Jul 21 - Local Unite Branch To Be Represented Within Union’s National Executive Council
Unite the Union Gibraltar reached a milestone on Thursday 9th July where a delegation led by Unite Gibraltar Chair Louis Gonzalez and constituted by Marilyn Bramble and Frederick Martin successfully lobbied delegates at Unite’s Brighton 2015 Rules Conference in order for the local organisation to have a voice within Unite the Union’s National Executive Council.
The National Executive Council is the highest body within Unite that is tasked with the overall strategic and political development of the organisation and the body to which Unite’s General Secretary, Len McCluskey, responds. Gibraltar has always enjoyed a strong relationship with the officialdom within Unite but had never previously enjoyed the same relationship with the layman sectors of the organisation, which are, in effect, the powerbrokers of the UK’s largest and most powerful union.
The motion was delivered by Marilyn Bramble to a 600 delegate strong auditorium towards the end of a week-long conference that had been witness to feverish activity from the Gibraltar delegation in order to lobby Regional Secretaries, delegates and grass roots activists to carry Gibraltar’s motion. The results, say Unite, were proof of the delegation’s efforts and - with practically unanimous support - the motion was carried and the local branch of the Union will now have a voice to defend its position and that of the wider Gibraltarian community in a body with such clout within the UK's socio-political discourse as Unite the Union’s Executive Council.
A statement from the union continued:
“These achievements have significant ramifications to both the organisation and the wider community locally. In the first instance, the Gibraltar branch will have a say as to what happens generally within the wider Unite the Union organisation and thus, provide tangible benefits by way of closer integration with the offices and support services available nationally that the local branch will shortly be able to make greater use of. Secondly, Unite Gibraltar’s issues ranging from industrial to socio-political matters will become Unite the Union’s issues at a national (UK) level which Unite Gibraltar would seek to exploit to its advantage in pursuance of Gibraltar’s aspirations given Unite UK's close relationship with socio-political actors and entities across the UK.
“As a direct consequence of Unite Gibraltar’s intervention, individuals of significant standing within the organisation such as National Executive Chair Tony Woodhouse as well as all the different Regional Secretaries have a expressed a desire to come to Gibraltar by way of a familiarisation visit in order to appreciate the issues we face in Gibraltar and assist us in meeting the needs of Unite the Union’s Gibraltar membership.”
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