UNISON SGE elections 2024: Community Recommendations

 

Denise and I, as elected UNISON Community NEC members, have no hesitation recommending Clare, Malcolm and Joy as Service Group Executive members.  

UNISON Community Annual Seminar & Conference - Day 1

 

On Friday our annual Community Seminar/Conference started in Chester. I was brought up only 8 miles away from Chester (Welsh side of the border) and have many fond memories of this lovely and historic city. Walking from the railway station to the hotel I passed Chester's "Marks and Spencers" and remember (not very foundly) spending many, many hours as a young child inside with my Mum and sister, shopping for clothes. The following week my Mum would often go back and return the clothes and then start shopping again!

After a 9am Service Group Executive Meeting (I am one of the 2 UNISON Community NEC members), I then attended a meeting of UNISON delegates who also work for Housing Associations. There was a number of useful discussions on common issues and it is pretty clear that on pay, our employers have been talking together and very many (not all) are offering 5% pay increase for this year. I made a comment that if employers are working together on pay then so should we. Another argument for sectorial wide fair pay agreements if there is a change of government. 

At the same time there was delegation meetings for the wider Community & Voluntary sector and Major Charities. 

Next there was a session for new delegates, where a brave attempt was made to explain how unison conferences work and how new delegates can participate. National Officer, Gavin Edwards and SGE member, Hassan Ortega did their their very best to demystify "points of order" and "card votes". 

During lunch there was meetings of self organised groups (young members, disabled members, Black members and LGBT+). I went for a 50 minute brisk walk around Chester City Walls. 

In the afternoon, there was the Plenary seminar session, starting with a welcome by our Chair, Malcolm Gray (a long lost cousin) and Jon Richards - UNISON Assistant General Secretary. 

We then had Rebecca Young from NCVO presenting on their campaign to better fund public sector contracts in the Charity sector. UNISON policy officer Anna Birley on our Cost of Living Campaign. Finally, Gavin again on the UNISON National Care service campaigns. 

At 4.30pm delegates had a choice of 4 workshops - "Pensions made simple and how to organise to improve them", "Year of the LGBT+ Worker", "Hands off - Tie to Tackle violence at work" and "Digital Organising". I helped out with national officer Andrew Dobbie on the pensions workshop. Which gave me some ideas on what to say during the pension motion on the Saturday. 

Finally, there was regional briefings for delegates, followed by a reception in the hotel. Our keynote speaker for tomorrow's conference, Labour Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner, was there and it was a pleasure to have a chat with her and her two youngest boys, who I had seen many times at previous UNISON conferences, growing up over the years. 

Afterwards, Many of the London delegates then retired to a local hostelry for food, drinks, putting the world right and lots of gossip. 

TUC Congress Day Four

TUC Congress finished on Wednesday. I had to leave early to deal with some urgent work and union case work. Also, on the way home, I stopped off to visit a new "build to rent" housing project in Manchester, part funded by Newham staff pension fund. I will post later on this visit, since it incorporates key worker accommodation at below market rents, which relates to my speech to Congress yesterday. 

There was an excellent presentation by Liverpool dockers who won a major pay rise due to organised strike action. It was good to see Newham union and political activist Zeta Holbourne speak on support for the creative arts. 

See top left of collage, the picture of my fellow delegate, Yvonne Green and myself in front of a large picture, just outside the main conference hall, featuring our London UNISON comrade Eddie Brand. Eddie is the London Ambulance branch branch secretary and is seen delivering a box containing 260,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street demanding to retain the "right to strike". I was wearing a LAS UNISON tee-shirt, which remembers Eric Roberts, its former Branch secretary, a proper scouser, born and bred in Liverpool but who earned the respect of so many of his London members (and elsewhere).  

I love the picture bottom left, of me laughing while in my delegate seat (hat tip picture Yvonne). I cannot remember why but probably due to to a typically funny but wicked remark by my long lost delegate cousin, Malcolm Gray, sitting to my right. 

During conference I enjoyed visits to the Bridewell pub, which is a former Liverpool docks police station and cells. Great beer, reasonable prices and friendly staff. Recommended and if ever reopened as cells, I could think of a few Tory Ministers mentioned at Congress who should be their guests.  

UNISON Community Seminar/Conference 2023 - Day 1

 

UNISON holds an annual Seminar and Conference for members who work in our Community Service Group (Housing Associations and voluntary sector).  This year it was held in Bournemouth. Unexpectedly I stepped in to chair a workshop on pensions due to illness.  Once again I will use my twitter feed to report on the day. 

