The FDA union “must do more” to halt a decline in its membership in the face of a shrinking civil service, general secretary Dave Penman has acknowledged, as he pushed back against criticism of the union’s attempts to extend its reach into lower grades.
The FDA represents more than 18,000 senior managers across the civil service and wider public sector.
But, speaking at the organisation’s annual conference in London on Thursday, Penman said wider cuts to civil service headcount — which now stands at its lowest level since the second world war — were taking a toll on the FDA’s membership.
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“Despite recruiting more members than we ever have done — over 1,000 in the last year alone — our membership continues to decline and the rate of decline is increasing,” Penman told delegates.
Penman said the union “must do more” to attract new members against the backdrop of cuts to the civil service workforce, warning: “Civil service numbers will continue to decline and unless we arrest the commensurate decline in membership, then we cannot be isolated from the economic consequences of it.”
In a bid to boost its membership, the FDA last year launched a new organisation — Keystone — which is specifically aimed at the civil service’s middle managers at Higher Executive Officer and Senior Executive Officer level.
Dave Penman: "Keystone is not about targeting the members of PCS or indeed any other union; it is about growing trade union density in the civil service"
Those grades have traditionally been served by the separate Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which has criticism the move and raised its concerns with the Trade Unions Congress (TUC), the umbrella body for Britain’s unions.
However, Penman on Thursday sought to push back against PCS’s reaction, saying PCS had responded with “hostility, nationally and locally” to the decision launch Keystone.
“Let me be clear, as we have said consistently from the start, Keystone is not about targeting the members of PCS or indeed any other union; it is about growing trade union density in the civil service,” he told delegates.
PCS source: "We raised a formal complaint with the TUC over Keystone months ago and have been trying to meet the FDA to resolve these issues amicably"
“And just as all of you have a choice whether to be an FDA member, a member of PCS or in many cases any number of other unions, Keystone is about offering choice.
“So let me also be clear. No one tells our union who we can and cannot recruit. Keystone is FDA and we need every one of you out there spreading that message.”
A PCS source rejected Penman’s assertion, however, telling CSW that there were “very longstanding agreed principles, based on good old-fashioned solidarity” that unions were “better and more effective when they work together, rather than against each other”.
The source added: “We raised a formal complaint with the TUC over Keystone months ago and have been trying to meet the FDA to resolve these issues amicably. We’re more than happy to meet at any time.”
Penman also used his speech to detail the union’s bid to shore up its finances through a move to a new headquarters in London Bridge. It is currently based near Waterloo, in a building also occupied by the specialist Prospect union.
The FDA chief said the new property would provide the union with “an accruing asset and ultimately eliminate our accomodation costs once the mortgage has paid off”.
To coincide with its annual conference, the FDA on Thursday published a wide-ranging workforce survey, highlighting concern among civil service managers about unpaid overtime and flexible working arrangements.
And Penman used his address to argue that ministers had missed the opportunity to reset their relationship with the civil service workforce by choosing to introduce further cuts to redundancy pay.