Public and Commercial Services Union

The PCS Wales Plan for 2008-09 provided the basis for the union's activities over the twelve months after it was drawn up at the September 2008 Wales Committee meeting.

It was subsequently revisited at every Wales Committee meeting held in the course of the year, with progress reported against each of its action points.  

The plan was signed off at the October 2009 Wales Committee meeting, where it was noted that almost every action point had been delivered. The progress made on each point during the year is listed below under the appropriate headings.

Themes

• Education
• Workplace learning
• Organising
• Equality
• Health and safety
• Campaigning
• Influencing government and policy development
• Communications and media

Education

Actions

• Hold three meetings of the Wales Education Forum to develop an education strategy for Wales and manage and deliver the objectives in this plan, with a timetable
• Progress: The Education Forum met on 3 March and 7 July 2009 and is scheduled to meet on 23 November, when it will be determining the course programme for Jan –March 2010.
• As a key priority, deliver PCS Wales core education programme following training needs analysis with branches 
• Progress: Initial plans to direct training to representatives via a training needs analysis have not been possible due to the lack of response by branches to the branch health check. We have, however, been able to offer courses in North Wales (Wrexham) and West Wales (Bridgend). It is our aim to deliver courses in all parts of Wales, where practicable during 2009-10.
• Liaise closely with PCS HQ, Education Forum and Wales Committee to implement the recommendations of the PCS national education review.
• Progress: Review incorporated in quarterly planning meetings.
• Finalise and deliver Advanced Leadership Training.
• Progress: Wales Development Fund Bid for Unions unsuccessful –WTUC offering leadership training – support required from Organising & Learning Services Department at PCS HQ. 
• Carry out a review of PCS Wales course delivery through the medium of Welsh and act on recommendations in line with training needs analysis
• Progress: Not possible due to the lack of response to the branch health check.
• Develop a PCS Wales education communication plan, which includes regular updating of the website 
• Progress: Ongoing for discussion by the Education Forum.
• Establish a Branch Learning Coordinator (BLC) network and encourage branches to appoint BLCs. 
• Create a refresher training course programme for established reps in line with training needs analysis. 
• Progress: Not possible due to the lack of response to the branch health check.
• Hold seminars on key issues.
• Progress: Mental health awareness seminar planned for 17 November 2009.
• Review lay tutor network and develop a support programme with training to ensure quality.
• Progress: New training planned for November; lay tutor meeting planned for December.
• Follow-up activity after PCS Wales courses, to include individual contact with students on issues raised in evaluation forms and giving feedback to Forum.
• Progress: ongoing.
• Ensure PCS Wales compliance with WTUC Qualification Curriculum Framework, introduced in Wales in 2009.
• Progress: Courses will be reviewed and will comply. All PCS courses with a duration of three days and over are currently accredited in line with the Wales TUC 'Passport to Progress'. It is intended to link one-day events on subject matter to allow for accreditation – ongoing.
• Work with Wales TUC, including developing a ULR Stage 2 training in readiness for the WTUC ULR Access course.
• Progress: WTUC Stage 2 course now in existence.

Workplace learning

Actions

• Work with branches with the aim of having at least one active ULR per branch; and encourage participation in other important aspects of union activity.
• Progress: Mapping of ULRs has commenced; this is an ongoing process. Whilst our numbers of ULRs has expanded to 186, there are still a large number of branches that do not have any, and, through the project, we will be working closely with them to address this.
• Hold ULR Conference and consider North or Mid Wales as venue.
• Progress: A conference was held on 1/2 April, with 50 ULRs in attendance; a good event with a variety of speakers.
• Support Regional ULR fora. Encourage the creation of branch/fora action plans and sharing of best practice.
• Progress: All the regional fora met during September.
• Establish a communication channel between the networks.
• Submit Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) bid for the 2009-11 round and roll out project, if successful.
• Progress: Two bids were submitted; 'Widening Skills in Wales' was successful. A Project Officer (Steve Greenslade) was appointed and the launch of the project took place on 23 September.
• Deliver on the objectives in our Skills for Life (WULF) project.
• Progress: Project finalised – evaluation sent to WAG and submitted to Wales Committee and available on request.
• Explore the possibility of ULRs working closely with branch organisers in relation to mapping / recruitment and organising.
• Progress: Workshop at ULR Conference. Education Forum to consider Organising and Learning Course for ULRs and Branch Organisers
• Support and encourage branches to set up or expand workplace learning facilities / learning centres. Issue guidance.
• Progress: Ongoing with WULF project
• Work with Wales TUC to pilot the ULR access course and issue briefing for reps.
• Progress: Dependent on WTUC developing the course

