A CANDIDATE for the leadership of a national trade union has visited energy and manufacturing workers in Rugby.
Gerard Coyne, who is campaigning to be General Secretary of the union Unite, visited the General Electric (GE) Power Conversion site on Wednesday (June 30) to meet with Unite representatives and GE site leads.
The lifelong trade unionist, who joined Unite over 35 years ago and was recently Unite Regional Secretary for the West Midlands, told workers he believed a green economy could help to unlock regional growth, domestic jobs, and new British manufacturing opportunities and apprenticeships across the UK in a bid to get to net zero emissions by 2050.
Speaking at the GE site, Mr Coyne said: ‘’My priority for Unite members is defending jobs, pay and conditions across the country.
“Clean growth, underpinned by a strong, skilled, UK manufacturing base is an opportunity for us all to grasp in a changing economy.
“The workers here at GE Rugby are a shining example of this – helping to connect more clean power to the grid, and to cut carbon quicker to benefit us all in the fight against global emissions.
“These jobs are the backbone of the local economy, and local community, offering skilled, well paid opportunities for local people of all ages.
“My priority is first to protect them – and then to replicate them across country as part of my plan for Real Change at Unite.
“Together we can harness and develop the existing skills and strengths of our best-in-class manufacturing workforce as part of a clean growth, and green skills, drive for Unite members across the country.’’
Mr Coyne’s plan for members at Unite is part of his ‘Manifesto for Real Change’ at Unite – which has been shaped hundreds of conversations with Union Reps and members as part of a virtual country-wide tour.
The race to be the next General Secretary of Unite will intensify in the coming months. Self-styled ‘change’ candidate Mr Coyne is up against two full-time senior serving officers at Unite in Steve Turner, backed by the Communist Party, and Sharon Graham, endorsed by the Socialist Workers Party.
Mr Coyne will be visiting several workplaces across the country – depending on Covid restrictions – in the coming weeks.
