News

Unite’s Jim Kendall is to become the new President of UNI Europa Professionals and Managers following elections at the group’s annual conference in Nyon, Switzerland.

Kendall, who serves as Chair of Unite’s Finance and Legal section in the United Kingdom, will serve a three year term and replaces outgoing President Martin Jefflen of Unionen.

The Presidency vote rounded off a successful opening day at the UNI Europa P&M Conference, which included sessions on the Future World of Work as well as the upcoming UNI World Congress in Cape Town.

UNI Europa P&M Vice President, Sandra Vercammen, welcomed delegates by underlining the challenges that lie ahead for the inter-professional group. “We need to press the case for more unionised professionals and managers. Issues like pay, career path and job security of high-skilled and tech workers can only be addressed in a systematic and pro worker way by the trade unions,” she said.

“Since no-one has yet developed an iPhone app that can replace trade unions in the world of labour relations, organised unions have been, and will remain, the best option towards progress for all workers, including professionals and managers.”

UNI Global P&M Director Pav Akhtar said, “We must not be afraid to make the case that the high-tech workforce not only creates goods, services, and innovative processes that makes a wide range of workers more productive, high-tech workers are also an important source of income generation and economic growth during a difficult economic period for the EU.”

With December’s UNI World Congress in Cape Town edging ever closer, General Secretary Philip Jennings outlined the Congress theme of Including You.

“Including You is about community, it is about society, and it is about being who we are because of those around us and the collective decisions we make about workers in the world today.

“Including You speaks to the challenges facing contemporary society, economic and political life. We have seen that the application of neo-liberal thinking has been a car crash for our society and has led to record levels of inequality.”

“We have a European economy that is stuck. There is growing unemployment whilst investment has frozen,” he added.

“We have two Europes – one running at half speed and one that is stuck in reverse. Adult unemployment in Greece is 30 per cent. Youth unemployment is 60 per cent. 1.5 million Greeks are food insecure. There is pensioner deprivation and poverty.”

“If we have a European Parliament that shunts significantly to the right, we risk saying goodbye to a Social Europe.”

The afternoon session examined the roles of Professionals and Managers in the Future World of Work and included panellists from the ILO, Italia Coaching, UNI Finance and UNI P&M.

Day Two will focus on the impact of the skills gaps and mobility on the rights of P&M workers as well as  securing fairer work life management policies in a world of work increasingly driven by technological change.