Activate: A final reminder for members to post their ballots

For members’ votes to count, they’ll need to have completed their ballot paper, and posted it in the pre-paid envelope, in time for it to be received by the 13 May deadline.

We estimate that members would need to post their ballot by around 8 May if using the 2nd class service. If members use the 1st Class service, they can post their ballot a day or two in advance of the deadline (members can put a 1st class stamp on any 2nd class envelopes to make sure they arrive in time).

As DWP Glasgow rep Charlie Liddle explains, we “only have a few days left to maximise the turnout in our branches”.

Even though his branch has had over 50% of members tell them they have voted, they continue to “contact members and encourage them to vote as any additional vote posted may be crucial in helping DWP group as a whole get over the 50% threshold”.

“For those with 2^nd class envelopes, the deadline is probably no later than 8 May,” Charlie explains. “Members who requested a replacement or joined after the start of the ballot may have a 1st class envelope to return their vote and therefore may have an additional couple of days grace.”

His branch’s message in the coming days will be “post today, without delay”: “We do not want to lose out on beating the 50% threshold, achieving a mandate for strike action and boosting our bargaining position on pay, pensions and jobs due to votes arriving late.”

Tailored postal information

Cheral Govind, a branch organiser in Ofgem in Scotland, explains to us that she purposely avoids judging members when discussing sending their ballot since “union voting is inconvenient by design”.

“I totally sympathise that we’re all busy and an envelope in your bag can be easily forgotten about,” she says. “I find that emphasising ‘it’d be great to send it off sooner than later’ can empower them to go to the post-box.”

On Monday, she did a “final email blast to say it’s a week to go”. As she runs the PCS_EnergyReg X (Twitter) and Instagram accounts, she also asked members to send in pics of their pets and the ballot paper to get members excited about the ballot.

DWP Tyneside and Northumbria have tailored the postal information to each individual member. Bridget Corcoran and Saul Cahill tell us they have “encouraged early posting, citing potential bank holiday delays”.

“We always try to have a chat to jog the member into action by getting a verbal promise, emphasising how important it is for everyone in PCS to stick together, show solidarity and win for all.”