Public and Commercial Services Union

January 2009

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Campaigning
3. Membership/organising
4. Bargaining
5. Learning/TU education
6. PCS profile
7. Regional committee
8. Equality
9. Conclusions

Positions of PCS staff for action points:

• Jim Stringer, regional officer
• Richard Edwards, regional organiser
• Fiona McLatchie, regional learning organiser
• Andrew Lloyd, midlands regional negotiator
• Sharon Thomas, eastern admin support
• Mel Ewles, eastern admin support
• Mike Hallinan, EFRA group officer

Introduction

This plan sets out a programme of activity and objectives for PCS eastern region on a model based on short (six months), medium (six months+ to two years) and long-term (two to five years) timeframes.

It will direct the work of the eastern regional office and the eastern regional committee and ensure that we optimise the use of resources and maximise the support to PCS members, reps and branches in the eastern region.

The regional plan is a product of discussion between PCS eastern region staff and key activists in the region with account taken of national policies and priorities.

The plan needs to be a living document that takes account of changes to priorities and evolves as the requirements of the union change both regionally and nationally. The final version of the plan includes the input from the eastern regional committee.

The regional plan covers seven key aspects of operation for the region and attempts to set out where we are currently and to provide a route map for progress and improvements over the above timeframes.

No regional plan can be delivered solely by the regional office and its staff. The input of the regional committee and PCS branches will be key to achieving progress.

The ownership of the plan shall be with the eastern regional committee and that committee shall receive and provide updates on progress on the key aspects. The regional committee will also have responsibility for ensuring that PCS branches and our various networks play a full role in the delivery of the regional plan.

Each of the seven key aspects contain subheadings and we have attempted to compartmentalise these as much as possible whilst acknowledging that the overlaps between headings are many fold.

1 - Campaigning

Campaigning is a broad generic heading which covers a vast amount of PCS activity and indeed a growing one. It is not intended under this heading to list all the campaigns that PCS has been or will be involved in as we will need to react to national, regional and local developments as they occur.

Where are we now?

Since the first regional plan was drafted PCS has been at the forefront of the trade union movement as far as its campaigning styles and tactics are concerned.

We have been forced to defend gains from the past, such as existing rights to retire at 60 with a full pension, which the government sought to remove.

We put ourselves at the centre of the campaign for public sector TU unity, which successfully forced the government to retreat and negotiate with us.

We have combined both political lobbying and well supported calls for national strike action in defence of members’ right not to be made compulsorily redundant as a result of the government’s job cuts. We have stood shoulder to shoulder with users of public services in an effort to protect local public services.

We have combined and offered solidarity with other TU campaigns of a similar nature, e.g. postal workers dispute, firefighters' campaigns to defend local fire stations and the teachers anti academies campaign.

Because of the ongoing impacts of the government’s job cuts and relocation policies and the holding down of members pay we have continued to focus on these issues at a regional level as part of the national campaign.

The development of our town committee structures has enabled us to co-ordinate our activities in a more structured way at local level in the main towns and cities of the region.

We have also seen the development of the make your vote count (MYVC) campaign as part of the national campaign, which has run for the last two years and required regional co-ordination.

This has helped to raise the political profile of PCS with local council politicians and opened up some useful contacts for PCS. This has worked best where our town committees are most established.

A spin off has been the greater use and development of our website as part of our campaigning armoury. We have made links, which have been developed nationally, with the green party, which has a significant presence in some parts of the region.

We have yet to create a consistent relationship with the European and parliamentary representatives in the region. The forthcoming Euro elections and the continuation of MYVC should enable us to develop those relationships.

PCS is now a major influence, and in some cases the lead player, in a number of the active trades union councils in the eastern region. We also play a role in SERTUC as part of the PCS delegation and in a number of its sub committees.

The links with public service unions have been extended during the combined actions with teachers in the NUT and lecturers in UCU in the spring of 2008.

