UNISON National Delegate Conference: Liverpool 2025

Today I travelled by train to Liverpool to take part in the UNISON National Delegate Conference as a NEC representative for Community (80,000 Housing Associations and Charities members) with my colleague Denise Thomas. 

I always know I am back in Liverpool when I see the statues of Ken Dodd and Bessie Braddock MP in Lime Street Station. I was born and raised in nearby North Wales and have many fond memories of visiting Liverpool. 

Around 2000 delegates and visitors will be attending the annual conference of the largest trade union in the UK. 

This evening I attended the Greater London Regional briefing for all our delegates. The elected regional delegates, Yvonne and Andrew, the Regional Secretary Sara and our Standing orders Committee representative Jim, advised delegates and answered questions on what to expect and how conference is likely to be run during the next 4 days.  

As a NEC delegate and London member I mentioned the National Labour Link fringe on the Employment Rights Bill and invited delegates to attend. 

There was a number of great questions by delegates about various aspects of conference business and also in my view, some rather unwise suggestions. I gently reminded delegates on the personal dangers and wider risks of not following legal advice during debates at conference.  

Nuf said. But Beware! Beware!

Greater London UNISON Regional Council AGM 2025

 

Picture collage from last weeks Regional AGM. I gave the the Finance report and thanked Council for being re-elected unopposed together with the rest of the Regional Council officer team Yvonne, Conroy, Clara and Katie. 

The key note speaker was former London UNISON activist and now MP, Deirdre Costigan. 

I moved a motion on Grenfell which the Branch Chair of UNISON Kensington & Chelsea, Sonya Howard, also spoke in favour. The motion was passed unanimously and I hope will the sent to UNSION National conference. 

Another very important motion passed was on our Regional campaign to end exploitation of migrant workers in public services. 

Sonya, Clara, Eddie Brand and Abiola Kusoro, who all spoke in various debates are standing to be elected as London UNISON NEC reps in the forthcoming elections. 

During the meeting the Regional Secretary, Jo Galloway announced that she will be starting her maternity leave the following week. She will be hugely missed but we all wished her well.  

UNISON Greater London Regional Council AGM 2023: Re-elected as RCO for 16th time (?) in a row

This morning was our Regional Council AGM and I was pleased to have been re-elected (unopposed) as Regional Finance Convenor alongside my comrades, Yvonne Green, as Regional Convenor and Conroy Lawrence, as Deputy Convenor. We were joined on the Regional Council team (the lay Executive for the 130,000 members in Greater London) by newly elected Equalities Convenor, Annette Heslop. See picture of us with Regional Secretary Jo Galloway on top left of collage. The Publicity Officer election is being rerun due to an admin error.

Our keynote guest speakers were Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP, who is the Labour Shadow minister on Mental Health as well as a real life hospital doctor (see photo left of collage with Rosena, me and NHS activist Jim Mansfield who was also re-elected as our rep on Conference Standing Orders Committee) and our superb UNISON Head of Health, Sara Gorton. 

I gave the regional finance budget report to the AGM, which was adopted and I thanked members for their trust and confidence in re-electing me again as well as Yvonne and Conroy. 

After reports, we began debating motions. I spoke first moving my branch (GLR Housing Associations) "Cost of Living motion" which no one spoke against but saw some "fantasy" Life of Brian speeches, attacking the Labour Party, rather than the Tories, over the Cost of Living Crisis! 

Anu Prashar spoke passionately and eloquently on the (dreadful) LGBT+ experience during this crisis. 

There was some brilliant contributions during the debate on the "Industrial Action" motion moved by Kensington & Chelsea Local Government Branch. In particular Sonya Howard (K&C Chair) and Eddie Brand, Branch Secretary of the London Ambulance Service, who were the only branch to successfully win a strike ballot in the current NHS dispute and have delivered 4 days of strike action with next one on this Friday.  Hospital worker, Abiola Kusoro, told us how her branch lost out on strike action by only 1% shortfall in the vote and how they hope and expect to win the pending rerun ballot. 

Our former HAB activist (and my fellow West Ham Labour activist) Mitsy Harmon-Russell, now a NHS care worker moved the motion in support of our UNISON Charity "There for You". 

My other branch motion (composited with Croydon motion) on "Year of the Black Worker" was moved by our Branch Chair, Joseph Ogundemuren who got us all clapping and chanting combining humour with serious messages. 

Afterwards I had to rush off to my nearby housing office, to catch up with the ever urgent ASB work and union issues, then in the evening to go to my branch executive meeting.  

