Andrea Egan for General Secretary, build a fighting union!

Find out more about Andrea Egan’s campaign here

By Socialist Alternative members in UNISON

Members of Socialist Alternative in UNISON are backing Andrea Egan in UNISON’s upcoming General Secretary election, set to take place later this year. Andrea, who is a fighting trade unionist in Bolton, has pledged to continue taking her social workers wage if she wins, as opposed to the six-figure salary taken by the current GS. A victory for the left candidate in the general secretary position would give a huge boost to the transformation of UNISON further into a fighting, democratic workers’ organisation.

Steps forward, but more work to be done

There have been some big steps forward in UNISON over the last period, but there is still much more important work to be done. Some significant changes have taken place, including the working majority for the left on the union’s National Executive Council (NEC). This has been won through the Time for Real Change left-wing group, which Socialist Alternative supporters participate in.

The left winning control of the NEC for the last three years has already had a substantial impact in the gains for our union, such as doubling strike pay for striking union members and beginning to expand democracy and control of the union away from the bureaucracy towards our members. The Organising to Win agenda, focussed around recruiting and training up new workplace activists has also been a marked improvement away from the ‘servicing model’ used by the bureaucracy, which sees union members as individual ‘customers’, as opposed to focusing on collectively organising our members to win victories. These positive changes have led to UNISON’s net growth over the last couple of years, as a growing number of public sector workers see it as a combative organisation capable of accomplishing real improvements in their lives.

The current General Secretary, part of the long-standing right wing in the union, has sought to resist this direction and move UNISON back to its previous state, which led to a significant decline in the union’s size and power. This is why a victory for Andrea and TFRC in this election is so crucial. It can show that we can transform our unions and make them build and coordinate a fightback. The further transformation of UNISON can be an example to workers throughout the trade union movement about how to fight and win against this government and more broadly deliver gains for all working class people.

Political organisation

Alongside a strategy to win in the workplaces, our trade union movement also needs to have its own independent political voice. Andrea is correctly running on a platform of ending blank cheques to Labour, under the headline “UNISON members first, Labour Party second”. The subservience of the leadership of many union leaders (including our GS) to Labour continues only to bring us heartbreak and sacrifice, putting the needs of political and business ‘leaders’ first. As a result, UNISON members and all workers end up coming not just second but last.

The surge in support for forces like Reform UK show the danger of the workers movement not taking up opposition to this government and ceding that ground to the right wing. The re-election of Trump in the US shows how relying on the establishment’s ‘lesser evil’ to stop the racist right will not work. Rather than cosying up to Keir Starmer, we need to prepare to resist his anti-working class policies and fight for more fundamental change.

This is why our union needs a democratic discussion about political organisation. Socialist Alternative argues that we need a new left party of struggle with socialist policies – one that can be a real anti-establishment force to resist the rise of Reform and the right. One that trade unionists, climate campaigners, anti-racist, feminist and LGBTQ+ activists can unite in struggle through and fight for demands to benefit the whole working class.

Socialist Alternative stands for this and much more. We say that capitalism as a whole needs to go. We stand for democratic socialist planning instead of chaos, climate destruction, oppression and war. If you agree and want to get involved, get in touch today!