Network Journal 2008 Issue 1 Jan/Feb

You make the difference

Last year was a great one for Usdaw and 2008 has already got off to a good start with the 2007 National Organising Awards deservedly putting our reps in the spotlight.

The dedication, commitment and ability on show that night is a reflection that our network of reps are as determined as I am to work as one team with our officials to make a real difference for our members.

Not every rep can be at the awards ceremony but I think it's important to remind our reps - people like you - that Usdaw is proud of the work you put in, often in difficult circumstances, and I'm confident together we can make even greater progress.

survey results

You will recall that last year for the first time in the union's history we carried out in-depth surveys of our members, reps and staff.

The preliminary results of the reps' survey have been very encouraging. For example 88 per cent said that they were proud to be an Usdaw rep. Reps also told us they were focused on building a strong membership in their workplace and they felt they had the training, information and resources they needed to be effective.

We also had positive responses on Arena/Network, the Legal Plus service and our campaigns. I'm delighted with these initial findings and I will keep you informed on other results. I hope you agree with me that asking our members, reps and staff what they think about Usdaw is an important development in our quest to modernise and improve the way we work.

Continuous campaigning

Looking ahead, we will continue to maintain our campaigning agenda which in the past has won us some notable victories and increased our profile locally, regionally and nationally.

This year we will push on with our Parents and Carers, Check Out Learning and Freedom from Fear campaigns - all very successful in their own right.

We will also give new impetus to our Migrant and Young Workers campaigns and will continue to Protect New Year's Day in Scotland. We have won many friends and supporters through our campaigns. I believe this is down to our evidence-based delivery and our common-sense approach.

I am delighted to inform you that Usdaw is the only union to be given a seat on the Government taskforce which will review carer's income. This is just one example of the high regard Usdaw is held in by senior politicians. Reps who contact their local MP and tell them about our work have also made a big contribution to the success of our campaigns.

John Hannett
General Secretary

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