Darren Barber, branch secretary at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk and regional convenor for UNISON Eastern, was honoured with the TUC organising award.
When he started at the hospital, union membership was at an all-time low. But now, membership has grown from 365 to 810 and the number of active UNISON stewards from two to 14.
He said getting the TUC award was “absolutely huge … I can’t put it into words how happy and privileged I am to win this award.”
Darren has been a UNISON rep for around nine years in the NHS – a world where cuts mean a “very pressurised” environment.
Nominating him for the award, UNISON noted said his work means the union “is now an active and dynamic force within the hospital, providing a wide range of organising support and opportunities for members and staff.”
He is particularly proud of the work he did with the trust to get it out of special measures, benefitting both health workers and patients.
“One of the biggest reasons, more than anything, why everyone should be in a union – it doesn’t matter what workplace you’re in” he adds, “if we’re one voice we can get rid of austerity.”
