Meet a Black Rep: Leoni

PCS: How and why did you first join and get involved in PCS?  

Leoni: “I became a PCS member because I was outraged by the way managers treated staff in my department. When their ingratitude and unfairness came to a head, it was a tense and stressful time in my workplace. 

"A manager once came to our department and spoke at us like we were all children that needed scolding. It was inexcusable to hear your department being called the worst and talked about with such disgust. 

"I felt we needed some strength behind us, so I joined PCS, where I found that power to fight for justice and respect. I now knew I had a force behind me.” 

PCS: Can you describe your introduction to the union's organised structures and your early experiences of PCS activism?  

Leoni: “When I became a rep, I enjoyed my introduction to the union’s various structures. I believe that having knowledge of these structures is very important.  

“My early experience of activism within PCS was my first strike for fair pay. What I experienced was a coming-together and solidarity for a cause that touched me deeply. I will never forget it.” 

PCS: What does PCS activism look like for you? What do/does your role/roles entail in your workplace?

Leoni: “For me, PCS activism looks like fighting for fairness and justice within my workplace. But in a broader sense, this struggle must trickle out into wider society. As trade unionists, we must always help people less fortunate than us – and fight for people who can’t fight themselves.  

“As a Black rep, this means having a safe space to fight for justice and against inequality. In more practical terms, this means helping members to have fair representation whenever they have a workplace issue. This is what trade unions are all about.” 

PCS: Are there any projects, personal cases, workplace campaigns or organising drives in the workplace that you’re most proud of?      

Leoni: “The one campaign that springs to mind was our strike for fair pay. We came together in solidarity and, crucially, we won.  

“I’m a fairly new rep so I don’t have many cases to cite, but a member recently came to me for help after they were told that they weren’t entitled to overtime on a certain week. 

“I proudly fought this case on behalf of the member. After showing that management had made a mistake, they ended up being able to do overtime. I was very pleased with this achievement because that overtime money makes a difference to our members. 

"I can't wait to assist more members in personal cases and get involved with workplace organising. There is always a need to recruit more members and activists to increase our power." 

PCS: What are you and your branch planning for the coming months and years?  

Leoni: “At the moment we are in the process of pay negotiations and beginning our fight for fair pay. 

"The other is a restructuring. We need to make sure that the process is handled fairly for our members.” 

PCS: What advice would you give to Black members who want to get more involved with the union?  

Leoni: “The advice I would give to Black members who want to get more involved in the union is to take the leap and become a rep.  

“It can be hard for people of colour to fight for justice in the workplace because such activism is often seen as aggressive. But when you have the union behind you, you know your fight has the full backing of the union, and that your concerns cannot be disregarded as just another Black person ranting about injustice.”