PCS members in the RPA have gained an important success in the dispute with their employer over the imposition of a flawed and incomplete staff reporting system.

While the nature of any dispute is that you won’t get 100 % of your demands, the gains made over the course of a few weeks are significant. They will make a huge difference to PCS members from the shopfloor (an apt phrase for many members whose workplaces in many ways resemble a factory) upwards.

Further work on the system is being carried out in consultation with the unions and more training is to be provided to those that need it. Importantly, senior management have agreed to an independent disputes procedure so that staff and managers have a means of resolving differences of opinion on performance that could ultimately affect a members’ pay. Industrial relations procedures are being re-examined, which gives PCS an opportunity to ensure that the system benefits members. There is likely to be a ballot later in the year to give members a final say before the system is fully implemented.

As we said on www.socialist.net on 25 June, it is members’ willingness to take action that will in the end win the day. The strength of feeling shown by the members who backed PCS’ industrial action strategy overwhelmingly, was the key factor in forcing the RPA to engage in proper negotiations. Senior Management were seemingly hedging their bets but could not afford to ignore the ballot result and a vocal and active membership.

Ultimately, it was not necessary to take any industrial action as the threat alone was enough. This was down to the hard work of branch reps organising members locally coupled with regular communication between the branches and negotiating team that ensured that the dispute was driven from the bottom up.

In the RPA and its wider departmental network, PCS can build on the experiences of this summer’s dispute as attentions turn towards the national battle to break the 2 % pay cap. A ballot for industrial action in to take place closing on 17 October in which the union will ask some 270,000 members across the civil service to endorse a wave of industrial action taking us into the new year. Reps at all levels will need to give a lead to members, organising in the workplace to deliver a high turnout and overwhelming Yes vote in the ballot. With other public sector unions in dispute, planning or considering ballots there is a head of steam building up.