Public and Commercial Services Union

With the government spending cuts programme starting to have an impact on communities across the country our Make Your Vote Count (MYVC) campaign aims to raise our national campaign concerns with politicians who are seeking election in May 2012.

Before all the elections take place we’ll be encouraging our members and their family, friends and colleagues to register to vote. The deadline to register is 18 April and you can find out how to register to vote by logging on to www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Activities in the different elections

In the local elections taking place in England, Scotland and Wales this year we will be asking party group leaders from each council to support our pledges and will select one council where job cuts (PCS members and across the public sector) will have a dramatic impact.

In our target council per region/nation we intend to question all the candidates and hold a question time event to grill the candidates on where they stand on our concerns.

Also in councils where far right parties are standing we will work with other anti-fascist organisations to host events, leaflet members and the public and encourage people not to vote for far right parties.

In London we will be undertaking a variety of activities, this includes:

• Writing to all candidates (excluding far right candidates) standing in the London Mayoral election and produce a separate mailing with these responses to members’ ballot addresses in London and also publish them on our website.
• Writing to London assembly candidates and publish these on our website.
• Producing an e-action members can send to their candidates and encourage members to send this to their candidates asking them to support our pledges. We will also publish any responses we receive on our website.
• Organising a mayoral candidates’ question time event and at least four regional constituency events across the capital, and publishing a report of each event on our website afterwards.
• Involving as many organisations as possible to make our campaign and events as effective as possible, this might include other unions, trades councils, like-minded community organisations and charities and public sector alliances.

How you can get involved

Here are a number of ways you can get involved and make a difference in our campaign:

• Visit the PCS website to get information about our campaign, download materials, send an e-action to a candidate or even see whether your candidate supports our pledges
• Register to vote and encourage your colleagues, friends and family to register to vote as well, please see www.aboutmyvote.co.uk for more information
• Organise a stall in your workplace and talk to members about our MYVC campaign
• Attend any local events organised
• Take part in anti-fascist activities where they’re planned across the country