We have built good links at local level with the CWU by offering solidarity during their dispute. We have also played a role in the "public service not private profit" campaign in a number of areas.

Aims

Our aims are clear; to create a better PCS infrastructure (non bureaucratic if possible) with strong links to the trade union movement and world outside PCS, to involve PCS branches and our networks in non PCS campaigns as well as seeking support for PCS campaigns.

Short term and on-going objectives

Carry out an audit of branches affiliated and PCS members active in trades union councils – Richard Edwards and campaigns and communications sub-committee

Concentrate on further development of our young members’ network – Richard Edwards and young members' convenor

Build to ensure a major PCS presence at the Burston event for 2009 – Richard Edwards and campaigns & communications sub-committee

Map where we are with establishing town action groups and the level of activity where they do exist – Richard Edwards and campaigns & communications sub-committee

Seek regular media coverage of PCS issues – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards and campaigns and communications sub-committee

Ensure major PCS presence at Ipswich May Day event in 2009 – Richard Edwards and campaigns & communications sub-committee

Medium term

Increase number of PCS branches affiliated to and PCS activists involved in trades union councils – Regional committee

Establish young members’ network across the region involving all major departments – Richard Edwards and young members' convenors

Support Burston event, PCS stall and members’ participation – Richard Edwards and campaigns and communications sub-committee

Ensure major PCS presence at selected May Day event(s) going forward – Richard Edwards and campaigns and communications sub-committee

Ensure we have active town action groups who provide regular reports to the regional committee – Richard Edwards and campaigns and communications sub-committee

Inform other unions and appropriate voluntary bodies (e.g. NPC, Age Concern) of the existence of our town action groups and invite attendance from them, building them into coalition groups. Extend attendance at town action groups to include all possible social partners. – Regional committee

PCS profile with other unions and the media established on a firm footing – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards and regional committee

Establish strong links with local politicians, MPs, MEPs, local councillors – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Make your vote count co-ordinator and Regional committee

Long term

The long-term objectives on campaigning are to create an organisation that is dynamic and flexible in its approach while being guided by the PCS overall objectives and principles and conference policy.

Some of the objectives on which the success of the PCS plan can be measured are straightforward. These include:

Active participation in trades councils – Regional committee

Active participation in the regional TUC – Jim Stringer and regional committee

The establishment of viable and sustainable town action groups – Richard Edwards and regional committee

PCS involvement in wider campaigns – Richard Edwards and regional committee

Liaison with local education authorities and schools on trade union awareness through citizenship or other classes – Fiona McLatchie and young members' convenors

Other issues are softer and less measurable, but primarily concern a culture change of significant proportions in moving both members and activists from a servicing to an organising culture. This in itself places less dependence on the regional office and takes on joint ownership of campaigning activities in the regions.

2 - Membership / Organising

Where are we now?

The region currently has around 14,306 PCS members (according to commix January 2009). However, this includes branches that have sites that are mostly outside of our region.

Those members that are part of the 52 branches that are grouped into our ‘organising region’, where the majority of members in the branch are within the boundaries of the government office region, number some 13,500. The regional committee represents these members directly.

At present we are unable to determine the ‘TU density’ in the region, i.e. the number of members of PCS expressed as a % of the potential number of members.

Presently only 19 of our branches have their last known potential input on commix. The major groups in the union (DWP and HMRC) are particularly poorly covered in this respect. It needs to become one of our priorities to remedy this situation.

The region has successfully piloted and run organising conferences over a number of years and will seek to vary the content and format to ensure that future events are well attended. We currently have a database of 676 activists in the region, plus 75 ULRs.

There is no formal ULR network established. In the past year we have started work on establishing an active young members’ network. In late 2007 we held a democratic process to elect a regional and 6 area convenors.

The regional committee appointed a replacement regional convenor in mid-2008 as there was no sign of activity from the original nominee. Since that decision the network has started to grow as a result of the activity of the convenors.