Greater London UNISON Regional Council Meeting - Key Note speaker David Lammy MP

Last week I had to "last minute" chair the virtual Regional Council meeting of UNISON Greater London Region. Our Regional convenor, Yvonne Green, was on holiday in the Caribbean and had tried to join the meeting to chair (despite being silly O'Clock over there) but had internet problems. Our deputy Convenor, Conroy Lawrence was our delegate at  the physical TUC conference. 

The meeting was held virtually due to requests from our NHS/health branches, since they are in the midst of the industrial action ballot on pay and are working their socks off to get a good turnout and hopefully, a positive result in favour of industrial action. 

So, as Regional Finance Convenor (one of the 5 elected regional Council Officers), I stepped in to Chair. Our keynote speaker was Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy MP, who gave a passionate Parliamentary report on the utter shambles that was the Truss Premiership (this was just before her very welcome resignation). 

Next speaker was NHS nurse, James Anthony, Vice Chair UNISON Campaigns Committee (formerly the General Political Fund/GPF) on the new "campaign fund", the programme of work to raise the profile of the fund, in particular increasing opt-in and using the fund more strategically and efficiently.

Final speaker was our Regional Secretary, Jo Galloway, on the new "branch organising and support fund" which is also a really important financial tool to support branches in campaigning. 

As a member of a regional wide branch that has multi employers with a fragmented membership this fund is exactly what we and many other similar branches need. It will also benefit all other branches that have good ideas and strategies to grow our membership. 

Since the meeting was as expected inquorate (due to NHS/health branches concentrating on the pay ballot) we had a useful and wide ranging Q&A on the new fund. I closed the meeting afterwards. 

I felt it was a useful meeting but I look forward to the next physical meeting of Regional Council (but in this current climate there may well be further massive disputes - so watch this space)

London UNISON AGM - Angela Rayner MP; Nordic model, Ukraine Ambulance aid, General Secretary Christina McAnea & election results (forces of light & reason returned as elected lay Convenor team)

 

This morning we had our first in person Greater London UNISON AGM since 2020. It was marvellous to be meet old friends and comrades (and new people I had only met before on video). While I did not enjoy the travel "experience" on route via the London Central line, I think you cannot beat real human contact and engagement (when safe to do so). 

I was really pleased at the attendance (about 130 delegates I think) since we were worried that people would not travel into central London. 

Our keynote speaker was deputy leader of the Labour Party and former UNISON activist Angela Rayner, who gave a barnstorming speech attacking the Tories and on how much she owed to UNISON and the wider Labour movement, for supporting her from being a 16 year old single mum social  care worker into a union activist then becoming a MP. 

Angela had a fantastic reception from the AGM and she stayed for the following debate on an emergency motion on "Sexism & Misogyny".  There was some brilliant speakers on this motion which was passed unanimously but some breathtakingly hypocritical contributions from hard left extremists, who spoke in favour of the motion, at the same time they support someone sacked from their job for bullying and harassing 14 female UNISON members??? I am so glad that we did not invite anyone from the current UNISON "Presidential" team to speak. 

Our regional secretary, Tracey Dalling, gave her report and answered questions from the floor. She is off at the end of the month to take up her new position as regional secretary for Scotland and will be missed. Our London loss is Scotland's gain. 

I gave my finance convenor report (and the diversity report since the convenor Cynthia was unable to attend). We had a briefing by long standing member, Jackie Lewis on ending the UNISON support for the "Nordic model" for sex workers followed by a motion which was passed. 

There was a fantastic (and at times emotional) report by the secretary of UNION London Ambulance Service, Eddie Brand on their 1200 mile drive to the Polish/Ukraine boarder to deliver 10 ambulances, medical equipment and humanitarian supplies to their fellow trade unionists in Ukraine. I am so proud of this act of solidarity. 

Our final speaker was our general secretary, Christiana McAnea, who told it as it is - why we need to get rid of Boris Johnson, why we need an alternative government and how we can help bring this about by demonstrating at the TUC demo then rally on Saturday June 18. 

The final agenda item was the announcement that Yvonne Green had been re-elected as Regional Convenor. Which meant that Yvonne, Conroy, myself, Cynthia and Clara were all re-elected as London Regional Council officers for the next year. 

Elected unopposed! UNISON Greater London Regional Council officers team

 

I was really pleased today to find out that the existing Regional Council team for Greater London UNISON has been re-elected unopposed.

Yvonne Green as Regional Convenor, Conroy Lawrence as Deputy Convenor, myself as Finance Convenor, Cynthia Adjei as Equalities Convenor and Clara Mason as Publicity Convenor.

