My name is Josie Irwin. I’m delighted to be your new General Secretary. I’d like to pay tribute to Sally Tsoukaris for her leadership, particularly her work to address the treatment of civil service pensioners by Capita. Sally has also been very helpful preparing me for my new role. Best wishes for a long and happy retirement.
Everyone at work should be able to look forward to a decent retirement. Civil servants who have devoted their working lives to public service should be paid the pensions they have saved. But too many of today’s pensioners face financial insecurity, healthcare burdens and social isolation. And debate about intergenerational fairness feels weighted against older people, often unjustly stereotyped as leading lives of luxury while their children struggle.
I am excited to bring to my new job many years’ experience on behalf of public services staff. I was the chief negotiator for the Royal College of Nursing for over 25
years and led national pay negotiations as Staff Side Secretary of the NHS Staff Council for 14 NHS trade unions, 2004 to 2018.
More recently, I was National Women’s Officer for Unison, and from 2022 Head of the union’s Equality Unit. My job was to ensure equality remained central to Unison’s operations, and to drive up participation of disadvantaged groups in the union. I have also been responsible for encouraging Unison’s services staff. I was the chief negotiator for the Royal College of Nursing for over 25 years and led national 170,000 retired members to take part in union campaigns.
I am proud of campaigns on the winter fuel allowance, personal independence payments, maternity rights and sexual harassment, and of increasing the number of retired members involved in the union.
Outside work, I have experience as a London borough councillor and as a charity and pension fund trustee. I am a keen walker, enjoy yoga and opera and am a longstanding member of Chelsea Football Club.
I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months.