Monday, February 01, 2010

Conroy Lawrence for Deputy Regional Convenor & Regional Rep @ TUC Conference

Check here - Below is Conroy's election statement

"I am seeking your support for re-election as Deputy Regional Convenor and Regional Delegate to TUC Conference 2010

During the last few years the regions lay leadership has finally started to reflect our membership and has done much to champion the cause of UNISON members in London. The Convenor Team has successfully strengthened UNISON in London by bringing greater unity, building participation across the differing service and self organised groups, and building a union to be proud of. I want to continue to work with Gloria Hanson as Convenor, John Gray as Finance Convenor, Lynn Bentley as Publicity Officer, Emma Rolland as Young Members Convenor with Monica Hirst as Equalities Convenor to continue to build on this in the coming year.

With 75% being female and 40% from black and ethnic minorities our membership in London is diverse. It is vital that the lay leadership continues to be representative. We also need to look at how things are currently done and consider new ways to make the union more relevant to engage and encourage members and new activists from all occupational and service groups to become active at all levels of the union.

We must continue to focus on real issues for real members. We must listen to our members, make their priorities ours and ensure all members in London have a voice.

Unfortunately the issues which our members continue to face on a daily basis - inequality, privatisation and marketisation, attacks on their terms and conditions and relentless budget cuts and reforms – don’t change. We need to continue to recruit and organise and build the region to ensure that we are strong enough to fight on their behalf and win!

In recent years I have been proud to be part of the unions campaigns to defend our NHS, for fair pay, a decent pensions scheme and against the far right. I want to continue our campaigning for decent London Weighting, affordable housing, greater equality and opposing the BNP everywhere they emerge.

As a Branch Officer at Lewisham Hospital I know first hand how difficult it can be to balance doing the day job with union duties and am committed to working to strengthen the support available to activists and branches to assist them as much as possible in representing their members at work.

Only a few years ago members in health felt they didn’t have a voice and weren’t represented in the region. As Chair of the Regional Health Committee I have been delighted to see more health branches than ever before becoming active and playing a central role within the region.

There is still a long way to go in the fight for equality but I am proud that my branch is one of the pilot branches taking part in the Challenging Racism Project.

If re-elected I will work tirelessly to represent the views of our members, to campaign for issues that affect them and ensure that their voice is heard loud and clear".

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