Organising

Actions

• Every branch in Wales to have a branch organiser recorded on Commix.
• Progress: Ongoing. Branches with Organiser positions filled are highlighted in the Mapping Reports presentedto Wales Committee.
• Promote the National Organising Strategy, with particular emphasis on increasing the number and coverage of reps in Wales and recording them on commix.
• Progress: Slight increase in the number of reps recorded on commix, with more young member rep positions filled. Generic job descriptions for branch officers have been devised and will be circulated prior to AGM season.
• Hold four meetings of the Wales organising forum to manage and deliver the objectives in this plan.
• Progress: The next meeting was scheduled to take place 12 October 2009.
• Submit all-Wales mapping reports to Wales Committee.
• Progress: Updated mapping reports presented to every Wales Committee meeting.
• Re-launch the Wales young members’ network and arrange inaugural meeting.
• Progress: A successful one-day training course was held. There are 61 young members currently on the Wales Network and regular discussion groups are being set up in North, West and South Wales.
• Liaise with PCS Wales education forum on holding organising courses Provide practical support and advice to Branches to undertake their mapping responsibilities and the production of organising plans.
• Progress: A course was held in 2009 and another will be scheduled by the Education Forum following the 2010 AGM season.
• Hold a forum meeting for call centre reps in Wales by September 2009. Welsh branches to maintain accurate Commix recording and provide density information.
• Progress: an inaugural meeting was held on 21 April; next steps to be determined by the Organising Forum.
• Develop a PCS Wales organising communication plan which includes regular updating of the PCS Wales web pages.
• Progress: To be discussed and actioned by the Organising Forum.

Equality

Actions

• Hold meetings of PCS Wales equality networks to manage and deliver the objectives in this plan.
• Progress: Regular forum meetings have been held. Wales Committee Liaison Officers and Chairs have been appointed for 2009/10.
• Facilitate pan-equality activity and hold a pan-equality conference.
• Progress: A WOW Seminar was held on 16 June and a briefing on the Equality Bill took place on 13 July.
• Publicise findings of Glamorgan Business School bullying project and implement recommendations
• Progress: Some 750 members participated in the on-line survey and report was made available to the Wales Committee at the end of September; the official launch was to take place on 17 November.
• Develop a PCS Wales equality communication plan which includes equality briefings and regular updating of the PCS Wales web pages.
• Progress: A number of Equality Newsletters have been issued. The LGBT Forum producing booklet on Workplace Equality Rights.
• Work with PCS Wales education forum on holding equality related training courses, including bespoke courses and maximising attendance.
• Progress: Ongoing. Women’s Health & Safety course held. Future courses include 'Out at Work'.
• Work closely with the Wales TUC, Equality & Human Rights Commission and others on Welsh equality projects as well as developing links with other anti-fascist organisations.
• Progress: Ongoing.
• Deliver the Union Modernisation Fund bid on mentoring women activists.
• Progress: The project ended in July; the evaluation was underway.
• Commence a campaign to increase awareness of equality impact assessments.
• Progress: Ongoing. Training course being arranged.
• Work towards ensuring every branch has an equality rep.
• Progress: Ongoing.
• Hold an equality reps meeting /seminar.
• Progress: A briefing on the Equality Bill was held on 13 July and a seminar on Mental Health and Bullying has been arranged for 17 November.
• Increase and improve awareness of age, religious legislation /discrimination, race, LGBT issues and hate crime.
• Progress: Ongoing. Training course for BME Network being developed.

