Conference welcomes striking members | Article, News | News

Images: Marcus Rose

On the final day of UNISON’s national delegate conference, delegates rose to celebrate all those members who have been on strike over the past year.

General Secretary Christina McAnea called the strikers to rapturous applause from the ground, with representatives from each of UNISON’s 12 regions:

• East: Bedfordshire Hospital and Colchester City Council
• East Midlands: Ashfield Academy, Leicester University Hospitals and Northampton General Hospital
• London: NSL Camden and Barnet Mental Health Social Workers
• North: North and South Tees NHS
• Northern Ireland: Health and social care in Northern Ireland and the education sector in Northern Ireland
• North West: Wirral HCA, Mid-Cheshire HCA and Warrington HCA
• Scotland: University of Glasgow, Scottish Schools and Further Education in Scotland
• South East: Health and Social Care Brighton and ISS Isle of Wight
• South West: Wiltshire Health and Social Care, Livability, Sodexo, North Devon Hospital and Plymouth University Hospitals
• West Midlands: University of Birmingham and Mitie of Dudley
• Cymru/Wales: Wales Ambulance Service
• Yorkshire and Humberside: Kirklees College, Glendale Grounds Maintenance, Barnsley College

The conference also went live at a picket line where Barnet mental health social workers were celebrating their 66th^th day of action.

Paying tribute to the strikers, Ms McAnea said: “This is a fantastic display of brave and courageous members from every region and nation of this union who have taken part in disputes against their employers over pay, defending services, jobs and terms and conditions. .”

Organizing and protecting the right to strike

The business of the conference also turned to organizing and the right to strike with three motions on those subjects.

The first highlighted the successes of the union’s Organizing to Win campaign and called on the NEC to continue implementing it with renewed focus.

Moving Compound A, NEC’s Andrea Egan said: “We’ve been the biggest union for a number of years and now we’re the strongest.

“Conference, we are on the march and we must take all our members with us.”

Emma Proctor from the East Midlands (picture above) then followed by saying: “Our union boasts a proud history of tirelessly campaigning for the rights and welfare of public service workers.

“But as the landscape in which we organize evolves, so must our strategy and approach to ensure we can effectively serve our members. This composite is a testament to the strengthening of our union and the amplification of our collective voice.

“It’s not just a tactical approach, it’s the very cornerstone of our union’s ability to represent, empower and improve the lives of public sector workers and their families.”

The following motion highlighted the importance of training in union organizing. It was submitted by the national committee of young members and noted the special need for training among young members and how this underpins the successes of the Organizing to Win campaign.

Rory Burgess proposed the motion, saying: “As a new administrator I have never taken a strike or organized one. That is why this motion is so important.” He emphasized the training that young members need to be able to become a full part of the union’s organizing work.

NEC representative Micaela Tracy-Ramos (picture above) added: “Young workers are at the sharp end of the public sector crisis.

“It is education that will give these young members the skills to win for our union.”

The final motion of the set addressed the issue of protecting the right to strike. It noted the draconian strike laws that have been introduced by Conservative governments since 2010 – notably the Trade Unions Act 2016 and the Strikes (Minimum Levels of Service) Act 2023.

The NEC’s Mark Fisher said: “The Minimum Service Level Act is just the latest in a long line of anti-union legislation. It is an attempt to intimidate people from voting to strike.

“We have promised to fight the Trade Union Act 2016 at every step and we will continue to do so. It is no coincidence that the UK has one of the most restrictive trade union laws in the Western world.”