My pledge:

My pledge members who take strike action will be supported all the way
As an active Branch Secretary I know that workers take strike action only when we are left with
no choice. I have led numerous strikes in Barnet over the past seven years fighting outsourcing. I
know how hard it is for members to make the sacrifice of strike action and how absolutely
essential.
The Trade Union Bill presents UNISON members with even more hostile anti trade union laws
which seek to limit our ability to take strike action. The response from UNISON and our sister
unions to this vicious attack will be critical to the ability of UNISON branches to oppose the daily
onslaught of cuts, redundancies and privatisation.
UNISON members dont expect miracles from their trade union. We know that there are no
guarantees of victory when we fight (only that there is a guarantee of defeat if we dont). We
also know that strike action involves sacrifice and loss.
However, UNISON members do reasonably expect to be supported by their trade union when
forced to take action. They expect that paid officials of the union will be supportive and will help
to facilitate action decided upon by members and they expect that the Union will provide a
realistic level of strike pay to support them from the start.
At present I understand from feedback from branches that they sometimes experience
obstruction when they are seeking to take industrial action decided upon by the members.
Meanwhile national rates of strike pay have remained stuck at a paltry 15 a day for years.
This isnt good enough and, if you elect me as General Secretary it will change.
Working with the Chair of the NECs Industrial Action Committee and Finance Committee and the
Presidential Team, I will conduct an urgent review of the rate of national strike pay to be
completed within 100 days of my taking office. My objective is to find an affordable way to
increase the basic rate of strike pay from 15 to 30 a day and to increase flexibility to pay higher
rates of strike pay in particular circumstances. I will only recommend this if it really can be
afforded, but surely striking members deserve as much in strike pay as delegates receive in
expenses when attending national conferences?

I will also recommend to the NEC that we report annually to Conference on all income to and
expenditure from the Industrial Action Fund so that Conference can review rates of strike pay in
future and provide clear guidance to the NEC.
I will recommend necessary Rule Amendments to the NEC to be agreed at National Delegate
Conference 2016.
I will also meet with all Regional Secretaries to instruct them that UNISONs new approach to
industrial action will include;

Facilitating and encouraging ballot requests from branches;

Unstinting support for branches fundraising for local hardship funds;
A presumption in favour of agreeing requests to take action;
Decision making to be with lay members, with officials providing advice;
Negotiations led by elected representatives.

As your General Secretary I will take these immediate practical steps to ensure that our union
does all it can to support our members when they are forced to take industrial action, which will
inevitably be vital given the scale of attacks our members are facing on their jobs and conditions,
and the very services they provide.