UNISON has 130,000 members in Greater London and 215 branches in local authorities, the NHS, Housing Associations, Voluntary sector, colleges and schools, universities, the electricity, gas and water industries, police services and transport and the voluntary sector. We are by far the largest union in London (and the country).

This is the second year in a row we have been elected unopposed as the lay leadership of UNISON in London (last year's election was decided in January so pre Covid).  I have actually held this position since 2007 (winning contested positions). 

Many, many thanks to our members for their vote of confidence in us. We will all work together as a convenor team to earn this trust.

(just to point out that the UNISON NEC elections for our National Executive Council is still on going and separate to the above. I am still standing for re-election for Community NEC and Clara for one of the London seats)

Re-elected as UNISON Greater London Regional Council Officer

This morning I received notification that I had been re-elected unopposed as the UNISON Regional Finance Convenor for Greater London Region.

UNISON is the biggest trade union in London (and the country) with some 130,000 members.

Also re-elected existing Regional Convenor Yvonne Green and Deputy Regional Convenor Conroy Lawrence (our Regional lay Executive).

Many thanks to all the branches that nominated me.
I have now been elected 13 times in  a row since 2007. This is only the 2nd time (I think) I have been re-elected unopposed.

Lots and lots to do in the coming year as we face up to a Tory majority government. No point just moaning (too much) about this, we just have to get on with it, defending our members and public services.

Our regional AGM is next month

Re-elected at London UNISON Regional Council AGM 2019

I was privileged to be re-elected last week at the London UNISON Regional Council AGM as Finance convenor (Treasurer and Regional Council Officer) for I think the 12th year in a row.

The AGM was probably in my view the most constructive and positive one, I have ever been to in all my years as a UNISON activist. The UNISON Lay President, Gordon McKay (a NHS nurse), gave a typical self deprecating but very passionate keynote speech about the simple cruelty that this Tory Government shows towards the poor and the vulnerable.

Next a great presentation by http://greecesolidarity.org/ about the work they do to support the people of Greece and a plea for support from UNISON branches.

I gave my financial report to the AGM and was pleased that there were proper questions and challenges by delegates.

Deputy Convenor, Conroy Lawrence, who was also re-elected had nearly everyone in tears as he moved his branch's motion on Gun and Knife crime, and told us why this is so important to him as he explained about the senseless gun murder of his own son.  Branch activist, Misty Harmon-Russell also spoke during the debates.

Our Convenor, Yvonne Green, was re-elected unopposed and showed why, by her lovely polite, quietly spoken but firm chairing of the meeting. This is a real skill.

 In the evening I had my Greater London UNISON Housing Association branch executive at the Hyde Housing Association headquarters and was unanimously nominated to be the Community NEC General Seat candidate (with my good comrade from Wales, Denise Thomas and other sensible broad left candidates )

All in all a good day. 

Greater London UNISON AGM 2018 - Lay Executive re-elected unopposed

This was great news that the Regional Council Officers for Greater London Region were all re-elected unopposed at our AGM today. I think it shows trust and confidence by our members and branches in the lay leadership of the London Region led by Yvonne our Regional Convenor and Conroy, Fran, Liz and myself

This is the first time in 11 years that there has been no contested internal Unison elections and I hope that this means that we can move on and work together across all of London Region to improve pay, protect our members and save their jobs, terms and conditions

Picture from 2017 AGM. Me, Fran, Yvonne, Liz (acting Regional Secretary Stephanie Thomas now replaced by Maggi Ferncombe) and last but not least Conroy. 

London UNISON Regional Finance Convenor Nomination Request

John Gray Standing for: Regional Finance Convenor

Nominations close this Thursday 14 December 2017 5pm

I am currently the Regional Finance Convenor, and firmly believe that strong management of our member’s money is the foundation to organising campaigns that deliver for our members. In the best of times this is true but now in the worst of times it is even more important than ever.

If re-elected as the Regional Finance Convenor I will continue to ensure that the member’s money is used to support branches focusing on real issues for real members such as:

•Smashing the pay cap for ALL public sector workers

•Defending our NHS

•Protecting workers rights as we exit the EU

•Securing a Labour victory with Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister before 2020 and across London Councils in May 2018

We must ensure we continue to build a strong union that always put our member’s interests first. We remain committed to working with you to build membership democracy & participation and campaigning tirelessly to defend members and services from attacks wherever they may arise. Our collective strength, unity and determination are our greatest strength.

Open & transparent

Financial decisions need to be open and transparent and be easily understood by activists. We have a responsibility to our members to be diligent and ensure probity in our financial matters.

