Organising: Collective action gave confidence to members

Organising must be at the heart of the union's activity, delegates agreed as Glasgow highlighted the recruitment boost from the pensions strike.

Thanking everyone for organising for 30 November, national executive council member Sue Highton told them: "Because of all this workplace activity, we achieved something remarkable.

"UNISON became more visible than before, because we worked as a whole union."

And she told them: "Recruitment without organising is like a house built on sand. Activists are the foundation of our union.

"If we recruit new members but not new activists, we will stretch those activists beyond breaking point."

Peter Crews of Cymru/Wales described recruitment as "the lifeblood of this union", and talked of the importance of sharing best practice with other unions.

Martin Nelson of the national young members' forum told conference how young members had been developing new recruitment and organising approaches, adding: "Together, we can clear up this Eton mess."

Katrina Gilman of the LGBT group told how she'd been a member for 12 years but an activist for four - and stressed how self-organisation was key in encouraging her to become active.

"All our campaigning should include recruitment," she said.

For the executive, Irene Stacey stressed that "there is no best way to organise members. But all my experience shows that the one thing that works is talking to people; doing the basic leg work."

And she said that branches organising effectively were using different methods, "but both said that talking to people was key. Apps, technology and the internet may help - but it cannot replace talking to people, face to face."

"The more active we are in the workplace, the more members we attract. The more members we have, the better we will be able to represent them."

Speaker after speaker reported how building for 30 November had really helped recruitment.

One was Glasgow's Ian Leech who said: "As soon as general secretary Dave Prentis announced that pensions will be the issue we will fight on, UNISON's membership beagn to rise.

"People were joining to strike. Collective, cross sector public sector action gave confidence to members.

"On 30 November Glasgow was a sea of colour as trade unions marched through the city cheered by passers-by.

"We need to recapture the spirit of 30th November, our movement has tremendous power when taking action together", said Ian.

"You can have a high level of organisation... but it is the use of our industrial muscle that forces an employer's retreat".

Revealing the difference that growing density in a branch produces, Rob Padley of Sheffield told delegates: "We've got a new chief executive, from Southern Cross - she treated us like something under her shoe at first, but now we've got more members, she's bricking it."

James Imhoof, a young member from Newcastle, said that the union "should be proud of how we encourage young members", adding that the late Kenny Bell had been an enormous help in him finding ways to become active.

And the region's young members are going to be premiering a film about regional pay at this summer's Durham Miners' Gala.

Judy Teasdale from Lincolnshire stressed that, "without building our density, it is impossible to move forward."

The measures adopted by conference included:

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