Monday - Visit to Hull DWP members

I visited Hull today and was introduced to a lot of young members by Miranda Harr the Chair of DWP Hull and East Riding branch.

We visited Oriel House first which is a DWP Benefit Processing Centre.

Miranda showed me round the processing floors and to be honest Miranda did most of the talking as I was a bit shy being in a new office to be honest (If you were a young member who I talked to early on and didn't introduce myself, HI my names Mark!)

We got a good reception for the most part and I think a few people will join the young members network as a result.

The thing is though Miranda and I found it difficult walking round an office with employees of all sorts of different ages there and trying not to offend anyone by presuming they were either too old or too young.

Miranda handled it well though by stating clearly before approaching each bank of desks and stating "Hello, We're here to talk about the young members network today is anyone 27 and under" We also handed out PCS membership leaflets out to those over the age requirement and not members of PCS.

After covering the processing sections we moved onto the telephony sections. There were a few young members down there and hopefully after speaking to them about PCS and the young members network they have decided to join up.

I tried to draw their attention to the call centre charter which I think will be a brilliant tool for recruiting young members who conduct most of their work on the phone.

It's an excellent charter and in the young members network we will be stepping up out work to being it's demands into reality.

We encountered one young person in the building who didn't want to join. He said that he didn't agree with PCS's strategy in DWP regarding the recent strikes, that the DWP GEC has chosen the wrong day which would cause the least damage to management.

Miranda stated that if he was part of PCS he would of be able to express his opinion so maybe next time it would be done his way.

He still however wasn't interested but still took a flyer and application form.

What Miranda said afterwards was right. Too many people both outside and inside of the union still think the leadership simply give instructions to them instead of make decisions based on feedback from them.

I think our union is the most democratic organisation (let alone union) in the UK. Before we even launched this current strategy on the pay strikes we had a series of workplace meeting covering nearly every workplace represented by PCS to ask members what they thought.

I also seriously believe what will be proposed by PCS for the national pay strikes will have taken into account that opinion. We therefore need to continue to bang the drum when recruiting into the union that members can effect what strategy and line the union takes.

It isn't some conspiracy as some 4 the members activists would have you believe. I truly believe most of the decisions taken in this union are based on the prevailing opinion of most members. It may not match every single members wishes exactly but it's pretty near in my opinion.

After some dinner myself and Miranda moved onto the Britania House. This building houses Jobcentre Plus workers within DWP.

I didn't get to talk to many members within Jobcentre Plus because of the customer facing work they do. I did however talk to some members with the Child Support Agency section there.

Most people 27 and under were very receptive. I introduced myself properly this time and stated that as chair I would be very interested in any comments or ideas they wished to send me by e-mail.

We started much hilarity within the office with some members proudly stating they were still 'young' and other weren't.

We then encountered a young person who wasn't interested.

Their only reason was that they did not see the point in unions.

Miranda tried to debate the point with him but in my opinion some people are closed minded to the issue because of what they have been told about unions in the past and the (in my opinion) false image they have of them.

I guess the only thing you can do with this sort of member is go back in a few months time again and point them in the direction of a success the union has had and ask them again.

It's diffilcult when someone is against unions but doesn't give you a definable reason but it happens.

Myself and Miranda then sat in the tea break area and met a few more young people to sign up there.

All in all it was a successful day and I hope Tracy will be in receipt of lots of applications to join from Hull.

In finishing Miranda Harr the branch chair of DWP Hull and East Riding branch is everything you could hope for in a PCS activist and I'm glad PCS has someone like her in such a responsible position.

She was courteous to all the people she met, all the time and tried to answer their concerns. She is also trying to encourage all people in her branch to become more active in the union.

This is why her branch has seen more women and young people coming onto the branch's BEC than ever before. It's also a success for PCS that Miranda holds the position of Branch chair. This would have been fairly rare even 15 years ago.

I'd like to thank her for inviting me to see members in her branch and wish her every success in the future.

Mark Chisman.