Busy times for UNISON must produce a positive message

For Paul Holmes, UNISON president, this month offers real opportunities for the union to take centre stage in the fight against a Conservative government that is presiding over so much misery. First, the union’s national delegate conference (NDC) takes place in Brighton next week, followed immediately, on 18 June, by the TUC national demonstration in London, which will see marchers from across the British union movement come together to call for a new deal for workers. Of NDC, he describes it as “the most important conference for a bit” and says that his hopes for it are “positive”. Expanding, Paul notes: “We haven’t had one [a conference] for a couple of years and, whereas meeting virtually has its advantages, conferences aren’t one of them. “It’s obvious what’s going to happen over the next six months, with the cost of living crisis, and I think it’s going to be a really, really interesting conference. And I think it’s important that we leave it with a positive message.” What would he like that message to be? “That we’re going to recruit members and we’re going to link up with other unions,” he says simply. Tackling the cost of living crisis Given that conference will be dominated by that cost of living crisis – and that the TUC demo has been called because of it – what needs to happen to tackle that? “Big Bill Haywood, who was an American trade unionist in the 1920s, a miners’ leader, said that everybody that’s got a dollar tha...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: Article 2022 National Delegate Conference cost of living presidential team Source Type: news