I am standing because I passionately believe Unite must prioritise industrial effectiveness in the NHS – more resources for the grassroots – reps and branches – and less on grandiose projects and highly paid staff positions.
As a biomedical scientist for 30+years, I was the rep in the Liverpool Blood Centre. We organised a campaign, secured a £20M new blood centre, and removed the CEO. Now rep at the Manchester Blood Centre, and national convenor – I see how Unite is performing nationally.
Neglect of grassroots results in patchy organisation. Many well organised and effective areas, but also shockingly, hospitals with members and recognition but no reps, leading to low ballot turnouts and poor T&Cs. No-one is taking action on this. One third of members are stalled in nonfunctioning, moribund branches.
Change requires concerted will!
Practically, the structures should be opened to ALL reps not just the committee members; regions to organise quarterly health all-reps meetings to support each other and defend members’ T&Cs – against cuts and redundancies and draconian sick policies. Functioning branches to send a delegate to conference.
Labour Party: Starmer’s leadership has been disastrous for the NHS. Refusing to solve adult social care compounds long ambulance waits and horrendous A&E queues. Recent events have shown that the Party has been captured by a tiny clique whose main aim is to enrich themselves. The answer is not to just complain or storm out, but to organise, change the party’s policies back to those passed by Unite conferences: properly funded adult social care, fairly paid staff, more hospital beds, ending privatisation and out-sourcing. If it means forcing leadership change – good. We need a properly organised and resourced campaign to save the Labour Party. Build the union. Support reps and branches. Defend NHS workers.
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