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The importance of the steward’s
role |
Despite the ordeal of a frightening two weeks in hospital, committed steward, Peggy Byrom still managed to sign up nine new UNISON recruits
A convincing bedside manner
Peggy Byrom didn’t let a trip into casualty get in the way of her
union activities. Her subsequent two-week confinement in a coronary ward
led to nine new recruits for UNISON.
Byrom is a well-known figure around Manchester Royal Infirmary and for
the past 30 years she has worked there as a healthcare support worker.
But it is her work as a union steward for the central Manchester healthcare
trust branch that has made her a familiar face to so many different people
at the hospital.
She is also chair and welfare officer for her branch but is adamant that
her most important role is that of steward.
Her popularity with staff became evident when Byrom was hospitalised.
She collapsed at work and was sent straight to casualty where she was
diagnosed with a rare and serious heart condition. Although she soon felt
better in herself she had to be kept in for observation.
This meant she was well enough to receive visitors which is just as well
as they just kept coming.
“When I was first moved on to the ward the other patients thought
I must be someone important as I was just getting so many visitors,”
she explains.
In fact up to 60 people a day were dropping by to check up on Byrom –
the ward eventually had to turn people away as it couldn’t cope
with the sheer volume.
It wasn’t just the visitors Byrom was getting to speak to but also
the other patients and the staff looking after her.
“As people were aware of my role in the union the nurses looking
after me starting asking me about the significance of Agenda for Change.
“I would ask if they were a UNISON member and then simply talk them
through the issues.”
Byrom believes the best strategy behind successful recruitment is to simply
talk to people.
“The bully boy tactics are well and truly over, the best thing to
do is to just talk common sense.”
The staff looking after Byrom were also impressed by the range of people
coming to visit as it reflected just how involved the union is with all
aspect of hospital life.
“They were asking me how come I knew people working at all the different
levels in the hospital.
“I had representatives from every bit of the hospital visiting such
as the chief exec, midwives, porters, caterers, switchboard staff, the
bereavement team and lab technicians.”
Byrom was getting so much interest in UNISON that she asked one of her
union colleagues to bring over some recruitment packs
“We’ve so much going on at the hospital right now that people
were really keen to find out what UNISON’s involvement was.
“Not only is there Agenda for Change and issues surrounding contract
workers but we’re also in the middle of PFI so the hospital looks
like a building site and there’s no car park and staff really need
to know what is happening with that.”
Byrom explained how UNISON sits on all the committees and so is actively
involved in all the issues that concern staff. She also told them about
all that UNISON has already achieved for the hospital staff.
The nine new members that Peggy recruited while in hospital came from
a range of backgrounds including nurses, auxiliary staff and even the
lab staff that come round to take blood samples.
“People are far more likely to approach you when they see you in
person even though the union office is only a minute down the corridor.
“It is really important to consider how you listen to and answer
their concerns as this will really help to promote membership.”
Byrom is now back at work and has finished working on a successful recruitment
week for the union where they managed to sign up 54 new members.
‘You should never miss an opportunity to recruit, it’s all
about knowing how to listen,” she advises.
Story by Nathalie Towner
The recruitment campaign |
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