‘ We ’re still standing ’

UNISON members are “united in a passion to make our world a better place.” That was the core of the message from general secretary Dave Prentis to the union’s national women’s conference when he addressed delegates in Bournemouth this morning, during Heart Unions week. “Ours is a union that the doom merchants said would never work … but we’re still standing,” he said, as the celebrations for UNISON’s first quarter of a century continue. He reminded everyone of how Nalgo, Nupe and Cohse came together – “3,000 branches – more used to poaching each other’s members than working together. All united within a year.” And it is now “a growing union; a union where the women call the shots – and don’t I know it!” he said, to much laughter. “Twenty-five years ago, that was just a pipedream, but now – thanks to you – it’s a reality.” It was UNISON that had campaigned for – and won the minimum wage. It is UNISON that is now fighting to turn that minimum wage into a living wage. And Mr Prentis told delegates that, only last year, it was their union that had won the living wage for “over a million workers in our NHS”. Delegates applauded when he told them that UNISON has just been awarded the right to appeal to the Supreme Court over the Court of Appeal’s decision against paying care workers at least minimum wage for sleep-in shifts. The general secretary also pledged the union’s continuing support for the Birmingham ca...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News 2019 Women's Conference dave prentis equality general secretary women members Source Type: news