are either closing, cut back or privatised. Primary Care Trusts are being forced to spend money evaluating “alternative” providers, which means they can no longer afford to pay for the care residents need, so further cuts are made. And now it seems that the consultation process itself may be privatised, as the Government steps up the pace towards a competitive NHS.
In the circumstances it makes perfect sense that an employer as bad as the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust, who’ve already tried and failed (thanks in part to Karen herself) to cut jobs, downgrade staff and reduce services, should try to get rid of a trade unionist as effective as Karen Reissmann. If they succeed, any of us could be next. The NHS desperately needs trade unionists to speak up for it in the way that Karen has done, and everything must be done to win her re-instatement.
Will, can you advise where the “strong feeling” is coming from that the governors of the Trust might move against Sheila Foley, and how we might encourage them?
Comment by Nick Holden — 9 November, 2007 @ 8:35 pm
The photo of the demo at the top of this posting is from the 9th September in Manchester
for more from the same demo follow this link
http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/viewShare.do?shareInfo=aeVRhXusOtL9OH2POlWPf9slfEn9×6nhFPJVSNCISGZWGd%2bBXiXp6w%3d%3d.
Comment by Richard — 10 November, 2007 @ 1:49 am
Good fundraising/ petitioning in Chorlton, Manchester today- about £60 raised in the hour I was there.
Other stalls held elsewhere I believe. The Manchester Evening News has it on its front page again as the Chief Executive Sheila Foley has gone back on holiday to Dubai.
Comment by Jason — 10 November, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
Galloway backs sacked nurse Karen Reissmann
Respect MP George Galloway has given his full support to Karen Reissmann, the Manchester nurse sacked by her mental health trust for speaking out in the press against cuts.
Scores of Karen’s colleagues began an indefinite strike this week to win her reinstatement. Incredibly, the chief executive of the Community Mental Health Trust has this week gone on holiday to Dubai rather than staying in Manchester to try to resolve the dispute.
“Karen’s case deserves to become a cause celebre,” says Galloway. “I’ll be doing my bit to ensure that happens. And every single journalist has a professional interest in highlighting her disgraceful treatment. If people can be sacked for talking to the press, what hope for freedom of speech?”
Please find below the text of a message sent by George Galloway to Karen Reissmann’s campaign.
“The sacking of Karen Reissmann is an utter scandal that cannot be allowed to stand. She is a dedicated public servant who was sacked merely for speaking to the press in support of those she cares for and for her workmates. I will be working with others in Parliament to raise her case and to generate support for the action her fellow health workers are taking to win her reinstatement. Every trade unionist and everyone who puts people before profit should rally in support of Karen. I’ll be raising this issue in the media as well, which has a vested interest in ensuring that people can give interviews freely.
“I shared a platform with Karen in Manchester on Tuesday night. Anyone who has heard her speak knows she is a dedicated nurse and committed trade unionist. We need more psychiatric nurses like Karen. And we need more health service trade unionists like her – standing up not only for her members but crucially for those she looks after, some of the most vulnerable in society, those who have been driven to despair by a world in which profit rules and the devil takes the hindmost.
“I know Respect members and representatives will be joining with others to raise solidarity for Karen and her striking colleagues. We must do all in our power to ensure she is reinstated.”
Karen Reissmann will be interviewed by George Galloway on his Talksport radio show between 10pm and 1am today (Saturday 10 November) and he is liaising with other MPs over raising the case in parliament.
Comment by Chris Edwards — 10 November, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
PLEASE NOTE the last in my last post sentence:
Karen Reissmann will be interviewed by George Galloway on his Talksport radio show between 10pm and 1am today (Saturday 10 November) and he is liaising with other MPs over raising the case in parliament.
Comment by Chris Edwards — 10 November, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
NATIONAL DEMO IN MANCHESTER TO DEFEND NURSE KAREN REISSMANN!
