Paul Couchman Branch secretary, Surrey County Unison, personal capacity
Andrea Egan has won the election for general secretary of Unison, the UK’s largest trade union. This is a historic result and a decisive rejection by members of decades of right-wing, ‘partnership’-based leadership at the top of the union. It is a defeat for Starmer’s New Labour Mark II, as warned by big business journals such as the Financial Times.
Socialist Party members in Unison actively campaigned for Andrea Egan’s election because we believe her victory represents an opportunity to transform the union into a fighting force. It also sends a clear message to Keir Starmer’s government that the largest public sector union, with around 1.3 million members, is no longer prepared to quietly acquiesce while austerity continues under a Labour banner.
The general secretary is the most powerful position in Unison and plays a huge role in how the union is perceived by members, employers and the government. Andrea’s victory will be widely seen as a signal that Unison members want change: a more combative union, prepared to challenge employers and the government, and one that strengthens democratic lay-member control.
Andrea Egan, part of the ‘Time For Real Change’ network within Unison, defeated the incumbent Christina McAnea, whose leadership epitomised the approach of accommodating austerity and avoiding confrontation. For years, Unison has been led by general secretaries who stood for ‘partnership’ with the bosses and warned against ‘rocking the boat’.
Under McAnea’s leadership, Unison repeatedly failed to mount serious resistance to cuts and attacks on members’ living standards. At this year’s Unison conference she infamously told delegates that “there is no magic wand” and defended Labour’s U-turn on the winter fuel allowance as a sign of the government “maturing”, rather than a retreat under pressure. That outlook has now been rejected by the membership.
Starmer has relied on the support of compliant union leaders to push through cuts and attacks with minimal resistance. Andrea’s election should provide the platform to disrupt that cosy relationship. It comes despite sections of the union left, including the North West ‘Organised Left’, choosing to back Christina McAnea and defend a failed model of leadership.
Andrea’s victory reflects a growing mood among members for a fighting alternative. The Socialist Party will play its part on the left in seeking to consolidate this victory. This is essential as the right wing has a majority on Unison’s National Executive Council (NEC) until the next elections in 2027, as well as dominating the union’s officialdom.
Industrial and political strategy
Along with Starmer, and behind him the capitalist establishment, the Unison right will be determined to frustrate and neuter this breakthrough. The most effective way to defeat this is to set out a militant industrial and political strategy to members. As part of this, it is vital that a united left challenge is put together in the Unison service group elections that take place next year.
On taking office in January, Andrea could call a joint meeting of Unison service group executives to help coordinate the union’s fight on public sector pay.
We strongly welcome Andrea’s commitment to take only a social worker’s wage as general secretary, in line with the long-standing Socialist Party principle that workers’ representatives should live on a workers’ wage. Her pledge to review and strengthen the union’s capacity to take effective national strike action is also a crucial step forward.
Andrea has also pledged to launch a comprehensive review of Unison’s relationship with the Labour Party. This must go further than simply seeking “value for money” from Labour, as stated in her manifesto. The task now is to enable a decisive break with a pro-austerity Labour Party and to back only those candidates and parties who support Unison’s policies and are prepared to defend jobs, pay and public services.
Key questions remain. Andrea has not yet committed to campaigning for councils to set no-cuts budgets as a way of protecting jobs and services, although this is the policy of Unison’s local government service group, nor to ending automatic political support for Labour politicians who carry out cuts, or supporting the call for a new workers’ party. Socialist Party members will continue to argue for these policies to be adopted, as they are essential to mobilising members and ensuring this leadership change results in a genuine transformation of the union.
Andrea Egan’s election is a major step forward. Turning that step into a decisive shift in Unison’s direction will require continued pressure from below, a clear fighting programme, and active involvement from members in every branch.
- Andrea Egan 58.579 votes (59.8%)
- Christina McAnea 39,353 votes (40.2%)
