End of an era as Matt moves on

by Chris Bartter

Scottish Secretary, Matt Smith, who leaves UNISON at the end of 2010, has been the union’s leading figure in Scotland since merger in 1993.

Indeed he lists his primary achievement as the successful creation of the union and its development as the leading organisation for Scotland’s public services and those who deliver them.

However, a related and close-run second has been UNISON’s role in delivering the Scottish Parliament.

“The unions kept devolution alive,” he says, “when others walked away. And when the campaign returned, UNISON was crucial in resourcing it. In consequence we got a powerful Parliament, in charge of Scotland’s public services - a model we wanted.”

Engagement in the Scottish Parliament campaign also meant that UNISON’s role in Scottish civic society became widely recognised; far more so than is perhaps the case elsewhere in the UK. And UNISON used that engagement to promote public services.

“We recognised early on that Scotland was a nation of minorities.” says Matt. “So we broke new ground for trade unions, talking to a wide range of political parties and interest groups - including the Tories!”

The STUC reinforced this wider engagement, and Matt - who was a member of the General Council for 21 years, the organisation’s treasurer for 15 and President in 1999 - 2000, was key to developing this stakeholder role. He says work with civic society must continue to parallel work in the Parliament.

Matt was awarded an OBE for services to trade unionism in 2004. Matt’s background was always in the Labour movement and in public services. At 21 he was Scotland’s youngest councillor as a Labour member on Stevenston Town Council. He became a trainee district officer with Nalgo in 1973, returning to Scotland after a year in placements around the UK, and taking over responsibility for the twin challenges of the Glasgow District Branch and the union’s Health Service membership in 1976.

Two areas that remain key to the union today, and that he recalls with affection, even if they sometimes were reluctant to take his advice!

Despite Matt’s valiant attempts to rein in the Glasgow branch, he progressed in Nalgo, becoming its senior Scottish full-time official, and then UNISON’s first and (until now) only Scottish Secretary in 1993.

Matt is proud of the leading role UNISON takes in the fight for equality, and especially the fight against low pay. He views the union as instrumental in these campaigns, both in the TU movement and in wider society.

Its fight for a minimum wage is well-known. “The next step in that fight is the Campaign for a Living Wage.” he says.

“Low pay remains too low for too many. It is an abuse and now is the time to confront this.”

This commitment will no doubt inform one of his new roles, that of a (part-time) Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights, a new body created to make human rights central to Scottish life.

In addition he is a Commissioner on the Standards Commission setting good practice for Scottish Local Government and other public bodies. He will also continue as a member of the Employment Appeals Tribunals, and as a local JP, so it is clear that Matt will not be retiring in the normal sense of the word!

He says he wants to keep engaged with other bodies and to have something to do while his wife, Eileen, continues her job as a primary teacher. Both Matt and Eileen’s children, Gillian and Mark are working, so we can assume that the couple’s passion for travel will be indulged in during the school holidays!

UNISON in Scotland faces serious challenges, facing unfair and unnecessary ConDem public service cuts, but Matt says “Dave Prentis has already pointed out that trade unions don’t just exist for the good times. UNISON needs to stand up for members and potential members in the public services.

“We need to make sure we are relevant to them. I wish Mike well leading the organisation that I have spent my working life with.”

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