"Trade unions are meant to be vehicles for workers to collectively organise, represent and lead ourselves, so my election should be an unremarkable event. Yet I will be the first ordinary member to lead my union in its history. This represents a huge opening for the democratic renewal of the labour movement. The fact that my election is so unprecedented tells its own tale."
"It is the blows inflicted upon us by Thatcherite politicians and employers over the decades that explain the enduring weakness of trade unions clear to see in our industrial impotence and stubbornly low member engagement. But some at the top of our movement have contributed to its decline, too, by creating cultures where workers, ordinary members, are consistently disregarded by their own organisations. Defending our class interests, the core work of unions, has been an afterthought, at best."
Unison's new general secretary began as a low-paid children's residential care worker and remains a registered social worker. Powerful women mentored a working-class entry into the labour movement and emphasised collective workplace organisation. The election of an ordinary member breaks historical precedent and opens space for democratic renewal within the union. Decades of Thatcherite policies and some leadership cultures weakened unions, producing low engagement and industrial impotence. Careers and Westminster networks displaced defending class interests. Members now mandate a union that puts people first, with commitments to industrial, political and organisational changes to rebuild member-led power.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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