UNISON National Delegate Conference 25: Day two

I had another relatively early start to get to the NEC conference pre meeting for 8.30am. I had a day off running but did some HIIT instead. 

The NEC pre meeting went well and I was in the conference hall for the 9.30am start (Tuesday start is 10am). I am sitting on the front row on the far left (in joke) on the NEC platform (facing) next to my UNISON Community colleague, Denise Thomas. 

Thankfully, Conference was today also chaired by the super competent, former President Maureen le Marinel. 

The Standing Orders report went through quickly and there was only a little of the time wasting we experienced yesterday. 

Unfortunately, the miserabilists continued to promote, in my view, anti-Labour, pro Tory and pro Reform propaganda at every opportunity in debates but such is life. I genuinely don't think it did them any favours. 

Our General Secretary, Christina McAnea, gave a great and well received GS speech to conference which resulted in a standing ovation. Under Christina, for example, we have seen an increase in our membership, successful strikes, £162 million in back pay for members being upgraded and also (in my world) a fantastic victory for LIVV Housing Association strikers.  They won a 8% pay rise, an improvement in terms and conditions and a wider commitment to look into banning the absolutely disgraceful anti- trade union human rights abuses that LIVV carried out. 

During lunch I attended a fringe on organising and supporting workers in social care. Two Cymru/Wales Region care workers described the dreadful problems that migrant workers experience from employers and unfair visa rules. 

Before conference restarted after lunch, I handed out leaflets for the UNISON Labour Link Rally that evening. I had a really good response and it was so nice to get so much positive feedback from delegates, 

Our keynote international conference speaker was Lee Saunders, the President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Our sister union across the pond. He gave a lively, passionate and barn storming speech which got everyone also on their feet. 

Motion 12 was the last to be debated today "All we ask is to be treated with Dignity and Respect". I have lost count of number of UNISON Conferences I have attended and while I have sometime thought that some of the speeches I have heard are "inappropriate" I never thought I would hear delegates at our conference (last year) being allowed to suggest that up to 40,000 UNISON members in our Police Civilian staff are all violent racists and bigots, as well as being useless and should be sacked!  

Wow. Union members being allowed to openly call for other union members to be sacked? 

The debate will continue tomorrow morning.

This evening I went to the Labour Link Rally and listened to Christina, Maggi, and Employment Rights Minister, Justin Madders, explain exactly what is really happening with the Employment Rights Bill.  

Please ignore the Tory/Reform miserabilists untruths. 

UNISON National Delegate Conference 25: Day One

 

Today (Tuesday 17 June) was day one of the UNISON National Delegate Conference 2025, which is taking place in the ACC, Liverpool. This is certainly the largest trade union conference in the UK, if not Europe, with over 2,000 delegates and visitors.

I am here as an elected member of the UNISON National Executive Council. So I had to be up early for firstly, a short morning run/jog along the River Mersey, breakfast, then a pre conference meeting of the NEC at 8.30am. Which went I think pretty well and there was a couple of interesting votes. 

Then as also being a UNISON Greater London elected Regional Council officer, I was asked to help out our regional  delegates with the sometimes "difficult" but important task of assisting our London delegates with finding out where their allocated seats are on the conference floor. 

Conference started a little late due to queues of delegates and visitors waiting to get through security at the main entrance.  

The morning debate was chaired by current NEC member and respected former President, Maureen le Marinel, who is a super competent and very fair chair. Such a relief to have someone like Maureen Charing NDC after some shambolic and very destructive chairs in the recent past.

We all watched the names of UNISON members, activists, friends and officers who have died during the last year displayed on the screen behind the platform while listening to beautiful music.  

I was so pleased that conference supported our elected Chair of the Standing Order Committee, who had to report that motions that broke the rules of our union (decided upon by 2/3 majorities by previous conferences) could not be debated at this conference. It was in my personal view, a complete and utter waste of conference debating time that we had to listen and vote on the same arguments, time and time again for every single similar challenge. 

