Young members network GMB trade union

Young Members Summit to set out the 2015-16 agenda for the Young Members’ Network. The GMB Young Members Network is a membership led democratic body that works to bring young GMB members together

6 February 2016

On the 14th and 15th November, GMB Young Members from all nine regions came together in Manchester for the annual Young Members Summit to set out the 2015-16 agenda for the Young Members’ Network. The GMB Young Members Network is a membership led democratic body that works to bring young GMB members together, making their voices heard in the union and in society by campaigning on issues affecting young people at work. 

"Attending the GMB Young Members summit over in Manchester was an exciting experience, that I’ll never forget. The passion and dedication for GMB was electric and everyone there wanted a change which was easy to see from a new delegate. I enjoyed the workshops especially the Policies Workshop and the talk from Andy Hodder. Being elected for communications officer was an opportunity I didn’t think I’d get whilst at summit; however, I’m very optimistic for the year ahead and getting the voice of young people heard nationally." - Ruth Pitchford, North West & Irish Region delegate

Over the two-day summit delegates got stuck into policy workshops, voting on motions and listening to guest speakers talk on issues such as campaigns strategies and generating active young membership in trade unions, delivered by Dr Andy Hodder of the University of Birmingham. GMB motions passed for the upcoming TUC Young Workers Conference included better support at work for young people suffering from mental health issues and a motion to abolish national minimum wage pay differentials. Delegates also passed motions on what campaigns the Young Members Network will work on for the year ahead. These included campaigns to increase protections for the self-employed, to work with the union to create a new GMB ‘Future Union Leaders’ Academy and to campaign against detrimental changes to housing benefit, tax credits and other benefits that many young people rely on.

Delegates also elected their new committee to carry through the network’s agenda decided by delegates for the upcoming year. The election result was great news for the North West & Irish Region as two of our delegates, Ross Holden and Ruth Pitchford, were elected as Communications Officers. Communications Officers are responsible for publicising and helping to organise campaigns as well as building internal communications to bring more young members together and develop an active campaigning network.

For more information on what happened at the GMB Young Members Summit in Manchester,

please email GMB Young Members Network Secretary Beccie Ions (beccie.ions@gmail.com) or

Communications Officers Ross Holden (ross_holden@hotmail.co.uk) and Ruth Pitchford (ruthpitchford@virginmedia.com). 

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