advocate handbook
Advocate*
Handbook
For all FDA members
* ‘To support or
recommend publicly’
(Collins Dictionary)
1
advocate handbook
You could win!
As a thank you for helping us to
encourage people to join the FDA, we
will be running a regular competition to
win an iPad mini! That’s right—you could
win an iPad mini (or equivalent value in
Amazon vouchers).
All you need to do, once you have
recruited a colleague, is send an e mail to;
[email protected]
You simply need to state the name of the
person you have recruited. Sacha will
then cross check this name against the
membership database—once the new
membership is confirmed, your name will
go into the hat! A winner will then be
drawn from the hat by the FDA President
– it could be you!
2
Please don’t keep your
membership to yourself!
Some secrets are too good to keep…
The FDA is your union. The FDA isn’t a
head office in London. It isn’t some large
profit making business. It isn’t simply
a nice logo. The FDA is a voluntary
organisation that succeeds when
members are engaged, active and
involved.
You are the FDA.
But what does that really mean?
Well, without you, there would be no
FDA. You are vital—simply by being a
member, you are helping to support
your colleagues across the civil service.
The FDA is a membership and member
led organisation. This means that the
members of the FDA decide the union’s
objectives and priorities, making sure
that the union is doing the very best it
can to support members.
Each year, at the Annual Delegate
Conference (ADC), members vote on
important issues that then become
union policy. In between the ADC, the
FDA Executive Committee (made up of
FDA members) ensures that this work is
taken forward, with support from FDA
staff.
You may be interested in becoming
more active in this process, taking part
in the policy making part of the FDA.
You may also be interested in getting
involved in the FDA as a representative,
volunteering to help colleagues
when they need support. You might
even want to get involved in union
negotiations within your department.
We would be delighted to hear from you
if you would like to step up and become
a more active FDA member.
However, the main thing that we
really need you to do, that we need
all members to do, is to tell colleagues
about the FDA. Your Executive
Committee has agreed that recruiting
new members to the FDA is a
priority—and this means that we need
every member to help us to achieve
membership growth and sustainability.
Please do all that you can—even simply
talking to colleagues about the FDA
could help: we can’t assume that
everyone knows about us!
This pack contains all that you need to
share the FDA with your colleagues.
Please do whatever you can to ensure
that everyone knows about the FDA.
There is strength in numbers, and our
voice is stronger, together.
3
advocate handbook
What does the FDA
stand for?
We are delighted that you are a member
of the FDA! What was it that made you
decide to join? It is worth thinking
about that when deciding how to
approach the subject with colleagues.
To support your personal story, it will be
handy for you to know some FDA facts:
• the FDA is the union for senior
managers and professionals in public
service;
• the FDA currently represents over
18,000 members across Government;
• the FDA represents members in
the Fast Stream (and departmental
equivalent fast track schemes), Grade
7, Grade 6, and the SCS;
• the FDA represents lawyers,
statisticians and economists in
Government;
• the FDA is politically neutral; and
• the FDA is now over 90 years old!
The main reason that people don’t join
a trade union is because they haven’t
been asked! It really is that simple. So,
whenever you get the opportunity,
please make sure that your colleagues
know about the FDA, and encourage
them to join up!
4
Across Government we are known
simply as ‘The FDA’, which is less of a
mouthful than our erstwhile proper
name:
‘The Association of First Division Civil
Servants’.
This was the name registered in 1918
when the organisation was founded
to protect the interests of senior civil
servants, who were at that time known
as the ‘first division’ within the civil
service hierarchy.
Over a period of decades, what became
widely known as the ‘First Division
Association’ established a reputation for
successfully representing the interests
of senior managers and professionals in
government. Given the public sector’s
fondness for acronyms, the moniker
‘The First Division Association’ evolved
naturally into ‘The FDA’. The union
formally adopted the FDA as its name in
the year 2000.
advocate handbook
About the FDA
We are a professional association
and union for the UK’s senior public
servants and professionals. We act as a
powerful voice for public services and
the people who deliver them.
Our growing and influential
membership of more than 18,000
senior managers, government policy
advisors, diplomats, tax professionals,
economists, solicitors, prosecutors
and other professionals work across
government and the NHS.
