For the past 30 years, Gloria Mills has been a driving force in the trade union movement. After moving from Trinidad to Britain in her late teens, she became a regional organiser for the National Union of Public Employees in London in 1985, beginning her life’s work as a campaigner for workers’ rights. In 2005, Mills was appointed president of the Trade Union Congress – the first black woman to hold the position. During her year-long term, she became a prominent advocate of diversity issues and equal opportunities in the workplace. Today, she is national secretary for Unision, the biggest trade union in the UK, and is honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
During a visit to Canada last October, Mills was interviewed by the RPN’s Meagan Perry. She provided insight into her life and work, as well as the philosophies which enabled her to become such a strong part of the trade union movement.
