My name is Vikki Garatty I am 22 years old and I am a UNISON activist.

I started working for RMBC back in 2008 for C&YPS. I loved my job and the work that I was doing was very rewarding.  Unfortunately I became quite ill while in this post and was put through a disciplinary sickness meeting. I was already a member of UNISON. I have always appreciated and respected what unions stand for and how they give a voice to working people who sometime struggle to be heard. As a child I was always involved with my parents and grandparents in our local community union.

After my disciplinary meeting the steward that represented me and resolved my issue asked me if I have ever thought about become a UNISON Steward. I asked him what would be involved.  He told me that it was up to me how much I wanted to do. I could just be a workplace contact for people to contact and discuss issues or I could develop the role into much more.

I decided to take on the role. From then on I have never looked back!
UNISON has provided links to many opportunities that I never dreamt of. From confidence building courses, representing members in disciplinary meetings, to being selected to represent UNISONs Young Members on the TUC-organised “Young Trade Unionists May Day Brigade in Cuba”!

I enjoy all the work I do with UNISON. I have made friends for life and learnt more than I would ever have thought possible. I have the opportunity as a young person working for my local authority to bring into discussions matters of concern for young people on current issues and campaigns such as:

• Adult rights at 16                 

UNISON supports the campaign to reduce the voting age to 16. After all, you can pay taxes, sign up for military service and get married – so why can’t you be trusted with a vote? UNISON is working with the Votes@16 (www.votesat16.org.uk) campaign on this. We've already seen some success in persuading the Labour Party to support a reduction in the voting age to 16 and it has lowered its minimum joining age to 14. But UNISON believes that simply winning the vote would mean a serious anomaly if 16 year olds were not accorded full adult rights as well.

• Pay NOT Poverty!

Through our Pay Not Poverty campaign UNISON is continuing to campaign for the abolition of the system of student bursaries and replace it with a living wage that enables all nursing and midwifery students to study free from hardship and gives them the full protection of present day employment rights.

• Student Fees!

UNISON has been at the forefront of the campaign on student tuition fees. We have been a key sponsor of the National Union of Students (www.nusonline.co.uk) campaign against student hardship, which has involved several mass demonstrations in central London. We continue to campaign with the NUS and support Coalition 2010 which campaigns to oppose the creation of markets in education, variable tuition fees and the removal of the £3000 cap on fees. We believe that the serious levels of debt students face acts as a massive deterrent to students from less well off backgrounds wishing to go on to higher education.

• Pensions

UNISON is currently campaigning on the cuts that the Coalition Government are trying to implement on the current Local Government & NHS Pension Schemes. The current government are saying that the current local government and NHS Pensions are “Unaffordable” and the press are making out they are “Gold Plated”. This is NOT true.

I am involved on this campaign as it may be a long time away before I look at taking my pension but as been part of the younger generation of Local Government workers I will be affect mostly. These changes will mean we will be paying more in pension contributions (which won’t actually be added to our pensions in the long run, as this will now be taken from us in TAX). Working for longer, and the pensions will no longer go up in line with the true cost of living (the retail price index).

In Rotherham Local Authority we have had our fare share of cuts.... Rotherham Council and my UNISON Branch have had many meeting negotiating for the best outcome for members during the hard time we have been made to suffer due to the Coalition government making big cuts to budgets. This has prevented the large numbers of compulsory redundancies that you will have seen advertised in neighbouring council’s.

WARNING: Just to let all you FACEBOOK fans out there know Rotherham council has recently issued a policy on Facebook usage sing council equipment and in work time. As we all know Facebook is one of the fastest ways to keep in contact with all your friends, family or just share what’s on your mind. You may have read recently that some people have been disciplined due to remarks that have been written on Facebook about colleagues and the council. PLEASE DO NOT post anything about the council or any workers/colleagues on your Facebook pages it is a disciplinary offence as this is “Cyber bullying”  Also try to resist the urge to check your Facebook in work hours... as hard as it may be.

I feel that as a UNISON Activist I can do my part in making a difference in people’s lives, from helping them with workplace issues to campaigning for their rights as employees. In making these differences I know I am helping shape the working lives of many workers into a happier, healthier environment and hopefully this will continue for future generations.

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon. If you would like to become a member of UNSION or would like to know more about being a Young Member in UNISON email me on unison@rotherham.gov.uk and mark your email for my attention.

Vikki Garratty
Young UNISON Member