From Manchester Trades Council
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Victimisation of Karen Reissmann
Union reps must have the right to campaign against cuts. The Human Rights Act brought in by the Labour government establishes freedom of expression as a right in law. Karen works in the NHS, in 2007, in Britain not in Burma . She, like all public service workers, must have the right to speak out without fear of persecution. If she remains sacked it will make all NHS staff and, indeed, all union reps feel much more cautious about saying anything.
UNISON is determined to fight for Karen’s reinstatement. 150 members of her branch who work in community mental health teams and crisis resolution teams started an indefinite strike on Thursday 8th November as part of that fight. There are picket lines at North Manchester General Hospital , Manchester Royal Infirmary, Hathersage Rd , and Chorlton House, Manchester Road , Chorlton.
The Solidarity Committee, established with the support of Manchester Trades Council, meets this Monday and every Monday at 6.00 pm in the Mechanic’s Institute, Princess Street, Manchester . All union branches are asked to send representatives. All trade unionists welcome.
Wednesday 14th November, 7pm , there will be a solidarity rally at the Mechanics Institute, Manchester .
There will be a branch wide one-day strike in the week beginning Monday 19th November
On Saturday 24th November there will be a national demonstration in Manchester, assembling at 1pm at Peace Gardens , St Peter’s Square, Manchester. Please see attached leaflet
The union expects to be able to pay very substantial hardship pay to all strikers and will be sending delegations of strikers around the country to speak to other trade unionists and raise money. Donations should be sent to “Manchester Community and Mental Health branch UNISON” c/o union office, Chorlton House, 70 Manchester Rd, Manchester M21 9UN. Please see attached petition.
Requests for speakers to address union meetings should be sent to unison@zen.co.uk . Or ring 07972 120 451.
Protests should be emailed to Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health, johnsona@parliament.uk , copied to unison@zen.co.uk
In solidarity,
Geoff Brown
Secretary
Manchester Trades Union Council
Mechanics Institute
Princess Street
Manchester
07857 610 426
Meanwhole the boss of Manchester MNental Health Trust, Sheila Foley, has swanne off on holiday to Dubai as health workers go on all out strike!
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1023796_strikerow_boss_in_desert_stor
Download leaflet from the Manchester Anti-War News Site:
http://ito.gn.apc.org
Comment by Chris Edwards — 10 November, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
i thought karen was going to be on georges’ show last night - it said it in the comment above and in an email i got. what happened?
Comment by point — 11 November, 2007 @ 3:04 pm
George announced on air that she regretably had to withdraw at the last minute due to ‘illness’. The item did feature in her absence.
Comment by Ger Francis — 11 November, 2007 @ 3:17 pm
oh i hope that isnt what it sounds like. karen needs to get her message out everywhere, and if shes ill (i hope she gets better obviously), surely her campaign would have put up another person to do the interview?
Comment by point — 11 November, 2007 @ 4:36 pm
Somebody else did speak on behalf of the campaign.
Comment by Ger Francis — 11 November, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
What are the facts behind Karen’s sacking? Strange how it’s hard to get a straight answer - even from the website. More SWP lies? This is the best thing that’s happened to the Manchester left for years. Admit it - you love it!
Comment by PD — 12 November, 2007 @ 10:46 am
Listen, we’ve got a planet to save. Let’s not waste time rearranging the deckchairs on the titanic. For Gaia’s sake, PLEASE.
Comment by PD — 12 November, 2007 @ 11:13 am
Karen was genuinely ill. No need to invent conspiracy theories where there are none. The most important fact about this strike is that Karen’s colleages are standing firm to get the re-instatement of their branch chair - a trade unionist that led strike action to stop cuts in an already decimated mental health service.
There must be no divisions when we come to fighting for Karen’s job back - the future of trade unionism in the NHS is on the line.
Comment by Clive Searle — 12 November, 2007 @ 11:19 am
Errr, PD, if really want to find out why Karen was sacked then check out the Unison website. She was sacked after Manchester Mental Health Trust found her guilty for bringing it into disrepute (faveourite tactic of employers that one..). She was sacked for speaking out against cuts and managerment gagged her. And 150 Unison activists are striking on her behalf.