Conference went largely ok afterwards. We had the Annual report and the Financial statement. Then we debated motions. There were many good speakers on important issues but also in my view some completely negative and I suspect deliberately destructive views by political opponents of the current Labour Government. Which is fair enough, but please declare your party card when you do so.  I hope and think, I always make it clear my affiliations when I speak?

During lunch I attended a really good panel fringe on DC pensions. My question to the panel was how can we protect our members in DC pensions schemes, who are not able to physically to carry out their job but have no ill health retirement protection. I think that we need the Government to intervene on this.

It was great that current NEC member and former President Margaret McKee chaired the afternoon session in the similar fair but no nonsense manner as Maureen. 

After conference I attended a fringe on  a new proposed UNISON app for members which looks really good and as long as we have sufficient resource to keep it updated and relevant should be brilliant. 

In-UNISON: On International Women's Day - a former UNISON President gives her view on the current "President"

Hat tip in-UNISON blog yesterday by former President and current minority group NEC member, Maureen Le Marinel.

"On such a special day, it is always great to hear news that will make a difference to women in our union both members and staff. Many of you are following the events around the UNISON President and the faction Time for Real Change (TFRC) who are quick to put out news when it is in their or the Presidents favour.

Recently they made noise that UNISON was backing an application for ‘Interim Relief’ following the dismissal of the President by his employer for what we now know from those women and men involved was bullying and victimisation. The ‘Interim Relief’ application was on the grounds of Trade Union Victimisation because that's what the President and TFRC say is the reason for the dismissal!

Don't get me wrong if anyone is dismissed or being treated differently for performing their legitimate Trade Union duties then I would be there standing with them, but it is clear to me and many others that there is more going on in this case and ‘hiding’ behind an allegation of Trade Union Victimisation undervalues and demeans real cases and makes it harder for those who do face this treatment harder to take and be believed.

So yesterday at an online open to the public (if you had registered) Interim Relief Order Hearing, Solicitors acting on behalf of UNISON and representing the President and Solicitors acting on behalf of Kirklees Council put their cases to a Judge. The Judge would determine if when the case went to a full tribunal hearing there would be a significant possibility that the President and his solicitors could win a case for Trade Union Victimisation and if so one of the outcomes from yesterday would have been that Kirklees Council would have had to reinstate the President and his salary from the date of his dismissal in early February 2022.

Following both sides putting their case, the Judge REJECTED the claim for ‘Interim Relief’. Whilst this Judge did not give the Interim Relief Order, and many could see that as a clear indication that a case for Trade Union Victimisation could not be taken or won, the President still has the right to take a case to a full Employment Tribunal based on Unfair Dismissal (which has been widely reported in the media that it is what the next step will be) for Trade Union Victimisation.

The result yesterday must give those women and activists involved in this awful case within our union some strength that they did the right thing in taking their cases up with the employer and their union. That there are 1000’s in our union who believe them, stand with them and support them.

I love my union and the work that it does for women, but we need to be clear that sometimes we get it wrong for all the right reasons. Our union now needs to put an end to its internal process and follow the rule book in respect of a Rule I process, I can see no reason to delay now that the employers process is complete, they are and always have been separate processes.

I call on the UNISON NEC, of which I am a member, on this International Women's Day to act immediately and address these allegations by a Senior Lay activist in our union against the women of our union.

#BreakTheBias #IWD2022

Defend your union from those who want to destroy it.

Defend your union from those who want to destroy it. Please donate what you can and watch this space about what more you can do to save our union.

https://gofund.me/ed31e7ca

"UNISON democracy is under attack. We are raising funds for our campaign to save our democracy and give UNISON members a voice. #fightbackforUNISON". 

Maureen Le Marinel

Former UNISON President.

Check out further information 

https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2021/11/unison-lay-leadership-in-east-midlands.html

https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2021/10/not-in-our-name-emergency-motion-to.html

https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2021/10/latest-on-extremists-attempts-to.html

https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2021/10/legal-advice-on-attempt-by-ultra-left.html

Latest on extremists attempts to destroy our union's democracy, stop us winning strike ballots over pay (& take our money)

Check out personal report below by former UNISON President and current NEC member Maureen Le Marinel. 

