YouSaid · the spoken record

Sharon Graham

lines on the record: 54
first: 2023-01-20
most recent: 2023-01-20
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Well, I believe actually. The wrong regime. If only we had time to do it, actually, the power of the collective and the people saying no to something is the one thing politicians Really get an understanding in running football. But yes, I thought there's always leverage to be done, Nick, where you've got time to do it.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“And actually, I think it's an error because to pay for your child and a family to go to football, who could afford to do that? I mean, you know, I mean, it's so expensive that actually, you know, football was a working class game because people played it and then they went to watch it. And then they followed people. And then that day they became very passionate about it. If you're pricing people out of the game, which is really what's happening, then actually they might choose another route, you know, in terms of that. So I think it's a real shame. And of course, some of the smaller clubs now are folding, which of course is also a real shame. So yeah, it's a very difficult area football. I mean, I love Newcastle. I want them to win. But obviously, you know, there are problems with the game.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, this is, yeah, there is. I mean, at the moment, I'm sort of like saying with my hands across my mouth. But yeah, I mean, that's unfortunate. The whole thing around money and the premiership and who owns it and all of those things are questions to be asked in society, aren't they, really?”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, well, my dad's a Geordie, so anyone who's got a father as a Georgie will know there is absolutely no way you couldn't. My son, who supports Fulham because my husband does, my dad keeps getting him Newcastle Tots with his name on so that we can't throw them away. So yeah, he keeps doing that. So, yeah, I mean, you can't be the daughter of a Georgie father and support anyone else, to be honest.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Nine to five. I think I might have done that a couple of times. Yeah, I mean, mostly Irish songs, though, Nick, and I see Irish songs. Depends how many wines you've had us”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I mean, I suppose it might be a boring answer, but I'm lucky to have my mum and dad still alive. So I live five roads away from them. We're a bit like the Brady bunch. We're all sort of running stones throw away from each other. So I have to say, going to them, going and seeing them, which I can, you know, do, you know, and speaking to them, great, obviously we all, you know, my mum's Irish, I was brought up in Irish music. So, you know, a nice little Irish club somewhere is probably quite a nice thing as well. Yes, there's Ortwell. Family Dews is always singing. I said to my friends when I first became General Secretary, who I've been friends of mine since I was 11, so long-term friends, that my carry 80 days are over, unfortunately for a bit anyway. So obviously that won't be happening.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, there was definitely threats. There was definitely threats. But, you know, I didn't expected that to happen. I expected that to happen. And obviously I'm dealing with it. Yeah.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, it was, you know, I got a lot of flack for it. Well, you know, I mean, I suppose some people might call it threats. I'm sort of a tough person, so I just like, well, you know, it was water for Duck's back because it was going to happen. And even up to now, this whole thing about publishing them, et cetera. But there will be published. I mean, I've come in, I've done the inquiry. It's either we've either been fleeced by contractors or it's something else, whatever it is, I'll be going after that money to get it back, whoever and whatever it is. And in the meantime, the police have the reports, they have both reports. And once they've done what they need to do, then I will do what we would need to do. But, you know, it had to be done, Nick, and, you know, you can't shy away from these things. That's what leadership's about.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I don't know. What I do know is this we paid more than £31 million over. It came out in invoices. We either got fleeced by every contractor going or there was another reason for it. Now, I don't know what the reason is. That's why the police have it and so they're the people to make that mark because I don't know. I can't look into the things that they can look into. But what I do know is that we were at best overcharged. I mean, the report can't give the outcome because what the report is looking at is how much money did we spend, how much money was it?”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“From what we thought we should have paid to what we actually paid. And so the question is why is that? That's the question.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“So, yeah, so actually, in a strange way, that probably is where a lot of most of the threats came in after I had become General Secretary. But the thing for me is this. I came in, no one does this job if you haven't got elbows. I mean, you need to come in and do exactly what you say you're going to do. And people will respect you for that. So there was going to be no stone unturned. If there was something there, we need to define it out and face it. literally. And so there were two inquirers I did, one into the Birmingham Hotel and one into our outsourced contractors. And the first one for people.