Communication and organisation key to recruitment

#uNDC14 Campaigning and organising were high on the agenda once again this year, as Conference agreed to campaign "visibly and vocally" against cuts to jobs and services, to attract new members and to keep the ones we already have.

Supporting the motion Scotland's Stephen Smellie reminded delegates that there is a difference between recruiting and organising. "Other unions regularly make a push on recruitment. They visit workplaces they have sometimes never been before, sign up some members, sometimes poach a few and then are never seen again.

"Our aims must always be to recruit, organise and campaign," said Stephen, adding that we need to identify with our members, campaigning issues to organise around from the start.

"In Scotland almost a third of the members recruited in the first four months of this year are young members. This is excellent in recruitment terms but also in potential organising terms."

Stephen applauded the Scottish young members on their positive and exciting "Gie's a Hoose" campaign, developed after a survey of young members which showed that a lack of affordable housing was a critical issue for young people.

This will now be used as a campaigning tool with young members to increase their activism in the Region and branches.

"The new young members are our future, therefore we need plans for communicating with and organising these young members, without assuming that we know what the key issues are for them," said Stephen, calling on branches to survey these young members on why they joined and what they want us to campaign on.