Message of support from Diana James, Chief Executives Department and Assistant Branch Secretary

Shortly, you will be receiving your election papers from the Electoral Reform Society, so I am taking the opportunity in my personal capacity, as a rank and file member of UNISON, to take part in supporting the Mike Calvert Election Campaign 2014. Of course it is each individual member's democratic choice on how they exercise their vote. That said every election nominee has a campaigning strategy and supporters who voluntarily work on their behalf.

I am emailing you to say Mike is the candidate-of-choice for me as Deputy Branch Secretary and Labour Link Officer. My trust and confidence in him to continue to do a good job in his role as the incumbent DBS indicates for me that he will be effective as the L.L.O.  too. Working closely with Mike for 5 years now, particularly during  this time of Cuts, proves this to me. I have seen his skill at work in negotiating during meetings with the Leader of the Council, senior management across directorates, Head of Human Resources and Corporate addressing equalities issues impacting negatively on staff. He has consistently fought against job losses in these difficult times and with our Branch Secretary exposed the Council's lip service to re-deployment policy when the Branch discovered that there was still a high level of consultants and agency staff being used where current staff at risk could have been re-deployed. He put pressure on to closedown this disparity. When representing individual members, who often come to us in a distressed state, he is skilled in creating a supportive rapport. Mike believes in maintaining dialogue to win gains & concessions  for us. He is pragmatic, decisive,  democratically consults as and when required, if forced by the employer's negative actions to do so. Branch has a Recognition  Agreement with local employers delivering a Council service and if not individual representation rights apply. Pressurising the employer to act reasonably means from time to time using the dispute resolution mechanisms - this can be a fundamental  legal suspension of Management action to bring the employer back to the negotiating table, it doesn't mean strike action.

In my experience Mike has always been wholly committed  to exercising democracy within our Branch by using the consultative methods and practices endorsed by our national union, built on fairness, equality and belief in social justice. His style and approach to union business, whether raising issues and concerns which affect all of us as Islington Branch or in individual  representation, protects our interests. Mike has a valuable quality - and it is a genuine quality -to opt for the reasonable approach and this is also in situations when he is being asked challenging questions even from members. He is calm, reflective, never defensive and honest in his approach to union business.

Equalities Officer -candidate Dwayne Coggins. I am supporting Dwayne who has also consistently been an active member of the Black Members Self-Organised Group . (He is based in the resident facing service call centre in Housing at NBW.)

Best wishes

Diana

Jane Doolan (Branch Secretary) and Diana James on the march


Diana James
Assistant Branch Secretary