Farewell Eric

I can’t quite believe the content of an email which I have just received from our General Secretary at just after 5pm this afternoon;

“Dear All,

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the sudden and tragic death of our friend and president, Eric Roberts.

Eric passed away earlier this afternoon having been diagnosed with cancer earlier this week.  The news has come as a great shock to us all, but at this sad time our thoughts and our love are with his family.

Yours,

Dave”

I am updating this post on 25 November to include this link to the UNISON website where you can read and post tributes to Eric.

Eric was not a close friend. Indeed he and I often found ourselves on opposing sides of arguments within our trade union. I would not do the injustice to his memory of failing to note this.

Eric was, however, a great trade unionist with a passionate commitment to our movement and its cause. 

I saw this at its very best a couple of years ago when Eric gave a funny, caring and passionate farewell to another trade unionist for whom I also had rather more respect than affection, and of whom I said, as I shall say now of Eric, that he was literally irreplaceable.

Ave atque vale.