It is incredible in the midst of us mobilising to take on the Tories and win strike ballots over pay, the ultra left are attacking our General Secretary and deliberately provoking a civil war. 

"This is my personal page, the views are my own.

‘UPDATE’ on NEC Resolutions.

Many of you will have seen the ‘Opinion’ provided by John Hendy QC to the NEC, as requested by the Presidential Team, which has been posted by the “Time for Real Change’ organisation. Firstly I believe that as this ‘opinion’ was provided to the NEC it is ‘privileged’ and not for wider circulation, until the NEC had agreed it could be and the NEC should have had the opportunity to discuss and fully understand the content in a ‘legal’ sense, we are not lawyers. This was taken away from us by the publication.

The NEC was provided with ‘legal advice’ on the resolutions by Stuart Brittenden on the 5th October with verbal confirmation of this at the NEC meeting on the 6th October, this I was informed was privileged and not for wider circulation. Following the NEC meeting I reported that the legal advice conflicted with view of the Presidential Team, and as I now understand it, their ‘legal advice’ prior to the NEC meeting on 6th October which I asked for at the meeting and have again requested, as in the Statement from ‘Time for Real Change’ on the 7th October confirmed that they had legal advice and also in tweets from John McDonald MP also confirmed that “they had legal advice at every stage”.

Since receiving the email from the Vice Presidents containing Hendy’s advice this morning, the NEC has received an email from the General Secretary, which contains updated legal advice from Stuart Brittenden on Hendy’s advice. Brittenden’s advice is ‘privileged’ so again I cannot share this with you, but the upshot is that it reaffirms his original advice and conflicts with Hendy’s advice. The email also contains another document of an ‘independent’ legal view from a leading QC Michael Ford, which also does not accept that Hendy’s advice is ‘definitive’ as the Vice Presidents say it is and that is put out by the ‘Time for Real Change’.

I am told that I am bound by ‘collective responsibility’ by the Vice Presidents on the NEC decisions, but as I said earlier this is my personal FB Page and these are my personal views and I make them in a ‘personal capacity’ a term I have never used but now feel that I need to to protect my position and one widely used by members of ‘Time for Real Change’ when they do not agree with decisions made and speak against them on various platforms.

My personal view is that given the information that I have there are still serious questions on the validity and the legality of the decisions taken by certain members of the NEC in respect of the resolutions of the 6th October and I believe that I am duty bound to inform members of the union of this under my duties and responsibilities as a member of our union and a member of the NEC under rule.

I ask that you do not accept the spin’ of ‘Time for Real Change’ and that you continue to support the position taken by a number of NEC members including me as we continue to question the validity of the resolutions and their breaching UNISON Rule.

Thank you".

Other posts here and here

My COVD19 experience: Mark Fisher

Mark is a friend, a UNISON comrade and fellow Labour Party activist. He is a similar age to me and of course, a fellow taff. It was shocking that such a larger than life, fit and active person should become so ill. A lesson to all of us to keep self isolating and seek advice. He is 3rd from right in photo with me at the TUC demo in 2018 alongside UNISON former lay Presidents Wendy, Maureen and our current senior Vice President Sian.  

"My COVD19 experience.My name is Mark Fisher Chair of Neath Port Talbot/ National Executive Council Member for the Great Nation Of Wales 󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿representing UNISON.

This is my experience of COVD19, testing Positive also having hospital admission. 

I was feeling unwell for approx 10 days before I became very ill. I had dry cough, dry eyes , headache, loss of taste and smell and difficulties with breathing. I fought it at home which in hindsight was not a good decision, after sleeping on the settee, couldn’t lift my head off the pillow or keep water down plus a high temperature I gave in listening to my concerned wife and rang 111 also my Doctors, who advised to call the Paramedics. 

