DEFEND PAUL HOLMES!
Please show your support for Paul by adding your signature to our open letter.
We the undersigned condemn the decision of Kirklees Council on 2nd of February 2022 to dismiss UNISON National President Paul Holmes.
Paul has been Branch Secretary of the Kirklees UNISON branch for 32 years.
Paul has been a council employee for 48 years and a Union steward for 46 years. He has a completely unblemished record in his 48 years with the council. The decision to dismiss him is completely indefensible. It follows him being suspended by the council for 2 years and 2 months. The investigation into this issue by a private consultant finished 18 months ago.
Paul will not let this issue rest. He could have retired with 48 years’ service, but he is determined to clear his name and let everyone know the real reasons behind his dismissal.
UNISON nationally is supporting an application for Interim Relief to an Employment Tribunal on the grounds of Trade Union Victimisation. There is no substance to the allegations against Paul, and he entirely refutes them. This is clearly a case of an employer targeting a leading Trade Union activist.
We believe that these reasons are that Paul undertook the activities of an independent trade union (UNISON). No trade union can accept that an employer should dismiss a union representative for carrying out their trade union duties and activities.
The decision of Kirklees Council is completely unacceptable from a council that purports to be Labour. This brings shame and disgrace on all the Labour movement.
We resolve:
- To send a message of support and solidarity to Paul Holmes.
- To send a protest to the Leader of Kirklees Council Shabir Pandor (shabir.pandor@kirklees.gov.uk) calling upon him to reinstate Paul Holmes.
- To send a protest to the Chief Executive of Kirklees Council Jacqui Gedman (jacqui.gedman@kirklees.co.uk) calling upon her to reinstate Paul Holmes.
- Raise the matter further within our trade union branches and Constituency Labour Parties.
Please show your support for Paul by adding your signature to our open letter.
274 Signatures received so far
Jayne Clarke, Assistant Branch Secretary
Terry McPartlan, Communication and Disability Officer
Mary Cousins, Retired member
Florence Hill , Retired Branch Chair Bolton
Martin Chapman, Co Environment Officer
Christine Collins , Joint convenor adult social care, women's officer Bolton LG
Lin Newton, Retired Member, Branch Committee Delegate
Daniel Higgon, Chairperson
John McDermott, Member
Martin Thurlow, Branch Chair
Denise Carr, Branch Secretary
Jim Board, Branch Secretary
Serena Powis , Branch Secretary
Mary Whitby
Matthew Shephard , Communications Officer (pc)
Helen Antcliff , Member
Mike Frost, Member
Caroline McDermott, Joint Branch Secretary
James Gore, Former Branch Secretary, Steward, Member
David Hughes, Local Government Service Group Executive
Patrick Hunter , Convenor Barnet Unison
Niall McCarroll, Chairperson
John Flannery, Health SGE & Branch Secretary
John McLoughlin, Branch Secretary, Tower Hamlets. Local Government SGE
Jordan Rivera , Branch Secretary and SGE member
Aileen McLoughlin, SW Rep Labour Link National Committee
Joe Lynch , Branch secretary
Michelle Lincoln , Branch Steward and Officer
Michael Vaughan, Branch Secretary
Cath Lewis, Women's Officer (personal capacity)
Mobina Begum, Branch Secretary
Gavyn Graham , Lincolnshire County Unison Vice-chair
Andy Beech, Branch Secretary
Bernadette Gallagher , Honorary Life Member
Amanda Brown, Branch Secretary
Hywel Robinson , Workplace Rep
Lorna Hood, Workplace Rep
Michael Hancock, Workplace Rep
Mike Hogan, Workplace Rep
John Ingleson, Branch Chair
