National Delegates Conference 2022

This was my first time at any sort of conference and I was a little anxious as I didn't know who would be there. I need not have worried - everyone was helpful, friendly and easy to talk to. 

I thought I would not feel confident to vote on motions but after reading all the motions before hand and listening to debates I felt confident my vote was informed and honest. I felt my colleagues from WM Communities listened to my point of view as I listened to theirs and I think my opinion may have helped to clarify things for others.

The week was very exhausting for me. I am disabled and do have fatigue issues but was able to attend every day. I was able to spend time outside the conference hall if I felt the need and there were a lot of stalls where I could find info on different humanitarian issues around the world. 

I was told by others who had attended conference before that this year was lively and quite extraordinary. I hope to attend more conferences and stand up to speak if I feel my opinions need to be heard. First time speakers were very well received.

I left Brighton with a renewed energy to fight for mine and my colleagues rights in the workplace. An experience I relished, I hope others will take the plunge and attend.

Well, what an experience! Having previously attended NDC and witnessed some controversy over motions that have been denied being referred back and forth to Standing Orders Committee which to coin a term became a bit like a ‘three ring circus’ the events of this conference beat those hands down.

I have never experienced such bad behaviour from delegates from the floor and the gallery and I have the utmost respect for those presiding over the sessions in particular Andrea Egan who is now our new president but conducted sessions as a vice president.

Her conduct during several difficult sessions was exemplary.

It all started on Day 1 with many delegates from Northern Ireland wearing bright red t-shirts with the logo ‘not in my name’. This was in reference to the motions that were to be debated on Day 1 concerning members dissatisfaction with the conduct of the NEC in undermining our General Secretary and the election of the previous president. There were other regions that also felt strongly about this including Wales and I observed that the West Midlands delegates appeared to be split in their allegiances and saw this in other regions also. The outcome after a card vote (the results of which were declared on Tuesday) was a vote of no confidence in the NEC. They were asked to make a statement about this and this was finally delivered on  Friday PM and received very badly by many delegates who then chose to stage a walk out.

One group of delegates who need special mention are the young members who conducted themselves magnificently and contributed to many motions that were discussed. It was therefore very fitting that after the re-prioritisation of motions for the Friday pm session it was their motion that was overwhelmingly voted by all delegates to be heard first. The motion was Motion 24 Young Workers, Burnout and the Right to Disconnect. The Negative Impact of Remote Digital Work on Young Members Well Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Many young members spoke for the motion with passion and we heard some horrendous stories regarding the impact on them. Needless to say the motion was carried unanimously.

A highlight for me was the first session of Friday when we were connected live to Shaka Hislop in America to talk about the campaign Show Racism the Red Card. His main message was the need to educate our children from an early age.

Despite the roller coaster ride that conference was this year it was most enjoyable.

"I attended conference for the first time and the whole experience was very enjoyable and I felt very welcome. It was really useful that as a young member I was able to join a whatsapp group with other young members so we could keep in touch and organise events and socials throughout conference. The days were busy with conference sitting in the day, fringe events at lunch and dinner, along with more social events in the evening. There was a diverse range of topics that were discussed and something for people's interests. Overall, it was a great experience and I would definitely go back!"

The conference was very educational, especially regarding the National Executive committee which represents various regions and service groups and how rules and motions are agreed upon.  At this particular conference, there had been a vote on non-confidence and I was astounded at how some people behaved towards the members of the NEC, which a statement was released on Friday afternoon following controversial debates. Such behaviour was jeering, heckling, and booing and some people were saying, ‘Off, off, off.’ I felt for some of the members who had the courage to stand up and speak and were treated in a disrespectful manner. It was one of the tensest conferences I had attended and was glad to see that our branch was accepting of each other’s opinions. One member of the NEC attended after 15 people had made complaints about his conduct and it became evident that there was a lot of internal politics involved, which triggered the behaviour of some people. Following the conference, this resulted in re-election taking place, which resulted in the vice president becoming president (Andrea Egan) and two new vice presidents (Libby Nolan and Amerit Rait).  

Despite the controversial parts of the conference, the conference was also enjoyable and it highlighted gaps in issues that have been in the media over the last few months, such as misogyny and how this should be incorporated into the Equality Act; it was perceived that the Tory government could not be approached due to their recent inappropriate ways in parliament.  Furthermore, there needs to be a consistent definition of bullying for employers as this makes it difficult to define. This has been an ongoing debate by researchers as it is very challenging to define a consistent definition.