“Don’t wait to be invited!”
To launch Women's History Month in PCS, Fiona writes with advice for women wanting to get more involved with PCS.
On my first day of working in the civil service I was invited to join PCS by a colleague, but I’m from a left-wing background and I already knew it was important to be a trade union member. Trade unions are the voice of working people; how else are we going to be heard?
Since then I’ve got more involved and taken on various branch and group roles in PCS.
Why women should join a trade union
Women still don’t have equality in the workplace – we still face barriers such as gender bias around pay and promotion, sexual harassment, and balancing work with child and elder care. If you’re in a trade union you can confidently challenge these and you will have the support of your union.
Advice for women thinking of getting involved in PCS
Don’t wait to be invited! Pull that chair up to the table and start – everyone learns as they go along, you don’t need to know everything about trade unions to begin. It’s been the most rewarding part of my working life and increased my self-confidence.
If I get a good result for a member, like turning around a management decision, that’s such a great feeling.
Not just for men
There are more women members than men in PCS, and it’s important that the structure of the union reflects that. It’s really important that it’s not just men who step forward as reps.
When I’m not at work or involved with trade union business, I sing in two local choirs, play bass in a riot grrrl punk band Suffrajitsu, and run Girls Rock School Edinburgh, which offers free music sessions for women of all ages and abilities (trans* and non-binary inclusive) to address the gender imbalance in the music industry. It’s all about the music; being in a band is also not just for boys!