{"id":28796,"date":"2021-04-30T17:37:51","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T16:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=28796"},"modified":"2021-05-04T09:53:31","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T08:53:31","slug":"being-a-unite-member-will-anchor-everything-i-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=28796","title":{"rendered":"‘Being a Unite member will anchor everything I do’"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

From Cornwall now to London – our final stop on our Unite candidates tour of Britain. Sakina Sheikh,<\/strong> climate change campaigner, talks about her hopes to Hajera Blagg<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

London Labour councillor Sakina Sheikh considers herself a Londoner through and through \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and now she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hoping to take her years of experience as a campaigner to stand as a Labour candidate for the London Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve lived in London nearly my whole life. London is my home and always has been,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Sakina tells UniteLive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI see London as a tale of two cities \u00e2\u20ac\u201c in some areas there is such immense wealth and in other areas there are queues around the corner for the food bank. How can that be? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe poverty or inequality are inevitable. In a more equal society everyone flourishes \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and I would like to contribute to creating that more equal society in any way I can.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After finishing university where she studied law with an emphasis on human rights, Sakina became an active campaigner in various organisations over the years, including Keep Our NHS Public, where she worked to campaign against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a proposed EU-US trade deal that threatened to privatise public services like the NHS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThat was my first interaction with Unite since Unite and Keep our NHS Public worked together on TTIP policy,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Sakina explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite was especially active in the campaign against TTIP so very early on protecting workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 rights and public services became a fundamental part of my work through Unite.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later working for Global Justice Now, Sakina became more actively involved in the climate movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI really got my teeth into environmentalism \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that set the tone for the next five to seven years of my life,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat I found most interesting is that climate change is a class issue, a race issue and an internationalist issue. The poorest countries, often from the Global South – with black and brown communities — are least responsible for climate change but are the ones that are most affected. For example, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s said on average an indigenous woman is killed each month in the fight against the excesses of the fossil fuel industry on indigenous lands.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through her trade unionism, Sakina has sought to change the conversation on climate justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bClimate change is a class issue and trade unions should be leading on it. The government must do more to listen to unions and workers in creating concrete plans for a just transition that centres workers’ needs and aspirations.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bHow are workers in high carbon industries going to be given the opportunity for reskilling on their terms, and how do we ensure they are included in this conversation from start to finish?\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 These are the questions a Just Transition plan needs to answer — and the climate movement must also ensure that the   conversation on workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 needs, jobs, and economic sustainability is fundamental to any framing on climate action demands we make, otherwise class continues to be stripped from the conversation on climate change. I’ve been really inspired to see Unite has shown leadership on this and leads the way on defining a just transition for our members.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, Sakina was elected as a Labour councillor representing the Perry Vale ward in the Borough of Lewisham \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a position she finds both challenging and rewarding in equal measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a tough job being a councillor in this age of austerity,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Sakina explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bTen years of cuts to local government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s budget through Tory austerity has been brutal and put Councils across the country and in London are on their knees. And then recently, the government told us to spend whatever we need to protect our communities during the pandemic and that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll make sure they cover the costs – however they then turned around and rescinded that promise after the money had been spent. In Lewisham, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve now got \u00c2\u014130m to make up in our budget because of that hollow promise of covering the Covid costs, and I know other councils are facing a similar reality. \u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the challenges, she loves working with constituents in her community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI love meeting people and being in a position through case work and the knowledge you build up as a councillor to help and support them,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing more rewarding than, for example, working with a constituent who has a housing issue and being able to set the path for them to get the support they need for better housing. There are also so many incredible local projects in my ward that showcase the spirit of solidarity and kindness that can help us grow together.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sakina\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s years of experience as an environmental campaigner is in part what motivates her to stand as candidate in the London Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI would like to help shape the strategy and vision of London\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s environmental plan. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has adopted a green new deal for London as part of his manifesto, which is really exciting. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got a foundation to build on and I want to work with communities across London to hear what we need to go further.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sakina hopes to work with grassroots campaigners and trade unionists across the city to represent their voices in shaping a green new deal for London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI think a green new deal can be about economic transformation,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI think a Living Wage for all can be part of a green new deal. And I think fighting for housing justice can be part of a green new deal. If we really want to tackle the climate crisis it can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be a siloed approach \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it has to be embedded in all our politics.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another vital issue for Sakina in the upcoming elections is supporting and creating opportunities for young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf elected, I will likely be one the youngest members in the London Assembly. I have many friends who are in the hospitality industry and other industries that have been decimated by the pandemic. I want to be a voice for young workers in London. We need a recovery that actually stands up for young working Londoners \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a Living Wage for all should be the absolute minimum.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sakina urges Unite members to vote for Labour in the upcoming elections \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and for Londoners, she reminds voters that they have three votes and that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vital that they use all three for Labour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite members should vote for Labour because the trade unions, after all, founded the Labour Party \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Labour is the only party that will work to properly advocate for and uplift the lives of working people,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe trade unions create and provide an essential political anchor for the Labour party \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and Sadiq gets that,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Sakina added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bHe knows that workers are the lifeline of London and continues to fight to protect your interests. whether that’s ensuring  trade unions are represented at the negotiating table or lobbying the government for better support for workers during the pandemic.  At the heart of his recovery plan is ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ which is another vital issue for all Unite members who may be facing precarity.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And like Sadiq, Sakina vows to put Unite members at the heart of her work if elected to the London Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI feel incredibly lucky to be part of a union that uplifts the voices of its members,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been a rank-and-file member in my union branch for years and our meetings are well-attended because Unite creates a space where members are not only supported by our fantastic officers in the union, but also by fellow members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf elected, I will enter City Hall as a Unite member first and foremost and that will anchor everything I do \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I am dedicated to meeting with members and ensuring their voices are heard and uplifted.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

GET INVOLVED<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If you live in London and want to help Sakina and other local Unite candidates contact the Unite London and Eastern regional office<\/a> <\/p>\n

Wherever you live if would like to help Unite candidates in your area or to find out more see here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

By Hajera Blagg <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 Stay tuned to UNITElive for the latest on Unite candidates taking part in Election 2021 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI see London as a tale of two cities \u00e2\u20ac\u201c in some areas there is such immense wealth and in other areas there are queues around the corner for the food bank. How can that be? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe poverty or inequality are inevitable. In a more equal society everyone flourishes \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and I would like to contribute to creating that more equal society in any way I can.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1621],"tags":[588,1608,192],"wps_subtitle":"Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Sakina Sheikh does not believe poverty and inequality are inevitable \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and is standing for the London Assembly to help create a more equal society","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28796"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28796"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28820,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28796\/revisions\/28820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}