Public and Commercial Services Union

The national organising strategy report 2008 is a useful reference point for all PCS organisers.

It contains more statistical information than previously, starts to be able to identify new trends, and average age is featured for the first time.

When conference agreed the first national organising strategy in 2004, it recognised this would be a long-term project and agreed that progress should be reported to conference on an annual basis.

Each subsequent year, conference has agreed further recommendations to take this work forward. This year, we are reporting on progress on last year’s seven key recommendations and setting a detailed programme of work for 2008.

Membership levels

Despite the government cuts programme our membership levels have remained relatively stable.

However, job cuts have started to take effect in 2007 and a number of areas have seen significant numbers of staff leaving employment.

A fall in membership to 306,000 means we will need a renewed focus on recruitment in all aspects of our organising, bargaining and campaigning activities in 2008.

Building our union

At its best, organising combines a practical and idealistic approach to building our strength as a trade union.

It’s not merely an exercise in maximising membership, important though that is, but in expanding a network of reps into every workplace.

By a durable form of workplace organisation and encouraging an informed active membership, we can bargain more effectively with our employer.

This is what we mean when we talk of an organising approach. We aim to publish a statement of policy later in 2008 as a contribution to the debate on how organising can play an important part in the revival of trade unionism in the UK.

The PCS organising strategy is currently available as a printed document or as a PDF download. If you require it in an alternative format please contact the communications department.

  National organising strategy 2008