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Bob has been a union member since he joined Local Government way back in 1977, when he was but a lad. He became a NALGO steward in 1981, and Grampian Branch Vice-Chair in 1984. He took on the Branch Secretary post a year later. He tells us he was reluctant to take up this post and that his intention was only to do it for a few years...... 25 years later and the rest is, of course, history! And a very considerable history it is too. Bob has been an excellent Branch Secretary over this time, both in the Grampian Region Branch, and following Local Government reorganisation in 1995, with the Aberdeenshire Branch. Much of the work he has done in both his negotiating role and his representation of members has gone unsung, but he has been very successful in protecting members' jobs, terms and conditions at a local level in both these roles. He is well respected by council officials and elected members for his work on behalf of members and that has been to the benefit of us all. As well as his Branch work, Bob has also been active at a Scottish level and up to last year had been a member of Scottish Committee and Scottish Local Government Committee, having been elected to both committees every year since 1985. In 1988 Bob was elected on to NALGO's National Executive Council, the ruling body of the union. I was at his first National Delegate Conference as an NEC member and I can remember how proud we all were of Bob as he took on this role. He remained an NEC member till 1995, seeing the union through the merger with NUPE and COHSE to become UNISON. Bob became the Vice-Chair of the Scottish Local Government Committee and for many years was one of the lead UNISON negotiators on the staff side for local government in Scotland.
In 2008 Bob was given the opportunity to give in completely to
the anorak within, when he was elected as Scottish representative
onto the National Standing Orders Committee(SOC). He took to this
role like a duck to water, showing a hitherto unrecognised skill
for reading lengthy motions then ruling them out of order. He
became, in all seriousness, a respected member of the SOC and
did Scotland proud in this role. Like Robin Hunter before him,
he will be a hard act to follow. Bob has decided to take early retirement from Aberdeenshire Council and from his Branch Secretary role as a result of ill-health over the past few years. I know that this was not an easy decision for Bob to take and he will be very sorely missed by all those who have worked with him at branch, Scottish and national level. We would all like to wish Bob all the very best in his retirement from the branch. Enjoy it Bob, you deserve it! Kate Ramsden, Branch Chair Below are some of the comments received from Bob's friends and colleagues - branch activists and staff who have worked with him over recent years.
"Personally I’ll miss Bob’s great sense of humour, all his funny stories, and tales from Conference, etc. From a work point of view, I’ll miss not being able to pick up the phone & say ‘Bob – can I pick your brains’ – he has a wealth of knowledge and will be a big miss." Sandra Craib, Assistant Administrator, UNISON Resource Centre
More tributes to follow |
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"Bob
has been a fantastic branch secretary to work with. He is a great
listener and has given me a lot of support. I will miss him, his
advice and his encouragement very much." Susan
Kennedy, Branch Equalities Officer and steward 
“I
have always found Bob to be friendly, knowledgeable, trustworthy,
wise and great company. I will really miss him in the Aberdeen
office.” Emma Phillips, Regional Organiser
"Bob
has taught me a great deal about the trade union movement and
how to address situations. Without his guidance and assistance
I don't believe I would have been in the position that I now find
myself in." Inez Teece, Assistant Branch Secretary
who will take over the Branch Secretary post when Bob retires
"Bob
is the only person I know who can scribble a few words on a piece
of paper and talk for half an hour." Ian McDonald,
Branch Treasurer and Education Officer
"Bob
is one of the good guys. The amount of times I’ve asked him if
he’s got time for a chat and he’s never ever said no. His door
is always open and his advice is always sound. I’m also going
to miss his humour and quick wit. Yup, it’s not going to be the
same around here without him." Lynne Duncan, Organising
Assistant