Many of us in the Independent Left are great admirers of the work of American union activists and radicals grouped around the Labor Notes project.

They have produced a book called ‘Secrets of a Successful Organizer’, which we think should be required reading for the PCS leadership. The book, drawing on lessons from the US union movement, who work in a much more hostile environment than we do, sets out practical steps to win members to action.

We were particularly struck by the following, which we think PCS should officially adopt:

The Organizing Attitude

• Action is better than complaining;
• Problems are waiting for solutions;
• Solutions are collective, not individual;
• People can be brought together to make things better.

Over the next months we will talk further about the lessons from the book and how they can be applied to our union.