Independence Day in Bootle!

July 14 2016

On Monday July 4 Americans worldwide celebrated their Independence Day -as did the members of the CWU’s Bootle Financial Services branch!

As the UK digested the political fallout from the Brexit vote the entrance to the canteen of the massive Santander complex on Merseyside was bedecked in red, white and blue for entirely different reasons. Branch activists donned Uncle Sam-style outfits and even rustled up a Statue of Liberty to celebrate the efforts that the union puts in on a daily basis to support members in every aspect of their working life.

Bootle Financial Services branch has an impressive track record of organising imaginative CWU profile-boosting events – and the latest proved as popular with members as ever. Over the course of the day hundreds took part in a host of US-inspired activities including quizzes on US sports, actors and landmarks and even a basketball gameall, of course, with American-themed prizes.

Behind the fun and friendly atmosphere were serious objectives, however, all centred on the recruitment and retention of members. One of the branch’s primary objectives was to highlight everything that it does on its members’ behalf.

Branch secretary Tracey Griffiths the branch secretary explains: “From each event we come away with a list of issues from members, we then hold regular meetings with the company and try to battle the issues out.”

The branch uses a Bring-a-Buddy’ system, where a member can bring a non-member to sign up, with both receiving a £10 voucher. Thanks to these efforts 30 new members joined the CWU family during the event – boosting still further the branch’s high membership ratio.

Tracey continued: “We now look forward to dealing with any issues these new members encounter during their employment with the companies we represent in Bootle, and supporting them through all aspects of their working life.”

This was the sixth event of its kind the Bootle Financial Services branch has held over the past two years – the two most recent of which involved a three-day slog of Halloween-themed fun last October and an Easter Eggstravaganza’ this spring.

The next recruitment and retention inspired fun day is planned for November 3, when the branch will reflect on the current period of exceptional political intrigue and upheaval with a Guy Fawkes/ Bonfire Night-themed event as its slightly late contribution to the union’s national Contact Centre Action Month programme of recruitment activities in October.

Commenting on the success of the branch’s first “Fourth of July’ event, Tracey concluded: “We actually organised it before the Brexit vote and didn’t really get any comments on the day about comparisons with independence. We did, however, get a lot of positivity towards the branch, which was great.”