Item from September EC minutes
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iv. Notice of Business: Cleaning of HO
RESOLUTION: Dee/Browne – “That we request the HOO investigate the cost of hiring a firm to clean HO every three months.” (Carried 4-2-0)Bijou has already suggested an approach relevant to the cleaning task on this forum by making it a joyful party occasion and I see no reason why it shouldn’t be taken up and expanded upon.
We are often asked who will do the dirty work in socialism – and now we know the answer – Not us.
My immediate concern is the ethical issue of the contractors. The media regularly informs us of the lack of responsible cleaning businesses. It is not merely the unnecessary cost that is an issue but the background and practices of these businesses.
Yes I agree with you Alan – 100%. It seems very odd to hire a firm to clean HO particularly if there are members willing and able to come to HO to do the work. Though its many years since I last visited the place it is a fantastic asset which should be made more use of and in many more diverse ways. When last was there a BBQ , Music night or second hand book sale/exchange there?
It seems strange to me that for years I’ve been arguing that we should get professionals in to do the things we’re not particularly skilled at, or willing and able to do from within the membership, but the EC pick one thing that members are probably pretty reasonably skilled at and we have offers to do & then propose to get someone in and pay them?
To me we should set aside a weekend in January or February and ask if members want to come down/go up to HO and spend the weekend doing tasks identified by the premises committee, combined with perhaps a bit of political activity and definitely a piss up. To me this seems like a good way to promote comradeship, save the party a few bob and involve ourselves in positive socialist activity, to quote a phrase.
The issue could be raised during this discussion item from Lancaster Br at the upcoming ADM
Item 33; Should the Party fund an annual social meeting along the lines of the Yealand weekend?
As reported in the August Standard this weekend was hugely enjoyable to everyone who attended, and added another social highlight to the 2019 socialist calendar. Do members think it’s worth making this a regular annual fixture and if so, how should it be organised?The Jehovah Witness clean and paint their own places and whoever has a professional license or any technical skill they contribute with the construction of their infrastructures. I come from the old school when we considered that socialism-communism was not a part time job, it was a full time job and our dedication was completely to our organization including our professional and technical skills
This is a completely unwarranted decision taken by the Executive Committee which will, if enacted, result in an unnecessary use of Party resources. I urge any member or branch who disagrees with the motion “That we request the HOO investigate the cost of hiring a firm to clean HO every three months.” to write to the General Secretary as a matter of some urgency.
spgb.gensec@worldsocialism.org
As I wrote previously in another thread. I do not know what this socialist party and the WSM are going to do if they have a flood of members and sympathizers from others cultures, different countries, and different languages, with a different concept about political parties and their dedication to that particular party. Party members should look for some free time to dedicate that time to their own workers party instead of hiring a maid to do the work. In some places around the world members of the communist and socialist parties are willing to die for their own workers party, and most of them are from the so called left or Leninist trend
At the EC meeting, the rationale behind this motion was that head office requires more than just a tidy up but a deep clean which an outside agency would be best to do. The motion is only to look into the matter, and not to definitely go ahead with this. I voted against it, for much the same reasons as given by others above.
Still, Mike, just investigating the ins and outs of contracting a commercial business to clean HO (and I also assume that if it does happen it will necessitate a member supervising the operation as it takes place to direct it so nothing vital is disturbed and just for general security too) will mean a member not being involved in much more worthy activities on behalf of the party.
We had Bijou’s alternative on the table that can be easily adapted and it kills two birds with one stone by promoting comradeship, as other parts of the EC minutes appear to draw attention to some acrimony existing among members.
But as always, ideas expressed on this forum never seem to reach the notice of the EC’s AOB.
We have a lot of keyboard warriors but when it comes to real practice the situation is different. Since I believe in the class war and the class struggle I don’t think it would be a good idea to use a capitalist company to do the general cleaning. That is job that must be done by the members
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