‘Organise, organise, and when you’ve finished organising, organise.’

This morning, delegates from across the UK gathered in Brighton for UNISON’s two-day local government service group conference, chaired by UNISON president Catherine McKenna.

Conference opened with a speech from UNISON local government service group executive chair Glen Williams (pictured above), who presented the service group’s annual report.

Glen opened his speech acknowledging everyone who had gone to protest the far-right rally that had been held in Brighton the day before. 

“This is what hope, solidarity and unity looks like in its thousands,” he said, also referencing anti-fascist mobilisations in Glasgow, Belfast, Liverpool and Southampton.

Moving on to address the conditions of local government workers, Glen said, “You are not a cost, or a pound sign on a spreadsheet. You are the people without whom communities simply do not function. And yet, for too long, local government workers have been asked to do more with less.”

You have had to pick up the pieces of political failure and apologise to communities for cuts that you didn’t choose, and don’t support.”

Glen described the raise in council tax rates as a political choice. “Making the poorest communities pay more through council tax is not fairness, it’s a political choice that protects wealth for those at the top.

“If we want strong public services, we have to be prepared to say it clearly: tax the rich, tax extreme wealth, and fund local government properly.”

Moving on to condemn privatisation, Glen described there had been billions of pounds drained out of local public services.

“Time and again, private companies deliver profit extraction, fragmentation, lower accountability and service users alike. This Labour government promised the greatest insourcing in a generation. Selling off is selling out.”

Organising to Win

Glen stated that local government workers would need to adopt an organising approach that redefines industrial action. He encouraged UNISON members to get more involved in organising, including through phone banking and canvassing members.

Speaking to the crisis in social care, Glen said, “It feels like the national care service promises by this government are being kicked into the long grass.

“In England alone, 1,300 patients are dying every month needlessly due to long A and E waits and no access to hospital beds. That’s 300 people dying every week. Ten years ago it was a scandal at 30. This is an absolute disgrace. Our members cannot live on promises. People who rely on care cannot be supported simply by warm words and what I deem to be false promises. Patients are literally dying because of bed blocking.

“Let me make this really clear: migrant workers are not the cause of the crisis in care, they are among the people holding the system together. Any attempt to threaten them, scapegoat them or use immigration status as a weapon is an attack on workers and an attack on trade union principles.

“Our answer must always be solidarity. Practical, vocal, financial, and unapologetic solidarity.”

Referring to UNISON’s investigation into Reform UK’s first year in power, which found broken promises and council tax rises, Glen said, “What they offer is not renewal but resentment. Not solidarity, but scapegoating.”

To fight the rise of the far-right, and protect local public services, Glenn concluded that union activists must “challenge complacency where it exists, creating the kind of union that workers need: a visible, democratic, welcoming, anti-racist, impossible to ignore trade union.”

He ended his speech by encouraging all local government workers to sign the NJC pay pledge. “Let us be ready to fight for decent pay, to fight for proper funding, to build a stronger union in every workplace and every branch.”

“Organise, organise, and when you’ve finished organising, organise.

“Free Palestine.”