I want to make sure that activists better understand the financial support that is available to branches and ensure that the money gets to them to support recruitment and organising campaigns.

I am an experienced branch officer and regional activist for many years. I am currently the Branch Secretary of the Housing Associations branch, UNISON representative on a LGPS Pension Board and Chair of London Labour Link (APF). I am also an elected National Executive Council member for Community.

As part of the current lay leadership team, working in partnership with the regional office, we have had significant success in strengthening our union in London by bringing greater unity, building participation across the differing service and self organised groups, and building a union to be proud of. I hope to be re-elected to continue the work we have started. In these difficult and demanding times we need a team that can deliver.

If anyone wishes to discuss my statement with me they could email me at
johndotgray2012aticlouddotcom

I hope your branch will also consider nominating :-

Regional Convenor – Yvonne Green 

Publicity Convenor – Francesca Hammond
Deputy Convenor – Conroy Lawrence 

Equalities Convenor – Elizabeth Baptiste

(Photo with the above after 2017 AGM result with UNISON Acting Regional Secretary Stephanie Thomas)

Greater London UNISON Regional Council AGM 2017 nomination requests

Dear UNISON Colleague,

It’s that time again as we approach the forthcoming Regional Council AGM on Wednesday 7 February 2018.

It’s not been an easy year but on behalf of us, your Regional Council Officers (Conroy, John, Elizabeth and Francesca), thank you for all your support.  As always we are extremely proud of all the region has achieved on behalf of our members and grateful for your ongoing support.

We shouldn't fool ourselves that there aren’t many challenges ahead and our priorities for the coming 12 months will include:

•Smashing the pay cap for ALL public sector workers

•Defending our NHS

•Protecting workers rights as we exit the EU

•Securing a Labour victory with Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister before 2020 and across London Councils in May 2018

We must ensure we continue to build a strong union that always put our member’s interests first.  We remain committed to working with you to build  membership democracy & participation and campaigning tirelessly to defend members and services from attacks wherever they may arise. Our collective strength, unity and determination are our greatest strength.

We hope your branch will consider nominating us.  The positions we are seeking nomination for are:

Regional Convenor – Yvonne Green                 Publicity Convenor – Francesca Hammond

Deputy Convenor – Conroy Lawrence              Equalities Convenor – Elizabeth Baptiste

Finance Convenor – John Gray

Please return the nomination form to Nick Turnbull in the Regional Office on or before 14 December. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and your continued support

Yvonne, Conroy, John, Elizabeth and Francesca.

#TUC17 Motion 3 - Building a new housing consensus

(Speech on Motion 3 Building a new housing consensus)

Congress. President.

Conroy Lawrence, UNISON, moving motion 3.

Congress. I work at Lewisham Hospital in London.

Like all of you, I see members struggling with impossible choices at the end of the month before pay day.

And at the root of those choices is often the cost of their housing. Crippling costs that drive choices where to work and live. Often far away from their communities and families.

Whether to start a family or not and other major life choices are often sadly influenced by the cost of housing.

Congress, for far too long, housing has been the political dog that did not bark. The general election this year changed the public debate in this country and showed that finally 38 years after the Tories began dismantling public housing - and denying millions of people their basic human right to a home – the tide of public opinion is turning.

Today there are one and a half million fewer homes available for a rent, that people on low incomes can afford. Less than there were 38 years ago - and the population has grown dramatically since.

As a Londoner I can see that is why families with children, the elderly and disabled end up being housed on the 18th floor of a tower block.

The scandal that surrounds the Grenfell House tragedy lies not just in the repeated failure of government to listen to and act on the advice they received but in the Conservative political mantra that regulation is ‘bad’.

The Tories 38 year strategy of dismantling public housing has been the biggest privatisation in this country’s history. The Right to Buy was misnamed from the start – it was a Right to a Discount – and 38 years on, we find that huge numbers of the homes that have been sold are now owned by private landlords, in one case the son of the Tory Minister that introduced the Right to Buy, and often in companies registered in tax havens.

And the Tories knew that caps to the local housing allowance would drive low income households out of central London – this is social cleansing – and if the Tories have their way, it is what will happen in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Newcastle too

In this parliament over £100bn will be spent paying housing benefit to private landlords and it won’t produce a single new home.

Congress, how can people afford to buy when house prices are rising at 5%, 6%, 7% a year and wages are growing at 1% or 2% at most?

On London we surveyed our members on housing cost.

