General Secretary's report to UNISON NEC

As always major items of the work of the General Secretary had been covered earlier on the agenda by the time yesterday's meeting of the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) reached the report of our General Secretary, Dave Prentis.

He pointed out that alongside the key priorities of pensions and equal pay the Union was very busy with a range of other activities, including;

The TUC lobby of Parliament over Public Services, about which the General Secretary gave a very positive and upbeat report;

UNISON’s Climate Change Conference on 17 January, which represented a positive new development of UNISON activity;

The launch of the “water at work” campaign, which led to UNISON doing away with bottled water and having jugs of tap water at the NEC;

A joint seminar between UNISON and Compass (a “soft left” Labour think tank) on public services;

The Black Members Conference at which the General Secretary had faced robust questioning and offered assurances about taking forward issues raised with him;

The strike action by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) on 31 January during which our General Secretary had addressed the main strike rally;

The threat of public sector pay rises being held below inflation – in relation to which the NEC agreed a strong statement to be issued to the press warning the Chancellor that we will not accept public sector pay falling behind.