13. Migrant workers taking action
From member to organiser
Taking that step changed her outlook. She began to communicate with management via email so that there was a record of the way they spoke to her; it had always been harsh and condescending in the past.“ Ever since I joined as an Active Member, I gained that confidence. I gained confidence and I’ m not scared as much, in what I’ m doing. I started to speak to colleagues, and they started coming to me with their problems. Now they see me as someone who can help. That makes me proud.”
She began recruiting members, having conversations about their shared challenges and encouraging her coworkers to see union membership as a way to speak out together. Membership grew from 40 to 200 in her branch.“ I got the majority of my colleagues into UNISON. I’ m trying to give them that reassurance that they are in safe hands and they shouldn’ t be scared of anything.”
Participating in the‘ fair visa’ campaign
Omotola has also thrown herself into UNISON’ s campaign for fairer visa rules.“ I’ ve written to my MP and asked her to meet with me – she hasn’ t yet, but I’ m not giving up. And I’ ll be on that bus to Parliament in December. We can fight together for respect, fair wages, and justice for all care workers.”
At UNISON conference, she made a speech raising awareness of care workers’ exploitation. She mentioned her:
Anger:“ We’ re working 12-hour shifts and only getting paid for nine. There is no transparency in how our travel pay is worked out. We’ re being threatened with having our visas taken away if we speak out or get sick. We’ re being worked to exhaustion, risking our health and safety, just to survive.”
Hope:“ But things are changing – because we are organising. In just three months, we’ ve grown from 40 to 200 migrant workers who are actively organising in our workplaces. We’ re unionising, demanding dignity, and no longer holding our tongues. We’ re showing that when we act together, we win.”
Action:“ This is where you come in. Get in touch with migrant care workers in your branches. Invite them in. Urge them to get active and organise. Write to your MP. Hold local councils and employers to account. Mobilise with us for the lobby in Parliament at the end of the year [ 2025 ]. Be there. Bring others. Because when we move together – from anger, through hope, into action – we become unstoppable.”
LRD • Supporting migrant workers 77