And I should say first that these statistics probably hold true in many parts of the country, whether city or countryside. I know from my UNISON colleagues that one of the biggest mismatches between local wages and house prices is in the south west of England.

In London over 1000 public service workers told us this:

63% said housing costs means they are looking to move home or job.

87% of health workers in the private rented sector said they were looking for somewhere new to live and work.

24% said they were struggling to manage.

This rose 65% struggling if they were tenants of a housing association.

Two thirds of all responders said they were spending over a third of their income on housing in London.

Congress, wherever you are from, we need our local workers have the chance to live near where they work and living in the communities they serve.

Congress, this motion provides the basis for the TUC to play its role in ending the dismantling of public housing and beginning a new era of providing quality, safe council and housing association homes with good space standards at rents people can actually afford.

Please support the right to a roof over our heads in the 21st century. Support the motion.

UNISON Greater London Regional Council AGM 2017 results

I was re-elected today at the Greater London UNISON AGM as the Regional Finance Convenor for the 10th time. Many, many thanks for the continued support of London delegates.

Next to me is our (new) Regional Publicity Officer Francesca Hammond, Regional Convenor Yvonne Green, Regional Equalities Convenor Liz Baptiste, Head of Regional Management & Governance Stephanie Thomas and last but not least Deputy Regional Convenor Conroy Lawrence.

UNISON Greater London Black Workers Parliamentary reception

Picture collage is from last month's Parliamentary reception for UNISON Greater London Black Workers. The meeting was on behalf of Labour Mayoral Candidate, Sadiq Khan, was a great success and oversubscribed with a 150 names on the waiting list. Margaret Greer, the Regional Black workers Chair opened the meeting and introduced the keynote speakers

It was sponsored by UNISON London Labour Link (which was why I was there). Sadiq had a clash which meant he could not attend so our regional Political Officer, Steve Terry, read out Sadiq's speech.

First speaker was new MP, Rupa Haq, who described what it was like to be a newbie MP, the lack of black and female MPs in Parliament and the importance of staying in Europe and electing Sadiq as Mayor of London.

Next was Chuka Umunna MP, who asked the room why should they get involved in the political process? Because change will never come about if you do nothing. We all have to be part of working for change. He also stressed the importance of staying in the EU and supporting Sadiq.

Other speakers included Chair of National Labour Eleanor Smith, UNISON Race Equality officer Khadiee Campbell and London's very own, Conroy Lawrence.

Nearly everyone signed the yellow form (middle right) volunteering to help Sadiq in the forthcoming battle for Mayor. 

Love Unions Week (and Greater London UNISON AGM results)

This week is "Heart Unions" (8-14 February) in opposition to this Tory Government's fascistic attempts to destroy trade unions via their vile Bill which is currently going through the House of Lords. There will be a Labour Government in the future and I hope it remembers what the Tories have done when we are in power.

Picture is from our UNISON London AGM early this month. Yesterday I got the results from the ballot of Regional delegates as below:-

Regional Convenor
Doolan, Jane                     55
Green, Yvonne                 110  elected

Deputy Regional Convenor
Ashley, April                   48
Lawrence, Conroy          117 elected

Regional Finance Convenor 
Gray, John                      112 elected
Sangarapillai, Vinothan  53      

Regional Publicity Officer
Bentley, Lynn                  Elected unopposed

Regional Equalities Convenor
Baptiste, Elizabeth          Elected unopposed

Regional Young Persons Convenor
Cox, Ashlyn                    Elected unopposed

Greater London UNISON AGM 2016

Another AGM and another victory for the forces of light and reason in Greater London UNISON yesterday. UNISON delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of a sensible left slate and reselected the existing Regional Council Officers for another year (including yours truly).

Many thanks to all our supporters.

Congratulations to Yvonne, Conroy, Liz, Lynn and Ashlyn (not in picture). I will post further on the meeting.

UNISON London Regional Council Elections

            It is that time of the year again. Labour movement AGM season. The UNISON London Regional Council AGM takes place on Wednesday 3rd February 10am, Holiday Inn, Coram Street (across the road from Russell Square tube station). Doors open at 8:45am.  The forces of light and reason are standing once again against the Evil ones (or the "bottomists" as I now call them)

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR UNION

VOTE FOR:

Yvonne Green - Regional Convenor

Conroy Lawrence - Deputy Regional Convenor

John Gray - Regional Finance Convenor

Liz Baptiste - Regional Equalities Convenor

Lynn Bentley - Regional Publicity Officer

Ashlyn Cox - Regional Young Members Convenor

Thank you for your continued support

(Picture of Yvonne and Conroy at the TUC March against Austerity in October)