Landslide victory for Left in NIPSA

The 2013 NIPSA General Council election is a potential water shed moment in the life NIPSA the largest trade union in Northern Ireland.
The left group in the union, NIPSA Broad Left, swept the poll taking 20 seats on the 25 seat body. This a huge turnaround from a decisive victory by the old leadership majority elected last year. In 2012 the old leadership was successful on the back of the after effects of the defeat of the November 30 strike against cuts and the downturn in the mood of workers that followed, but since taking a large majority in 2012 they have found themselves incapable of developing a new strategy for the union and NIPSA has largely disappeared as an effective force against cuts. The new swing to the Left seems to indicate that members are now seeking an active leadership and a new strategy to fight back. The election of the Left can be the first step in getting the union back on course.

NIPSA Broad Left stood for election on the following manifesto
NIPSA must: Defend of all services, jobs, pensions and wages and fight to end the privitatision of public services.
To defeat the cuts NIPSA must link unions and community anti cuts campaigns
Prepare for sustained industrial action
Use all options to defend NIPSA members including supporting the election of genuine trade union anti-sectarian, anti-cuts political representatives
The union
NIPSA must act in the interest of members – members must control the union – we must build a democratic union.

Further analysis to follow.