WIREDGOV

Following his re-election, Dave Penman outlines the challenges of the next five years and his plans to improve the working lives of FDA’s members.

In many ways it’s easy being General Secretary of the FDA. I’m never shy about saying it’s the best job in the trade union movement. I get to work with incredibly motivated and talented people, from the FDA’s professional staff to the reps and members who make our union tick. We represent committed public servants, doing invaluable work to deliver public services and support our country at home and abroad. It’s why it’s easy to get passionate about defending their integrity, professionalism and values when they are too often under attack.

And it’s why it’s a privilege to be re-elected to serve another term as General Secretary, something I have never taken for granted. I still feel like the new kid on the block, but as you can tell from photo, that’s hardly the case. This is my fourth term as General Secretary, not something I ever thought I’d be able to say. I – and our Executive Committee take that election process seriously. I have always felt the burden of demonstrating to the Executive Committee that I have a vision for the union and that I am the right person to lead it for the next five years. They have always interrogated me and that vision to ensure it’s in the best interests of members before they consider whether to nominate me for re-election. Ultimately, I am accountable to you as members and your faith in me to lead your union is both humbling and inspiring.

In each of those terms we have faced different challenges. From austerity, to Brexit, to the chaos of the Johnson era. The FDA’s ability to be pragmatic, constructive but fearless in defending our members has meant that despite those challenges, we have grown by almost 75% over the last decade. It is a record every member, representative and employee should be rightly proud of – the fastest growing union in the UK.

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