Christina McAnea welcomed a new group of NEC members to their first meeting this week and focussed on some of the union’s key priorities.
In a meeting chaired for the first time by new UNISON president Catherine McKenna from Northern Ireland, the general secretary highlighted what the union was doing to get additional funding for local authorities from central government: “A key priority for us as a union is getting additional funding for local authorities – it is absolutely critical for public services in this country.”
The union is also continuing to push hard to get the funding in place from Westminster for a fair pay agreement in social care. “It’s disappointing that this has been pushed back,” said Christina. “Talks are continuing with the government, the unions – led by us – and employers on what a fair pay agreement will look like in reality, and we will need to ensure there is enough funding to deliver what we want.”
Christina also highlighted the Employment Rights Bill’s continued progression into law and the importance of “this first significant change to workers’ rights in over 70 years”. While noting opposition from Reform and the Tories in the House of Commons and the Tories and Liberal Democrats in the Lords, the general secretary said she remained confident “we are on the right path”.
Of more concern to the union is the Westminster government’s Immigration White Paper. The general secretary stressed the importance of changes to the visa system on members – and the advice that the union was offering to them and branches – but also in breaking the power of companies who currently control the visas of migrant workers. “It is nothing short of modern-day slavery,” she said.
Christina concluded her report to the NEC by highlighting the evidence she had given the Covid Inquiry the previous week on behalf of the TUC. She also expressed the union’s concern at the Westminster government’s decision to outlaw Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation: “We believe the government has strayed on the wrong side of freedom of speech on this occasion.”
Joining Catherine on the presidential team is vice president James Anthony from the West Midlands and Debbie Rowden from the Eastern region. They said they were all looking forward to working with the whole NEC and the staff to make progress on the union’s top concerns.
The article New NEC meets for the first time first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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