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NEIL’S OUR MAN!
New Regional Secretary is
ready to fight for your rights.
GMB
Meet the new
REGIONAL SECRETARY
Neil Derrick: new Regional Secretary for
GMB Yorkshire and North Derbyshire…
G
MB Yorkshire and North
Derbyshire Region is saying ‘well
done’ to Neil Derrick on his recent
appointment as Regional Secretary.
Neil has been an active trade unionist all his
working life, joining the GMWU as a teenager
in the north east of England before making his
way to Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Region
following a short stint at National Office.
Neil joined our Region as legal officer in
1994. He was elected as an organiser soon
afterwards, and had responsibility for some
of the biggest employers in the Region such
as Leeds City Council and Asda.
In 2000 Neil was appointed senior organiser
and has been responsible for each section of
the union at some stage. Prior to his
appointment, Neil led the public services
section and built a reputation as a tough
negotiator. He led GMB’s massive equal pay
campaign, which saw the recovery of over £15
million pounds in compensation for GMB
women members in the Region.
Neil was an influential part of the National
Organising Team and is credited with driving
GMB’s growth in the Region, alongside Tim
Roache. Membership has leapt from 55,000
to 64,000 in eight years. He is a lifelong Labour
Party member.
Neil lives in York, is married to Tracy and
has three daughters, a son and a stepson. He’s
a Newcastle United fan.
recognised
at IPL!
And our new reps
are getting the
thumbs-up, too
GMB has been recognised at International
Procurement & Logistics (IPL), a company
with sites in both Normanton and
Ackton in West Yorkshire.
BECOME
Our newly appointed reps in
A GM
the company have been busily
HEALTHB
getting to grips with their roles
SAFETY &
since recognition. In the photo
REP
WWW.G
MB.ORG
.UK
you can see (from left to right):
Emma Bew from GMB’s Learning
for Work project team and reps
Michael Clegg, James Milner and Julia Steel.
The group has set up meetings with managers
to discuss issues that affect GMB members, as
well as working their way through GMB’s
educational programme for new reps.
GMB sends a message of support to all
the reps and members at IPL. Well done on
gaining recognition!
Old-school
FORUM
Calling all school support staff!
Do you work in a school? If so, why not
become a GMB representative and join
our regional schools forum?
The forum brings together school-based
reps from across the Region so they can
network regularly and discuss issues that
affect them at work. It’s a great way to find
out what’s going on in the Region and to
SCHOOL FORUM MEETS
Rachel Harrison
Avril Chambers, national officer, with
forum meeting.
staff
ort
supp
ol
and Tim Roache at a scho
kick-start campaigns such as the Asbestos
In Schools register.
School support staff are facing many
challenges with increased workloads, a rise
in violence in schools, the government’s
academisation programme and decreasing
pay – to name a few. Now is the time to stand
together and fight the oncoming attacks.
DAY!
JOIN TO
contact Rachel
To get involved
r for
Harrison, lead organise
77
77
7
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