Accepting the prestigious award on the last day of congress, the annual gathering of trade unionists, she paid tribute to her husband, Kevin, who she described as “a thorn in the side of the bosses”.

Anita, re-elected today as the PR and information rep on the NUJ NEC, listed the advances made in the 20 years since she was a first-time congress delegate and highlighted the work that still needs to be done.

While overall there is now a greater diversity in delegations, she said it is “still far short of being truly representative”.

“More women delegates but still only just over one in three and, at least this year I thought, an increasing number of women speakers.

“The LGBT and disability conferences have become motions-based – as, hopefully, will the young members’ forum – providing lay activists with a greater democratic voice.

“And the voice of the lay members is heard more at our congress now the equality conferences bring a motion to this floor.

“This year, the trades councils finally came home with their conference’s first motion. Again hopefully, the young members will join our debates next year.”

She said there was now more of an international flavour to TUC debates. In a reference to an earlier address by Salvador Valdes Mesa, general secretary of the Cuba Workers’ Group of Affiliated Trade Unions, Anita added: “Comrades, who would have thought 20 years ago that congress would give a standing ovation to a Cuban trade union leader in the 50th anniversary of the glorious Cuban revolution.”

She thanked Kevin, her “husband and comrade of 35 years” for his support, saying: “Kevin was a child of the depression; his grandmother died in the workhouse. He left school at 13, and led his first strike at 15.

“Since then he has been a thorn in the side of the bosses. Sometimes he even took on the TUC. Indeed, the first time I was at Congress House was outside lobbying the general council to call for the repeal of all anti-trade union laws.”

She added that she was proud of the NUJ for its role in making this repeal TUC policy.

“My union now has a young leadership with Jeremy Dear and our new deputy general secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, a sister of whom I am immensely proud,” Anita said.

She closed with a rallying call to continue the fight against the far right, saying: “I learned my politics from my parents – both anti-fascist refugees from Nazi Germany.

“I know they would have been extremely heartened by the way our trade union movement has taken up the struggle against the re-emergence of the far right.

“Sisters and brothers, I wish you well in this and all the fights we still face.”

Referring to the silent vigil delegates and visitors held earlier in the week to remember the victims of racism and fascism, she said: “At the beginning of the week we said, ‘not in my name’.”

Clenching her fist in the air, she added: “At the end of the week I say, ‘no pasaran’.”