Carole Maleham

My name is Carole Maleham and was born and brought up in Rotherham.  I attended Coleridge Road Primary School and then Spurley Hey Secondary.  I have four daughters and 9 grandchildren.

I became involved in the Union when I first started working in 1983.  I got a job in civic catering at R.M.B.C. and found that women in the catering section hadn’t had a pay rise for five or six years.  The women were told that regular pay rises which the directly-employed council staff enjoyed didn’t apply to them because they had been transferred to a private contractor.  I challenged this and the women then asked me to be their shop steward.  I won the case, even getting them back pay.

Ironically, because I was employed as a ‘casual’ worker, I didn’t benefit from the increase, but my members were so grateful that they clubbed together to dress me from head to toe in a special outfit so I could attend a family wedding.

I was soon employed on a permanent contract and was nominated as branch secretary soon after UNISON was formed from the merger of NALGO/NUPE and COHSE.

I currently represent all the R.M.B.C. UNISON members in EDS/Chief Exec and Finance  and also attend the UNISON Regional Committee, UNISON Regional Council and the UNISON National Service Group.  I am also Chair of the UNISON National Joint Council.

  Val Broomhead  

  Ruth Askwith  

All Convenors can be contacted via the Branch Office Tel: 01709 376933