We recognise that public services
will continue to change. We work
in partnership with employers and
members to help implement that
change, and improve workplaces and
working lives.
We believe in engaging with employers
- not working against them. We
help to identify and help address
concerns before they become real
problems. We think solutions are best
reached through dialogue and clear
consideration of the issues rather than
tactical posturing.
opportunities and forums for
considering matters of common
interest.
We also help members develop their
professionalism and skills. We have
programmes to help members achieve
their potential in the Civil Service
Learning programme and help them to
further their careers.
We defend the reputations of our
members by acting as their voice in
the media, with ministers and the HR
profession - an important role as civil
servants are usually not permitted to
defend themselves publicly.
As a public sector union, we strive
to improve members’ terms and
conditions, workplaces, skills and
working lives.
We are affiliated to the Trades Union
Congress, but are strictly politically
neutral and have no formal links with
any political party.
As a professional association, we
promote and protect our members’
interests. We influence policy on
their behalf, and provide networking
5
advocate handbook
Problems at work?
The FDA is there when members need
help.
The FDA has a successful track record
of providing a highly personalised and
quality representation service.
With a wide breadth of knowledge and
expertise, the FDA is expertly equipped
to support members. The FDA may seek
legal advice in cases where the union
deems it necessary.
What FDA members say:
Each year, hundreds of members
come to the FDA for confidential and
professional advice on a wide range of
work related issues, including:
• bullying and harassment;
• appraisal / promotion / performance
pay;
• disciplinary issues;
• contractual disputes;
• internet-related allegations;
• discrimination (gender, race, disability
or sexual orientation); and
• redundancy.
6
“I never thought I’d be accused of
bullying, so when allegations were
made I didn’t know what to do. The FDA
was there to help me through some
very anxious times, providing excellent
professional advice, support and
representation. And they defended me
successfully.”
“When my appraisal didn’t seem fair,
I contacted the FDA. They helped me
through the appeals process and I
successfully appealed the original box
marking.”
advocate handbook
How much does it cost?
FDA MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION RATES 2013
As from 1 January 2013 each member of the union will pay a monthly subscription
determined according to the following table:
Up to £15,500
£6.40 (Part Time Rate)
£15,501 or over
£11.80 (Fast Stream Rate)
£15,501 to £33,500
£13.05
£33,501 to £47,000
£25.30
£47,001 to £70,500
£27.60
£70,501 to £88,000
£29.95
Over £88,001£32.70
In all cases the rate is determined by
reference to basic salary on 1 January in
the year concerned.
Where a member’s pensionable pay
in any month is such that the prorata annual salary would entitle the
member to pay at a lesser rate than that
represented by the full annual salary
the member will be charged that lesser
rate for that month.
Band FS – For Fast Streamers the
first six months of membership are
free. After the six months the first
subscription is taken.
7
advocate handbook
FDA Networks
2013 Events
Potential members may not know that
we have many different membership
networks!
All members are informed about
events in the monthly member e mail.
However, non members may not get to
hear about what we are doing. Please
do let them know about the things that
we do—the more they know about the
FDA, the more likely they are to join!
They are open to all members of the
FDA.
• FDA Women’s Network
• FDA Disabled Members Network
13th June
Professions into Leadership
www.professionsintoleadership.co.uk
• FDA LGBT Network
• FDA BME Network
25th June
Unlocking the Senior Civil Service
www.unlockingthescs.co.uk
• FDA Fast Stream Network
• FDA Lawyers Network
• FDA Statisticians and Economists
Network
The networks meet regularly, and are
places for members to share ideas,
discuss issues and to NETWORK!
FDA Online
It is worth mentioning to colleagues
that when they join, they can get
full access to FDA online. When they
join they will get their username and
password to access the whole FDA
website at www.fda.org.uk
8
12th September
Women into Leadership
www.womenintoleadership.co.uk
24th October 2013
BME into Leadership
www.bmeintoleadership.co.uk
Please check www.fda.org.uk for up to
date information!
advocate handbook
FDA Learn
FDA Learn launched in 2008 to help
members to achieve their goals and
access professional developmental
opportunities to meet personal
development targets.
• signpost members to learning
opportunities and providers; and
Through the project, members can:
The work of the ULRs is supported by
learning agreements with employers.