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Because we're a political organisation. I wasn't the anointed son and I wasn't following the line in terms of that. And I wasn't following the line because I didn't agree with the line. And I thought that our union needed to be going into a direction of jobs paying conditions. And when we did that, we would win more. And that's what's happened.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Attacks abuse a whole range of different things happened in that election. And I spoke to my parents, I spoke to my husband and my son, and to inoculate them, actually, that was what was going to be where we are.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, there was, yeah, I remember when I first thought about running. And actually, the reason I ran was because I wanted to change the union into, you know, I wanted to drive us into a much more focused jobs paying conditions agenda with politics.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, that's quite a blunt instrument because, of course, in a sense, our affiliation to the Labour Party is in rule, actually. So at every rules conference, it comes up for debate. I'm sure it will this time round. And then it's either in rule or it's not. So our affiliation is paid to them. What I haven't done is added any more money onto that. There used to be quite a lot of money added on. I haven't done that. But actually, the biggest lever for the Labour Party is the public. That's the biggest lever for the Labour Party. I mean, we are in there's something called the economy's not working, which I won't go into in great detail, but we are in constituencies. Unite has people in constituencies talking to them. And actually, the stuff that we're talking about, renationalization of energy, the stuff around the NHS, how you make different choices, who pays, people are actually interested in that. Those are very clear messages.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“What is a bad tribunal? I mean, because people are trying to emulate the past and we're not in the past. Actually, we're in a bad past. But what's an example of that? Well, I suppose, you know, things around the NHS as an example. So, some of the language is very similar in terms of what's been said around the NHS and reform. I think that annoys workers in the NHS because what they're saying is actually come out and talk about pay. Let's get the staff crisis sorted out. And then we can talk about whatever needs to be done after that. So it's just, it just feels like, look, we're a country that needs to be looking at the issues we've got right now and the choices we need to make and also how we deal with those issues. And it feels a little bit like everybody's looking behind them instead of looking in front of them.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Look, what I think about the NHS is what everybody has to see about it. Nothing will happen in the NHS till they deal with the crisis of workers. Nothing will happen until that happens.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Look, I mean, I don't know who's right because obviously he'll have to answer that question himself. What I do know is this, that you cannot get into government just because you're better than the other lot. And I think the country is crying out now for a strong leadership to say, actually, we've got a different way. We've got solutions. I was actually thinking the other day, it's like a bad tribute act. We've got the Tory party wanting to be Margaret Thatcher. We've got the Labour Party wanted to be Tony Blair. Why can't we just say, what are the issues that are affecting workers today? What are the issues that are affecting our country today? And what choices can we make? And I think there are different choices to make that we are not speaking about, that we're not narrating. And I'm going to make sure that I do that in the hope that somebody will pick it up at some point.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I think certainly the windfall tax needs to be clear and it needs to be done in a much clearer way so people understand what they've been asked. £170 billion in excess profit, that's excess, not normal, excess. I am almost scratching my head every morning thinking, why have we got a problem with saying some of that should be used for the black hole and to pay back for the crisis? And so therefore, for me, I want businesses to do well. I deal with them every day of my life because that means my members get paid well. But workers have to be in this equation”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, look, what I'd say about going to Davos is that look, I want businesses to do well. I mean, I sit down with CEOs all the time. We talk about investment. I'm doing some meetings next week in car manufacturing because of the investment issues there. And so a lot of the time, my conversations with employers and stewards is how do we get more money in so that we can get more jobs and better jobs? So I've got no problem with him saying Britain's open for business because Britain is open for business. But what I don't want him to forget is that workers need to get a fair share. That's the problem. You know, if workers don't get a fair share, then this is an unequal society.