Our visit to Congress 2009
We are what is called ‘non active’ members of GMB and we were
invited by George and Brenda Fraser – who are ‘very active’ members
to attend the GMB Congress 2009 which was held this year in the
Winter Gardens at Blackpool in May. We have been asked to give an
account of the conference and what we got from it. On a personal
note you need to know were both 60+ and retired. Eddie worked in
industry as an engineer and I was a school secretary for 25 years.
We went to the conference not knowing what to expect, Eddie is
totally blind and this was a whole new enjoyable experience for
him. Everything was explained as to what was going on if not by me,
then by our ‘personal minder’ the lovely Edna or in fact anyone who
happened to be close by. We have never been to a conference before
so to be invited to take part in such a large and important
conference as the GMB would be something new and exciting for both
of us. We have listened with interest to reports on the radio and
television on various conferences and we wondered how the real
thing would live up to the media output. The answer to this came
after five days of debating that is it has absolutely no comparison
at all. The subjects debated were many, varied and extremely
interesting. The speakers spoke admirably including the new
delegates. Writing a speech to be completed in the time allocated
for debate and put your point has to be extremely hard.
The Opening Ceremony was
impressive. Congress was opened by our President Mary Turner. This
was out first meeting with this lady she gave a wonderful opening
speech saying “The world had changed since the last GMB Congress
held in Blackpool in 2006, but the GMB has not changed; we still
fight for fairness and justice for workers”. She has left a lasting
impression on us she injected humor, understanding and complete
professionalism into everything she did. She put new delegates at
their ease. Being a first time speaker at such a large conference
must be very daunting, standing on that rostra looking out at
hundreds of faces who are just waiting to hear what you have to say
must very, very nerve racking. What a surprise when the conference
was joined by dozens of children who had won poster healthy eating
competition run by North Western & Irish. The children had won
monetary and other prizes. The prizes were extremely generous and
were doubled the GMB; excellent, this came across to us as a caring
and generous act and who knows maybe these children will be GMB
members of the future! We could not mention all the motions
discussed they were many and varied all debated with passion and
clarity included Health & Safety, International motions,
Support of Gaza, Palestine, Burma and the Banks and Arms Trade.
Welfare Rights & Services which included the Campaign for
Statutory Volunteer’s Rights, Tax Allowance for Volunteer Work,
Racism and Fascism, Love Music, Hate Fascism, Unite against Fascism
Right to Work, Holiday Pay, Paternity Leave and many, many
more.
General Secretary, Paul
Kenny’s speech was very inspiring, especially when he spoke of the
‘greedy bankers and crooked politicians’ We like are Paul honest
and fair minded people and feel nothing but loathing and disgust
for these pariahs who have probably have gone a long way to put a
dent the Labour Parties challenge to win the next General
Election.
We were very taken with a
young lady who has her own radio programme on a Liverpool local
radio station known as ’The Cammel Laird Poet’ Laura Walsh gave and
impassioned rendition of three poems one of which was about the
Cammel Laird Martyrs she certainly had us all on the edge of our
seats. The DVD’s screened were excellent and to the point. The GMB
at work was very good and portrayed just that. We think probably
the participants should be in line for a BAFTA award especially
Barbara and George! Another surprise was the visit of Gordon Brown
our Prime Minister accompanied by his wife Sarah. We both thought
he acquitted himself quite well with his speech and his answers to
questions put by delegates. In the current climate where M.P’s are
claiming expenses far beyond what they should you can imagine he
was given a pretty hard time.
Social events in the
evenings comprised of a buffet dinner on the Saturday a formal
dinner on the Sunday, the Presidents Night on Tuesday and Karaoke
and sing-a-long on Wednesday were fantastic; we thoroughly enjoyed
each one. This gave us a chance to meet people from other regions
and to discuss in a lighter vain the debates of the day. The whole
five days was a tremendous learning for both of us, we took away
with us a new knowledge of caring and togetherness and the
solidarity to stand firm against the scourge of a Tory regime who
if they win the next General Election will impose unfair
restrictions against the working class people of the UK.
We send special thanks to
George and Brenda Fraser for inviting us to Congress. We left the
conference having enjoyed staying at a very comfortable hotel with
lovely food and with a feeling of now being part of the GMB family.
We rest happy in the knowledge that the GMB are out there fighting
for the rights for of the working population of the United Kingdom.
Keep up the good work.
Frances and Eddie Franklin,
Harpenden Hertfordshire