MY priority has been to maintain and improve the organisation of CWU members in the workplace.

I strongly agree with the late Jack Jones that the trade union movement needs a new shop stewards’ movement.

I’ve ensured that the CWU maintains immediate representation of members with their employer, whether that be for bargaining or personal representation.

The union has a reputation for workplace militancy, something I’ve encouraged and supported.

The big challenge for the CWU is the unionisation of all communication workers.

We represent 38.3 per cent in the post and courier sector and 31.8 per cent in the telecoms sector. There are over 300,000 non-unionised communication workers.

Shareholders press managers to reduce staff costs to those of non-union companies. Consequently, even the most strongly organised sections of the workforce face their conditions been squeezed down.

We need two tactics. First, building membership in all communication companies, concentrating on the largest ones. Second, establishing a minimum floor in terms and conditions in the sector.

The union must promote cross-sectoral bargaining and demands. The most immediate is the living wage for all communication workers.

This involves both organising in the workplace and pressing a Labour government for legislation — neither is sufficient on their own.

Alongside this, we press for minimum standards of employment — no zero-hours or bogus self-employment, training, etc.

The industry has historically been male-dominated. There is no reason for this to continue.

Today, only 23.9 per cent of post and courier workers are women, in telecoms, the figure is 25 per cent.

A major concern of mine is to ensure that women’s needs are addressed and their under-representation in union structures changed.

Black and minority ethnic workers make up 14 per cent of post and courier workers and 14.9 per cent of telecoms workers.

These figures are in line with their proportion in the general population.

It is also a tribute to struggles that have taken place to desegregate workplaces. We must press forward the drive for proportionality in union leadership structures.

Under my leadership, the CWU has aligned with the left. We played a major role in helping to win the TUC’s opposition to the Iraq war.

The union has also made a major contribution to the Stop the War Coalition.

The union plays a significant role in the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Palestinian communication workers will address CWU conference this year. I encouraged our contribution to the Colombian, Cuban and Venezuelan solidarity campaigns.

The union was a founding organisation of Unite Against Fascism. I was the first treasurer and we host UAF in our office.

CWU also played a notable role in mass mobilisations against the BNP and EDL, and it is a significant part of the Stand Up To Racism initiative against Ukip.

The CWU plays a major role in the initiatives against austerity. We affiliated to the People’s Assembly, we fought against Labour adopting the policy of austerity and we continue to campaign for public investment not cuts.

We fought off two postal privatisation campaigns under Labour. We campaigned for agency workers’ rights, for universal access to high-speed broadband and for a publicly owned Postbank.

The coalition’s privatisation has left some activists disappointed. The alternative is, despite a little leftist rhetoric, a move to the right.

The difficulties we face can only be addressed by a progressive union. My record shows I can lead the CWU in that direction.