MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

Moral rules and trade union principles
different demands being placed on them. Inside every Group
Executive, say the Customs and Excise Group, you’ve got high
paid, low paid, executive grades, non-executive grades, blue
collar, white collar you’ve got all of those tensions inside each
elected group as well and I suppose that you pay attention to the
constitutions. Make sure that the constitutions are not too rigid
so that people feel comfortable with them. So each of those
…..bodies has a constitution carefully matured to make sure that
they feel comfortable with them and flexible enough to suit their
circumstances. That sounds really good doesn’t it; it’s really
good management speak. It’s got an element of truth in it but
they’ve got to be able to operate their own constitutions in such
a way that people feel comfortable with them, that people don’t
feel excluded (Interviewee K)
One of the important things here is the institutional constraints on lay
member activists which were built into PCS when it was formed. The
unions produced an Aims and Values statement, reflected in the new
Rule Book which aimed to make the union ‘democratic and membercentred’:-
You, the members, will have the final say on all the important
issues facing the union. We want as many of you as possible to
play an active part in the new union, including attending branch
and workplace meetings. But we know that many of you cannot
attend meetings because of work patterns or home
commitments. Therefore:-
• the new union’s rules will make provision for all of you to
be consulted in secret ballots before any major changes
to your pay and conditions are agreed with your employer
• similarly you will have an equal right to vote in key union
elections and on major changes to the union’s policies or
rules (Building a New Union February 1997)
This latter provision is unusual and constrains the union’s Conference
from taking certain decisions without a membership ballot. On the other
hand, it was argued that it empowers the members:-
That’s exactly why we’ve got this new union Rule Book. And it’s
really quite exciting. I’m really excited about what we’ve done. I
think it’s brilliant. I’m comfortable with it because I can see a role
for conferences. I can see a role for these.…executive
committees. I want to delegate to them, I want to give them
power and responsibility, it’s part of the democratic process. So
I’m comfortable with this. Whereas a lot, actually think aims and
values is an excuse for ignoring conferences. Well, I think it’s
the opposite. That’s why I campaigned for it. I’d have rather had
the status quo. I want to give people more power and more
responsibility and delegate it down, and trust them. Now the
argument is, is it a left or a right wing agenda, which is a
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