Activate: How to build a branch on strike

These members took action because MyCSP refused to recognise PCS and denied our union the right to take part in the TUPE consultation ahead of the proposed outsourcing of services to Capita, where they now work and will continue to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS). 

For long the sole rep in MyCSP, Gary recruited members, persuaded active members to become reps and steered the newly formed branch through a period of sustained strike action.

He tells Activate that his colleagues are still reminiscing about how great the picket lines were.

"The strike gave us a chance to bond and build camaraderie,” he says. “If we achieved what we wanted within the first week or two, we might not have had the chance to build the branch the way we have.”

As Gary admits, the first six weeks of strike action were a "huge learning curve as we didn't know what to do or what to expect.”

Noticing that some members were carrying most of the picket line burden, he decided to call people out for attendance on two days a week.

"With the two-days-a-week pledge, we went from about 4-10 people to 15-30 people," he says of this new rota. "It was effective because it sustained the numbers on the picket line and worked as a show of strength."

Building a branch from scratch

The new branch is growing all the while. Within two weeks of moving to Capita on 1 December, they had recruited five more members. But how did Gary and his new reps seemingly build a branch from scratch?

When Gary decided to get more involved with PCS, he discovered that there were around 68 members in MyCSP. The union was something of a "secret at work" – a "dirty word" rarely heard in the office. 

He began to advertise PCS around the office, having quiet conversations with colleagues, handing out fliers, placing posters on the office noticeboard and setting up a WhatsApp group.

Before the strike even happened, several drop-ins were also effective in creating union visibility and informing members of their rights and membership entitlements.

With some work, the membership eventually peaked at about 177 members – a more than 100% rise in membership – around the time members were balloted for strike action.

Gary’s contagious passion, positive attitude and round-the-clock availability inspired many colleagues to join PCS. Inside his pocket, he carries a reminder of his role as a union rep. It reads: "Keep members informed, keep members involved, keep members inspired and keep members invested."

Once he developed a proper membership list, he created various email templates: one for prospective members (to get them to sign up), and another for new joiners (to welcome them aboard and encourage them to get involved). 

Gary sensed that the picket lines could be the best opportunity to persuade some members to take the next step and become a rep to strengthen their position and help with the workload. 

"I was just having loads of conversations with people, telling them: 'Your heart is in this and you're saying all the right things - have you ever considered a more advanced role in the union as a rep?”

Life-affirming

One of the first volunteers, Iestyn, took on the branch treasurer role.

Before long, Iestyn had, in his own words, earned the nickname of ‘Mr PCS’ for “willingly showing my affiliation by wearing my PCS hat, both in and out of the workplace and especially on the picket line.”

But why did he decide to become involved with PCS at this time? 

“It was clear to me that to not get involved,” he explains, “would lead to a lack of change and more of the same injustices.”

He also describes the “collective feeling” produced by trade union activism as “very life-affirming, especially in today’s modern world, where everything is based on being an individual,” looking back fondly at the ‘super pickets’, visits to a local pub owned by an old union rep, branch fundraisers, and the virtual meetings.

When they spoke to us, Gary, Iestyn and their young branch were preparing to formalise their structures at an upcoming annual general meeting. So, what comes next?

Leaflet-dropping and a new noticeboard are top priorities. Capita has also recruited an additional 160 workers to come on to the contract of the CSPS.

"That's 160 people," Gary enthuses, "who need to learn what the union is, and we can see what they can add to what we've already got."