Welcome to our FIRST Edition of enews
Paul McCarthy GMB Regional Secretary
Welcome to the first edition of our new magazine .
We haven ’ t got a name for it yet , but we thought that you the , GMB member or activist , may have some ideas about what to call it . Over the years we have had a number of magazines with various names such as Coastlines and Fusion , but this time we are looking for a name that reflects the work we do for our members in the workplace , communities and in the fight for justice .
We are therefore having a competition to decide on
the name of our magazine and the winner ( who will be decided by our Regional Committee ) will receive a brand new Samsung Tablet . If you would like to enter this competition please send your suggestion to : info @ gmbnorthwest . co . uk .
If we have 2 people with the same winning entry the first one received will win the prize .
Each edition of the magazine will include updates on issues of interest to members , as well as information and advice on a wide range of matters . If you have a story you would like to include or if there is something you would like us to look into and report on it in the magazine then let us know at the same Email address above .
In this first edition we report the recent naming ceremony held at regional office to dedicate our Education Suite to my old mate and Regional President Dougie Henry . Now in his eighties , Dougie is still an active Branch Secretary and is still out there representing and giving advice to members across the region . He is still as passionate and dedicated as he ’ s always been and shows little signs of slowing down .
Dougie ’ s been on training courses himself over the years and was also a training officer with the TA . He likes to pass on the knowledge and experience he has and always attends the last day of new stewards ’ induction courses in what ’ s now called ‘ The Dougie Henry Education Suite ’, where he listens to all the presentations and gives talks about the importance of working in a safe environment and the power that Unions have . He also chairs and speaks at NW & I conferences and still serves as a branch officer representing members .
Dougie was told a while ago about the decision of our regional committee to name the education suite after him and recently joked that if we didn ’ t hurry up it would be a posthumous ceremony . What he didn ’ t know is that we were waiting to bring over his grandson Darren , wife Sylviane and great granddaughter Marie from France to attend the ceremony and surprise him . Congratulations Dougie , well deserved . In this edition we also highlight the on-going campaign for justice for the Cammell Laird ’ s 37 with a link to the video produced by GMB which tells the story of the battle for jobs , livelihoods and communities fought on the Mersey in 1984 . It ’ s the story of a 10 month strike ; of socialism born of the head and heart ; and of 37 young men who dared to stand up against the power of the state and all that it had to throw at them . They went on strike together ; they stood side by side in struggle , endured unjust jail sentences , and emerged unbroken and unrepentant .
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