Janet Bryan, Convenor
Daniel Carter , Steward
Una Sharkey, Member
Kate Lattimore, Workplace rep, International relations
Ross Charnock, Labour Link Officer
Jasper Bailey, Young members officer
Samera Brown, Senior steward
Ged Talty
Nick Ruff, Branch Chairperson
Mark Adcock, HESGE
John Drewery , Retired member
Pauline Bailey, Joint secretary retired members
Daniel Harris, Member
Cllr Bernard Parkes, Retired Member
Steve McKenzie
Jim Board, Branch Secretary
Sadia, Health and safety rep
Cath Davis
Liz Brennan , Branch Secretary
Linda Holden, Branch Secretary and HE SGE
Lauren Alergant, Children's Services and Schools Convener
Joe Sucksmith, Convenor
Paul Anderson-Glew, Member
Pat Jones, Retired member & former Lead Steward, Kirklees Unison
Polly Smith, Local government SGE member, Chair Unison home care forum
Claire Wormald, Branch secretary
Jon Woods, Branch Chair
Tony Phillips, Branch Secretary
Roger Hutt, Member
Ian Price , Member
Julie Forgan, Environmental Officer
David Kersey, Communications Officer (pc)
Kevin Treweeks , Branch Secretary
Luisete, Steward
John Burgess, Branch Secretary
Fran Heathcote, PCS President
Janet Maiden, Branch Chair
Gail Gillespie, Retired member
Richard Purdie , Former NALGO and UNISON steward
Richard Banks, Member
John Russell, Rep
Ian Holton
Andy Bonner, Joint Treasurer
Chris Robinson
Victoria Cuckson
Tim Knight
Cath Lewis, Womens Officer (personal capacity)
Jane Aitchison , President Leeds TUC
Anna Hubbard
Ian Morse, Retired member
Steve Johnston, Leeds TUC treasurer
Morag Gillie, member
Paul Morley , Shop Steward
Adrian Kennett , Branch Secretary
George Binette, Retired member/Former Camden banch secretary
Anna Thompson , Rep for Unison Health Hull and East Riding
Andy Flowers, Steward
A. Thompson, Rep, H and S
Gill Kennett
Nicola Flowers, Workplace Contact
Dave Harding, Branch Treasurer
John McInally, Former PCS National Vice-president 2007-17
Arthur Nicoll, Co-Chair
Lorna Solomon , Branch Chair
Jim Fagan , Retired former Branch Sec Tower Hamlets Health
Carol Grason, Retired member
Claire Lyall, Unite member-formarly Unison
Gerry Looker, Retired FTO
Dave Putson
Gabrielle Hector
Judith Blaker
Shaun Smith, Health & Safety Rep
Bob Stoker, secretary Huddersfield TUC
Tracey Booth, Branch Chair East Riding
Yunus Bakhsh , Branch Sec Newcastle City Health 1994-2008, NEC 2001-2006, HSGE 2000-2008
Lynn Fisher
Mac Andrassy, Retired member Kirklees Unison
Janet Holstead
Larry Hyett, Unite Hastings branch , minutes secretary
Steven Grason
John Bryan
Huw Williams, Member
Dave Milne, Former Deputy Convenor
Deanna Long, Branch rep
John Kerr, Retired member
Gabby Lawler, Branch Secretary
Barry O'Sullivan, Rep
Gary Howkins
M Todd
Charlie Hore, Retired member
Lorna Crawford , Retired member
Gilly Singh
Jacqueline Rose, Member
Gloria Matheson , Past union rep for unique care.
Dermott Campbell , Steward Derry Branch.
Nic Cicutti, Member
Anthony Lockhart , Branch secretary
David Sayers, Cambridge branch member, rep and Disability Officer
Tracie Warren, Member
Briony Densham , Schools Convenor
Michael Calvert , Deputy Branch Secretary
Keith Henderson
Ben Jackson , Branch Secretary
Owen Walsh
Jimmy Fallon, Retired members secretary Halton local government
Zoya Economou, Steward
Steve Boston, Workplace rep
T L Ruiz
Tom Tomkins , Branch Chair
Paul Scully
Derek Scott, Rep
Councillor Dean Kirk, Member
Gerard Robson, Convenor
Rob Borland , Rep
Paula Herbert, Rep
Carla Hardy, REP AND MEMBER
Keith Manville , School Convenor
Derek Gunby
Clare Snoad, Rep
Graham Eddy , Former branch sec Northumberland LG
Susan Tibbles, Branch Secretary job share - administration
Steve Holmes , Member.