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“What I would say about for me, you know, Keir's got his job, I've got mine, and irrespective of governments, we need to win for workers because that's the difference. We need to win for workers irrespective. And I'll do everything I can to do that. I expect Labour to be a strong voice for workers in Parliament because that's what they're there to do. Well, I'd like to see better, Nick. Shall I say that? I mean, I'd like them to do better, could do better, I would say, if I was doing”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I worry that what I think is if I said what I've just, you know, I've said to you about the profiteering of companies, $170 billion, we can get rid of the black hole. We could pay the NHS 10%, you still have change in your pocket. I think most people would say, actually, that's not a bad idea. Why don't we do that? The problem you've got is everyone seems to be just keep going down the same stream. And, you know, you can go slower, you can go faster, but it's still the same stream. I would like us to talk about, not to be afraid to talk about choices. I don't think the public would reject that. I think they would actually think, well, actually, why are we paying? Who pays for this?”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, what I think about this is that the big question for 2023 is going to be who pays? Who pays for the crisis? Who pays for the black hole? Who pays? And I think it's really important that Labour do not allow working people to pay for this. It's got to be paid in a different way.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“We've got 147. Right now, there's 99 balloting currently. So for me, and of course, my job is to win everything. That's not life. Okay, we understand that. But the whole thing around strikes plus is it's not full leverage, but it is this piece of understanding where the company is, where the money is, and making sure we use that to our advantage.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, no, it's not like I'm having a very nice time. It's not that I don't like it. It's just that, you know, for me, what I think is the job, my job, the reason I took this job, the reason I went to be elected to our members was I wanted to refocus the union on jobs paying conditions, but to win for our members. We're not victims. Strade unions aren't victims. And in order to win, it means that I need to be across all the disputes. I need to be involved where I need to be. And you say all the disputes.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, the Farm Me didn't go ahead. Well, when I was in the room with the CEO, he said we will never use fire in Rihar again. And so that was a really important moment. And obviously the Fire and Rija didn't take place. I tell you what it was important, Nick, because this is important. People were saying to me at the time there are 500 people in an area of the Northwest. But had that gone through and those workers were fired and rehired and their wages were suppressed, that would have happened through all of the company in the UK. Other bus companies might have followed suit. It's really important that stakes are put in the ground. And that's why it's only used in very hostile terrain. It's not used as a normal everyday business.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, so we're saying you're a company as a whole, you're making profit from these workers because they're very profit making. And actually, you're using that profit to invest in other parts of the globe.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“And effectively frustrating that bid to say, hang on, these people are firing hired people in Britain. they are going to cause industrial unrest. And so the company makes a choice. Do I want that happening or do we go back to the negotiating table?”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, so the leverage stuff is slightly different. So the forensic accounts happen in every negotiation. That is essentially to make sure we understand the terrain of the company. And our reps have that, et cetera. What the leverage is, and they sometimes are a thousand pages long, is looking at the company as a whole. So a lot of the time these companies are multinationals and the decisions aren't made here. They're made in another country. So in this particular example, there was a strike in the northwest of 500 bus drivers who were fired and rehired. And they've been on strike for weeks and the company was ignoring them. So what we did in this instance is that that same company was going for a Norwegian rail contract in Norway for $3.8 billion. So that was worth a lot more to them than what they were going to save over firing and rehiring £500 people. So we did the whole campaign around that 3.8 billion pound contract. We basically went to Norway. We spoke to the politicians. We spoke about what was happening.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Following the money, absolutely following the money. The other reason, so is to also make sure that we're able to push out the real choices in society. There's a narratives tend to happen. And then unions either go, we don't like it or we do like it. Why can't we set narrative? Why can't we say actually the economy is broken? There's a different choice to make.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Because I think it's more complex than that now, because actually for a lot, when it's a hostile employee, remember, we do deals with employers all the time. There are good employers out there that we do deals with where you don't have strike action. They understand a piece of the pie must go to the workers. But the problem when a bad employer puts a stake in the ground and you can't defeat that is it becomes a pattern. So basically, why we brought the forensic accountants in is because when we go into negotiations now, we need to really understand the ability to pay of the employer, where money is moved, how it's moved.