Glenn Kelly at Socialist Party congress 2013, standing in the Local Government service group, photo Senan

Glenn Kelly at Socialist Party congress 2013, standing in the Local Government service group, photo Senan   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Elections for Unison’s national executive (NEC) start on 22 April and run until 24 May.

Members of the Socialist Party are standing, alongside candidates organised in United Left, as part of the Reclaim the Union election slate, in the seats listed.

The Con-Dem government is determined to destroy the NHS and the welfare state.

This must be resisted by the full strength of Unison, other unions and local communities. We need an NEC leadership that is determined to win.

The NEC has a responsibility to organise and plan a coordinated fightback instead of leaving branches to fight alone.

The employers are saying take cuts in pay and conditions or face more job losses or we will pull out of the national pay agreements.

However, the union is wrong to believe that the way to protect our national agreements is to give away some of our rights, as they have recently done in the health service.

The Socialist Party believes that:-

  • Unison should organise a national demonstration to save our NHS with the support of other unions.
  • Unison should stop funding Labour if it refuses to fight the cuts and to stop the destruction of our NHS.

The Reclaim the Union candidates are: (Socialist Party members are asterisked).

  • National black members seats: Female: Monique Hirst*, April Ashley*; male: Hugo Pierre*
  • National young members seat: Greta Holmes
  • Eastern region: Female: Claire Wormald
  • East Midlands region: Female: Jean Thorpe*; male: Adrian Picton*
  • Greater London region: Female: Helen Davies, Marshajane Thompson; male: Jon Rogers; reserved seat: Gundula Seidel
  • North West region: General seat: Tony Wilson; female: Bernadette Gallagher, Karen Reissmann; male: Roger Bannister*
  • Scotland region: General seat: Jim McFarlane*; male: Duncan Smith,
  • South East region: Female: Jacqui Berry*, Diana Leach; male: Paul Couchman*
  • South West region: Male: Bernie Parkes
  • Cymru/Wales region: Male: Jamie Davis*
  • West Midlands region: Male: Dave Auger*
  • Yorkshire and Humberside region: Female: Helen Jenner; male: Mike Forster*; reserved: Vicky Perrin*
  • Health Care service group: Female: Helen Ridett*, Suzy Franklin; male: Mark Boothroyd; general: Gary Freeman*
  • Higher Education service group: Female: Tomasa Bullen; general: Max Watson
  • Local Government service group: Female: Phoebe Watkins, Sonya Howard; male: Glenn Kelly*; general: Paul Holmes
  • Transport service group, water and environment: John Jones
  • Community: Female: Janet Bryan