National
Executive Council Elections
East
Midlands Regional Male Seat
Request
to nominate Gary Padgett
I am writing to your branch about
the forthcoming National Executive Council (NEC) Elections.
Nominations open on Monday 9th
January 2017 and close at 5pm on Friday 10th February 2017.
I am seeking election to the East
Midlands Regional Male Seat
The Conservative government are privatising and destroying
the welfare state. Many young people are minimum wage. Many people receive poor
quality services from the private sector. The number of fifteen minute home
care visits is on the increase. Sections of the NHS are outsourced and many
schools are no longer run by local authorities.
Further planned cuts will take public services back to
1930’s levels. Some local authorities are looking at becoming commissioning
authorities only, with virtually all services outsourced. One million people in
Britain now use food banks, the majority being people in work.
I oppose all cuts in job, and
services. I oppose all forms of privatisation and attacks on pay and conditions
and on employment rights. I believe the Health and Social Care Act should be
repealed. The £20billion NHS cuts means closures and service reductions;
private sector profiteering means healthcare rationing; waiting times increase;
targets are fiddled.
It is vital that the full strength
of UNISON, other trade unions and the wider community is deployed to stop what
is happening, before there are very few public services left to defend.
I am standing for the NEC for the
first time. I previously held the
position of Assistant Branch Secretary in my branch, but now I am a rank and
file Workplace Rep, not a career UNISON official.
As well as representing our members,
I have participated in many UNISON campaigns such as lobbying parliament
against the Trade Union bill and have been involved locally in campaigns to
save Lincolnshire Libraries and organising anyi racism campaigns, particularly
mobilising against the EDL when they have decided to come to Lincoln.
I firmly believe that racism is used
as a tool by those in power to divide working people so that our anger is
directed inwards instead of at those with the power who have caused the
financial crisis, and implemented ideological austerity on the back of it.
I believe we need a UNISON
leadership that will give confidence to members that they will be supported by
leaders who have a determination to win a fight back. I believe that the
current UNISON leadership has failed to do this and as such a change is required
Where uncertainty or low morale does
exist, UNISON’S leadership should be going out to the membership to raise the
confidence to fight, to explain that there is an alternative to cuts and that
we are determined to stop the destruction of our public services by this
reactionary, millionaire-led government.
If elected onto the NEC, my
campaigning message will be opposition to all cuts in jobs and services, to all
forms of privatisation and to attacks on pay and conditions and on employment
rights. I will also push to make sure that UNISON becomes a bastion of
anti-racism and a force for bringing together workers
I hope that your branch will agree
with my election programme and nominate me. If elected I will campaign for a
genuinely member led union, and for the accountability of the union’s
leadership.
If you nominate me, I would be
grateful if you would send me a copy of your nomination.
Yours sincerely
Gary Padgett
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