Kelvin Imoloame doesn’t have the words to describe how happy he felt at being named Young Activist of the Year at UNISON Eastern’s One Weekend.
“Dumbfounded,” “delighted,” “humbled” and more are thrown into the mix, but he doesn’t feel any quite do justice to how much it means to him.
He’s only been a UNISON member for a couple of years, but has already made a splash in his branch, the region and even at national levels of the union.
Kelvin joined shortly after coming to Britain from Nigeria. He answered the UK government’s “clarion call” to come and work in social care.
“But the first few months I was finding it difficult to settle in, I didn’t know my rights and I didn’t have the confidence to speak up,” he says.
Kelvin joined UNISON, having seen the support the union gives migrant workers, and hasn’t looked back.
Not one to pay his subs and take a back seat, he quickly got involved.
“I was made to feel welcome straight away, especially as UNISON was celebrating Year of Black Workers. I went to young members conference and it was eye-opening. It felt great to be part of something bigger.”
Coming back, Kelvin threw himself into activity, becoming his branch’s young members officer, a steward, a health and safety rep, getting involved in the Black members group and more. He went along to the new regional social care forum and was one of two member from Eastern elected onto the national committee. Once there he was elected vice-chair.
“There’s lots of things in social care that need fixing,” explains Kelvin. “We’re perceived as unskilled, like we don’t matter.”
“It’s especially bad for migrants workers, and a lot of migrant workers in social care face heavy discrimination as shown in the union’s migrant care workers survey.
“I am particularly lucky to be working for a very good employer who respects and value me, but not everyone has been that fortunate.
“Society can be better than this, we need a positive narrative about care workers that shows we matter despite the poor pay. We are helping in a broken system.”
That drive has led him to help pioneer the new UNISON young Black members network and support efforts to launch special networks for young workers in other self-organised groups.
All this work was recognised by the One Weekend judges.
“I was shocked when Tim [Roberts, regional secretary] was reading out the winner. As he was speaking it gradually dawned on me he was talking about me.
“It’s not just about me though. I wrote to my branch after and made it clear it’s for everyone that’s supported me to have a voice, from the branch, region and national officers.”
The joy of the award was made sweeter as it came at the end of a particularly tough week. The government had just published its immigration white paper, outlining harsher restrictions on people coming to Britain and even those already living and working here.
“I was questioning if I’d made the right decision coming. People have made a life-changing decision to be here, to help and now we are being told we’re not wanted. I’ve had sleepless nights with the stress and been shouted at in the street to ‘get out’.
“This is heartbreaking and feels like a betrayal, and I hope the government has a change of heart about the possible initiation of a retrospective policy particularly around doubling the time required for settlement and citizenship,” he says.
“And through it all we’re carrying on doing our jobs, doing our best. Migrant workers contribute to the country economically as anyone else.
“I am very thankful to God, to all UNISON colleagues who nominated me for this award in recognition of my contributions to the union and wider society. Finally, I am appreciative of my wife for her continued support as we walk this path together.”
