MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

Trade union managers
Bob Abberley, Assistant General Secretary (ex COHSE)
Valerie Broom, Regional Secretary West Midlands (ex NALGO)
Lucie Hyndley, Communications Officer (ex COHSE)
Karen Jennings, National Officer (ex COHSE)
Mike Jeram, National Officer (ex NALGO)
Maggie Jones, Head of Policy and Public Affairs (ex NUPE)
Dave Prentis, General Secretary (ex NALGO)
Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary (ex NALGO)
Keith Sonnet, Deputy General Secretary (ex NALGO)
Steve Tasker, Finance Officer (ex NALGO)
Allan Taylor, Assistant General Secretary (ex NUPE)
Liane Venner, Head of Services to Members (ex NUPE)
Malcolm Wing, National Secretary (ex NUPE)
Nick Wright, Regional Secretary East Midlands (ex NUPE)
Trade Union Managers
8.8. All interviewees in UNISON accepted that they had a management
role. This stemmed right from the top in that the General Secretary
stated firmly:-
I see myself as the Chief Executive. I was talking this morning
to Frank Dobson about the Health Service and foundation
hospitals and the subject came round to management and I
pointed out that I managed 1500 staff and a budget of £120
million and a big part of the work that I do has got to go into
managing that organisation. I do see myself as Chief Executive
of the organisation as well as the external face of the union.
Acceptance could be enthusiastic:
Oh, very much so. Yes, I see myself as a manager and I take it
very seriously. My reputation stands or falls as a competent
officer on how well my team do and so I can't just go off and
make barnstorming speeches if I look behind and (my)
Department is a shambles and nobody knows what they're doing
and they're producing second rate work. So, first and foremost
I'm a manager and it's much more important in a sense that the
other 30 odd members of staff in this Department are performing
to the best of their abilities than that I am, in a sense.
(Interviewee J)
Very much so and particularly in the last couple of years
because, under D's General Secretaryship, he has tried very
hard to make Regional Secretaries part of the functioning of the
union, which had not happened before. (Interviewee K)
Several other managers pointed to the extent to which the General
Secretary was emphasising their managerial roles and asking for
structures to be set up which depended on their performing as
managers. But acceptance could be slightly surprised:-
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