The fantastic paramedics turned up and checked me out and due to my symptoms advised me to go into hospital, I was very concerned about the lack of PPE the Paramedics had, it was only a small plastic cover and small mask . He was concerned about me coughing on him and asked if I could try not to cough on him. 

On reflection I am very concerned about the lack of PPE for front line workers, I was tested positive for COVD19 and they put themselves and their families at risk to treat myself, I was so proud and grateful for those fantastic paramedics.

I was admitted to Morriston Hospital with high temperature, lack of oxygen, breathing problems and headaches, I was tested for COVD19 and given chest X-ray which showed infections, I was treated with oxygen, fluids, antibiotics etc , I stayed on the temp COVID19 ward for 36 hours, until I was moved to ward H, where my treatment continued with IV drugs , fluids, oxygen and one to one nursing. I was very ill for 2 or 3 days, however the treatment made me better after a few scary days.

The ward I was put on was for potential COVD19 patients who were very ill , the treatment received was fantastic, Doctors were fantastic and staff were very busy looking after very ill patients. I have to say, due to the lack of staff, also high risk element, there was little care element, this is no reflection on staff as they were extremely busy also short staffed.

As a frightened patient without visitors, it was hard getting information to family . The PPE on the COVD19 holding Ward was excellent all staff had full PPE when entering or leaving the ward.

A few days after my admission I was informed by the nurse that I tested Positive for COVD19 and I was infectious and had to be moved to a full COVD19 Ward. Due to them being extremely busy, I had no explanation on the positive COVD19, I was moved to the COVD19 Positive ward and spent 2 days in there having further treatment, the staff had full PPE and Doctor spent time explaining Positive COVD19. 

Again there was little care due to them running around and lack of care, however, as said the treatment was excellent, nobody spoke to update my worried family, due to them being extremely busy. I am pleased to say that after 5 days in hospital, I was discharged to continue my recovery at home with full antibiotics to fight the virus. 

After 2 weeks self isolation, I am on the recovery and feel 100% percent better. I have to pay respect to all who treated me in hospital also at home, the fantastic NHS potentially saved my life. 

I hope my experience will help others seek help straight away, as I could have avoided an hospital admission if I had sought treatment sooner, please, please, please - if you have any concerns ring 111 or seek advice. 

I am also pleased to say I agreed to trial new drugs whilst in hospital also when home and I believe these drugs helped improve my condition and after 3 weeks I am on a full recovery, I am happy for you to use my experience to help others. Thanks Mark Fisher"

UNISON "there for you" Pyrenean Charity Challenge

"Members experiencing financial and emotional difficulties can contact our welfare charity, There for You, which provides a confidential advice and support service for members and their dependants".

UNISON "There for You" is something that many of its members are unaware of but is something that I am so proud of my union for providing. Most trade unions do not have anything like this.

In 2016 following my re-election to the UNISON NEC, I was nominated to serve as a Trustee of "There for You".

While in the past I have managed to get important individual grants from the charity to help members I was unaware of all the help and support it offers to members going through tough times. 

While workplace representation, campaigning and collective bargaining is the meat and drink of our movement, we should never forget that trade unions are basically about working class people banding together to look after each other.   

There are many reasons for joining a trade union but I think gaining the protection of "There for you" is absolutely compelling especially for the low paid but who knows when you might need help and assistance if you lose your job or are ill.  

Two of my fellow UNISON "There for You" trustees, Karen Worsley and Andy Douglas (seen above with our Chair of Trustees, Maureen le Marinel) are attempting to walk 40k across the Catalan Pyrenees 15-19 May in aid of the charity. 

If you want to sponsor them you can donate here on justgiving for Karen  or via this link for Andy

Maureen Le Marinel Police & Justice UNISON NEC Candidate

"I want our union to work hard for our members, putting their issues and concerns first through a proper democratic process, listening to ALL and acting on the democratic decision of the majority whilst always taking on board the views and needs of the minority and working together to move forward, not disrupting or working against the democratic decisions of the members and those working represent them, it is the membership that elect us and it is the membership who we should be accountable to. 

