Wednesday - Summer of Discontent

Yesterday I went to the summer of discontent social night at the Ruby Lounge in Manchester.

I got to meet a lot of PCS young members in the North West region and I know how hard they must have worked to get a social event like that organised.

The Young members in Yorkshire and I arranged a social event in Sheffield last year with speakers and bands and it was chaos all night! We were constantly on our feet sorting out difficulties and making sure everyone was happy.

It was no different for the young members in the North West yesterday and I appreciate how much work must of went into organising the event because of my experience in trying to do this myself.

I arrived at 8 'o'clock while a band called Blind Atlas played who I must admit were difficult to categorise but at a push I would call them 'indie'.

I had a few drinks with the North West Young members present and then a singer songwriter called John Herring came on. To be honest he wasn't my cup of tea but he was talented at what he did.

Throughout the night I was aware of a lot of people dressed in black and white horizontal stripes being up for seeing the next band called King Kayak and they didn't disappoint.

They played a good line of funky Ska. Helen Flanagan (DWP GEC Member) and myself were so impressed we had a good old dance about to one of their better numbers while Phil Windsor (HMRC Young Members Advisory Committee Chair) looked on in sober awe at the sheer dancing talent on display.

Following King Kayak, Daniel Orlick played who again was diffilcult to categorise.

I left at 11 'o' clock.

The night made me realise that I should get out and about more outside of the Yorkshire and Humberside area because I know there are young members doing great things outside my own region.

On a personal note I would like to say that I have chose to visit offices in my region during young trade unionist week because I hold two young members positions at the moment.

These being National young members chair and Yorkshire and Humberside convenor.

I have always said during my time before this week to my comrades in the Yorkshire region that I have been neglecting them because of my work as national PCS young members chair.

Therefore during young trade unionist week I felt I had to try and fulfil my role as Yorkshire and Humberside convenor and try to get some new blood in my region.

This is because I do not want to put the new Yorkshire and Humberside convenor who will be elected this year in a bad position just because I am also National Young members chair.

I know however from meeting the PCS young members in the North West region that I really should be getting out and about outside my region to meet you all.

I know there is some fantastic work being put in by young members for the PCS union during this week and for that I thank you all.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at: einsterzendeunternull56@hotmail.co.uk if you want me to visit a meeting of young members in your region. I will try to make arrangements to come to your region if you contact me.

That said PCS Young Trade Unionist Week isn't finished yet.

Tomorrow is call centre charter day. I shall be visiting HMRC Bradford contact centre to talk to members about the PCS call centre charter and how we can achieve it aims.

I know in other regions young members have been visiting call centres and indeed tomorrow Tracy Edwards and the Midlands Young Members will be visiting the HMRC call centre at Merry Hill.

I want to convey a message to call centre workers that PCS as a union is campaigning strongly on their behalf to stop them being treated as second class civil servants.

I want to ask them to get involved in the PCS young members network so we can make the demands of the call centre charter a reality.

I know how hard people are worked in Call Centres and how much pressure they have to suffer. The demands within the Call Centre Charter are the bare minimum conditions a call centre worker should expect.

PCS must step up it's campaigning strategy to implement the demands of the call centre charter because no-one should be treated as badly as call centre workers are treated now.

I am hoping to galvanise support among call centre workers tomorrow and tell them about what steps the young members network is taking.

I have already submitted a proposition to Tracy for the PCS parliamentary group to submit a early day motion on implementing the PCS Call Centre Charter and hopefully with more commited contact centre activists we can go further and organise more actions to win the decent working condition they so rightly deserve.

Here's to a great remaining Young Trade Unionist Week.

Thank you all for your hard work, Please keep either myself (einsterzendeunternull56@hotmail.co.uk) or Tracy (tracy@pcs.org.uk) informed of any events, work or actions you have held this week.

Mark Chisman.