Elizabeth Plazalska
Trade unions have their high profile general secretaries,
their charismatic presidents and their forceful strike leaders.
They also have their largely unsung organisers, who keep things
going for the individual card-carrying union members.
One of these people was Elizabeth Plazalska (Lizzie Ross),
who worked for UNISON and its predecessor NALGO for almost
25 years organising the branches in the greater Glasgow local
government.
She was branch administrator for the largest branch in the
United Kingdom, Strathclyde with 25,000 members, dealing with
recruitment and organising, the individual members issues
as well as providing the organisational platform for the erratic
ministrations of elected leaders from the six county councils
which made up the region. Similar challenges she addressed
in the UNISON merger of 1993, bringing together three branches
of three unions.
Lay leaders of trade unions come and go, but there are always
the membership records to maintain for the strike ballot,
the demonstration to organise for the pensions strike, the
equal pay claims, the elections to organise, members reorganised
into different employers, departments and sections.
Throughout all that over the last twenty years and more was
one constant, Lizzie. And when that branch meeting was over,
after everyone had had their say, at least once or twice,
the minute had to be written and the action list drawn up.
That is when Lizzie would say, 'Right, this is what really
needs doing'.
The commitment, application and sincerity with which she
tackled the work, the sensitivity and tact in dealing with
thousands of trade union members, together with the sometimes
robust style in dealing with determined activists, earned
her the respect of current and retired members.
Lizzie will be greatly missed by colleagues and her many,
many friends. Her lifelong work with the public service trade
union movement will be remembered and the suddenness of Lizzie's
diagnosis and passing has shocked us all and left a huge gap
in our organisation and in our hearts.
Lizzie is survived by her husband Raymond and daughter Chloe
and the thoughts of the UNISON family are with them.
Mike Kirby
Convener UNISON Scotland
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