Dear Branch Secretary
I am seeking nominations for
the Disabled members General seat on the National Executive Council 2017-19.
Who
I am:
I have been a member of Lambeth
UNISON Local Government Branch for over 25 years.
I have been a Shop
Steward in Adult Social Care for this entire period and have been Branch
Disabled Members Officer for many years and Branch Equalities Officer for 2016/17.
In seeking your branch’s nomination I would like to outline
my reasons for standing for this position.
I believe that for the past seven years we have been
experiencing the most serious attack on our jobs, pay and pensions and services
in the history of our union.
As Disabled people we face seeing all the advances we have fought
for and won in the past undone.
During this time Disabled
people have been at the sharp end of attacks by the current government.
We have seen Disabled
people scapegoated, portrayed as work-shy scroungers and benefit cheats.
With the imposition of the Work Capability assessments and sanctions, cuts to social care
support and cuts to the voluntary sector Disabled
people have been hit nine times harder than non-Disabled people and those
with the most complex needs nineteen times harder.
For the past 7 years I have
been a member of the National Steering Committee of Disabled People Against
Cuts, DPAC.
I participated in the
occupation of the Head Office of the DWP on the opening day of the
London Para Olympics to highlight the scandal of the games being sponsored by
ATOS and have lead on many of the other high
profile direct action protests that have become the hallmark of DPAC’s
campaigning against Disability cuts and against austerity.
Last summer we organized a 70 ft banner drop from the grounds
of St Thomas’ Hospital with the slogan No
More Deaths from Benefit Cuts clearly visible from the terrace of
Parliament while we simultaneously blocked Westminster Bridge.
This action was timed to pressurize the government to
acknowledge the findings of the enquirey that was partly triggered by DPAC by The
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which
concluded that there is reliable evidence of grave or systematic violations
by the UK government of the rights of “persons with disabilities” due to
welfare reform.
DPAC has received huge
support and solidarity from Trade Union members and individual branches of Unison
but sadly we have not had any
support from Unison’s national leadership.
DPAC has campaigned
alongside Unison members taking industrial action to defend jobs and services including
supporting the 2012 national day of actions to defend pensions.
I was a leading
Lambeth Unison activist in the campaign to Defend the Ten Lambeth Libraries last
year and supported the National Day of Action to defend Libraries, Galleries
and Museums.
I believe this represents the sort of coordinated solidarity
we need right now but which I feel has sadly been missing from our own Union.
I will bring the same level of determination that I put into
DPAC to defending our Disabled members
to my work in the NEC should I be elected.
We need a Union leadership which stands up for our members
and which is determined to defend our jobs and services.
I support all movements
which aim to develop the struggle against Austerity – from organizing against
racism and the shocking rise of anti-immigration rhetoric over the last years
to standing in solidarity with Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters.
I hope you agree with me and
support my nomination request.
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