As 2008 closed we were repeating the electoral process and have held a successful young member training event. It appears that the region will have an increased attendance at the next national young member forum in 2009.

Short term and on-going

The short-term necessities are to obtain a fuller and clearer picture of the current situation; this is achievable by following the objectives set out below:

Seek to establish the density of membership within the region – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie, organising & learning sub-committee and branch organisers

Seek to establish a culture within branches of regular mapping – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and organising & learning sub-committee

Hold organisers workshops throughout the region – Richard Edwards

Current membership and workplace data, check commix data for accuracy and amend through liaison with group and branches with members in the region. Current activists, check if those on the database are still active and if activists are missing from the database. – Sharon Thomas, Mel Ewles

Establish sustainable ULR networks within eastern region – Fiona McLatchie and organising & learning sub-committee

Pilot joint organisers and ULRs course in Norfolk – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie

Organisers to support negotiations officer in increasing membership in the bargaining units resident in Peterborough office – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie

Advertise successes wherever possible to underpin organising and campaigning efforts – Campaigns sub-committee

Seek to hold health & safety training event with a view to forming a health & safety network – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and organising & learning sub-committee

Promote learning at work day/week and aim to maximise participation by branches – Fiona McLatchie and organising & learning sub-committee

Launch credit union campaign – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and campaigns sub-committee

Medium term

The medium term objectives use the basic building blocks established in the short-term objectives to improve membership density and the PCS structures.

Objectives

Hold an organising conference in autumn 2009 – Richard Edwards and organising & learning sub-committee

Every branch to have an organising action plan which will include recruiting new members (in particular young members) to increase PCS membership so that no branch in the region has less than 50% membership density – Richard Edwards and organising & learning sub-committee

Establish a PCS distributor in every workplace in the region in line with the organising strategy – Richard Edwards and organising & learning sub-committee

Increase the number of ULRs in the region to reflect the membership level at 1 per 200 – Fiona McLatchie and organising & learning sub-committee

Establish a young member contact in each branch in the region – Richard Edwards and young members' convenors

Ensure the vast majority of branches have links with the regional committee and send observers on a regular basis – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and regional committee

Establish fully functioning and sustainable regional networks for young members and all equality forums for members across the region – Richard Edwards and regional committee

Long term

The long-term goal here is simpler, to create a fully functioning self-servicing PCS structure that is not overly dependant on the regional office, but uses the regional office and structures as a resource.

Objectives

Increase PCS membership density in line with the best in PCS – Richard Edwards and organising & learning sub-committee

Maintain a PCS voice in every workplace – Richard Edwards and organising & learning sub-committee

Ensure that our reps reflect the diversity of our membership – Richard Edwards and organising & learning sub-committee

Fully functioning and sustainable ULR, young members and equality networks – Richard Edwards and organising & learning sub-committee

Increase the number of PCS activists in the region – Richard Edwards and organising & learning sub-committee

Increase the number of ULRs in the region to reflect the membership level at 1 per 100 – Fiona McLatchie and organising & learning sub-committee

3 - Bargaining

Where are we now?

In the public sector the emerging focus of the eastern region is in supporting DEFRA emanations, with five DEFRA agencies or NDPBs now dealt with from Peterborough.

Where logic suggests that further DEFRA areas ought to be or could be supported from Peterborough this will be pursued subject to available resources. At the same time closer relations with the EFRA group are essential.

Several of the region’s bargaining units are, in fact, outside the eastern region.

These are MacLellan, Serco and ISS (all Nottingham HMRC HQ based) and in terms of best use of resources and involvement in the eastern region we must question the logic of this continuing. At the same time we need to look at any area where the majority of the members are, and / or the bargaining unit HQ is, domiciled in the eastern region and scrutinise to see whether it would be better supported from Peterborough than elsewhere.

We need to develop a twin track approach to all bargaining areas. Working with the regional and learning organisers we must pursue the organising agenda in all areas to make branches as self-sufficient as possible.