I have always work in this way and will continue to do so, being honest with what can and can't be delivered and the rationale for both. Be a Stronger UNISON and support those that truly want to support you and not their own agenda's.

Maureen Le Marinel Police & Justice

UNISON National Delegate Conference 2014 #uNDC14

UNISON National Delegate Conference has just started. Picture from early this morning at Brighton beach.

For the first time ever at Brighton, I finally managed to go for a swim in the sea. It was, let me say, rather cold, but you soon got use to it. Must remember to keep my mouth shut when under water mind.  Some folk may suggest this is not the only occasion that I should keep it shut.

I arrived yesterday evening and went straight to the London Regional briefing for delegates and visitors in the Holiday Inn. Conference Standing orders Committee (SOC) took a bit of stick over motions ruled out of order. "SOC bashing" is of course a recognised UNISON sport enjoyed by many.

I am on the platform at front of conference with my National Executive Committee (NEC) colleagues. NEC Bashing" is another traditional conference sport, which which no doubt will be indulged in during the coming days.

First business at conference was the introduction of international guests. Now Maureen  le Marinel is making her Presidential address to conference. Her central message is that when we are united and work together - we can win.

Maureen made a personal, passionate and emotional speech "straight from the heart" as my good comrade Mary Locke sitting next to me said.

Next, conference remembered all those members and Labour movement figures who died in the past 12 months. The first name to appear on the screen behind us was Stuart Barber, London regional organiser who sadly died of an heart attack this year and whose memorial service will take place next month.

I will try and post on NDC as much as I can during conference. In between preparing my speeches and helping my branch delegation. 

NEC report to Community SGE 6 February 2014

This report is on the UNISON National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting which was held on 4 December 2013 at the UNISON Centre, Euston Road, London.

This is my personal report from the prospective of a Community NEC member. Please circulate to any UNISON members in your branch who are in the Community Service Group (predominantly housing associations and voluntary sector members).

The NEC is the UNISON Parliament (outside our national conference) and made up of elected lay activists from all the different parts of the union and from all over the UK.

NEC meetings are normally chaired by the President of UNISON who this year is Maureen Le Marinel (see picture). She works as a Police control room operator and is secretary for Lancashire Police branch. Maureen is the first gay women to hold this office in the union.

Our General Secretary, Dave Prentis made his report to the NEC. Dave reported on further Government cuts to services that will impact all members across the union. The importance of Pay moving up the political agenda and becoming a key issue.

UNISON will be encouraging members to join credit unions instead of using pay day loans. The Union is financially secure but will not use our reserves to pay for running costs.

He is pleased that Labour and Ed Miliband is taking up the unions views on Zero hours contracts and attacks on TUPE.

During a wide ranging questions and answers session Dave acknowledged that we are no longer a single employer trade union and we will have to change with the times.

During a debate about the role of strikes and demonstrations I made the observation that as a lay activist I enjoy marches and taking part in industrial action as a last resort but we should spend as much time and effort on organising and recruiting in workplaces. Because are in a “chicken or egg” situation. Until we raise our density levels and steward structures it is very difficult to have successful strike actions.

There was an encouraging report on the recent UNISON advertising and recruitment campaign which has brought in 4,000 new members per week in a 5 week period.

I commented on the full page adverts in our sector such as “Inside Housing” which does encourage recruitment but also supports the presence of the union at work. There was a 30% increase in recruitment compared in 2012.

There has been a large rise in our Community membership (and young members - which is always very good to see). The Private and Voluntary sector has made up 25% of all new joiners to the union.

It was also announced that there was a special legal working group looking into the consequences of the recent court case about TUPE and consequent pay awards.

During the finance report I asked about the impact that the problems the Co-op was having and the ongoing right wing attack on mutualism.

There was an update on National Delegate Conference 2014 which is being held in June at Brighton.

