John Malcolm request for nomination Health Seat UNISON NEC

JOHN MALCOLM membership no 3222 Unison Tees Esk & Wear Valleys Health 20112 FOR NEC Election 2011 Health Seat General I am writing to request your Branch nomination for the NEC election 2011 Health Seat General. I am currently the Branch Secretary for the Tees Esk & Wear Valleys Health Care Branch, and have been a steward for almost 25 years. I am also deputy chair of the Staff side Organisation in a Mental Health Trust of over 5000 staff. I have been involved in successful campaigns defending members and services in the NHS Trust where I am employed including against privatisation and defending staff terms and conditions. I am currently involved in campaigning to stop over 100 HCA's who are being downgraded. NHS The Con-Dem government is effectively proposing the wholesale privatization of the National Health Service. In doing so David Cameron and Nick Clegg aim to finish what Margaret Thatcher started in the 1980s and continued by New Labour. Andrew Lansley, the new Tory health minister has set out his government's plans to reduce the NHS to dust. Far from the stated aim of cutting bureaucracy and saving money, these plans are predicted to cost £1.7 billion to implement. The NHS under the Con-Dem coalition will be transformed from a public service employing millions of health workers to commissioning services from a range of private companies with a minimal workforce in a fully fledged health care market. Pensions: With the Hutton Review partially completed it is clear that we can expect to see attacks on pensions for all our members regardless of Service Group. Our pensions are our deferred wages and our leadership must be prepared to fight attacks. The best chance of success will only be given by a strategy both to inform our members and prepare them for Industrial action which should be coordinated with other public sector trade unions wherever possible. A FIGHTING CAMPAIGNING UNION Unison Health SGE has quite rightly rejected a two year pay freeze and the proposal for a no redundancy pledge in return for a freeze on pay increments. Unfortunately senior officials appear to be holding out for further negotiations and offers from the government rather than mobilising the membership for decent pay and defending terms and conditions. It is clear that the employers and the government plan to drive down the living standards of health workers alongside the destruction of the NHS. This is why we need to build on the positive SGE decision and develop a national strategy to defeat the coalition government. John Malcolm membership number 3222 (Unison Tees Esk & Wear Valleys Health)