At the same time we must support all bargaining areas and assist them in fulfilling both the national objectives of the union and optimising their members’ terms, conditions and job security. As bargaining units become more self-sufficient we must identify new areas of work for organising and support.

Short term and on-going objectives

In the short term we need to ensure that the right level of support is being provided to each area to optimise the delivery of the bargaining agenda and ensure that members / reps are being appropriately supported in terms of the national pay campaign, the coherence agenda and wider bargaining support.

We must also make branches / areas more self sufficient in terms of personal case handling and develop best practice in this area.

Establish with all bargaining units their roles and responsibilities in pursuing the principles of the national pay campaign and the coherence agenda – Jim Stringer and relevant lay officials

Ensure that the equality and diversity agenda is of a high profile in all bargaining units – Jim Stringer and relevant lay officials

Establish personal case handling procedures in each bargaining area – Jim Stringer, Fiona McLatchie and relevant lay officials

Establish service level agreements with each bargaining area – Jim Stringer and relevant lay officials

Clarify membership and move MacLellan, ISS and Serco to the midlands region – Jim Stringer, Mel Ewles and Andrew Lloyd

Medium term

Establish formal bargaining procedures with Banner – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards and relevant lay officials

Consider move to sole union recognition at TSO – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards and relevant lay officials

Branches to take ownership of the vast majority of personal cases – Jim Stringer, Fiona McLatchie and relevant lay officials

Review EFRA bargaining areas to see if any further bodies could/should be transferred to eastern region – Jim Stringer and Mike Hallinan, EFRA GEC

Ensure the bargaining resource is matched to the bargaining domiciled in the region and that as far as possible bargaining areas located in the region are supported by the regional office – Jim Stringer and SNO/SFTO

Move towards self-sufficiency of branches and bargaining units in the majority of bargaining situations. The regional office to move towards becoming facilitators of bargaining from direct bargainers. – Jim Stringer, Fiona McLatchie

Create self sufficient and sustainable structures, giving the majority of responsibility for bargaining to elected lay representatives – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie

Long term

Identify green field sites to further recognition and membership

4 - Learning and TU-Ed

Where are we now?

Trade union education

Currently almost 50% of the TU courses that are organised in the region are cancelled. The feeling of Peterborough staff is that there is a lack of structure in current course provision.

The region holds minimal training data of what training existing reps have undergone due to the delay in implementation of the commix education module. The four core courses are always offered, but many cancelled through lack of take up.

There is also an indication that course briefings may not be reaching reps and that there is little active encouragement for reps to apply for courses.

The spring term course schedule briefing has been redesigned and course pathway flowcharts have been included. The new briefing will go out to all reps as well as branch officials in a bid to encourage better take up of course places.

There is also a new one-day advanced ULR/Organiser course aimed at promoting the value of ULRs and organisers working together. A working together approach has been established with both the Midlands and the London and South East regional offices.

There are reps within the Eastern region that find it easier to travel to London to attend courses than anywhere within Eastern region. This will hopefully make training more accessible to these reps. The Midlands have developed courses that we are not currently able to duplicate that are of particular interest to some of our reps.

Learning

We currently have 75 ULRs in the region, but activity in the region is low. There are pockets of active ULRs but there are many where there is no activity or there is no indication of the level of activity.

No sustainable ULR networks exist although there are plans to create some within the next few months.

Historically learning has had a low profile generally in the region. The RLO and the Regional Organiser are working together visiting BECs to put learning on the agenda for branches with no ULRs and relatively little union activity.

In the past contact with ULRs and providers has primarily been by email. This is beginning to change and there has been face-to-face contact with ULRs and providers followed by regular email and telephone contact. ULRs have been given support and encouragement to organise learning events and build branch ULR teams.

Mapping of ULRs within the region is virtually complete and information files are being created and are easily accessible by all Peterborough staff.

