Special report: Organise to win
29 August 2008
With the NEC expected at its September meeting to authorise a national ballot over pay, members will be asked to support a programme of discontinuous national industrial action.
We know from experience that when negotiating is backed up by effective campaigning, we can get results. But national campaigns are only as strong as our commitment to organising on the ground.
While hoping for the best in our efforts to negotiate a settlement, we need to build now for the prospect of a national ballot in the autumn.
A strong yes vote will demonstrate that members strongly support a programme of national action to apply the necessary pressure on the government to alter the restrictive 2008 Treasury remit guidance.
Making it plain to management that we are united on this issue will show that we are as strong as ever.
It is vital therefore that members meetings are now arranged and as many members as possible are urged to attend. Meetings should be used to fill members with enthusiasm to get involved in local activity, cast their votes and make their voices heard.
Organise members' meetings
Members meetings will provide a vital space to help build for a high turnout and a solid yes vote in the ballot.
Use the meetings to link local concerns to the national campaign. Remind members that the employer is refusing to negotiate and that a strong yes vote in the ballot will demonstrate that we are ready to strike if left with no alternative.
If there are workplaces with no union representatives, make sure a branch rep takes responsibility for arranging a meeting in that area. If this is not possible contact members in the workplace and encourage them to talk to each other and arrange a meeting themselves.
NEC and senior full time official speakers are available for meetings, alongside speakers from groups.
Contact your branch secretary or group office to begin organising meetings in your workplace. If you still have a problem arranging a meeting contact your group or regional officials for help.
Get the vote out
As well as holding members meetings over the coming weeks we should be talking to as many members and potential members as possible.
Think about how you can use the ballot to introduce others to activity through allocating small tasks such as updating noticeboards and helping to hand out information. Ask existing members to encourage their non-member colleagues to join.
There are national campaign materials available, including flyers and posters as well as group and branch circulars that can help you to do this.
Involve as many people as possible to help deliver the vote: branch executive members, office reps, floor reps, distributors, union learning reps and anyone else who is willing to help.
Don’t think that you have to limit yourself to using only existing reps. Members who have never been active before may be willing to help out if they are asked to.
Sending an email to members will not win this ballot. Email allows us to share large pieces of information with a lot of people very quickly but we cannot know whether or not recipients have read and understood it.
And of course management can and will prohibit the use of work email to build for industrial action.
Disputes like this are busy times and there always seems to be something else to do but it is essential that – if we are serious about winning a convincing yes vote – we prioritise engaging with members face to face to convince them of our arguments.
Recruit new members
The balloting period will provide us with a great recruitment opportunity. Workers join their trade union when the union demonstrates it is campaigning on the issues that are important to them.
Our agreement with the Cabinet Office on improved protection from compulsory redundancy is an up to date example of how we win on issues and can be used to counter any argument that unions have no power any more.
The agreement was secured by members and activists in branches across the union prepared to take industrial action.
Our success should not only be measured by securing the agreement, but also by maintaining our national membership density figure in spite of job cuts; the numbers of members who have attended union meetings and rallies and got up early to leaflet their workplaces; and the number of potential members we have discussed our campaign with and encouraged to join.
Potential members should be encouraged to join to have a vote and existing members should be persuaded to take a more active role.
Potential members can apply to join online by calling PCS membership free on 0800 317464.
If you need more membership application forms in your workplace contact your regional or group office.
Members in solidarity
Some of our members are not being balloted for national industrial action – most of these are in the commercial sector. However, our campaign is still relevant outside the civil service and its related agencies.
As departments come under increasing pressure to slash their budgets they are making savings by cutting the funds awarded to private contracts. As a consequence private companies with less money to spend make their own staff cuts and attack wage rises.
If you are not involved directly in the ballot you can show your support by attending meetings, rallies and demonstrations in your area. Put up our campaign materials in your workplace and talk to your members about the aims of the campaign.
What to do: before, during and after
Check ballot addresses
Make sure all members in your area have up to date ballot addresses. You can request a list of members in your branch with invalid ballot addresses via your regional organiser.
Once you have your list, share sections of it with different reps in your area ensuring all members on the list are approached and asked to update their details.
To make changes email membership@pcs.org.uk or call 020 7801 2670/2680. Members must update their details by no later than Thursday 2 October to receive a ballot paper in time to cast their vote.
If members are receiving the View magazine each month then their records are correct.
Check members have received their ballots
Ballot papers are likely to be sent out from Wednesday 17 September.
If a member has not received a ballot paper by Monday 29 September, they should urgently contact our membership department by email membership@pcs.org.uk or 020 7801 2860/2870 by no later than Thursday 2 October.
Remind members to vote
In every workplace make sure that members are reminded to vote. Use the campaign materials to explain why it is important to vote.
Make sure that at least one person in every workplace, or on every floor or wing in larger buildings, takes responsibility for ensuring that members are reminded to vote.
In areas where there is no activist or rep, ask ordinary members to check that their colleagues have voted.
Do a final reminder
You should aim to do a final check of all members on Wednesday 1 October to ensure that they have voted.
Share the result
Don’t forget to go back and tell your members whether or not we won the ballot, and discuss with them what happens next.
Share your tips about building for ballots by adding a comment using the box below.
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