Homeward bound

So health conference is over for another year and we're on our way home to begin preparation for the members' ballot on pay. The afternoon debates today, on nursing students' poverty, mental health, partnership and a host of other issues, moved pretty quickly and the conference completed all the business a little early.

At lunchtime the SGE met briefly to discuss the mechanics of the pay ballot and we agreed that the chair of the SGE would have approval over the materials which were to be sent out with the ballot paper but that all members of the SGE would be sent drafts to review. Clearly there is a balance to be struck between ensuring democratic oversight of the ballot process by the elected leadership and getting the ballot started quickly, which we all clearly want.

I also spent some of my lunch break at a fringe meeting called to discuss how branches and activists can develop local campaigns to reject the three year pay offer. Time is short, and clearly the lack of a national call to reject puts a real premium on local activists spreading the word but branches that wish to campaign for rejection should be able to supplement the national, factual, material with locally produced leaflets, stickers and posters, and hold meetings in workplaces to explain the offer. I would be delighted to attend any meetings of Unison members in the East Midlands to discuss and explain the proposals, so please get in touch if you would like me to come to your branch or workplace.