President urges activists to strengthen the union

Density will create power, says Margaret McKee, and help build a world where all people are treated with respect

“Our strength as a union comes from you, our members and our activists” and we need to “build up our density and strengthen our power.

That was the rallying call to delegates at UNISON’s Black members’ conference from president Margaret McKee, speaking in Liverpool this morning.

Building the union was essential, she said, because of “the challenges we face from the Westminster government … a government determined to undermine working people”.

Ms McKee said that, “10 years after the financial crisis … it is public services workers that are still paying the price, in our pay packets.”

Referring to the union’s Pay Up Now! campaign being debated in Westminster in December, she told them that “more money will be spent on exiting the EU than on the health service. That’s a disgrace.”

All UNISON members had “shared values,” observed Ms McKee.

Let us “make sure this is a world where all people … are treated with dignity and respect.”