Short term and on-going objectives

Continue to improve links to solicitors and share knowledge and best practice on handling personal cases as well as information on legislation changes throughout the Region – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie

Adopt a more structured and flexible approach to what training is offered including development of courses/modules as required – Fiona McLatchie and Organising & Learning sub-committee

Hold a Lay Tutors training day – Fiona McLatchie

Encourage better take up of courses by undertaking a pro-active approach – Fiona McLatchie and Organising & Learning sub-committee

Improve notice of courses to ensure that wherever possible no less than four weeks notice of a course is provided and include in those notices details of applying for time off, facilities time etc – Fiona McLatchie and Organising & Learning sub-committee

Research Equal pay awareness and provide information for members/reps – Fiona McLatchie

Establish training needs of Organisers and provide necessary training – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie

Deliver Employment Law and Personal Injury seminars with Thompsons Solicitors – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and Thompsons Solicitors

Closer working with other regional officers on the TUEd program – Fiona McLatchie and regional Regional Learning Services Officers

Increase awareness of learning opportunities among PCS branches and improve liaison between branch ULRs – Fiona McLatchie

Establish networks with current ULRs and look at post course briefings to underpin course objectives. Co-ordinate local ULR networks both within PCS and with other unions. – Fiona McLatchie

Map provision and ULR activities across the region – Fiona McLatchie and Organising & Learning sub-committee

Establish good working relationships with providers – Fiona McLatchie

Establish basis for data collection to fulfil project targets – Fiona McLatchie

Encourage the take up of ULR roles by currently non-active members creating a new layer of activists – Fiona McLatchie

Medium term

Establish training needs of lay officers, especially Secretaries – Fiona McLatchie and Organising & Learning sub-committee

Carry out branch training audit and encourage inter-branch liaison to maximise uptake of courses – Fiona McLatchie and Organising & Learning sub-committee

Develop rolling Annual Prospectus to ensure that Branches know what training is available and when throughout the year and to co-ordinate PCS Regional, Group and TUC Training – Fiona McLatchie

Continue Employment Law seminars/updates using Thompsons Solicitors – Fiona McLatchie and Thompsons Solicitors

Maintain fully functioning active and sustainable ULR networks – Fiona McLatchie

Develop an ‘Eastern Region Learning Resource Pack’ – Fiona McLatchie

Encourage ULRs to be accountable to branches – Fiona McLatchie, Richard Edwards

Long term

Establish drop in facilities and learning centre at PCS Eastern office – Fiona McLatchie

Encourage continuous learning in PCS branches – Fiona McLatchie

Establish self sufficient and sustainable learning in branches – Fiona McLatchie

5 - PCS Profile

External profile

Where are we now?

The PCS profile in the Eastern region has improved dramatically as a result of PCS national campaigning, the MYVC initiative, the work of the regional committee and the emergence of town / area action committees.

However we must not be complacent and we cannot rely on there always being a national campaign to motivate us. We need to ensure that the infrastructure is in place and resourced to ensure that whatever the issue affecting our members in the Eastern region they have a voice and we can respond.

The PCS profile with other unions has improved but needs to improve further. Our contact with other TUs is, at best, patchy.

We need to improve our involvement with other unions both directly and via SERTUC. The wider profile with NGOs, consumer and pressure groups such as CAB and pensioners forums needs to be improved dramatically.

Short term and on-going objectives

Maintain press and media database – Mel Ewles, Sharon Thomas

Contact TU directors in such organisations as LSC / EEDA / EERA – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards

Meet with London and South East Regional Committee Officers to discuss closer working both within SERTUC and more widely – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie, Regional Committee officers

Research key external organisations with whom the Region should seek to build a relationship – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards and Campaigns & Communications

Build links with Parliamentary representatives in the Region – Richard Edwards, MYVC Co-ordinator and Campaigns & Communications

Medium term

In the medium term the requirement will be to build on and embed the short-term objectives and to increase the PCS profile in the following ways:

Establish contacts with Business Link, Chambers of Commerce, Local Councils and the Regional Assembly – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and MYVC Co-ordinator

Equip key activists to deal with the media – Fiona McLatchie, Richard Edwards and lay officials

Build links with other Trade Unions and relevant external organisations – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards and Campaigns & Communications sub-committee

Maintain links with Parliamentary representatives in the Region – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, MYVC Co-ordinator and Campaigns and Communications sub-committee

Long term

Not all external profile raising can be achieved through the PCS office alone. The regional and branch structures have a key role to play in delivering this objective, therefore, we need to:

Build a culture of forging strong links with significant external organisations and opinion formers at Regional Committee and Branch levels.

Internal profile

Where are we now?

A lot of excellent work is carried out in the Eastern Region by both staff and activists. Currently the perception is that this goes largely unnoticed by the rest of PCS, particularly the centre.

The region has problems in regularly getting articles into ‘View’ and ‘Activate’ and contact with HQ / central departments can be frustrating in that they frequently do not know that PCS has an office based in Peterborough.

The ad-hoc way that reports are requested is part of the problem. Whilst Eastern region NEC reports have been regularly produced, the short notice has often generated short reports only covering essential items.

The regional newsletter is very good, but remains largely in the region. We need to ensure that the work done in the region is highlighted to key individuals outside the region and in HQ and we need to demonstrate that we are adding value to members, reps and branches in the region as well as to the union as a whole.

Short term and on-going objectives

Liaise with ‘View’ editor to find out what type of stories are required and deadline dates etc – Richard Edwards

Circulate eastern regional newsletter to other regions and key staff at HQ – Sharon Thomas, Mel Ewles

Maintain eastern regional website – Mel Ewles

Establish standard reporting system for regional committee / regional office with reports due March, June, September, December ahead of regional committee meetings – Jim Stringer

Map GEC members resident in Region and the Group regional structures to enable a workable, efficient interface – Richard Edwards and Campaigns and Communications sub-committee

Build strong link with campaigns department via campaigns officer allocated to region – Richard Edwards and campaigns and communications

Medium term

Once the internal profile is established, all that is required is to maintain contacts and relationships with a regular information flow.

Long term

Maintain links and build relationships with HQ departments, e.g. Design, ‘View’, organising and learning, campaigns, anti-cuts etc

6 - Regional committee

Where are we now?

The regional committee is now an established part of the structural landscape of PCS, at least with the activist layer.

The level of commitment and activity from hard pressed lay activists has grown considerably over the past few years as more of the focus of delivering our national campaign has been towards our regional structures.

We have delivered around the industrial action and the national consultation exercises due to the work of the committee, and in particular the lay officials.

We have adopted regular officers’ meetings, increasingly utilising teleconferences to save on time and resources.

This will be enhanced with the provision of full teleconferencing facilities in the regional office. We have also adopted a sub committee structure for campaigns and organising and learning.

This has increased the ‘ownership’ by the full committee of the work and tasks of the union and increased the accountability of the PCS employed staff and officers to the committee.

It would be fair to say that the long awaited review of regional committees by the NEC produced less than we had hoped for, especially with regard to lay control of budgets.

The lay officers’ posts, with the exception of the vice-chair covering the commercial and PSG sector, have been covered by activists prepared to go out and forge the identity of the region and to actively support its growth and influence. This has set the tone for the expectation of members of the committee especially with regard to our town action committees.

The committee has continued to encourage the attendance of observers from branches. This has been taken up to an increasing degree, especially during the national campaign.

