The virtual NPC Annual Convention commences with the traditional opening rally, but in a new online format.
June 8 - 10:30am - 12:00 noon
Annual Convention Opening Rally
See the programme and details of the speakers below.
If you enjoyed the webinar and would like to give a donation or purchase some NPC booklets go to the NPC shop
Chair & Speakers
Chair:
Ron Douglas - President, National Pensioners Convention
Speakers:
Gail Cartmail - President, TUC & Assistant General Secretary, Unite The Union
‘NPC – the pensioners’ champion.’ The TUC President discusses the important role of the NPC in fighting for the rights of older people, and the need for intergenerational co-operation to protect pensioners’ rights.
Jackie Killeen - Director of Compliance, Equality & Human Rights Commission
‘Age & The Equality Act – Defending Your Human Rights.’ The EHRC Director will discuss how the pandemic highlighted endemic ageism in society, and what legal rights older people have to defend themselves.
Rosa Curling & Cori Crider - Directors, Foxglove Data Watch
‘The NHS Digital data ‘scrape’ – a plea for a public consultation.’ The data watchdog directors will outline fears over NHS Digital’s plan to extract all personal health records from GP’s, with hardly any consultation or publicity – and what the dangers are in them doing so. (The last date anyone can opt-out of the data extraction - online only - is 23 June).
Jan Shortt - General Secretary, National Pensioners Convention
Round up of the session.
Gail Cartmail
President, TUC
Assistant General Secretary, Unite the Union
Gail Cartmail is Assistant General Secretary, Unite the Union, UK and Ireland. Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy.
In 1990 Gail was appointed by the Health Visitor’s Association as a Labour Relations Officer, a role she thoroughly enjoyed up until maternity leave then subsequent mergers that have culminated in the CPHVA within Unite.
Currently Gail is Unite’s strategic lead for the following sectors: Construction; Finance & Legal; Energy & Utilities; Public Services and Community, Youth & Not for Profit.
Gail was elected TUC President, September 2020 and represents Unite on the Trade Union Congress General Council and Executive Committee, she is a member of the TUC’s Union Learn Board, TUC spokeswoman for International Development and member of the Labour Party’s National Policy Forum.
In 2019 Gail was elected as Vice President of the Building & Woodworkers International global union federation, the first woman to be elected to this role.
Previous employment included Principal Officer, local government, specialising in economic development. Prior to this Gail worked in the Graphics sector and was an elected workplace leader and grass roots activist campaigning for equality, justice and fairness and for international solidarity between workers fighting injustice.
Gail’s a dedicated ice swimmer; and most likely to quote the African American civil rights activist Angela Davies: “Sisters lift while you rise”.
Jackie Killeen
Director of Compliance
Equality & Human Rights Commission
Jackie Killeen is Director of Compliance for the Equality & Human Rights Commission, leading the EHRC’s inquiries, intelligence and interventions work. Her background is in social policy and funding, and she was previously Director, Scotland of the British Council and Director, Scotland for the Big Lottery Fund. She has served on the boards of a number of charities and is a trustee of Shelter and Evaluation Support Scotland.
Cori Crider
Director
Foxglove
Cori is a US-qualified lawyer. She previously directed the national security team at Reprieve.
Cori has extensive experience in litigation, investigation and public advocacy. Her cases have won an apology from Britain’s Prime Minister for the kidnap and torture of a family, restrictions on the UK’s mass spying practices, and the release of dozens of prisoners from Guantánamo Bay.
In 2019 she presented a documentary about artificial intelligence for Al Jazeera English. She sits on the Scholars’ Council of UCLA’s Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2) and Advisory Councils of Data4Change and Clean Up the Internet. Cori co-directs Foxglove’s casework.
Rosa Curling
Director
Foxglove
Rosa is a UK-qualified lawyer, formerly of Leigh Day Solicitors.
She has litigated for years in the British, European and international courts. Her prior legal wins have blocked the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia, kept NHS hospital services open, curbed the reach of the harmful bedroom tax, protected journalists and lawyers from surveillance of their clients and sources, and forced the UK to admit more unaccompanied child refugees.
Rosa chairs the board at Shadow World Investigations and Platform and is on the board of Videre Est Credere. She was shortlisted for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year and Public Law Solicitor of the Year. Rosa co-directs Foxglove’s casework.