We meet Claire Wormald, chair of the the regional education and training committee and branch secretary of Southend on Sea Borough Council UNISON, on full-time release from her role as a youth worker.
“Youth workers in short are educators,” says Claire, “encouraging critical thinking to challenge the myths sold by the ruling class, such as sexism racism and the idea that the ‘status quo’ is good.
“It was a natural route for me to become involved in the Eastern region education and training committee.”
For Claire, the whole labour movement was “build on education.” Not merely just lessons and workshops but “being involved in movements, in actions of solidarity.”
This is reflected in one of the labour movement’s earliest and longest enduring slogans: “Educate! Agitate! Organise!” explains Claire.
The slogan was first used by the Democratic Federation, later Social Democratic Federation, which was Britain’s first socialist party and counted William Morris and Eleanor Marx among its members.
Claire says: “It’s still relevant today, as we still need to inspire confidence and a critical consciousness in our members, we need to be able to solve problems and organise collectively if we are going to defeat the onslaught of attacks by one of the most right-wing governments we have ever seen.
“Recruitment peaks most when we are seen to be organising and fighting back locally or nationally through campaigns or strikes, but the next peak is through the training activities and events which help build our confidence in these struggles.”
And there are plenty of ways to put education at the heart of your branch, from asking striking workers to speak to organising an International Women’s Day event — “or last but not least signing activists up to events like the ONE UNISON Weekend in May.”
And Claire wants you to get involved too: “Consider joining our committee and help us educate, agitate and organise or let us know what you think this regional training agenda should look like!”