Kerry Baigent is taking over as regional secretary of UNISON in the east of England, the union announces today.
She is swapping roles with Tim Roberts, who moves to become regional secretary in the union’s South West region.
Kerry joined UNISON in 2014, working in Devon. But before that she was based in the east of England and active in the Fire Brigades Union.
She was the first female firefighter at Cambridge station and led the FBU branch there in 1994, guiding the Cambridgeshire through national strikes in 2002/3 and 2014.
In the South West, she’s overseen a sharp rise in membership, as well as a major victory against NHS outsourcing in Dorset, and fair pay wins for teaching assistants and healthcare assistants.
Commenting on her appointment as UNISON Eastern regional secretary, Kerry Baigent said: “It’s a real honour to have been appointed to lead the biggest trade union in the east of England.
“Public services are the motor of our economy, but all too often the staff running them get a raw deal after years of underfunding and underinvestment.
“It’s essential workers stand together to ensure they’re properly supported to keep delivering the vital services they provide.”