Public and Commercial Services Union

What is the Acas ‘Branch’?

All PCS members are allocated to a branch which is made up of members who either work in the same locality or for the same employer. Our branch is made up of members from all the Acas offices throughout Great Britain.

PCS branches are responsible for:

• recruitment and retention of members
• representing members individually and collectively with management 
• setting up sub-committees as required
• arranging branch meetings within the rules
• health & safety
• electing branch delegate(s) for group and national conferences
• keeping accurate membership records
• branch funding
• training new and existing reps.

Acas, like most agencies and some small government departments is organised as a national branch.  The branch organises itself into 14 local sub-branches, one at each of the main Acas offices.
PCS branches in larger departments tend to be organised locally; made up of members working for the same employer, usually in the same geographical area, although often spread over a number of workplaces.
The minimum number of members needed to form a PCS branch is usually 50.

PCS is organised into a number of departmental Groups. Acas is attached to the BIS group, and sends a number of reps to the Group Executive Committee, and delegates to the BIS group conference. 

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What is the BEC?

Every PCS branch has a branch executive committee (BEC) elected annually by members of the branch.

The Acas BEC is made up of 'branch officers' that you elect, and local representatives from each of the sub-branches. Under PCS rules the branch has to elect a chair, secretary, organiser and treasurer. See the navigation panel on the right for a brief outline of each of these roles.

The  BEC deals with national issues, like pay and conditions of work, and takes up problems that cannot be resolved by your local workplace reps. The BEC should meet throughout the year at least once every two months. The Acas BEC holds its meetings in Stafford & Bristol.

Representatives of the BEC meet regularly with Acas management through the joint consultative committee and it's sub committess which deal with Equality & Diversity, Health & Safety and Life Long Learning & Development. Results of BEC elections are announced at the branch’s annual conference. Each sub-branch nominates delegates to represent it at this national conference. This is normally held in February/March in the run-up to group conference and the PCS National Conference.

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Annual General Meetings

Towards the end of the year each sub-branch should conduct an Annual General Meeting (or AGM.)

The AGM is held to:

• consider motions for branch, group and national conferences
• elect sub-branch representatives
• make nominations for branch officers
• consider nominations for national executive committee and group elections

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Branch Conference

Branch Conference is held around February or March each year, prior to the PCS National Conference.

Branch Conference is held to:

• receive branch and group annual reports, financial reports and statements of accounts
• debate and decide on motions raised by sub branches. 
• consider motions for group and national conference
• consider nominations for national executive committee and group elections
• announce the results of branch officer elections (these have to be conducted prior to the branch conference)
• select delegates to group conference