A time to review and renew the ‘ family ’ union

“UNISON is not just a trade union, it is a family,” president Margaret McKee declared as she marked her final presidential week by opening the union’s national delegate conference in Brighton this morning. She told delegates that it had been a great honour to be president for the past 12 months, though she had her first experience of presidential duties in tragic circumstances the year before, alongside then senior vice president Carol Sewell, when president Eric Roberts tragically died part way through his term. She started her speech by thanking Carol, and former presidents, for the support they and others had shown in that difficult period. This year, and this conference, she said, were dominated by a series of numbers: 100, 70, 50, 25 and 20. 2018 marks 100 years since the first women won the right to vote, but the fight was never just about the franchise, she said. The struggle was about inequality and the denial of rights to one half of the human race – and that fight is still going on “across the globe and in these islands”. She added: “We should celebrate what we have achieved: but all of this hangs in the balance. We challenge a government that seeks to plunge people into poverty.” And next month sees the 70th anniversary of the NHS, created by a Labour government,“but many are still trying to dismember it and this union stands in the way.” Ms McKee is a Band 1 health workers, a catering assistant at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, who joi...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article 2018 National Delegate Conference NDC 2018 presidential team Source Type: news