Short term and on-going objectives

Encourage all branches to send observers to regional committee meetings – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards

Encourage all branches to make nominations for the AGM – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards

Invite key note guest speakers to each meeting – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards

Move to written reports which can be circulated in advance of the meetings – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards

Request reports for each committee meeting 4 weeks in advance – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Sharon Thomas

Produce regional committee annual report with section for each committee member – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Sharon Thomas

Seek written reports from town convenors for each regional committee meeting – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards, Sharon Thomas

Audit of branches not sending delegates or observers to AGM – Richard Edwards, Sharon Thomas

Medium term

Encourage branches to bid for suitable funding to send observers to regional committee meetings and regional forums – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards

Long term

The long term objective for the eastern regional committee is to make it the focus of PCS campaigning activity across the region.

The regional committee should be instrumental in developing PCS strategies on all the major issues confronting the union. The activities of the regional committee should give the lead to all PCS branches in the region.

7 – Equality

Where are we now?

The equality agenda must underpin everything that we do. We have successfully established a disabled members’ network (EDEN) and a black members’ network and we continue to build the young members’ network.

We must continue to build on this base and work with branches to involve them in our networks and to ensure that they are fully supporting the PCS equality agenda.

Short term

Help deliver the Norwich Pride event – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and eastern region PROUD rep, organising and learning sub-committee

Assess what support is required to LGBT members in the eastern region – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and eastern region PROUD rep

Assess what support is required to women members in the eastern region – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie and regional committee

Continue support to eastern region black members’ network – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie

Continue support to EDEN – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie, Mel Ewles

Medium term

Promote and run a variety of equality training courses – Fiona McLatchie

Audit all branches in the region on progress in establishing equality structures – Richard Edwards and Organising & Learning sub-committee

Ensure that all bargaining in the region takes specific account of equality issues – Jim Stringer

Long term

While the long term aim on equality issues must be to move away from separate structures as they change cultural attitudes and obviate the need for their own existence, it would be over ambitious to set this as an objective in the plan.

Establish self sufficient and sustainable regional equality structures – Jim Stringer, Richard Edwards

Ensure branches in the region have suitable equality structures – Richard Edwards, Fiona McLatchie

Conclusions

The eastern region plan is wide and varied, and in many key aspects, challenging.

Not the least of the challenges is the cultural change that runs through the document. Too often we are reactive – reacting to the latest campaign, issue or initiative, the latest problem.

Whilst we will always need to maintain the capability to react we can, in fact, improve this capability by being pro-active, by setting our own agenda and ensuring that the systems, networks and resources are in place to maximise our impact whatever we are called on to do.

The plan is based on three timeframes. These are short, medium and long term. The broad definitions used here are short term – six months; medium term – six months to two years; long term – two years to five years.

The progress of the plan, therefore, has several logical places for review, evaluation and updating and we need to tie these into the ongoing work of the regional office and regional committee and update them regularly both within the year and at year end when the new committee takes office.

We must at all times ensure that we are fulfilling national objectives / campaigns.

Changes in these objectives and new campaigns must be used positively and adopted to help deliver the underlying plan rather than used as an excuse as to why the plan is not being delivered.

Would we have reached the same level of capacity in our town and area committees if we had not had the national campaign over the last three years?

We will always have to reprioritise but if the objectives agreed in the plan are the right ones for the region then we must deliver them even if the method, catalyst or time frame changes.

The process for review and updating should be as follows:-

January – incoming regional committee agrees / reviews regional plan (especially objectives for the next six months), elects relevant sub-committees and allocates workplan accordingly

March – interim review of achievement on agreed six-month objectives

June – review of six month objectives and agreement of next six months objectives from medium term objectives plus carry forward of any undelivered objectives. This will include review of impact of national conference decisions.

September – interim review of achievement on six-month objectives agreed in June

December – annual report to regional committee AGM, input into next year’s objectives including regional committee AGM motions

This cycle is in line with the regional committee calendar and the PCS financial year and ties the committee into the planning and delivery cycle.

The quarterly reports will also provide a regular reporting system to the SNO/SFTOs/NEC and will assist in the PCS appraisal system and staff / representative development.

Jim Stringer - regional secretary

Kerry Fairless - regional chair