At @unisontheunion @UNISONCommVol annual conference in sunny Bournemouth. Started 9am with meeting of Service Group Executive. Now #HousingAssociation sector meeting addressed by @CityHallLabour @Semakaleng

Our speaker @Semakaleng is Chair of @LondonAssembly #Housing committee & @CityHallLabour spokesperson. I asked for appropriate support for our campaigns against pay cuts, breaking #pension promises & trade union victimisation. Sem is willing to listen & work with us

After @Semakaleng we had a roundtable feedback from Housing Associations @UNISONCommVol members from all over the UK. Common themes were Cost of Living, pay cuts (below inflation offers), breaking #pension promises, bullying, discrimination, stress, workload but some positives. I made a suggestion about a new campaign to improve Housing Association Governance and accountability.

After lunch the @UNISONCommVol annual seminar kicks off with welcome from our Chair Malcolm Gray (long lost cousin) & speech/Q &A from @unisontheunion regional secretary Clare Williams. The actual #unisoncomm23 conference starts tomorrow

Next Nye Cominetti from @resfoundation on report "who cares" "exp of social care workers & the enforcement of employment rights in sector" clearly care workers are being unlawfully under paid by not properly inc travel time. #ucommunity23 @UNISONCommVol @GavinEdwards77

Final presentation by @organiserjo the @unisonglr regional secretary on "organising & recruitment strategy development project". We need to build on our strengths. While we need to acknowledge our weakness we should not beat ourselves up. Need to learn & evaluate.

After break I will be leading a #ucommunity23 workshop on "Find out what is happening to your pension & how to organise to improve it". @unisontheunion pension guru, Glyn Jenkins is not well. 4.20pm at Meyrick suite. Finish 5.20pm. All welcome but register beforehand at conference desk

Chatting to delegates outside #UCommunity23 with @DeniseT25475880. Both of us are standing for
@UNISONCommVol NEC seats. Many thanks for the support we have received so far from so many branches. Ballot papers drop 17/4/23. Any delegates who want to speak to us are very welcome

After a meeting of all London delegates there was a Conference social. Afterwards we went for a #UCommunity23 @unisonglr delegation meal with great comrades @JoeOgundemuren
@MarcelaBenede10 @CllrLolaOyewusi @rachangeli @TLJM44 @jcreed551

UNISON Service Group Executive Election Results 2022

 

Yesterday I was really pleased to get an email from the elections office confirming that I had been elected unopposed to the UNISON Service Group Executive (SGE) for Greater London Community (alongside I believe the one and only, Lola Oyewusi). 

I haven't done a proper reccie on the national results yet but I was delighted that Sonya Howard defeated a long standing tfrc incumbent to join Clara Mason, representing London on the Local Government SGE. Also, London Ambulance Service, Julie Cunnane, will be there for London Health. 

Also, in the only contested Community election, our SGE Chair Malcolm Gray (no known family connection but coincidentally, he is also known to like an occasional beer and a curry) and Clare Penny-Evans, fought off tfrc extremist candidates to win both seats in Northern region. 

Looking forward to UNISON National Delegate conference next week in Brighton (Monday evening to Friday). Should be very interesting. 

I will try to blog as much as possible but for the first time in 11 years, I will be an active branch delegate (not there as a NEC member, mostly sitting on the conference pedestal trying to look interested) so will be busy writing speeches, trying to speak, organising and supporting delegates. 

UPDATE:  Did some rough and ready number crunching. SGE results 2022: Extremist hard left misogynist gang 45 seats (24%), Forces of light & reason/Unaligned 100 seats (54%) vacant seats 41 (22%)

Vote Malcolm Gray & Clare Penny-Evans for UNISON Northern Region Community SGE Elections (Housing Associations and Voluntary Sector)

 

If you work for Housing Associations or the Voluntary sector in UNISON's Northern Region, you should have (or shortly will) receive a postal ballot and either/or electronic ballot for this important election. This is a quick plug for "cost of living crisis" campaign champions, Malcolm and Clare. 

Check out the new members website https://www.oneunison.org/ to give them your views on the "Cost of Living Crisis" campaign and find out more about these elections which are being held across UNISON. 

Personally, I think Malcolm and Claire will make a great team representing Community workers in Northern Region and campaigning on this huge issue. 

While I do not work in Northern region and therefore cannot vote for Malcolm and Clare, since people who aren't even UNISON members, are actively campaigning for their opponents, then I think I can give my opinion (for what it is worth).