I have been a member of the union for over 30 years and have held branch roles over most of that period. I am currently the secretary of the MoJ HQ Branch. More recently I have been part of the Ministry of Justice Group Executive (GEC) Committee and even more recently I was elected to the National Executive Committee NEC).

As an NEC member I am proud to have been part of the NEC which was quick to recognise the devastating impact of the cost-of-living crisis was having on our members and which led the campaign of targeted, sustained industrial action which forced the treasury to more than double its initial pay remit. The NEC is clear that it is prepared to ballot for industrial action again to secure better pay and terms and conditions if necessary. If that happens, I will be campaigning hard to secure a ‘YES’ vote. The fight over getting better pay for our members is ongoing and will be until our members have a decent living wage and are not reliant on foodbanks. It is unacceptable, in my view, that Civil Servants continue to be at the bottom of the pay heap while MPs vote themselves generous pay rises. I have not heard of an MP who is reliant on a foodbank.

The NEC’s campaign strategy was supported by members and attracted 28,061 new members.

PCS is a campaigning union, not a service union, and I am particularly proud of the stance the NEC took in its position to the government’s Rwanda deportation policy. Fighting for equality is at the heart of the union and we demonstrated this when we stood up against the government’s disgraceful treatment of refugees. This built on the successful legal challenge in 2022 that stopped PCS members having to turn back boats in the channel. To date no one has been deported to Rwanda.

I have represented the union at TUC, at Women’s TUC and at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and would like to do so again. I have been an active member in the union’s finance and bargaining committees, the Green and Women’s forums. I support the union at demonstrations and marches when possible.

The Democracy Alliance, which all current members of the NEC support, has seen growth in the union over the previous 7 years through its campaigns supporting members to fight injustice and inequality in the workplace, its ongoing campaign for pension justice, and for no changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

As a GEC member I have been a member of the pay team and last year when the government announced the £1,500 one off payment, I put forward the unions strong case for the payment to be paid to all employees and for there to be no pro-rating for part-time staff. There are still some members within MoJ where I am continuing to fight for that payment to be made.

As branch secretary I have represented members in a wide range of personal cases, mentored new reps, attended regional committee, and held many all-members meetings.