Health and safety

Actions

• Create a database of health and safety representatives.
• Progress: Database available, forum agreed to work cross referencing with Commix details, training analysis and H&S Survey Branch health check completed, work will be ongoing during the year to keep the data current.
• Establish a PCS Wales health and safety reps forum with a liaison officer from the Wales Committee.
• Progress: The Forum met twice following the PCS Wales AGM, agreed the terms of reference and is formulating a work plan for 2009/10. Sue Watkins is the Forum chair; Sian Boyles is the forum's rep on the National H&S forum.
• Run a PCS Wales stress awareness campaign.
• Progress: A health and safety conference was to be held on 20 October, to link in with European H&S week; the theme of the event being risk assessments and vulnerable workers. The H&S Forum was also to link in with the National Stress Awareness Day in November 2009, working with the PCS Disability Forum.
• Carry out a training needs analysis of health and safety reps in Wales.
• Progress: Ongoing, survey identified where H&S reps and potential H&S reps are, and their level of training; courses have been identified for the reps to attend. 55 reps have completed H&S training stages 1, 2 and 3 during 2009, to date.
• Promote our health and safety work as part of our organising agenda.
• Progress: Work in progress, Currently mapping workplaces without H&S reps. H&S forum aim to run a recruitment campaign during 2009-10, towards making H&S more visible in the workplace, in line with the national organising agenda.
• Increase the number of health and safety reps in Wales with the aim of having at least one rep in each major workplace to protect members.
• Progress: Work ongoing
• Work with PCS lawyers to raise awareness of legal issues and promote legal services for members in Wales.
• Progress: Thompsons were invited to speak at the 2009 H&S conference on 20 October on topical H&S issues, legal issues etc. Thompson’s legal updates are to be used in the quarterly newsletter to reps on H&S issues when applicable, as agreed by forum members.
• Develop a PCS Wales health and safety communication plan which includes briefings and regular updating of the PCS Wales web pages.
• Progress: The Forum has agreed to develop a communications plan for 2009/10.

Campaigning

Actions

• Develop the area campaign committees to deliver effective local campaign activity and political lobbying.
• Progress: The Newport area committee was re-launched on 11 May and a further meeting held on 8 September. A general consultation on committee structures was conducted over the summer; re-launch meetings to be arranged during the autumn.
• Re-establish Wales disputes committee as a campaign forum, meeting quarterly (or more frequently, if necessary), planning all-Wales campaigning activity and helping area campaign groups to sustain activity.
• Progress: Campaign Forum meetings held in January and April; subsequent meetings deferred until new area committees and co-ordinators elected.
• Liaise with other unions on joint campaigning and promote greater collaboration through the Wales TUC and through active branch involvement in local trades councils.
• Progress: Ongoing liaison through WTUC, with higher-profile PCS role following election of Siân Wiblin as vice-president for 2009/10 and president for 2010/11. North Wales PCS reps held meeting on 29 September to launch local branch of Shop Stewards’ Network.
• Develop a PCS Wales campaigning communication plan which includes briefings and regular updating of PCS Wales web pages, involving Wales Committee members and branch reps in this work.
• Progress: General communications are under discussion by PCS Wales office staff; web-pages are being updated regularly.
• Develop action plan to promote environmental campaigning activity.
• Progress: Third Green newsletter now in preparation; green reps forum planned for 1 December.
• Work with anti-fascist organisations and involve members in combating racism.
• Progress: PCS worked with Searchlight and UAF as part of MYVC campaign; ongoing involvement with both groups continues and likely to be stepped up as English/Welsh Defence Leagues plan anti-Muslim demos in Swansea (17 October) and Newport (24 October).
• Produce Wales-specific campaigning guides, and information sheets.
• Progress: In progress.

