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Issue: 21 July 2010
Author: Graham Clews and Sally Priestley

The steward’s role can be stressful but good back-up from the CSP is making a difference.

CSP stewards are well trained and supported by the Society’s employment relations and union services function, according to the latest survey of their views.

Half of the Society’s 860 stewards responded, and said their top priorities were advising members, representing them at formal meetings and communicating with them.

The research showed improvements on the last poll in 2005, with the proportion of stewards who found it ‘very easy’ to contact their senior negotiating officer doubling to 50 per cent, and those finding it ‘quite hard’ falling by more than two-thirds to six per cent.

While the results are pleasing for ERUS, the exercise has identified areas for improvement. As a result, the function will find ways for stewards to attend more training days, to better address equality and diversity issues, to feel confident to recruit new CSP members, and to feel supported in their first six months in the job.

Fast response

Gerda Laird, a steward based at Western trust in Northern Ireland, was particularly appreciative of SNOs: ‘Whenever I need help, they are always quick to respond and support me. And they definitely boost the work I do.’

Much of her recent work has involved the fall-out from Agenda for Change and negotiating over the re-structuring of her department under the newly formed Western trust. ‘It is a very stressful job and there is a lot of extra work involved, but when you get a positive result for members it makes it all worth it,’ she said.

And CSP member Nipa Patel, based at Newham PCT, told Frontline about her experience of stewards themselves over a group pay grievance. ‘After Agenda for Change, one of our team found out that some of us were being paid less than others on the same band,’ she said. ‘The stewards found that an agreement had been signed on new pay rates without local representatives being told.
‘They worked really hard on the research and setting out the legal arguments. Eventually we were given a back-dated pay rise. We couldn’t have done it without them.’ fl