www.socialistparty.org.uk This podcast is a discussion with Rob Williams, the industrial organiser of the Socialist Party, about the upcoming UNITE the union executive council elections.Unite’s elections take place as the pro-capitalist character of Keir Starmer’s Labour government becomes ever clearer, with the working class still paying the price for the crisis in the bosses’ system. The elections from 23 March to 27 April are for the Executive Council (EC), the lay-member leadership of the union.Later this year there will be the election for general secretary. Where Sharon Graham is standing for re-electionSocialist Party members are standing on the left ‘Workers Unite/Back to the Workplace’ slate that supports the manifesto on which Sharon was elected in 2021. The slate includes fellow supporters of the Unite Broad Left, a new broad left group in Unite. We supported Sharon in the 2021 general secretary election because her programme best ensured that Unite would maintain itself as a militant industrial union. This has been borne out by events. Sharon was previously Unite’s head of organising, effectively the lead officer for the union’s industrial action strategy. As general secretary, this has been taken to an even greater level, on a systematic scale. Since she became general secretary, Unite has called over 1,500 disputes, winning 83%. Those disputes have won £605 million for members. ‘The main opposition is grouped around the United Left (UL). It is clear that it is in political retreat, tying itself to Starmer’s Labour and its cutting Labour councillors. What else is at stake in these crucial elections? Further reading: Unite Executive reduces payments to Labour Party:

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/148868/18-03-2026/unite-executive-reduces-payments-to-labour-party/ Taking the fight for a new party into the trade unions https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/148864/18-03-2026/taking-the-fight-for-a-new-party-into-the-trade-unions/