Jean Atkinson, an auxiliary nurse employed by Mersey Care NHS Trust in
Liverpool and longstanding UNISON activist, has been awarded an MBE in the
New Year’s honours list.
Jean has worked in the NHS for 28 years and during most of that time has
been active in the Liverpool Community & Hospitals Branch, firstly as a
steward in NUPE and later in UNISON becoming Branch Secretary until
standing down earlier this year. Jean who was also Chair of the Staff Side at
Mersey Care NHS Trust said:
“I joined the union as soon as I started work, I have always been an activist
and I am still working for the branch. I am very proud to accept this MBE –
which I see belonging as much to my colleagues in Mersey Care and the
UNISON Trade Union members, as to me.”
Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON said:
“It is a proud day for Jean and for the union to see her name included in the
New Year’s honours list.
“Jean is known as a tireless worker on behalf of the membership and a canny
organiser. She has helped to build a branch that is strong on recruitment and
retention. Jean is widely respected for her union wisdom, assurance and
assertive, but non-confrontational style.
“She is one of the many people who work day in day out for the NHS and in
the union – she truly deserves to get this very special recognition for all her
years of commitment.”
Jean Atkinson comes from a great family tradition of trade unionists – being a
direct descendant of James Larkin the famous Liverpool and Dublin Dockers
leader. Her father, Johnny Larkin, was also well known and appreciated in
Liverpool dock labour circles; helping to start the progressive ‘blue union’
which was a breakaway from the T&GWU in the 1950s. The breakaway union
campaigned against corruption in the system of casualisation that was rife at
the time.
Jean is married to husband Robert and they have two sons – the eldest, also
called Robert, lives in Perth, Australia and Ian who lives in Liverpool.