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Trade union structure

Member support and representation is at the heart of the CSP's trade union structure. Key components start with the Society's Employment Relations & Union Services (ERUS) function.

Employment Relations & Union Services (ERUS)

Employment Relations & Union Services is the trade union arm of the CSP and is made up of a network of stewards and safety representatives, supported by a team of full time officers, research and support staff.

Each steward and safety rep has a Senior Negotiating Officer (SNO) or 'field officer' responsible for his or her region. Each SNO spends much of their time supporting the representative networks and assisting individual stewards and safety reps across their 'patch' with particular individual or collective issues.

SNOs tend to be involved where negotiations/individual cases are complex or difficult or where stewards and safety reps are inexperienced and seek additional support. The expectation in ERUS is that local stewards and safety reps will take responsibility for local negotiations and problems and that they (not individual CSP members) will contact their SNO if they feel they need help.

Stewards and safety reps should always keep their Senior Negotiating Officer informed of all major developments in their workplace or trust. It is much easier for SNOs to achieve a good result in the early stages of a problem rather than being called on to help when a problem has escalated.

For more information on how ERUS works see:

Industrial Relations Committee

The Society's Industrial Relations Committee (IRC) meets three times a year and has executive responsibility for pay, conditions of service and other trade union matters within the CSP. This means it can make decisions on trade union issues without having to go to CSP Council.

The Industrial Relations Committee consists of 6 council members, 5 directly elected, 1 directly elected student, 1 directly elected assistant, 4 stewards (England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland and Chair of National Group of Regional Stewards to be represented), 1 safety rep (chair or vice chair), 1 ACPM, 1 education (steward) and 1 non-NHS (steward). CSP representatives on TUC Equality Committees are invited to attend as observers.

National Group of Regional Stewards

Stewards in each region meet regularly and elect a Regional Steward. Regional stewards organise as a national group. The National Group of Regional Stewards has an important role in helping to develop CSP strategy on employment relations' issues, particularly in the NHS, and informs the CSP's position on issues affecting CSP members.

The national group also co-ordinates the stewards' regional training days, submits motions on a range of issues to the CSP's Annual Representatives Conference and plays an active role within the TUC, sending CSP delegations to various TUC conferences. The NGRS meets three times a year and nominates Regional Steward representatives to most CSP committees to provide an input based on the views of the stewards network and the majority of CSP members.

National Group of Regional Safety Representatives

Safety reps in each region meet regularly and elect a Regional Safety Rep. Regional safety reps organise as a national group. The National Group of Regional Safety Reps has an important role in helping to develop health and safety policies, campaigns and resources for the safety reps network.

The national group also co-ordinates the safety reps regional training days and submits motions on a range of issues to the CSP's Annual Representatives Conference. The NGRSR meets twice a year and has a representative on the Industrial Relations Committee and other CSP committees/working groups as deemed appropriate by the National Group. The national group is supported and assisted by the CSP's National Health & Safety Officer.

Diversity networks

The three diversity network groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) members, disabled members and black and minority ethnic members (BME) were established in the summer of 1995 and have since grown to around 80, 80 and 200 members respectively.

Any member of the CSP who self identifies as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender, disabled or from any ethnic minority can join and network members are very keen to encourage physiotherapy students and assistants to join. These are full members and they can vote if necessary and stand for convenor. In addition, any CSP member interested in and supportive of the work of a diversity network is welcome to join as an associate member. The only difference for associate members is that they cannot vote or become a convenor. The convenor can opt to run a closed session only for full members on a particular subject if they wish though this is unusual.

Meetings are held (usually at the CSP) twice a year. Attendance at meetings is not a condition of membership and anyone can just receive the newsletter and any other pertinent information. Newsletters for each group are emailed to their members around three times a year. These are also available in large print and other accessible formats upon request.

More information can be found on our main equality and diversity page.

Annual Representatives Conference (ARC)

The Society's Annual Representatives Conference is very important as it is the only debating forum for CSP members. It is held annually towards the end of February/beginning of March and moves around the country. Any CSP member can attend and speak at conference, but only nominated representatives are entitled to vote. ARC in itself is not policy making: motions that are carried are then discussed and acted on by the CSP's Council.

Representatives to ARC are nominated by CSP branches, the Clinical Interest Groups and the National Groups of Regional Stewards and Safety Reps. Diversity Network Groups, students and assistants also send representatives.

Motions are submitted by representative groups four months before the Conference. All motions are considered by the Agenda Committee to make sure they are competent and have not been debated previously, before being placed on the final agenda for debate. This Committee consists of a representative from each of the above groups (with the exception of the networks) and the chair and vice-chair of Council.

The results of voting on the motions are printed in Frontline. The motions then go to Council, who consider them to decide if they wish the motion to become policy. Motions are then referred to the appropriate Committee who discuss what action to take and which function should be responsible. Council receives regular reports on progress and monitors implementation.

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