SWU Blog: Preparing for the Social Workers Union AGM
Reports for AGM (member only content)
I am pleased to report that this has been another great year for the union. Membership continues to rise, currently at 13,650, showing that we are moving in the right direction.
When I was first elected as the General Secretary in September 2016 membership was just over 9000 and I would love to see us break through the 14,000-membership barrier by the end of the year.
Interest in the union has been phenomenal since we started.
Regarding the strange working world that we are in presently; Trade Unions, Professional Associations and employers all working together, can make a significant difference to ensure that the effects of the outbreak have been shared appropriately and we are all supporting social workers.
From the onset, SWU has challenged employers and the Government over inadequate employment advice, failure to provide enough PPE, and the urgent need to safeguard the specialist social work role in multi-disciplinary teams.
More recently SWU has implemented our Six Point Action Plan which has raised further the profile of the union and created a huge media reach highlighting the pressures that social work is under, and further campaign opportunities to engage with politicians and local authorities.
However, to say that social work is a challenging profession is of course something of an understatement and this is an important message to share and to continue to highlight. We all know the impact on social workers of cutbacks to services and staffing.
These issues are an on-going challenge due to Covid 19 and we will continue our battle to fight them.
SWU looks forward to seeing you at our online AGM Friday 25th September 2pm – 3.30pm
Not a SWU member yet? Find out more about the Social Workers Union.
SWU General Secretary, John McGowan