unite Life
BY RYAN FLETCHER
Unite’s June-Elizabeth Gulley explains why carers are so vital ‘We allow the world to carry on’
It would be wrong to say that Unite member June-Elizabeth Gulley broke the mould, because in truth there wasn’t ever one that could contain her.
During her working life June-Elizabeth served as the first black police officer in Northamptonshire, as well as being a nurse and running a music school for disadvantaged children with her husband, Clifford.
The Northampton born child of Jamaican parents with Irish and Scottish heritage, June-Elizabeth, 58, is a colourful character who refuses to be pigeonholed.
So it makes sense that June-Elizabeth’s relationship with jazz saxophonist Clifford, 78, who is partially blind and suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and arthritis, doesn’t fit into any tired stereotypes about the put-upon care giver.
“Without my husband I wouldn’t be who I am,” explained June- Elizabeth. The pair met on a London train in 1980, when June-Elizabeth asked Clifford for directions. This year they celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary.
But for the 15 years she has been Clifford’s registered carer she has encountered problems at work.
June-Elizabeth, who works in the health sector and sits on Unite’s national disabilities committee, said many of Britain’s 6.5m unpaid carers face similar problems at work.
“I find some organisations don’t really support carers as much as I’d expect them to,” she said.
“For instance, I needed some time off to take Clifford to the eye clinic and my employer said that I’ve got to go in my own time or go when they owe me time off in lieu, even though they should give me dependency leave.
“But they said, ‘no, unless it’s an emergency you can’t have dependency leave’. That’s not proper. I have to use some of my holidays to book my own appointments, because I’m disabled myself, as well as using them to book Clifford’s. As a carer it just makes you increasingly tired because you don’t have the time off you’re supposed to, to rest.”
She believes it’s about time carers received more recognition and assistance for the work they do. According to recent research carers save the state £132bn a year, close to the cost of a second NHS.
“I can see what will happen with all these cuts to services that are going on – more and more carers will get burnt out and the ones that work will end up on sick leave,” said June-Elizabeth.
“The fact is you’re always a full time carer. Carers are part of the structure of this country. They allow the workforce to continue. Carers allow the world to carry on. But they’re hidden. If there were no carers the health service and the country would be in a much worse state.”
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34 uniteWORKS Summer 2016
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