Young members

Your most vibrant and active branches are the ones where activists work tirelessly for members. Here we hear from activists who are working in your branches to get the votes to come in.

Young members leading the way
Louis Radforth (Merseyside branch), chair of Revenue & Customs group young members sets out why it’s so important for members joining PCS to get active:

Not a single right workers have, has been freely given. Instead, workers have organised, fought and won rights for themselves. If we as workers want to continue to improve our lives with better pay, better terms and conditions, and reduced hours with no loss of pay we must do something about it. We must raise our expectations, be ambitious and get organised. R&C young members are doing just that.

In February the HMRC group organised the very first group only young members’ seminar dedicated to building participation, confidence, and the skills of young member activists in HMRC. Delegates from branches across regions and nations came together and took part in sessions such as Individual to Collective Action and Strategic Planning and Organising. The delegates’ ideas and contributions to the sessions were brilliant, coming up with innovative strategies on how to build our workplace power which will benefit current and future campaigns.

Whilst the key aim of the seminar was to develop young members’ activists, the seminar also helped to develop friendships and ties across branches which will allow us to organise more effectively as a group by sharing good practice and new ideas.

The benefits of the seminar have also been evident with new activists stepping up to positions and more young members taking on branch roles. This year the number of nominations to the YMAC will result in a contested election which will be brilliant for the democracy of PCS as young members stand for national positions. More trainee delegates will be young members this year, allowing them to learn how to contribute to the structures, rules, and positions of our union.

As one of the largest groups in the union we must continue to be an example of how to organise and continue to capitalise on the momentum that we have built. Other groups are looking to HMRC to replicate and build on the event and as shown by previous campaigns it’s vital that we work across groups to grow our membership and increase our power. While the young members in HMRC are doing brilliant work, there’ll always be more to be done! Make sure you’re involved by contacting your local branch and step up.