A TRADE union president is coming to Colchester to speak about mental health in the workplace.

GMB national president Barbara Plant will take part in a conference hosted by the Colchester Trades Union Council this Saturday.

The theme of this year’s event is mental health in the workplace, what trade unions can do to protect members and prevent discrimination and what employers are doing in terms of awareness.

The conference will run from 10am until 4pm at the Headgate Theatre in Chapel Street.

The event is open to the public and coincides with World Mental Health Day tomorrow, October 10.

Barbara Plant said: "For our GMB workplace reps, mental health is one of the hardest issues to deal with. It can be extremely difficult to talk about because there is still a lot of stigma surrounding a mental health problem and our members fear for their jobs, their reputations and being judged negatively.

"GMB has long campaigned for better understanding of mental health at work and for greater resources from Government to tackle the issues and improve people’s quality of life. Therefore, I am delighted to have been invited to speak at this event and raise awareness on such an important issue."

Tickets are free and must be booked via Headgate Theatre at tickets@headgatetheatre.co.uk or 01206 366000.