Ryan Quick, Steward
Clare McCrystal, Steward and Health and safety rep
Lucinda Wakefield, International & interim H & S branch officer. Shop Steward (personal capacity)
Pauline Wheat-Bowen, Kirklees UNISON member
Ann Ward-Jarvis, Convenor, Kirklees branch
Ray McHale, Member
Jonathan Lee, Branch Secretary
Brian Smith, Member, steward
Fiona Wild, Branch Chair
Tamara Moreau, Caseworker
Cath Kinder, Asst Branch Secretary
Joanne Davidson , Treasurer & Womens Officer
Paul Jones , Branch chair
Michael Spencer, Workplace Rep
Matthew Hampson , rep
Nimisha Trivedi, Equalities Officer
Vic Dale
Gavin Mott, Organiser
Councillor Jackie Ferguson
Derek Ferguson , Retired
George Arthur , N/a secretary Barnsley TUC
Chris Flanagan, Member
Miranda Crawford, Branch chair/rep
Lydia Phillips, Member
Linda Davis, Retired member
Fran Murray , Convenor
Tony Pierre
Mandy Berger , Retired
Barry Walden , Retired branch chair
Lucy Perren, Member
Christine McKnight
David O’Connor, Retired rep
Alan Wylie, Member/Activist
Paul Belbin, Chair, Wakefield District Labour Party
James Thompson, Assistant Secretary
Gillian Gillespie , Lead Steward Kirklees Unison
Martin Sleath, Notts County Retired members jt branch secretary
Philip Bradley, Retired member
Joseph Ward, Member
Steve Rolfe, Member
John Dunn
Stephen O'Shea, Health & Safety Rep
Naomi Blake
Patrick O'Reilly, Workplace rep
Kate O'Reilly , Member
Carol Garfield, Assistant Branch Secretary
David Pasley, Formerly Member now retired
Christine McKnight
Barry Ewart
Tom Wood
Wolfgang Bailey, Rep
Steve McKenzie , Not applicable
Chris Preston, Member
Rita Ball, Steward
Frank Leetch
Peter Ferguson, Vice Chair / Treasurer
Julie Tudor, Branch Welfare Officer
Richard Ratcliffe, Rep
Diana James, Assistant Branch Secretary
Joe Hale, Chair
Pete Keal
M Murray
Geoffrey Fisher
Michael A. Wood, Retired member
Kate Rowland, Unison Member
Irene Leonard
Christine Marnell, Communication Officer & Workplace rep
Nikki Osborne, UNISON Convenor
Gerry, Member
Shona Greig UNISON member, Steward
Colin Clarke
John Gordon
Kevin Stannard
Susan Myatt
Gavin Brotherston, Member
James Coppard, Unison Steward
Brian Mc Dermott, Unison member
Ray Church, Retired member
Russ Blakely
Richard Gurney , Steward & Vice Chair
Linda Boyer, Branch Secretary
Doug Wright, Retired Member
Nicholas Spivey, International officer
Annette Spivey, Unison Member
Jeremy Guise, Member
Andy Richards, Chair Brighton and Hove LG Branch
Donald Lyven, Rep
Alex Nightingale, Branch Chair, King's College London
Angie Hudson , Retired member
Brain Lawton
Ron Kerr, Retired Members Rep.
Helen Dickson, N/A
Christopher O'Neill, Chair, Hampshire Retired Members Section
Jo Walton
David Houlgate , Branch Secretary
Peter Haggerty., retired Union member
Laurie Pocock, Retired Members Joint Secretary
Sara Evans, Senior Steward
Janine Broderick, Steward
Nigel Grant, —
John Yorke
Hugh Jordan, Branch Health and Safety Officer
Steven Powell, Member
Tim O'Dell, Shop Steward
Alan Hubbard, Member
Laura Dickens, Health and Safety Officer
Simon Hannah, Joint Branch Secretary
Terence Clarke, Retired member
Angelo Sanchez Napolano, Labour Link
Chris Preston, Unite Member
Luqman Khan, Member
Scott Colson, Branch Officer