• identify the skills they need to
succeed; and
• identify specific training
opportunities to develop skills,
working with FDA Union Learning
Representatives (ULRs).
A network of trained FDA ULRs across
the civil service has been established as
part of the project.
Based on a coaching and mentoring
approach, the role of the ULR is to
‘inform and support’ members in
developing and achieving their personal
and professional goals. The ULRs can:
• receive training and have the right to
time off to carry out their duties.
FDA members can take part in a
wide range of events and seminars,
including:
• Public Speaking Training;
• Training on how to be an Assessor at
an Assessment Centre;
• Social Media and Networking Skills
And much, much more!
To find out more about learning
opportunities, and to make contact with
your local ULR, please contact
Sean Ruddy— [email protected].
9
advocate handbook
I’m ready to recruit—what should I do?
You are a member of the FDA, so you
know first-hand what that is like. You
now also have lots of other pieces of
information that you can share with
colleagues. So, whenever you get the
opportunity, please mention the FDA!
For example, this could be a typical
comment made by a colleague at work:
Potential member; ‘Oh, my workload
is just unbearable at the moment’
You could reply along the lines of;
FDA Member; ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear
that. Have you been able to identify
any solutions? I know that the FDA
is committed to work to ensure that
all members have a decent work/life
balance.’
You’ll see, in the suggested reply, that
a question has been asked. The most
important part of any discussion with
a potential member is to listen to their
reply when you mention the union.
10
It’s important to talk about our
successes, and it’s also important to
be able to explain why the union is
relevant to colleagues. So, we must
therefore listen to what they say. As a
rule of thumb, you should ensure that
you only talk for 20% of the time and
then listen for 80% of the time. If they
are initially negative towards the union
resist the temptation to argue! You can
simply acknowledge their points and
move the conversation on.
There may also be opportunities to have
a slot at team meetings or departmental
conferences. Please ensure that the
FDA is visible at these event, and where
possible spoken about. If there is an
opportunity to host an information
stand at an event, or in your workplace,
you can ask for support from FDA head
office – just e mail:
[email protected]
You are the FDA – and you can help your
colleagues to have a better working life.
advocate handbook
Ten most common excuses and replies!
These are in no specific order of
preference. The replies are intended to
be a guide, rather than pat answers.
You will probably have experienced an
insurance seller giving you a rehearsed
sales pitch, and recognised when it
has been insincere. Be honest and
positive about the FDA, and this will
come across to a potential member. You
will find that one to one recruiting is
nothing to be apprehensive about, and
can actually be very rewarding.
Using FDA membership services, or
getting advice from our lawyers could
also cover costs.
“I can’t afford the subscriptions”
“I don’t believe in trade unions”
Reply: What about the pay increases
and improvements in terms and
conditions won by unions? Unionised
workplaces generally have better
health and safety standards and,
according to the 2008 Labour Force
Survey, the hourly earnings of union
members averaged 12.5% more than
those of non-union members!
Reply: Why not? The majority of your
colleagues of all religious and political
persuasions are union members. They
recognise that their interests are best
served in an organisation which can,
and will, protect their interests. If
your objection is political, we pay no
money to any political party. If you are
unhappy about some aspect of what
we do, join and change it. We are a
democratic organisation, run by and for
our members. Policy decisions are made
by the Executive Committee (EC) which
is made up of FDA members.
Union membership is also the closest
thing you can get to employment
insurance, and what price your job, your
pension or getting your employer to pay
compensation if you have an accident
at work.
Subs are graded according to salary and
the same for the rest of your colleagues
– many of them are in the FDA, so why
aren’t you?
Subscriptions are decided by members
each year, by joining you can have a say
on the subscription rates!
11
advocate handbook
“I get the benefits anyway”
Reply: No you don’t. You may currently
enjoy union-negotiated terms and
conditions, but you have no say in
the process. For example, you will
not have a vote in an FDA pay ballot
unless you are a current FDA member.
You are also unprotected if you have a
problem at work, or an accident. (I have
never yet met someone who thought
they were going to have an accident,
but nevertheless thousands of people
have them). FDA rules are clear on this
point: individuals who join with a preexisting case are not entitled to advice
or representation on that case.
