Warm reception for Prospect at Civil Service Live

This is the first year that Prospect has participated in the Civil Service Live national events, writes Prospect deputy general secretary Garry Graham. The union had stands in Glasgow, Sheffield and Cardiff and at the two-day London event.

As well as taking part in the exhibitions, Prospect gave presentations on “Good Work”, which attracted audiences from a wide range of civil service employers and prompted interest from employees and employers alike.

The key themes for this summer’s events included skills and making the civil service “a great place to work”, as well as effective leadership and the importance of public sector delivery. These had a clear resonance with many attending.

Prospect also had the opportunity to quiz civil service chief executive John Manzoni as to how the civil service can attract and retain the skills it needs and be a “great place to work” against the backdrop of Treasury pay constraint.

Over the five days we estimate that we spoke to almost 1,000 civil servants. Many Prospect members attending the event took the opportunity to drop in, say hello and share their experiences.

We spoke to more than 200 civil servants who were not union members. Many were interested in what we had to offer and a significant number had not realised Prospect membership was open to them.

It was great to meet so many civil servants passionate about what they do and committed to public service.

Key themes continued to emerge, relating to performance management, stress within the workplace, pay and reward, the need to feel valued by politicians and many feeling under more pressure than ever before.

A common theme was the desire for a voice and trade union that spoke up on behalf of its members, championing their professionalism, the importance of the work they do and the organisations they work for.

Many were also interested in the fact that unlike some other trade unions, Prospect is not linked to any political party. Its role as a trade union is to represent civil servants and to lobby and influence across the political spectrum.

Attendance at future Civil Service Live events is likely to become a regular annual fixture in the Prospect calendar. Raising our profile as a union representing professionals, managers and specialist across the civil service is vital. Providing staff with a credible voice has never been more important.