Today is International Women’s Day, when across the world we celebrate the achievements of women and call for greater equality. As not only the UK’s biggest union for women, but the largest organisation for women in the UK, it’s a big day for UNISON and our members.
General Secretary’s blog
UNISON General Secretary Christina McAnea’s blog.
It’s difficult to see how Universal Credit can continue to deliver anything but misery for many. It’s difficult to see how any government – even this one – can justify ploughing on regardless in the face of such overwhelming evidence. The government needs to end the five week wait – but they also need to think again about Universal Credit, full stop, before any more damage is done.
The impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland cannot be reduced to simplistic quotes about borders or considered only as an afterthought. For UNISON – and for Parliament – it must be integral.
UNISON women are the majority of our members and the heartbeat of everything that we do – so it’s only right that women are a majority in our democratic structures too. That’s not an accident, that’s integral to how our union works and how our union succeeds.
We’re fighting every step of the way to win our case on “sleep ins” – making sure care workers who stay overnight with the vulnerable people they care for receive the pay they deserve for their work. And this week we were granted permission to take our case to the Supreme Court.
That’s why this week – Heart Unions week – is so important. In recent years, we’ve taken this week to celebrate the achievements of our union and the wider trade union movement.
It is incredible to see how these care workers stand together, fight back and strike – day after day after day.
Last week, I met the Prime Minister in Downing Street. I spoke to her at length about the concerns of public service workers. I told her that years of austerity at the hands of her party mean public services are already at breaking point. I told her that the economic calamity of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit would wreck the economy and cause untold damage to services which simply can’t take further pain. I told her about the lives of those UNISON represents – the hospital porters, librarians and school cooks –and the pressure her government has already put them under.
On this day, we remember the precious lives lost and the deep grief felt by those who survived. We honour their memories. We challenge hate. And we remember, as we sit in our homes, with our families and friends, in our communities, the overwhelming loss that the holocaust represents. And we say never again.
Further education is a vital resource that has given our country and our communities so much. It benefits not just the young but the lifelong learner. And as a union built on the principle of public service, FE represents not only a public service, but a service which has trained and educated millions of public service workers for generations.
At a time when the far right is on the rise and politicians are viewed with disillusionment and cynicism, it’s vital that the best possible remaining options be pursued, and quickly. There has to be a way to spare the pain of a no-deal catastrophe.
It’s a difficult and worrying time for anyone who cares about the equality and fights injustice. Sometimes battling against bigotry, racism and xenophobia can feel like an impossible task. But I know that this is a fight we can and will win.
Universal Credit needs to be halted before more people suffer and lose out.
I still have big dreams for this union – and I know you do as well. Together, we can be the bridge that takes our members and our country from an imperfect present to a better future. We can grow faster, deliver more and fight even harder. It won’t be easy – it never is – but it will always be worthwhile.
So whether you’re spending this festive period with family, or gritting our streets, travelling long distances to see loved ones or driving around your community caring for those who can’t care for themselves, I want to say thank you. Thank you for everything you do for all of us, now and every single day of the year. I can never say that enough – no-one ever says that to you often enough. You are the glue that holds our fractured communities together, especially at a time when cuts and austerity have caused such havoc and harm.