Influencing government and policy development

Actions

• Integrate the ‘Make Your Vote Count’ campaign into all campaigning activity in Wales and seek to engage all branches.
• Progress: 2009 MYVC work planned from January, with training / planning during March, activity by branches and area committees in April / May / June and a hustings meeting in Cardiff. Plans for 2010 campaign now under consideration.
• Provide regular briefings to MPs/AMs, ensuring that all branches have an opportunity to contribute.
• Progress: Briefings to MPs/AMs on HMRC, Royal Mint, DVLA, etc. continue to be issued as required, incorporating information from branches.
• Hold meetings with ministers as issues arise.
• Progress: Several held in the course of the year, with both Assembly and Westminster ministers. Meetings on Royal Mint to be held during November with Peter Hain & Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Exchequer Secretary to Treasury).
• Hold three meetings of all-party Assembly group and attempt to ensure consistent representation from all parties.
• Progress: A meeting was held on 12 May 2009, which discussed the Royal Mint, Land Registry, IPO and WAG; next meeting scheduled for 24 November. Drop-in briefings held on DVLA (4th November 2008); Royal Mint (13 October 2009) and Fujitsu (22 October 2009).
• Promote PCS members' interests and the wider social justice agenda through the Wales TUC and other like-minded organisations.
• Progress: PCS has lobbied through WTUC on public sector pay, defence of jobs and protection against outsourcing.
• Liaise with academic institutions to explore the potential for collaborative research in support of PCS arguments on key union issues.
• Progress: PCS involved in discussions initiated by Cardiff University School of Social Sciences on collaboration between unions and sympathetic academics to pursue common research and campaigning agenda.
• Maintain our relationship with the Bevan Foundation and other relevant campaigning groups and think-tanks.
• Progress: PCS continues to be involved in work of Bevan Foundation, which co-sponsored our Welfare Reform conference in June 2008.
• Continue to play a key role on the Wales Public Service Forum in the development of social partnership in Wales.
• Progress: PCS continues to participate actively in the Forum, which meets quarterly. Wales Economic summits have raised prospect of permanent social dialogue arrangements. A new ‘Employee Agreement’ paper was endorsed by the forum last week.
• Hold a PCS Wales Assembly reception.
• Progress: Reception deferred for consideration in 2010.

Communications and media

Actions

• Review PCS Wales communications, including a survey of branches, and implement recommendations.
• Progress: Communication subject to ongoing review, branch survey not yet undertaken.
• Remodel PCS Wales pages on national website and promote the pages to members and activists.
• Progress: Web pages expanded and updated considerably in recent months; further work still in progress.
• Provide media training and follow up support for activists and develop network of reps who can act as PCS spokespersons for local media.
• Progress: Some coverage of media was included in campaigns course to be presented on 13/14/15 October; course cancelled, however, due to insufficient numbers.
• Implement the revised PCS bilingual policy.
• Progress: Policy being implemented: bilingual strike materials and membership pack produced; PCS Wales office team now includes fluent Welsh-speaker.
• Communicate plan and progress reports on the website, involving Wales Committee members and branch reps in providing updates.
• Progress: 2008/09 plan widely promoted within membership and regularly updated. Development of 2009/10 plan begun by Wales Committee officers/forum chairs and Wales office staff on 4 September.
• Issue press releases and respond to media enquiries.
• Progress: Numerous press releases issued in the course of the year, on HMRC, DVLA, ONS, Royal Mint, etc.
• Produce regular bulletins giving concise updates on the work of PCS Wales committees and fora.
• Progress: Wales Committee bulletins, equality newsletter and Green newsletters issued.
• Commission production of a PCS Wales banner.
• Progress: Wales office liaising with HQ to secure production of banner.