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The leaders of tomorrow

30 June 2008

Eastern region young members' convenor Alan Warner, of Norfolk and Suffolk DWP branch, explains why he got active in our union.

I joined the department in February 2007 and became a rep last summer. I work on the incapacity benefit changes team at Norwich benefit delivery centre.

I come from a union background; my mum was a rep in the CPSA in the early 80s , and this is partly one of the reasons why I joined. Various members of my family were also reps in other unions.

What really made me want to join and become active was previous jobs I'd worked in. When I left school I went to work for a large insurance firm, the salary was just £9,000 but being only 16 I thought it was great for a first job.

The pressure they put on staff was disgusting; I saw colleagues have breakdowns and be off on long term sick with stress. I decided I wouldn’t run myself to the ground trying to meet targets. I was put on a capability program for efficiency issues and was told if I didn’t improve I would be out of the door.

I pulled my finger out and hit the targets, but then my boss who lived near me started to make remarks about my personal life, such as “who’s car was that at yours last night? You don’t drive a Mercedes, your family car is only an old Escort”. This was in front of the whole team.

At a team meeting she declared she had been out with her boss and decided to show her where I lived in case she ever wanted to check up on me. A few days later at a team lunch she said she’d received a call from her husband to tell her a police car was outside my house. In front of everyone, she said: “I’m guessing it’s a drugs bust.”

She also made comments about my appearance, weight, the clothes I wore, and even hairstyles. I told my colleagues how I felt she was picking on me, I was told I was being paranoid. I felt very alone, I didn’t even know if there was a trade union. I didn’t really have anyone to talk to about it and I began to think it was all in my head.

Support and solidarity

I started to dread going into work as the snide remarks and put downs continued. I wasn’t sleeping as I was up all night worrying about the next day. Over the months I had accrued six days sickness from when I couldn’t bear to go in; she then tried to get me fired for poor attendance.

I finally got moved to a new team and was happy, but after a few months she became my manager – again following another staff move. I didn’t want to go through that again. I saw an advert for Jobcentre Plus, applied and got the job, handed my notice in to her and left. Telling her what she could do with my end of year report was a great satisfaction.

While I was in Peterborough on a PCS training course I bumped into her at the station. When she said she hoped my new job wasn’t too bad, I simply replied, “it’s great to have a half decent manager who I actually get on with for once”. The smug grin on her face soon disappeared!

I got myself enrolled on the personal cases and introduction to PCS courses. I told my branch secretary I was looking to get involved with the young members’ network and next thing I knew I was in York at the young members’ forum. Everyone else seemed to know so much more than me and it was a bit daunting, but I soon made friends and as we talked about issues my knowledge grew.

My branch has been incredibly supportive. Layla Ashton is a fellow young member and has helped me enormously in gaining knowledge to deal with personal cases so I would like to thank her for that.

Also I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Richard Edwards – he always offers his support and has helped me a lot in terms of progressing through the union and helping me get involved with various things such as the Make Your Vote Count campaign, and also nominating me as a trainee delegate for group conference. So I would like to say a big thank you to Richard.

There is so much support available to young members – our young members’ organiser Tracy Edwards has been fantastic and the training events that have been organised by her have been invaluable. Particularly the weekend event at Leicester University in April.

I think young members are not necessarily always taken seriously, but I can honestly say I’ve never worked so hard as I did that weekend. We are a sociable bunch but we get the work done.

Young members get active

The young members’ network is relatively new and we will be raising the profile of the network and the work we do this year, especially in young trade unionist week which is 15 to 19 September.

We will continue to build on the young members’ charter to protect members in contact centres and other workplaces which have a high concentration of young members. We will also be looking to form links with young member groups from other trade unions, particularly public sector worker unions.

Since I have taken on the young member role I’ve been trying to recruit more people to the network. Some people weren’t even aware there was a young members’ network, so we must make sure that every branch has a young member officer and if possible every workplace. It is also vital that young member literature is visible on PCS noticeboards in workplaces.

It is important that young members become active as this gives us a voice which, if not represented properly, could be overlooked.

It’s not just young members in the public sector who struggle. I went to a party recently and all of my mates were moaning about how they were struggling financially. One said he’s going to be lucky if he clears £8,500 in wages this year. He’s an apprentice plumber but he lives with his girlfriend in rented accommodation and they are also trying to raise a child on that wage with minimal support from the welfare state.

Another friend works for an insurance firm, earning around £10,000 a year for 40 hours a week. She and her partner are trying to save a deposit for a house and cannot do this as their weekly food bill and fuel costs have risen so dramatically.

I explained I am an active trade unionist and most of them looked at me with blank faces – but they went back to their workplaces to enquire about joining a union after I explained what kind of work we do.

People in my generation don’t really know about trade unions unless their family members were active. PCS has done some talks in schools about the trade union movement, and I believe this is something we should continue to develop on.

It is so important for young members to become active and have their say. We are often the lowest paid members and facing more to pay out for. We also struggle to get on the housing ladder, many having to rent rather than buy as the majority cannot afford mortgages.

We are at the age where some may want to start a family but how can we support a child if we can barely support ourselves? If you’re under 25 like me you cannot get tax credits to help out.

Doing something about it

I’ve been out on strike every time since I joined the department. There is normally a great atmosphere on the picket line – yes, it’s often raining, yes, it’s often cold and yes, we have to be there ridiculously early. But the feeling of standing united with your comrades is superb.

On our last day of industrial action in April we attended a rally afterwards which had been arranged with NUT and UCU staff; we had a brilliant turnout and got a fair bit of media coverage. When I returned to work I was classed as a centrefold pin up. I don’t know if that’s exactly true but the publicity we are attracting can only be a good thing in terms of strengthening our ongoing campaign.

Nearly all the young members in my workplace have taken part when we’ve had strike action. As we begin to get on the property ladder and look to starting a family it is becoming clear how low wages are.

A young member in my office has recently bought a place with her partner; after all the bills and mortgage payments have been paid she is left with £100 for the month to live on. She has taken out two extra jobs just to help pay for the decorating and a holiday. This is the reason more young members are becoming active – we feel enough is enough and want something done about it.

I think it’s important for new members to remember that the ongoing pay struggle affects all of us. I got a reasonable increase this year because I’m on the minimum, as are most new people. Members on the maximum are getting no increases at all, which is nothing short of a pay cut, especially with rocketing fuel, food and housing costs. Younger members may be getting good increases now, but in the future we will be on the max, and the government will be screwing with us like it is now with the older members of staff.

It is vital we continue to promote and build up our network as the young members of today are the group and national executive members of tomorrow.

We will need as many people as possible in the ongoing battle to protect public services and our terms and conditions. Let’s say no to the government’s childish tactics – support your comrades, become active in your union and have your say.

Visit the young members' pages of this website for information, or contact YM national organiser Tracy Edwards:

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