UNISON is starting an Apprenticeship scheme for its own workers. 6 young people have been employed in Camden (home of Unison centre). This is an experiment which it is hoped will be rolled out to the regions. The apprentices will all be paid a living wage (not the government £2.85 per our) and will be offered Level 3 not level 2 training.

There is a review ongoing on the effectiveness of the “Fighting Fund” organisers before a decision is made on whether to move to a 3rd stage.

There will be a Political ballot of all members in 2014 on retaining the General and Affiliated (Labour Party supporting) political funds.

The NEC congratulated UNISON members in Future Directions for their 29 days of strike action against massive cuts in pay and conditions.

The NEC also sent condolences to members who had lost family - in the Philippines typhoon.

Finally there was a briefing on the "Worth it" (all public service workers deserve fair pay) and the Teaching Assistant campaign.

I am planning to make regular reports to Community members on NEC meetings. Please circulate this report to any Community members in your branch and let me know of any issues or campaigns that I should be aware of or can offer assistance.

Yours faithfully

John Gray

NEC Community General seat Member (and Secretary of Greater London Housing Association Branch). If any Community branches or members want to contact me please ring 07432 150 530 or email john.gray2012ATbtinternetDOTcom (personal blog John’s Labour blog http://grayee.blogspot.co.uk/ and Twitter @grayee)

Rochdale Future Direction Striking Workers March and Rally

Good luck to the march and rally tomorrow (12:00 Thursday 29 August) by striking Future Direction workers and supporters. Speakers at rally include Maureen Le Marinel UNISON President and Heather Wakefield national secretary for local government.

UNISON Press release "More than 100 workers have begun five days of strike action in order to send their employer Future Directions a clear message that the fight against the substantial cuts to their pay and terms and conditions has not gone away.

The strike began at 8am on Sunday 25 August 2013 and follows 14 days of strike action already taken in recent months.

Future Directions CIC which is a company owned by Calderstones NHS Trust, bid for the contract to provide supportive living services from Rochdale Council, knowing that to make the contract viable they would need to make financial cuts as soon as they were awarded the contract. Future Directions is looking to expand its business and bid for more contracts at the expense of the workers who continue to deliver care to vulnerable adults, taking advantage of the fact that these workers care about the work they do and the people they work with.

A march and rally has been organised for Thursday, 29 August 2013 at 12 noon on 'the Butts' in Rochdale town centre in support of the strikers and their campaign to continue the fight against imposed cuts on their pay, terms and conditions. Many workers are losing more than £500 per month and having to use savings to subsidise their wages to make ends meet.

UNISON is asking branches to help support the strike action by giving donations to the hardship fund and help these workers to continue with their fight for a fair deal for Future Directions staff in Rochdale. For any messages of support or donations please contact the Rochdale UNISON Local Government Branch, 46 Richard Street, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL11 1DU, email address: Unison@Rochdale.Gov.UK telephone number: 01706 925952, branch secretary: Helen Harrison.
UNISON is continuing to call on Future Directions CIC to enter into meaningful negotiations with a view to resolving this ongoing dispute".

Hat tip picture UNISONActive

My NEC report to UNISON Community Service Group Executive

In June I was re-elected unopposed as the Community General Seat representative on Unison National Executive Committee (NEC). Isobel (Izzy) McVicar the other Community NEC member was replaced by Janet Byran.

Izzy was the first ever female NEC Community member and had done a fantastic job on the NEC for our members and the union. I have no doubt that she will soon be back soon in a national position.

The first meeting of the 2013-2015 NEC was immediately after the end of our National Delegate Conference in Liverpool. This meeting was to elect our lay President and vice Presidents for the following year. I was really pleased that Maureen Le Marinel has been elected president of UNISON for the next 12 months. Maureen is branch secretary of the Lancashire police branch and is the union's first openly gay president.

Lucia McKeever, a nursing assistant is the new senior vice-president. Lucia is the first woman from Northern Ireland to hold this position. Maureen and Lucia are joined by North Yorkshire County Council branch secretary Wendy Nichols, as junior vice-president - making this the union's first ever all woman presidential team.

