Hi. I am asking for your support for election to the DWP Group Executive Committee (GEC).

Before joining DWP, I spent 20 years in a call centre environment that was hostile to trade unions. Undaunted I became a rep with CWU in 2015 and actively recruited and supported members in formal attendance, disciplinary and performance meetings. When Union recognition was finally won, I was proud to be elected Chair of my site committee.

I joined PCS when I started at DWP in 2021 and was co-opted as a branch rep in 2022. Straight away I organised around the National Pay Campaign ballot using every tool at my disposal namely other reps, Teams messages, emails, and face to face chats to get member details up to date ensuring my branch beat the 50% threshold. Without this groundwork, my branch would have failed to beat the threshold on wrong member address details alone!

That understanding of getting member details updated before going to ballot was shared predominantly among other Left Unity activists so naturally, I joined. Without such a strategy, the National Campaign on Pay and Pensions justice and protected redundancy terms would have fallen at the first hurdle.

Currently I am Organiser for my Branch and Secretary for DWP Northeast Regional Committee having served as Assistant Secretary the previous year. As Branch Organiser, I set up my branch email account and Social Media pages helping the branch to re-engage with members in the post-pandemic environment particularly as so many more are now working hybrid patterns.

As a personal cases rep, I have supported and assisted members in getting their working lives back on track be that finding valuable mitigation in disciplinary or performance issues or winning reasonable adjustments from car parking to managed moves to homeworking.

I am also a member of the PCS Northern Regional committee where I have been active in getting PCS to lead the way in support for events this year marking the 40^th Anniversary of Women Against Pit Closures Groups. Practical solidarity has come from ordinary members to our General Secretary alike.

At Group Level, I am currently active on the Group Equality Advisory and the RSD/CSD Committees.

Outside of work, I am also a qualified Restorative Justice Practitioner and serve on my local youth justice panel, advising on community reparations for young offenders.

If elected, I will work tirelessly to ensure your GEC keeps your concerns front and centre with DWP management and supports your branches and reps in supporting you with workplace issues.

Only a Left Unity led team has the proven talent, experience, and values to build and win principled campaigns on pay, pensions and jobs. I believe I can play an active part in shaping that for all our members as a member of your GEC.

Please vote for me and the other Left Unity candidates.