Claudia Hemissi-Liu’spassion for equality and fairness in the workplace began long before she became a radiographer. But it was this career that allowed her to express that passion as an SoR rep for the last six years.
“When I started as a radiographer, I saw a lot of things that I feel like weren't in place,” she explains. “People were scared or reluctant to speak up and ask questions.
“Even though they knew that there should be a discussion about changes, they just wouldn’t make changes. I felt like they needed a voice to represent colleagues, so I volunteered myself to do it.”
Claudia works for the Manchester Foundation Trust, which has joined up with other trusts over the years to make one larger trust. This meant that lots of changes have emerged - some of which are out of the hands of reps like her. “Mainly [the changes] stem from services that are higher up strategically, meaning that it would affect the services that imaging provides.”
But as a rep, there is lots she can do to help - such as aiding with organisational change and consultation procedures.
Having a presence trust-wide
Claudia is heavily involved with trust-wide work, and sits on the trust’s staff-side committee as well as the Trust Joint Negotiating and Consultative Committee (TJNCC). The TJNCC works in partnership with other trade union representatives, the trust's workforce team and HR. It also helps to develop policies and negotiate optimal conditions for staff.
For TJNCC, getting involved allows Claudia to have a wider perspective on how the trust is operating - and what issues might be affecting others outside of radiography.
“It's really good to be on that committee because it gives me an advantage to have the connections and the knowledge of what's going on,” she says. “If there's something that's affecting us within radiology, I know for a fact it's affecting the other professions trust-wide like nurses, theatre staff, and so on.”
“I then go to my colleagues on the staff side and say XYZ has happened, it’s happening to us as well, is there anything we can do to escalate it?” At times, this will have to be escalated up to headquarters in order to get an answer.
Why should others think about becoming a rep?
To make it as a rep, Claudia says the role requires commitment and selflessness. But it’s also very rewarding.
“Life is so stressful, and lots of people don't actually know their basic rights in a workplace, surprisingly or not,” Claudia explains. “Especially people that are newly qualified.”
“We have a lot of recruitment from abroad. They don't know their basic rights. They're scared to vote for a strike, or they'll be scared to speak up for the basic rights. With us present, we're there to guide them and steer them and be able to make sure there's a fair and equitable workforce and that everyone is happy.”
As for what advice Claudia would give anyone thinking of becoming a rep, she says to go for it - especially if you have a passion for helping others.
“If you want to help someone and you have a passion for it, with training and support from other reps, it’s something to think about and explore.”
To learn about the different types of SoR rep roles and how to become a rep, click here.