Dunno what your game is PD but I for one (I’m not a SWP member but a union activist in T&G/Unite wholeheartedly supports this campaign as it is a travesty as to what has happened to Karen).
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=3818
Comment by Louise — 12 November, 2007 @ 11:26 am
I am in full support of the indefinite strike action,and pray members will stand together. Sacking Karen is a fight against the UNION. If speaking the truth is classified as gross misconduct, I then wonder if we are under Authoritarian (where people have no voice) or a democratic rule. I believe in the POWER OF PRAYER and trust GOD that Karen will be ger her job back, the UNION will continue to have a VOICE and TRUTH will PREVAIL.
Comment by ABI — 12 November, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
I’d like to appeal to everyone reading this to look up on the website details of the issues going on here and do whatever they can to support the strike - we know that if Sheila Foley and the Trust get away with sacking Karen, it will affect all of us in the future and could dent the confidence of anyone in the health service who wants to speak out or campaign against cuts or privatisation.
I’m a GP and I worked closely with Karen and her team for 8 years - not only is she an excellent nurse, but also a dedicated Trades Unionist who has never been afraid of speaking out or organising against the attacks on our services.The UNISON branch she is part of has a played significant role in opposing cuts and has been very effective for many years..this is of course why they want to sack Karen - and they hope to demoralise the rest of us.
We’ve been out today with striking nurses and support workers around local workplaces, asking for solidarity - in terms of petitions,donations to the strike funds, and asking for delegations (with Union banners if possible) to come to the demonstration on Saturday the 24th nov. The response from firefighters,postal workers,journalists,at the bus depot,the local FE college,and other organised workplaces has been fantastic… but we need to do more.The staff out on strike are loosing money and they need to know that solidarity is out there. We cannot allow them to be forced back to work due to lack of money. We have to get as many people as possible out on the 24th to demonstrate that support and boost their confidence to continue the fight.
Comment by Kay Phillips, North Manchester RESPECT — 12 November, 2007 @ 3:44 pm
For PD, you don’t need to know the ‘facts’ behind the dismissal. ‘Facts’ are only ever used as a way for the ruling class to exert its dominance over us. Get over the truth and start fighting brother.
Comment by SD — 12 November, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
PD, you are so naive. There are two classes in society, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. A member of the proletariat has been attacked. I know where I stand. So in the powerful words of the the classic workers song I need to ask you PD; WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Comment by lg — 13 November, 2007 @ 1:17 am
Where are you Andy, please delete comment No 33!
Comment by mm — 13 November, 2007 @ 11:12 pm
sorry, the above refers to comment number 34
Comment by Kay Phillips,North Manchester RESPECT — 13 November, 2007 @ 11:14 pm
Unlike Andy,
You have Karen’s name wrong in the title of the thread.
Comment by anticapitalista — 13 November, 2007 @ 11:22 pm
Thank you Andy.
Comment by anticapitalista — 14 November, 2007 @ 12:12 am
Have just been out doing delegation work with strikers around the local area of North Manchester - the demonstration this Saturday will be important for showing the strikers how much support they have and boosting their confidence.It will also let the people of Manchester know what they can do to help the strike. When we went to one of the firestations, One of the non-FBU workers mentioned she is in UNISON and that so far they have not had any official national UNISON correspondance about the strike asking for support… this is compared to the FBU who have started to mobilse nationally, emailed every branch in the country and asking for delgations from around the country for saturday’s demo and aksing FBU branches for support. As we know the strike does have ‘official backing’ nationally from the union, but this so far does not seem to have translated into Dave Prentis actually building/advertising events very loudly.
I think we should put pressure on the Union leaders at a national level to put their energies into active support for the strike, so if anyone is a UNISON member perhaps a phonecall or email to them suggesting how they could give more support may make some difference??
Comment by Kay Phillips — 19 November, 2007 @ 12:22 pm