Activists working hard to get a big yes vote
With less than 4 weeks to go in our national strike ballot teams of PCS activists are busy getting the vote out.
Our ballot of members working for 171 bargaining areas runs until noon on 13 May and if you haven’t had a ballot paper or you have lost yours, you have until 28 April to request one.
Our Super Saturday event last weekend saw more than 100 volunteers make around 10,000 calls to members asking them if they had voted and if they hadn’t urging them to vote and post their ballot paper.
Home Office rep Karen was the top caller on the day, contacting members from across HM Passport Office and The Home Office encouraging them to get their ballot paper posted.
She said: "Members have been really interested in the campaign and appreciated speaking to a local rep about their workplaces. Really positive interactions about the campaign and lots of yes votes.”
Liz from DWP Glasgow, who spent the day on the phones, had this message: “I spoke to some lovely members. We need everyone to vote yes and get a mandate for industrial action.”
“We are a huge branch in a vital group so for the foreseeable, my evenings, weekends and any spare time I have will be spent driving out that vote.
“The overwhelming response has been fantastic, with members buoyed by previous strike waves. We need every single member pulling together on this for the next few very vital weeks.”
John-Anthony from BEIS Scotland and North England branch used his operatic voice to get the vote in a video.
You can watch his video message and more of our content on our Facebook page and X account.
This week there has been leafletting outside South Colonnade in Canary Wharf and at the British Museum in London, and at the Highways Agency in Bedford, with activities planned next week at Chelmsford crown and magistrates’ court.
Tell us how you are getting the vote out, email editor@pcs.org.uk
Make it a super ballot
There is another Super Saturday event from 10am to 3pm at the Unite building in Nottingham on Saturday.
To confirm your attendance, or for any more information, contact Dani, PCS Midlands Regional Secretary at danielle@pcs.org.uk
Can't make it into the office? You can make calls from home too. All you need is your mobile phone – you won’t incur any costs or share your own mobile number.
We are also planning more Super Saturday events on 27 April and will publish details shortly.
If you would like to get involved, email organising@pcs.org.uk
Activists in Northern Ireland can also meet Fran and hear how reps are getting the vote out at an event at Irish Congress in Belfast next Friday (26).
Join the PCS live event
Tune into our Facebook page, YouTube channel or X account @pcs_union from 7pm on Wednesday (24) for our latest PCS live event. You will hear how reps are getting the vote out.
The reps will join PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote and acting president Martin Cavanagh and you can ask Fran a question about the campaign, either by commenting online on the night or emailing editor@pcs.org.uk
Let us know you have posted
When you have posted your completed ballot paper, tell us that you have voted by logging in to your PCS Digital account and hitting the ‘update ballot status’ button, or let your rep at work know that you have posted. If you’re not registered for PCS Digital, complete the online form to tell us you have voted and posted.