Mark Ferguson, from UNISON Renfrewshire branch has been elected convener of UNISON Scotland which is the highest lay position in Scotland’s biggest union.
Frances Pollock from Glasgow and Clyde Health and CVS branch has been elected as deputy convener and Steven Larkin from East Renfrewshire branch has been elected UNISON Scotland’s treasurer.
Scottish conveners and treasurers chair regional council and regional committee meetings, and they support branches to become stronger, more effective and active.
Commenting on his election to the top lay position in UNISON Scotland, Mark Ferguson said: “I am so grateful to everyone who voted for me and I am delighted to have such a great team to work with. I speak on behalf of all of us when I say what a great honour it is to be elected convenor of UNISON Scotland.
UNISON members do vital jobs for families and communities across Scotland. Our new team will do our absolute best to make sure our members voices are heard, in all their diversity from right across Scotland.
We have a lot of work to do, our public services are undervalued and under threat. We have an NHS staffing crisis, social care in need of radical reform, local government is under threat, significant parts of our education system are struggling, we are seeing cuts in our police service and Scottish Water and others were forced to take industrial action last year.
My promise to all public services workers is that our new team will work hard make sure your contirbution is valued and you get the improvements you need to provide vital services to communities.”
Mark Ferguson was chair of UNISON Scotland’s local government committee and a lead negotiator in last year’s school strikes. He takes over from Lilian Macer who was UNISON Scotland convener for over a decade. UNISON is the public services union and the largest union in Scotland.
