Ministers listen when tens of thousands of us are ready to act. That is the simple truth behind the PCS national campaign.

A strong Yes vote can make ministers move before anybody loses a day’s pay. Certainly, it gives us crucial leverage in any negotiations, and a big turnout with a clear mandate is hard for senior managers and the government to ignore.

But we should be honest with each other. A strong ballot can force concessions, yet it may not deliver everything we seek and deserve. The gains we are fighting for will ultimately need action to secure them. A mandate gets us to the table with weight behind us. It is what we are prepared to do next that determines what we leave with.

If we fight, we might not win everything. But if we don’t, we know what happens. Pay rises fall behind price rises. Jobs will be cut and offices will close. The government’s pay limit for many of us is just 3.5%, which will not make up for years of lost pay.

Every year that pay trails inflation, our living standards fall further behind, and the money lost is never recovered. Cuts to jobs and offices also land on those who remain, through heavier workloads and less security.

So vote Yes, Yes and make sure your colleagues do the same. Let the union know you have voted. A strong result is where this fight begins, and being ready to follow it through is what will make us win.