I have many great memories of working with Rodney but three in particular stand out. He and I gave evidence together at the first meeting of the Minimum Wage Commission. We also went together to the WTO summits in Seattle in 1999 and Qatar in 2001.
And finally I was sitting with him when he moved and won the motion to reintroduce the principle of tying state pensions to wage increases or inflation. In all of these occasions he led from the front and despite opposition he never wavered in his commitment to these least able to get their voices heard.
The mould was genuinely broken when this great man died way too early.
Dave Anderson
UNISON President 2003/04
Labour MP for Blaydon 2005/2017