The first business meeting of the NEC was on July 3rd at the UNISON Centre building (our national headquarters) in Euston Road, London. At this meeting our general secretary Dave Prentis told us that mobilising for the NHS Rally on 29 September at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester - must be a priority for the union. It is also an event to defend the welfare state and public services. Which are key issues for Community members, both as workers and citizens.

Pay and the casualisation (such as Bank staff or zero hours contracts) of the workforce are the other campaigning issues for the whole union. Community Care and Support members have suffered from direct cuts in their wages while most of us have had “hidden” pay cuts due to years of below inflation pay awards (if any). Many of our members are also still on poverty minimum wage rates.

Assistant general secretary Bronwyn McKenna reported on a recent equal pay victory members in Scotland which will hopefully stop employers using ridiculous arguments to avoid equal pay justice.

The NEC has a number of sub-committees. I had been re-appointed by the lay Presidential team to be a member of Policy and Development sub-committee, an employer trustee on the £600 million UNISON staff pension fund and as a delegate to the TUC Congress. There is a great UNISON motion going to Congress on Fair Pay (not a minimum wage, not a “living” wage but fair wages including terms and conditions such as sickness benefits and pensions) which I will report further about soon. I was re-elected by NEC Link levy payers to the National Labour Link Committee.

Next was a series of elections by NEC members of Committee Chairs and vice chairs. During which I spent an hour stuck in a lift with 12 other NEC members. Which was not a particularly pleasant experience but as a Housing management officer gives me more empathy with my residents when they complain about lift breakdowns! (see picture above from inside trapped lift)

I am planning to make regular reports to Community members on NEC and sub-committees I sit on. The next NEC meeting will be in October. Please circulate this report to any Community members in your branch and let me know of any issues or campaigns that I should be aware of or can offer assistance.

John Gray

NEC Community General seat Member (and Secretary of Greater London Housing Association Branch). If any Community branches or members want to contact me please ring 07432 150 530 or email john.gray2012ATBtinternetDOTcom (personal blog "John’s Labour blog" http://grayee.blogspot.co.uk/ and Twitter @grayee)

Bedroom Tax Protest Rally Manchester 16 March 2013

Picture from yesterday's (Saturday 16 March) lunchtime Bedroom Tax protest and mass rally in Manchester Piccadilly. Charity worker Isobel McVicar from Manchester Local Government Branch, who is also my fellow UNISON Community NEC member had organised an adjournment to our Conference for delegates to attend and support the rally.

The Bedroom Tax is a major issue to the Community members up and down the country. Not only are they going to be the workers who have to deal face to face with the resulting misery from vulnerable tenants due to the Bedroom Tax, but is is clear that many specialist Housing Association and voluntary organisations risk going under due to the whole gambit of Tory/Lib Dem welfare cuts.

Centre picture is of top UNISON and Labour movement activists Angela Rayner and Maureen Le Marinel. Angela is the branch sectary of UNISON Stockport Local Government branch and Maureen is of course one of our two UNISON National Vice Presidents.

Angela is standing for selection as the Labour Party candidate for Manchester Withington. What a superb MP she would make.

UNISON NDC 12: End of Conference

At 3.45pm on Friday the UNISON National Delegate conference begins to wind down with the traditional motion of thanks for our  President. Who this year was Eleanor Smith, a

NHS theatre nurse from Birmingham (see photo left).

The general idea is to gently tease the President with embarrassing reminisces and photographs from childhood.

Eleanor was in tears when her two daughter's spoke to conference about their Mum and how proud they are that she had been UNISON's first black President.

At the NEC meeting on Friday Morning Chris Tansley, a child care social worker, from Nottingham who did such a great job as Chair of the Local Government Conference debate on pensions, has been elected as the new president of UNISON together with Maureen le Marinel and Lucia McKeever as our vice presidents.

I don't think that you can really understand UNISON if you haven't witnessed the end of national conference. Anyway, roll on NDC 2013 which will take place I understand for the first time next June at the fair City of Liverpool!