Meet a Black rep: Paulette
Paulette Smith, who sits on the Met Police group executive committee as well as the national Black members’ committee, spoke to our Black members' digest about her perspective on being a PCS activist.
PCS: How and why did you first join and get involved in PCS?
Paulette: “Like a lot of ordinary people, I thought I would never need to be involved with a trade union, let alone need the help of a union representative. A union subscription was a waste of money, I thought. It wasn’t until I was forced to deal with a specific situation and needed a rep that I contacted PCS. And I haven’t looked back since.”
PCS: Can you describe your introduction to the union's organised structures and your early experiences of PCS activism?
Paulette: “After my personal experience, I decided I wanted to help and support my work colleagues, to be their voice. I soon became a rep, promoting the benefits of PCS and helping staff with their own issues.
“I was eventually elected to my branch executive committee (BEC). After this, I got even more involved and was building up experience. More recently, I was voted by members to the Met group executive committee (GEC).”
PCS: Today, what does PCS activism look like for you? What do/does your role/roles entail in your workplace?
Paulette: “For me, PCS activism is about protection, equality, fairness and education. It makes me proud seeing so many activists standing up for what they believe in.
“I have helped organise various forms of industrial action, including strikes, over job security, pay and conditions. I work hard to challenge far-right ideas and combat racism in the workplace. And I also try to recruit as many new members as possible, selling them on the benefits of PCS – especially the collective power and protection you get in a union.”
PCS: Looking back over the past few years, are there any projects, personal cases, workplace campaigns or even organising in the workplace that you’re most proud of?
Paulette: “I am most proud of fighting for disability rights and treating people fairly.
“Where I work there were a lack of women’s toilets, so I fought to get at least one more female toilet. Although I was proud to win that workplace campaign, I am still fighting to get a disabled toilet on the ground floor, as the nearest one is on the first floor and the lift is always out of order. This is unacceptable in a modern workplace.”
PCS: At the moment, what are you and your branch focused on and what are you planning for the coming months and years?
Paulette: “We are focusing on keeping the police stations’ front offices open.
“I have decided to start a petition externally so that members of the public are aware and can bring this matter to their MPs. Closing station front offices is not ‘cost-cutting,’ as we put it, it is costing lives!
“We are also busy trying to get the vote out in a ballot over pay. Police staff are angry over a two-tier system where the London Allowance is only paid to police officers. Given how expensive London is for all of us, we believe we deserve this money as much as our police colleagues.”
PCS: What advice would you give to Black members who want to get more involved with the union?
Paulette: “In all walks of life, excelling as a Black person is not easy. You are either profiled by your name or the colour of your skin.
“I always remember my parents telling me: ‘As a Black child, you must work 10 times harder to achieve good exam results’. What they didn’t tell me was that working harder than your peers continues throughout your life.
“Racism is unlikely to ever disappear – it just changes shape. But we should never give up.
“More Black members are needed in PCS. Black trade union activists paved the way for us. We must now pave the way for the next generation to ensure that Black members’ voices are heard and represented in our union structures.”