National executive council elections – use your vote!

What are the NEC Elections?

The elections for the union’s national executive council (NEC) are taking place between Monday 21st April and Wednesday 21st May to decide who represents the union for the next two years. 

The NEC is made up of representatives elected from all of UNISON’s regions and service groups, with some seats reserved for women and low-paid members, as well as seats for Black representatives, two young representatives and two disabled representatives. This ensures that the make-up of the NEC fairly represents all members.

Why should I vote?

The NEC has the power to act on behalf of the union and is responsible for implementing UNISON policy and delivering on the union’s objectives and priorities, so it’s really important for you to use your vote for candidates who represent your values and concerns, and how you want to see the union move forward.

How do I vote?

• By free post: The NEC elections take place via a postal vote. You will receive a ballot paper with a prepaid envelope to return your vote- keep an eye out for it in the post and return as soon as you can.
• How votes are counted: Votes are checked and counted by an independent scrutineer to ensure that the ballot is fair.
• Results: The results of the elections will be announced on Wednesday 11th June.

Where do I find more information on candidates?

More information about this year’s elections and a full list of candidates in both contested and uncontested seats can be found here: NEC Election 2025 | UNISON National

Our branch nominations

As part of the process, we as a branch had a discussion in February about the candidates we are all eligible to vote for. Nomination in this case just means the committee found the platforms of these candidates inspiring and engaging, and the support of the branch will be listed on the election materials for these candidates.

It is your decision who you vote for in these important elections.

Who we nominated in the NEC elections as a branch

The sheer number of different seats you have a vote for in the NEC elections can be a bit overwhelming. We decided to “nominate” the below candidates:

• West Midlands regional seats – Mike Moore (General), Caroline Johnson (Female), Lisa Bland (Female) & Eve Miller (Reserved)
• Higher education – Kath Owen (Female) & Jo Tapper (General)
• Black members – April Ashley (Female), Antonia Bright (Female), Amerit Rait (General) & Julia Mwaluke (Reserved)
• Disabled members – Tara Thomas (General) & Ellie Waple (Female)
• Young members – Kameron Spence (General) & Natasha Bednall (Female)

Why we nominated these candidates as a branch

The following specific principles particularly impressed us:

• Power to members and branches: All candidates believe in putting power in the hands of branches and grassroots members.
• Power of collective action: They believe that collective action and organising in our branches is how we will improve things for members, not simply providing services on an individual basis.
• Challenging the Labour government: They believe that we need to be able to openly and robustly challenge the Labour government – not give it a blank cheque and accept austerity as inevitable.
• Improvement of legal services: They believe that UNISON’s legal services need to be reviewed and improved to make sure that branches and members can access legal advice when they need it as promptly as possible.