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, look, I mean, I made the decision when I stood that I thought what was really important for me as a general secretary was to make sure that when I woke up in the morning, I was defending workers' jobs paying conditions. I ran on that manifesto, jobs paying conditions. And so I spend a lot of my time on picket lines in the negotiating rooms with reps because I think that's the most important thing. So of course I do media when I need to do it. But really, that's my main frame. And one of the things that I've done in the year that I've been in is to refocus the pretty much the entire union's resources onto the jobs paying conditions agenda. We've got forensic accountants for the first time, investigative researchers for the first time, economists for the first time. And so really driving that through.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“The other way around. Well, the TUC did what was called an organising academy where it was talking about the difference between just recruitment and organisation. And I understand why they did it and everything else, but it was good. There was lots of good things from it. There were lots of things I wouldn't have done. But I was there with a number of other people now who were doing different things in the trade union movement. So yeah, it was a good initiative, definitely.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“And so in he comes, looking very annoyed and very blowy in the ears, going absolute banana arama. And basically he gave the money. And actually, well, I always felt very, very, you know, I felt very satisfied about it. But I was probably the youngest of the team, actually, but probably either the most stupidest or the most brave. I don't know which one it was, to be honest with you, but yeah.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“No more. I spoke to him prior to service started. He basically was very disparaging, I have to say. And he was rather rude. And so I thought, okay, that's that ended. So I came out and said to the girls as we would call each other then, he's been absolutely so rude, et cetera. And we hadn't even started serving at this stage. So this is when we said, okay, we'll serve the first course when they put their hand up to clear from behind the top table. We just won't move.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I went to the office to say, well, look, I think this is wrong because XYZ argument. And then I came out and said, well, he's not listening to us. So we're going to have to do something else. And I came up with the idea, and looking back now, you think, God, where did that come from? Where effectively we'd served the first course, but we wouldn't clear unless he agreed to what we'd asked. And it worked because of course the people are sitting there expecting their second course. You know, they're in the room. I mean, they're up there. They're right in the room. So we won and actually, I...”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“It was, yeah, civil service, so you had to be able to do silver service to do it. And in that sort of a situation, there's a top table. I never did it. It wasn't good enough for that. But there's a top table. And when the top table finishes, somebody puts up their hand and everyone clears the waitresses then clear the floor. And what happened was a group of workers were coming in that were getting less than us per shift. And we were saying, the group of the waitresses were saying, well, hang on, that means we're going to get less next time. We had quite good foresight. It wasn't our wages that were less. It was somebody else's coming in, a group of people. And for some reason, it was me that was asked to be the spokesperson, which I did. I remember distinctly, it was like yesterday, giving the arguments, very good arguments, I thought. And it was the first time I thought, weight of argument doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get the right outcome. So I said.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Did actually, and you know, looking back now, you think, God, that was a bit pushy, wasn't it? I mean, basically, what happens within the hospitality industry, we used to do banquets. So without boring everyone to death, you had a table of 10. There might be 200 people in a room.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, my mum does, yeah. I'm very determined. I come from quite a strong line of women, Irish women. My aunt is a very strong woman. My mum's very strong. And yes, yeah, absolutely, probably”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, I mean, basically, you know, I always say that I speak at pace and I always think one of the reasons I speak at pace is you have to get into the conversation because everybody has an opinion and talking about everything. Actually, my friends laugh at me often because one of the things I quite like is alphabet spaghetti and I think that's taken back from when I was a child. We used to have it on toast. But yeah, I mean it's a normal working class family. Everybody has an opinion.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I think I was firstly about why it cost more for him to live than me. He was getting his bills paid, everything was being paid. And he would be able to buy more sweets. And why was he able to buy more sweets than I wasn't? We weren't tracy and I won't be able to buy more sweets. So yeah, it was probably Child Esh. But what I think my dad quite liked is that I prepared it, I'd rehearsed it, and I answered questions on it. So he gave in.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“With your own soul about sex discrimination amongst the children, I absolutely did. I absolutely did. And one, and he used to work split shift. So I think every time he came home, he was getting in his ear about this thing.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, my first ever fair share, I say to my sister often, I got her a pay rise very early on because it was about pocket money. My brother Sean is older than me. And I think we were getting 50 pence, my sister and I, and he was getting a pound or something. It was way more than we were getting, I know that for sure. And my dad said, if you can come up with a proposal, an argument as to why you think you should get the same, I'll concede it. And I did. Well, you negotiated.