Good Bye and Good Luck
My old colleague Matt Smith - regional secretary of Unison in Scotland is due to retire shortly.
Matt announced his plans earlier this year - he will be leaving the union after a lifetime of service to Unison and one of its founding unions - NALGO.
So, I would like to take this opportunity of wishing Matt well - and all the best for the future.
Because Matt and his friend Dave Prentis - the union's current general secretary - were instrumental in helping me to decide it was time to move on from Unison in 1999.
The fact is that I owe Matt and Dave a great debt - if I were a religious person, I would definitely remember them in my prayers every night.
With some regrets I moved on for the trade union movement - after twenty years of working with NUPE, the STUC and Unison - but I've never looked back since.
In fact I can honestly say that I've achieved much more on equal pay - working with Action 4 Equality Scotland - than would ever have been possible had I stayed with Unison.
I've a lot to thank Matt for - so I would just like to say: 'Good bye and good luck'.
Matt announced his plans earlier this year - he will be leaving the union after a lifetime of service to Unison and one of its founding unions - NALGO.
So, I would like to take this opportunity of wishing Matt well - and all the best for the future.
Because Matt and his friend Dave Prentis - the union's current general secretary - were instrumental in helping me to decide it was time to move on from Unison in 1999.
The fact is that I owe Matt and Dave a great debt - if I were a religious person, I would definitely remember them in my prayers every night.
With some regrets I moved on for the trade union movement - after twenty years of working with NUPE, the STUC and Unison - but I've never looked back since.
In fact I can honestly say that I've achieved much more on equal pay - working with Action 4 Equality Scotland - than would ever have been possible had I stayed with Unison.
I've a lot to thank Matt for - so I would just like to say: 'Good bye and good luck'.
