Public and Commercial Services Union

This is the fifth year we’ve run the campaign; last year 1,000s of candidates were challenged and over 2060 responses were received and published to members. 380 of these were from this region alone.

The Make Your Vote Count campaign challenges those people that seek to represent you and asks them to make a stand for public services.

Its aim is to challenge candidates standing in this year’s local elections about their views on our core campaigning issues of the state of public services, job cuts, privatisation and national pay while at the same time continuing our campaign against far right fascist parties such as the BNP.

Although this is the fifth year we have run the campaign we have never done so under a Tory led coalition that is currently implementing the most vicious cuts seen in decades.

We need to ensure that the MYVC campaign this year addresses the real threat that our members and society face from the government’s austerity measures. It is therefore crucial that as many people as possible get involved so if you are not already please consider doing so, and help recruit other volunteers.

You can do as much or as little as you like just pass on your details, including an email address to your Branch Secretary, branch co-ordinator, other BEC member or your Regional MYVC Co-ordinator Gordon Rowntree - gordonr@pcs.org.uk

Initial action

• Appoint Co-ordinators and get your Branches to fully sign up to the campaign and get them involved by recruiting more volunteers and ensuring it is on each BEC agenda.
• Contact other PCS branches in the area and set up a town committee.
• Contact other trade unions and organisations such as faith groups and community groups and ask for their involvement particularly around anti cuts and anti fascist work.
• Every member to be given a copy of the register to vote leaflet which will be provided shortly and if any events are being held a supply should be taken to those events.
• Encourage members to sign up to the PCS South West Regional Facebook group.
• Start thinking, and discuss with your BEC, about dates and venues for events such as question time meetings.

Objectives

• Ensure that cuts to public services are a central issue within the targeted elections.
• Ensure that issues that affect PCS members are raised within the targeted election.
• Increase number of members in parliamentary group.
• Increase participation of members.
• Increase PCS presence in local media.
• Build relations/links with other unions/organisations and, where appropriate campaign with them.
• Build relations with anti fascist organisations and campaign together to reduce support for far right organisations such as the BNP and EDL.

Following huge membership involvement at the TUC demo on the 26th March, we want to continue the momentum by ensuring members and their families write to MPs asking them to sign up to our 5 pledges and promoting the alternative.

The write to them website provides an easier way to electronically contact your elected representatives locally, nationally and even MEPs and the Lords.  Simply enter your postcode and follow the instructions.