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“No, no, absolutely not. I mean, there weren't that political. I mean, they worked in the hospitality industry. They both came here, you know, in their teens, really. They met, you know, their 60 year anniversary actually is in June, so I've got to remember that. So, you know, they sort of met very young. They got married very young. But they've always been political in the small p sense if there's such a thing. You know, they've always spoken about what's happening. If I go to mum and dad's now, which I do normally on a Friday evening, there's always a conversation about the current affairs of the day. Yeah, absolutely.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I mean, I think we spoke a lot about politics, small P, but we probably didn't even realize you don't really as a child, you're not really realising what you're talking about. But my mum, who's Irish and my dad's a Georgian, I mean, their reaction was it was the fault of the boss. And they were paid £300. This is my uncle's family in 1921, £300 in compensation, three children under 10 who didn't have their father. And it affected my dad's family for a long time. It's not just that moment, is it? It's the effects that it has on the family for a long time. So injustice, I think, is probably what we felt. I wouldn't know that at the time.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I thought it was so far in the past. At the time when I was eight, nine, ten, eleven, I'm talking as a child now, I'm thinking, well, that's something that happened in the past. It will never happen again. But of course, as I grew up, it does happen again. People still die at work right the way this pandemic. We've had workers dying at work, and it's always working class people who ended up thrown out there and end up dying at work.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, you know, I don't think you can ever pinpoint it yourself. I mean, I've always been somebody who's been quite determined and, you know, took on other people's fights, actually. Got myself in trouble a couple of times for it. But I think probably looking back, you know, what do I think made me like this? I think probably hearing the story of my uncle James, who my dad is a Geordie. And my uncle James died, my great uncle James, died in a rock fall in a Durham pit in 1921. And I was eight when I first heard that story around the breakfast table. I probably heard it before, but the first time I remember hearing it. And I was really scared because I thought this person's got out to work and they never came home and their children didn't have a father. And anyway, you know, I spoke to mom and dad, et cetera. And I thought, well, at least that can't happen again. Thank God that can't happen again. And of course.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, look, I think the first thing in order for a deal to be done is that the people who are the decision makers need to be in the room. And so, therefore, the problem we have at the moment is that he refuses to come in the room. It's only recently that we've even began to speak. We are talking 2223. But of course we're negotiators. I do deals every day of my life. I'm in negotiations every day of my life for the last 30 years. So obviously we know how to do a deal, but it's got to be a deal that our members will accept. It can't just be a complete fudge where effectively people are not getting what they need to survive because you won't get people back into the NHS. And if you don't do that, it doesn't exist.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Look, there is a solution, and that's the thing for the stakeholders to get around the table, and of course, they can talk about beer and sandwiches and things that are in a bygone era that quite frankly most people don't remember. What we're talking about, the leaders of the union, is to effectively say, look, we are the lead negotiators with our reps. Come to the table because you are the lead negotiators for the government. Who is the employer in this instance? And we want to do a deal. Our members want to do a deal. But you can see that the public, I saw a survey yesterday, are with these workers. So actually he's elected in listen to your public if you're not listening to anybody else.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, look, yes, because, of course, nobody wants lives to be lost, and we are really careful, irrespective of the lies, I have to say, that's been said by some ministers, to make sure that in the ambulance dispute, I was on the picket line, the West Midlands, that we had proper minimum cover, because that is something that's really important to us. So obviously we do it in a way that we try not to have any difficulties from that. But I have to say, lives are being lost now. There was a piece that came out yesterday, so they believe 500 excess lives have been lost a week because of waiting times. And so something has to be done. And if they don't solve the pay crisis, they can't solve the crisis of the workforce, which means that the NHS is on its knees. So it's really important that Rishi Sunat comes to the table. I've said this before. He is the ultimate decision maker. He is the person that if this was in an outside dispute in the private sector, me and him would be speaking. He won't come to the table. That's either because he doesn't know what to do.”
2023-01-20 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Sharon Graham One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source