Mike Clancy: Unions are about solving problems and finding ways forward

Mike Clancy, Prospect general secretary, gave delegates a broad overview of the state of the union to delegates at the energy sector conference in Birmingham.

Mike Clancy addressing delegates at the energy sector conference 2023

Opening his address to the energy sector conference, Mike Clancy, said that he wanted to bring a ‘little bit of the outside into each of the respective sector conferences.’

“We’ve got our challenges as any organisation of our size and complexity will have, but nonetheless, having got through the challenges of Covid and a lot of other pressures in the last few years, the union is in really good shape,” he said.

Clancy also praised the support that he had received from Prospect’s president Ele Wade, who was also in attendance, and the union’s elected ruling body, the National Executive Committee.

“Our union culture is not happenstance. You have to work hard at it. We’ve had a few challenges but our union is characterised by an atmosphere of trust and respect. We can have our debates and arguments but, ultimately, we’re all pointing in the right direction.

“I pay tribute to all of you because you are our ambassadors on the ground.”

Prospect’s membership had been growing organically for the last couple of years and currently stood at around 157,000, Clancy said.

“If your membership’s not going forward, you’re probably going backwards, so we’re in a really strong position.”

He pointed to the breadth of Prospect as a particular strength, being spread across different sectors, such as energy, aviation, creative sectors, civil and public service, IT and even referees.

“This means we’re not exposed if one industrial sector is going through troubles and that’s another thing which I think we all need to draw on together. The crucial thing is that we are unit in support of one another.”

New HQ

As the ‘chief executive’ of Prospect, Clancy said that he spent most of this time focussed on finance, infrastructure and staff, and he spoke about the critical importance of the union being run well on behalf of its members.

“Our finances always stand up to scrutiny. We’ve sold the current building in Waterloo and we’re in the process of completing a new headquarters in London, which we hope will be a building for everyone in Prospect no matter where they are across the UK.”

“We’re now in the refurbishment stage. It’ll be a working space for staff, it should be a place where we can hold conferences like this and some floors that we can use for investment purposes.”

A strong union with healthy finances matters, said Clancy, because it affected how employers look at the ‘capabilities of the union and whether they think they can see us off.’

“I very much believe that remote techniques have their place and they can be very effective particularly with members across the UK, but union work is people work, and being in person and being in front of an employer at crucial moments is really important.”

Solving problems

Clancy also spent a part of his talk discussing wider issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, the political climate and widespread industrial unrest across the UK economy.

“Unions are not just about industrial action. Unions are about solving problems, negotiating solutions and trying to find ways forward, which preserve our integrity and the respect of our members. I think in the private sector we’ve been pretty successful at this.”

As an example, he pointed towards some ‘pretty challenging conversations’ within our very well organised Air Traffic Controllers branch, who would have gone on strike for the first time in 30 years before a solution was found.

“Prospect wasn’t on the front pages, or given credit that everyone could continue flying and going on holiday. But we solved that crisis. One of the things about this union is our potential power and we need to amplify that.

“At any time we could be shutting down the electricity system or closing the skies. It is always best to brandish the sword, but not always to use it.”

However, Clancy did also reference the industrial dispute within the civil service and the public sector and how it was also touching upon the negotiations across the NDA estate.

Members

“Another thing I really want to emphasise, and I’ve never lost sight of this for as long as I have been general secretary, is that members are never an inconvenience. Even when they are being difficult, or when they are sometimes plain wrong, they’re never an inconvenience,” Clancy said.

“They’re the people who give the staff a career a job; they’re the people who give you your credentials of being representatives. I want us to be seen and distinguished by the quality of personal support we can provide for them. If they’ve got a problem they’ve got people like you, or my colleagues on the staff, who can make a difference to them personally.”