All members covered by the national strike ballot in the defence sector will therefore be expected to take a half day strike on 5 April starting at 1pm sharp for 3hours, 42 minutes.
We want to make this walkout as memorable as possible, as the sight of a group of workers collectively leaving their workstations and walking out together is not only a powerful image, but also fosters a collectiveness and solidarity among union members which sets an example to any non-union staff in that workplace.
We have therefore put together this brief guide to organising a walkout and getting the most out of the day, taking members with us and persuading non-members to join us.
Getting ready – the days leading up to the walkout
- Branch or site committees should be meeting urgently to plan out a course of action. Discuss how we can use local flexi agreements and local working patterns e.g. four and a half day working weeks to our advantage and how all members of the branch can take part in the action. See Annex A below for some suggestions
- Give everybody a specific job. Assign a workplace rep to a specific area or group of members. It will be the responsibility of these activists to make sure members in their areas come out on strike at 1.00pm on the day.
- Agree who is going to be outside the building greeting members who walk out of work and acting as a picket line for members who want to go in to work. Get whistles, vuvuzelas and PCS flags from the regional office!
- Focus on any areas that do not have a rep and attempt to identify a member that is prepared to act as a walk out leader on the day.
- Decide where you are going to ask members to assemble on the day and make preparation for a speaker to say a few words about the dispute and to thank members for their support.
- Do the simple things. You need to make sure that every member knows what’s happening on 5 April. Talk to members. Make it a priority to get a leaflet in every member’s hand and a PCS application form in every non-member’s hand. Please ensure that those leafleting do so in their own time e.g. before work in the morning.
- Use your own branch newsletters to publicise support for the action. Advertise what your branch is doing, why you’re doing it and what’s happening on the day.
- Think about organising a social event for the Friday afternoon; this could be a fun event such as a branch quiz. Liase with other local PCS branches and your regional office to see if they wish to hold a joint event.
- Get leaflets and newsletters out to members. Set up a leafleting rota to cover all staff entrances. Use leafleting as an opportunity to talk to members and non-members.
- Try to get newer activists involved in this process and make sure you have application forms to hand out as this is an ideal opportunity to recruit. New members are able to strike as soon as they have signed the application form or joined online.
- Talk to members. Plan a members’ meeting to take place in members’ own time and off-site. It might be possible to get a speaker from the PCS NEC or a GEC member to this. Contact your Group or Head Office who will be able to assist with this and any leaflets you need to promote the meeting.
- Use your BEC meeting to establish a ‘phone tree’, using information you have collated from your Count Me In exercises/ Commix. Each BEC member agrees to call a certain number of members from your list.
- Contact your Group or Regional Office if you feel you need extra help with leafleting, resources or other support.
- Remind members that the group has a hardship fund, to support those who will suffer hardship through taking part in strike action. Contact John Wilson (jhnwilson6@yahoo.co.uk) for further information.
- Some managers will insist on asking members in advance of the strike date whether PCS members will be taking strike action or not. Members are not under any obligation to tell managers what their intentions are on strike day and should be reminded of this. Please ensure members report all instances of bullying or harassment in regards to reporting to reps and then onwards to Bob Rollings at bob@pcs.org.uk. We will take each instance up with the department.
Taking action on the day
- Your most important task is to leaflet the workplaces in your branch on the morning of the walk out. Talk to members. Remind members what’s happening and why we are asking members to walk out.
- Where possible your reps and activists need to be in place by 12.45pm in their offices and work areas getting ready for walking out at 1.00pm.
- At precisely 1.00pm your reps and activists need to remind members that it is 1.00pm and encourage members to leave their workstations.
- At walkouts in the DfE group recently reps used klaxon horns and whistles to announce when the walkout was going to take place. These will be available from PCS regional offices. At exactly 1.00pm, sound the klaxons and blow the whistles as a reminder to members to leave the workplace.
- Members in the DfT have recently staged 2 and 4 hour walkouts. In the DfT members who had previously been nervous about taking strike action were happier to walk out en masse with their colleagues than they would have been about just not going into work. The walkouts in some areas also caused more disruption than simply a 2 or 4 hour strike as management closed the offices 2 hours before the walkout was due to happen and did not open the offices after the walkout had finished!
- Make it a fun afternoon! Some workplaces turn their walkouts into mini rallies, inviting musicians, activists from other trade unions and community groups to attend and perform outside and speak.
- Arrange a reception committee of activists to applaud members as they walk out of work and to act as a picket line to remind members not to go in to work after 1pm.
- Some workplaces with low density and activity get together with other workplaces in the area for support. Get together with other branches in your group or town.
- Find out whether a local rally is planned in your town and arrange for your members to travel to the meeting together. If not, think about organising a social event for members to attend after they walk out, like a quiz or group meal.
- Whatever you do, make it fun, memorable and colourful and advertise in advance what you are asking members to do. We are seeking to make a splash walking out, not sneak out without anyone knowing we have gone!
Shift workers
For the majority of members the strike action is simple. At 1.00pm on 5 April take strike action for 3 hrs 42 min until 4.42pm i.e. half a day strike. For a small group of PCS members who are on shift work it will be different. If you are on shift which finishes on 5 April then strike action should be taken for the last 3hr 42 minutes of your shift. If your shift crosses into 6 April you are NOT being called on at this time to take strike action. Detailed advice relating to questions about shift patterns, part time workers and strike pay deductions is available at www.pcs.org.uk/actionnow.
Part time workers, compressed hours and flexi-time
It is likely that a number of members will already be absent on the afternoon of 5 April, because they work flexibly. This is a rolling programme of industrial action. We intend that members across the union will take the same amount of industrial action over the whole programme. In this instance the strike notice is only for 5 April. See Annex A below for examples of how those not scheduled to be at work on the afternoon of 5 April can support the action.
Conclusion
Remember to send us your strike day report so that PCS nationally can use the information and stories from strike day to publicise our demands and counter government propaganda. Send strike day reports, pictures and stories giving your workplace/branch name/code:
- by text on 07624 806 232
- by email to 5April@pcs.org.uk
- on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/PCSmain
- by tweeting us on @pcs_union.
Delivering a successful walkout on 5 April will take some effort from activists across the group, particularly given the short time available. Advice and support is available from the group office, from PCS regional offices and from the group executive committee, so please ask if you need assistance.
It is vital that we send a message to our employer and to the government that we are not going to go away. They won’t talk and they aren’t listening, so we must continue to act and apply increasing pressure so that they come back to the negotiating table.
WALK OUT ON 5 APRIL AT 1300 – MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
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