Ofwat is a funny place. The things you think will be easy meet with difficulties; the things that you think will be difficult are embraced immediately. Audrey came forward with an idea to run a drop-in awareness event for Black History Month in Ofwat; management agreed immediately! Considering that it was organised at short notice, and for the Friday lunchtime of half-term, attendence was good and a number of new members signed up. The event itself was a very good consciousness-raising occasion, and we are already thinking about BHM 2010 and ways to make the Ofwat event bigger and better!

The TUC organised the second of the 'March for Jobs' campaigns in Birmingham in May. PCS activists took part. Though we were hoping to heckle Sir Digby Jones, we didn't get the chance - but it was enough to take part.

More pictures can be seen by following the link at the foot of the index page....

Every year, Workers' Memorial Day is commemorated in Birmingham with a service of remembrance at the memorial to the workers killed during the construction of the Town Hall. Here are some pictures of the PCS participation in 2009's ceremony.

La lutte continué! April 24th was the date of a UK teachers' strike, a day of action for the ongoing dispute in Birmingham City Council against single-status pay, and PCS strikes in the DWP, Land Registry and Prison Service. Birmingham hosted a major joint rally and march, addressed by Janice Godrich, PCS President.

Brighton again - this time with some pictures of Public Sector group delegates at National Conference too.

Instead of a march, the Regional Committee decided on a Rally: picking up on the theme of the Government's desire to get the 'Third Sector' (charities) involved in providing public services, a number of the faithful turned up in Victorian garb to suggest a return to Victorian values. Hugh Lanning (DGS) spoke, there were contingents from other public service unions (mainly NASUWT) and the whole thing finished off with music from various supporters of 'Love music, hate racism' supporting the union's 'Make your vote count' campaign.

For seventeen years, we had to struggle in Ofwat against Managements that were more or less hostile to trade unions. Our first DG, Ian Byatt, had achieved the rare distinction of falling out with the FDA in his Treasury past. He was (and is) a great intellect, a formidable economist, but a pretty poor personnel manager.

We continued to accrue members and support, until Ofwat managed to shoot itself in the foot with a pay award that had differentials between performance markings of around 1.5%. Hardly enough to 'recruit, retain and motivate'. We sensed the time was right, and struck - with an indicative petition and the promise of taking it to the Central Arbitration Committee. Members and non-members alike signed up to calling for union recognition to the tune of 70% of all staff. Management capitulated.

Today, we signed the agreement. Now we start to build real trade unionism in Ofwat.

Once again we take to the streets. Once again the binding undertakings we have been given are broken. Those at the top of the Service pursue their aim of 'what matters is what works', all the while ignoring the fact that their solutions don't work. The Permanent Secretary to the Treasury trumpets that only 35 compulsory redundancies have been necessary whilst ignoring the hundreds in the pipeline. Service to the public slides but the politicians are the men who will not be blamed for anything. So we take to the streets again.