Activate: 'We organised and agitated hard'
Carlos writes about the award-winning organising work that helped his Tate branch radically increase membership, recruit new activists and, ultimately, win a long-running dispute.
Our PCS Tate United branch was incredibly proud to win the team award in PCS's organising and communications awards. But why were our dedicated activists recognised for their collective organising efforts?
In the run-up to our industrial ballot last year, we organised and agitated hard. We didn’t leave growth to chance, dividing recruitment responsibilities across the committee and leafleting Tate sites across London every week.
We focused on parts of the organisation where we knew we needed to recruit to increase our industrial leverage. That meant having conversations, building confidence, and making the case for collective action.
That approach worked. Our membership grew significantly, making the Tate branch the largest branch in the culture group. We achieved an 87.7% turnout in the ballot, with 98% voting in favour of strike action: a result that reflected the strength of organising across the workplace.
Alongside our workplace organising, we developed a public-facing strategy. Our picket lines were strong throughout; always large and loud. Over 200 people attended the final picket.
We also reactivated our branch Instagram account to communicate about the strike publicly. That led to statements of solidarity and picket line visits from artists, politicians and trade union leaders.
Today, the Instagram account has over 10,000 followers. Through it, many organisations learned about the strike, hosted solidarity events, and raised over £3,000 for our strike fund.
Wins matter
Through collective action, we won real, concrete gains. Our strike forced the employer to increase their initial pay offer by 80%.
We also forced management to reinstate subsidised hot food in the canteen, after they'd taken it away. We won the right to renegotiate an improved recognition agreement. We secured consultation rights over the installation of exhibitions, and a new seating charter to ensure all staff have access to quality seating when working on the gallery floor.
These wins matter. They improve people’s daily working lives, and they send a clear message that organised workers can shift power.
The impact has lasted beyond the dispute. We’ve continued recruiting since the strike, massively increasing our density, in addition to recruiting and training new activists. At our AGM this year, 18 members put themselves forward for election, after we held open meetings encouraging people to step into leadership roles.
We’ve grown our power locally, and that’s already shifted our power in negotiations this year. We’ve already secured further concessions, including improved maternity and paternity pay.
This award recognises team organising, and that’s exactly what made the difference for us: collective leadership, shared responsibility, and members stepping up together.