On the cusp of UNISON’s 20th anniversary, Assistant General Secretary Bob Abberley retired last week after playing a key role in the union’s national leadership since 1993. Acknowledged as the prime mover in bringing health union Cohse into the Nalgo/NUPE merger talks in the early 1990’s, Bob went on to lead UNISON’s health service group for many years. Latterly he has been responsible for industrial action in UNISON and served on the TUC’s General Council. It was Bob who moved the historic 30 November 2011 national day of strike action in defence of pensions in the TUC public services forum. A long term supporter of ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ Bob will continue to be active in anti racist work as well as community organising through the Movement for Change.