Anyway, if you recognise there are
benefits, why not join? Staying outside
the FDA is not a neutral action – you
make us less representative and you
help undermine our ability to secure
improvements for everyone in (your
department).
that is largely due to the work done by
unions. You only have to compare the
civil service pension and redundancy
arrangements with those in nonunionised sectors to see the benefits
that high levels of union membership
can bring. If you are unhappy about
certain changes please remember that
it is your employer, not the FDA, who is
responsible for driving these. In the end
our ability to stop or influence matters
depends on what our members are
prepared to do and the policy decisions
made by the Executive Committee.
“I had a problem years ago and the
union didn’t want to know”
Reply: If that’s the case, I’m sorry. What
happened?
The FDA deals with hundreds of
individual cases per year, with a
very high success rate. Personal
representation is something that we do
very well.
“The union doesn’t do anything”
Reply: Not true! We have negotiated
with your employer on every aspect of
what goes on at your workplace, from
local Health and Safety issues right
through to the very future of (your
department). This is the everyday
reality of the work the FDA does. It may
not be highly visible, but it is effective.
Terms and conditions in (your
department) are generally good, and
12
If you resigned from the FDA over this,
your protest has been registered and
we would like you to come back. Give
us another chance to represent you,
or better still get involved locally, to
ensure that we do things the right way.
“My manager/management don’t
like trade unions”
Reply: (Your department) is committed
to good industrial relations. We have
advocate handbook
signed an agreement with them to that
effect, and they actually encourage
you to be in the FDA. The Government
brought out legislation which supports
and encourages trade unions.
In today’s climate it may be one
individual’s prejudice or someone
abusing their position. If you want us
to, we will deal with this. Anyway,
the majority of your colleagues are
members – including many permanent
secretaries – and it hasn’t harmed their
careers. You have a right to join the FDA.
“Being an FDA
member means you
can influence and
shape policy, rather
than just watch it from
the sidelines.”
“You are always causing trouble /
going on strike”
Reply: This is simply untrue.
FDA policy and practice is to seek
constructive partnership and dialogue
with your employer. We have been
largely successful in doing that.
We exist to ensure that your employer
takes full account of the staff who
actually work in (your department). The
FDA makes no apology for speaking up
for our members: that is our role and
main function.
Important decisions are taken
democratically, by the elected
representatives who sit on the
Executive Committee (EC), so being an
FDA member means you can influence
and shape policy, rather than just watch
it from the sidelines.
13
advocate handbook
“The subscriptions are too high”
Reply: Subscriptions usually rise in line
with inflation, along with most other
things. Every penny is shown in our
financial statement and every member
has access to this. All money raised
from subscriptions goes into ensuring
that the FDA members have support at
work, when they need it. Expenditure
is controlled by an elected Executive
Committee and by the FDA’s Annual
Delegate Conference.
“Management here look after us
and treat us well”
Reply: This may be true, but much of
this is due to a strong FDA presence.
(Your department’s) management
know that the FDA is a professional
organisation, with strong legal and
negotiating departments and over
80 years experience in representing
people like you in the workplace.
The constructive approach taken
by FDA representatives in (your
department) plays a large part in
ensuring that, by and large, staff are
treated well and respected. Contrast
this with many non-unionised
workplaces, where the opposite can be
the case.
14
“I can look after myself – I don’t
need someone to do it for me”
Reply: Most FDA members are
skilled, professional people – yet
over 18,000 of them recognise the
value of belonging to an independent
professional organisation. Of course you
can deal with customers, colleagues
and managers and with complex
issues, but to have a say or to influence
vitally important questions like pay,
promotion, policy and pensions you
need the FDA and the FDA needs you.
We are there to help you if you
encounter problems at work – and
experience shows that you never know
when that may happen.
Lastly—the Organising Sub Committee
would like to thank you for taking the
time to read this guide—and to wish you
luck when encouraging your colleagues
to join the FDA.
If you have any questions, or
require any support, please contact
the FDA organiser, Sacha Dutta,
[email protected]—0845 470 1111
advocate handbook
FDA, 8 Leake Street, London SE1 7NN
www.fda.org.uk
@FDA_union
16